Interior Restoration Artists
serving the Aerospace, Marine,
Automotive, and RV
Industries since 1987
Tips & Tricks
For years Vinyl Ladies have used the following tips and tricks to solve a variety of cosmetic problems and avoid unnecessary and costly repairs. We share these methods with the hope that it will be helpful to others. When in doubt, however, consult a professional in your area. Vinyl Ladies are not liable for any damage incurred by attempting to use these methods.
How to clean leather and vinyl
How to remove grease and rubber marks
How to repair wrinkling vinyl wallpaper
How to repair linoleum or vinyl flooring
How to patch vinyl, leather, or fabric
How to repair holes in linoleum, corian or formica
How to remove scratches from wood laminate flooring
How to remove wax from carpet or fabric
How to remove rust stains from carpet
How to remove watermarks from carpet or fabric
How to repair burns or holes in carpet
How to conceal stains in carpet
How to correct yellowed headlights
HOW TO CLEAN LEATHER AND VINYL
Don't
be afraid to aggressively clean your vinyl or leather. A nail brush and cleaner degreaser like 409 or
Clorox Green Cleaner will make a vast improvement. Do not
use these products on suede or nubuck leather.
HOW TO REMOVE GREASE AND RUBBER MARKS
Lacquer thinner (not to be confused with paint thinner or acetone) can remove rubber marks on vinyl, linoleum, wood and tile floors, as well as black grease from carpets and ink from ultrasuede/microfiber (but keep it away from real suede). Lacquer thinner also removes rubber marks and many scuffs from your vehicle's exterior body paint, but work quickly, and don't linger. It can damage the clear coat. Immediately follow with wax.
3M
Adhesive Cleaner is exceptional in removing adhesive and glue, but do not use it on delicate painted surfaces like wallpaper. Instead, try Acrysol.
HOW TO REMOVE GUM FROM CARPET OR FABRIC
Warm some white vinegar and gently rub it on the gum. The gum should easily peel off.
HOW TO REMOVE LEAF STAINS FROM MARINE VINYL
This trick comes from Eric Rector in North Carolina. Make a paste of bleach and baking soda and use it to gently scrub the stains. Avoid getting the paste on any permeable surface (fabric or carpet). Do not use Soft Scrub or other abrasive cleaners, which can damage the surface of the vinyl and create a bigger problem.
HOW TO FIX WRINKLING OR BUBBLING WALLPAPER
Lightweight vinyl wallpaper (like the kind found in RVs or prefabricated walls) can wrinkle, bubble, or peel away from paneling. Often this is caused by the friction of an adjacent trim piece, cabinet, counter, or silicone caulking. Attempt to loosen or remove any source of friction. For silicone caulking, carefully use a razor blade to make a smooth cut, separating it from the wall. You won't see the razor cut, the caulking will be preserved, and the wallpaper will stop being pulled away from the paneling by the counter. Heat the area with a hair dryer (or a heat gun on low setting). Most of the wrinkles or bubbles will disappear on their own. Immediately follow the heat gun with a damp cloth, pressing firmly. The heat will reactivate the adhesive on the wallpaper.
HOW TO REPAIR LINOLEUM OR VINYL FLOORING
Cuts
or
gouges in your linoleum floor? For a quick, cheap fix use a
hair dryer to warm the linoleum. Do your best to stretch, uncurl, and
return the tear to its shape. Use super glue to adhere the tear and
the surrounding linoleum to the subfloor. Fill any cuts or gaps with
many layers of nail polish. Translucent colors look more natural than
opaque colors. Don't be afraid to mix colors or use different colors in
different layers.
