HORRIBLE silicone car spray - help!

[organic]

Hey folks - I took the car in for a quick valet earler on and before I could stop him, the guy grabbed a can of that completely and utterly DISGUSING silicone spray and put it all over the dash, the handbrake, gearstick, STEERGIN WHEEL, door handles and plastic bits of the seats.

Not only is it slippy (not what you want on the steering wheel)... not only has it left an unpleasant layer of silicone on my hands so my fingerprints feel almost smooth... but it smells so bad I feel sick from the short drive home.

I don't think I can hold my breath for long enough to get around without smelling it and feeling ill again.

Does anyone know how the hell to get the stuff OFF the plastic bits and get rid of the smell?

[kirsty b]

Could you give something gentle a go first, warm water, detergent and a sponge?
I hate that stuff, on the rare occasions I clean my car, I always go for silicone free spray. Surely not safe on the steering wheel - what a muppet

[organic]

Personally I keep well away from that kind of rubbish. I usually ask them not to use any as safety issues aside I just hate the smell of the stuff. I completely forgot today though. I also forgot to ask them not to put an air freshener in - but I just took that off the mirror and handed it back. Vile things!

I think I'll give warm water and detergent a go first. I'll need to find the time though - loads of work to do.

As for the steering wheel - it certainly doesn't feel safe to me... the rubber heel-grip bit under the pedals feels rather slippery too which is a bit disconcerting.

Warm water and detergent there too - unless someone comes up with a better idea in the mean time.

[Headfry]

Organic is it that awful stuff that leaves the dash looking as if it has a coating of oil?
poor you! I ban the use of it in my car...hate it - really hate it.......
sorry cant be much help in the removing of it though.


would wet wipes help? mind you they might leave a residue of some sort?

[Crosby]

As a word of warning please be careful when trying to remove it from the instrument panel and door trim plastics as to harsh a detergent or too much elbow grease can lighten the colouring and leave you with a light patch.

I've seen parts where people have tried to clean then with scourers not pretty.

I'd recommend cleaning the steering wheel but leave the main plastics.

[enrich100]

found on another forum

How to remove silicone spray? - Detailing World

always test on an area not in direct view as different plastics can react differently

[organic]

Ohh - a forum for car obsessives - now THAT'S the kind of person I was hoping would read the post on here (I'm sure there's at least one on here somewhere ). Thanks enrich100! Any idea what APC is?


Crosby - thanks for the warning. Definitely no scourers to be used though!


Headfry - the very same stuff... only this one is "strawberry" scented.
Of course that means it smells nothing like even the most horrible of half-rotten-and-starting-to-ferment strawberry ever smelled by a living creature which just adds to the general unpleasantness of it all.

Hell I can still smell it now! I've scrubbed my hands and got most of the roughness back but I've still got a very faint wiff of it hanging around.

[janeyo]

I'd be tempted to go back and ask them to clean it with something else!

[enrich100]

Please note i'm not a car obsessive, I drive a Renault Scenic with 3 child seats in the back so I don't think I can class my self as a car nut (even though I do watch Top Gear ocasionally)

I just did a google search and found it

just regoogled and found

APC = All purpose Cleaner

[organic]

enrich - I didn't think you were. Sorry if it came across that way.
I meant that forum is one for that type and I'd hoped to get through to one on here. Duinno why I didn't think of google - forums are rotting my brain methinks!
Sorry (and thanks) again.

[enrich100]

enrich - I didn't think you were. Sorry if it came across that way.
I meant that forum is one for that type and I'd hoped to get through to one on here. Duinno why I didn't think of google - forums are rotting my brain methinks!
Sorry (and thanks) again.

No offence taken, I just didn't want you to be disapointed when I couldn't answer any questions about lowering suspension,underskirting blue lights, custom paint jobs and sound systems or how to hit 70 MPH travelling past my house in a built up area whilst beeping your horn at 3am in the morning

[organic]

Haha!
You've got problems like that too eh?

It wasn't on your list, so... can you answer any questions about how to replace a car exhaust with a nice, chunky soil pipe for that neighbour-waking "real" race car sound?

[its hilly]

I can answer that one Organic....
buy a lamborghini....

Ok, grabs coat and heads for door..

[bargainhunter]

Oh i love you guys, i always log on to have a giggle, pick up hints and tips, and find people with a crazy outlook like me!

About the silicone, fairy (other washing up liquid available) liquid should do the job. For some reason last time i had the car cleaned they put something on the seats (leather) and made them extra slippery!

[organic]

Hilly - if I had that much money I'd be buying a few acres in the South East of Ireland or a chalet in Chamonix-Mont-Blanc... not a car that's impossible to reverse park.


My brother's been out and about in the car this weekend and fortunately the spray seems to have worn off the steering wheel. I'll try some plain warm water on the rest of it (it's an ugly looking shine) this week and if that fails a teeny bit of some sort of detergent and see where that leaves me.

Thanks for all the input (and laughs) peeps.