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Best way to turn arm rests black

1K views 9 replies 8 participants last post by  Lusticles 
#1 ·
Ok being an auto tech my hands getting dirty everyday and unless i spend 10+ mins washing them they stay dirty meaning the dirt rubs off on my interior grab handles and arm rest making them terribly dirty. So whats the best way to turn them black so the dirt wont show. Ive seen the overlay kits but carbonfiber doesnt go well with a tan, black and woodgrain interior.
 
#7 ·
Wear latex gloves at work. When I installed my first engine build a friend had to run to the store to get latex gloves. We all teased him. After 30 minutes we were all wearing latex gloves.

They get dirty/greasy? Tear 'em off and get new ones. They tear? Rip 'em off and get new ones. I always wear them, even when wrenching on the race car.
 
#9 ·
The armrest pull handles over time lose their protective coating layer from wear. They actually become sticky when clean! I have the light grey interior and the handles pull dirt from hands on both doors. They look awful in just a couple weeks.

There's no way to restore the factory coating. I've tried Lots-O spray interior products like Aerospace 303 etc. Nothing worked more then a few days. I was constantly seeing black and feeling the sticky touch. So I tried something crazy. We used to use this stuff on plastic dirtbike fenders to restore shine. It's Future household floor wax. Basically a clear liquid acrylic. I applied some Future to a test area under the handle and it worked. I gave the pulls a couple of coats and dulled the shiny surface with a Mr. Clean eraser pad. Been over a month and the coating is holding up well. They still show dirt but when you clean them they don't feel sticky.
 
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