HOW TO PATCH FABRIC, VINYL OR LEATHER
Want
to prevent a cut in fabric, leather or vinyl from getting worse? Subpatch it by cutting a denim
patch larger than the tear in both length and width. Round the
corners for easier insertion. Work it under the surface using
tweezers. Ensure it sits smoothly under the surface. Use a giant
needle or toothpick to spread some flexible glue (like LocTite Vinyl, Fabric & Plastic Flexible Adhesive - $3 at most hardware stores) between the
patch and the backside of the fabric or leather. Start in one area
and work your way around, pulling the other edges as much as you can
to minimize the appearance of the tear. Press firmly with a flat
surface like a small board or book until the glue is dried.
Large holes in linoleum, vinyl, wood floors and gouges in Corian or formica counters can be filled using products like QuikWood and WaterWeld (found at hardware stores), which are kneadable two-part epoxies. QuickWood has a pinky tan color while WaterWeld is a pale grey. All will get good adhesion on wood or plastic surfaces (especially for cosmetic repairs). Choose one that will create a similar color to the surface needing repair. Use water to smooth the surface and keep your fingers from sticking and peeling it up in the process. Allow half an hour to an hour to dry. It can be sanded for a more level finish. Just be careful not to damage the surrounding surface.
HOW TO REMOVE SCRATCHES FROM WOOD LAMINATE FLOORING
Wood laminate floors are very durable because of the aluminum oxide coating. However, if this coating is penetrated or scratched, the damage will be very unsightly. If the scratch is superficial and does not go beyond the aluminum oxide coating, it will appear white. Remove the scratch with a 320 grit wet-or-dry sandpaper and polish with a 500 or 1000 grit. The scratch will be gone, but the surface will have a whitish haze. Use an automotive clear spray paint (we like Sherwin Williams Automotive Kut-In Acrylic Clear) to refinish the surface.
Need a quick fix for gouges in real or faux wood? We like Mohawk Finishing Products' Quick-Fill Burn-In Sticks, essentially wood-colored crayons. Rub the stick into the gouge and use a hair dryer to warm the surface and smooth it with a palette knife or business card.
HOW TO REMOVE WAX FROM FABRIC AND CARPET
Use wax paper and an iron on the lowest setting to pick up much of the wax.
Any remaining wax can be removed by carefully trimming each fiber. In this process, patience will be rewarded.
HOW TO REMOVE RUST STAINS FROM CARPET
If cleaners and solvents won't remove stains in carpet or fabric, they might be watermarks, which leave bold, ringed edges, often orange or brown in color, from the mineral deposits.
HOW TO REPAIR HOLES AND BURNS IN CARPET
To repair cigarette burns in automotive carpet, cut away any burn residue. Shave some fibers by holding a razor blade nearly parallel to the carpet. Put a drop of flexible glue (like LocTite Vinyl, Fabric & Plastic Flexible Adhesive, $3 at most hardware stores) in the burn and use the razor blade to “chop in” the fibers. This method looks best on automotive carpets with no nap, but it can still improve the appearance of unsightly burns in household nylon or polyester carpets, as well as fuzzy-looking fabrics.Take a few carpet fibers to the cosmetic aisle and pick a sparkly eye shadow in a similar color. Rub it into the stained fibers. The mineral oil in the makeup will stick to the carpet, and the metallic sparkles will mimic the luminosity of each fiber.
If you have an ink mark, try removing it with hairspray or Acrysol. Sometimes a quick swipe of lacquer thinner will also work. Do not use any of these solvents on suede or nubuck. Never use acetone or paint thinner on any interior materials.
Clean the surface and mask off all surrounding body paint
and chrome. Work with a spray bottle of water and wet sand the
headlights, starting with 500 wet-or-dry sandpaper and working your
way up to the finest grit available, minimally 1500 grit. Follow with
a piece of flannel and 3M Plastic Polish. Put some muscle into this
last part, as the polish restores clarity. The more elbow grease, the
better the result. You can also spend $20 on Mother's PowerBall, a drill-mounted polisher.
Post Office Box 1526
Running Springs, CA 92382
USA
office/fax: 909.867.4062
mobile: 909.553.3891