Video summary

Please Avoid This Car Interior Cleaner!

Main summary

Key takeaways

Product Review

Product category reviewed

Multiple car interior cleaners/protectants (sprays/gels for vinyl, plastic, rubber, leather, dashboards/trim, etc.) were tested for:

  • Glossiness on plastic
  • Safety from making steering wheels/seat/driver controls “slick”
  • Color darkness/lightness changes (using a colorimeter)
  • Dust/dirt attraction after application
  • Sticky mess removal (dried sugary coffee)
  • Liquid/water repellency (subjective scoring, plus category averages)

Key points & features mentioned (by brand), including pros/cons

Armor All (made in USA) — ~$10/28 oz

Claims: prevents cracking/fading/discoloration/premature aging; cleans/shines/protects vinyl/rubber/plastic; UVA/UVB; “safe.” Gloss: slightly reduced (to ~3.5 from 3.6 baseline). Slickness (safety): very slick — steering wheel/seat slickness tested at ~1.4 lb (bad). Color: slightly darker than new plastic (~20.17 vs 20.39 baseline). Dust attraction: worst — score 42.87 (higher = more dirt attracted). Sticky coffee removal: required ~1.4 lb to slide sponge after cleaning (pretty slick; cleaning not best).

Main con: attracts dust/dirt and can make driver controls unsafe/slick.

Meguiar’s (made in USA) — ~$8/16 oz

Claims: sunblocking agents; safe for all interior surfaces; no greasy feel; restores/protects. Gloss: slightly higher (~3.7/3.6/3.7). Slickness: slick but not the worst (~1.7 lb). Color: less dark than baseline (~21.09). Dust attraction: very good — score 35.25. Sticky coffee removal: improved (RainX beat it earlier; Meguiar’s was close) — ~2.3 lb at later sticky test.

Main pros: good gloss, strong dust behavior, decent sticky removal.

RainX (made in USA) — ~$6? (stated $13/22 oz)

Claims: clean/protect/repel in one step; fingerprint reduction on LCD; UV protection; repels spills/dust/liquids. Gloss: least shiny in the gloss test (~3.2–3.3). Slickness: ~1.4 lb (as slick as Armor All). Color: maintained relatively well (darkness around ~20.6–21.1, competitive). Dust attraction: bad — score 45.25 (dirty panel among worst). Sticky coffee removal: best in that phase — ~1.7 lb.

Main con: despite water-repelling claims, it attracts dirt/dust heavily.

“Car Gods” (“car guys”, made in USA) — ~$20/18 oz

Claims: safe on many interior surfaces; explicitly noted as not containing UV protection. Gloss: modestly reduced (~3.5). Slickness: ~3.6 lb (fairly good vs baseline “new plastic”). Color: darkened a little (~20.13). Dust attraction: worse than PNS — score 42.11. Sticky removal: leaves some stickiness — later coffee test ~4.4 lb stickiness.

Main pros: less slickness risk. Main con: dust attraction and leftover stickiness.

Cross brand / “Grios” / “Cerakote” and other brands

The subtitles contained multiple “name” issues, but the tested outcomes are clear.

Hybrid Solutions (made in USA) — ~$10? (stated $12/16 oz)

Claims: ceramic + graphene; “natural enzymes” remove tough stains; reduced dust attraction. Gloss: among the glossier (avg about ~3.8, possibly highest/tied). Slickness: very slick (~1.4 lb, same tier as Armor All/RainX). Color: roughly maintains darkness (~20.66–21.1). Dust attraction: poor — score 42.2. Sticky coffee removal: around ~1.6 lb later.

Main con: glossy look + slickness, but does not prevent dust/dirt attraction as claimed.

Shine Armor (made in America) — ~$12/16 oz

Claims: anti-static + sunblocking; non-greasy; vinyl/leather/plastic. Gloss: small impact (~3.5–3.6). Slickness: slickest in lineup so far (~1.2 lb). Color: makes plastic much darker (darkness ~17.95, darkest). Dust attraction: very bad — ~46.24 (worst). Sticky coffee removal: still slickest (~1.3 lb later).

Main con: extremely slick + strong darkening + worst dust performance.

303 (made in USA) — ~$12/16 oz

Claims: safe on electronics; streak-free; windshields; residue-free; safe for LCD screens. Gloss: minimal impact (~3.6–3.7). Slickness: best safety overall — ~3.9 lb (least slickness risk). Color: not among worst (darkness around ~21.39 noted as losing original darkness later). Dust attraction: good — score 38.25 (second best behind Meguiar’s). Sticky coffee removal: cleaned well; became slicker after cleaning (303/others improved).

Main pros: very good anti-slickness + strong dust performance.

Adams (made in USA) — ~$12/16 oz

Claims: “jack of all trades,” includes glass; matte/no-gloss look on hard non-porous surfaces. Gloss: very little change (~3.6–3.7). Slickness: ~2.0 lb (better than most). Color: loses some darkness less than a few (darkness around 21.0–21.69, not worst overall). Dust attraction: close to 303 (~38.38). Sticky removal: improved significantly (~1.8 lb later).

Main pros: good dust behavior and sticky removal; decent slickness safety.

Cerakote (made in USA) — ~$12/14 oz (stated)

Claims: “rapid ceramic interior detailer and protectant;” quick/easy; showroom look; don’t apply in sunlight; do not apply to glass/controls (slippery warning). Gloss: reduced (~3.3–3.4). Slickness: mentioned around ~2.2 lb (sticky-test context). Color: roughly average (~21.06). Dust attraction: poor — score 43.71.

Main con: dirt attraction worse than top performers.

PNS Professional (made in USA) — ~$17–$20/16–18 oz (pricing varies in subtitles)

Claims: double black Kenny Dural; cleans leather/vinyl/plastic; safe on all surfaces; fragrance; leaves no residue. Gloss: modest change (~3.5–3.6). Slickness: fairly safe (~3.1 lb, closest to new plastic). Dust attraction: good — ~36.71 (better than many, not best). Sticky removal: not clearly best; overall performance solid (later coffee test not ideal; exact slickness-impact score not given).

Main pro: strong balance + residue avoidance; safe from slickness.

Numerical results highlighted (best/worst)

Glossiness (higher = glossier; baseline ~3.6)

  • Top gloss: Hybrid Solutions (~3.8 avg)
  • Least glossy: RainX (~3.2–3.3)
  • Others: Meguiar’s ~3.7, Shine Armor ~3.5–3.6, Armor All ~3.5, 303 ~3.5–3.7

“Slickness” / safety test (lb force; higher = less slick)

  • Slickest: Shine Armor ~1.2 lb
  • Very slick: Armor All ~1.4, RainX ~1.4, Hybrid Solutions ~1.4
  • Best anti-slick: 303 ~3.9 lb
  • Next best / safe-ish: Chemical Guys ~3.3, PNS Professional ~3.1, Car Guys ~3.6, Adams ~2.0

Color darkness (lower = darker)

  • Darkest overall: Shine Armor ~17.95
  • Closest to baseline: RainX ~20.64, Hybrid Solutions ~20.66
  • Relatively better: Cerakote ~21.06
  • Least desired (largest darkness change): 303 ~21.39 (lost darkness most), Atoms ~21.99, etc.

Dust/dirt attraction test (lower score = better)

  • Baseline water “beat” threshold: 37.42
  • Worst dust attraction: Shine Armor ~46.24, RainX ~45.25
  • Best / top:
    • Chemical Guys ~34.61 (best)
    • Meguiar’s ~35.25 (2nd)
    • PNS Professional ~36.71 (3rd)
  • Notable underperformers: Armor All ~42.87, Hybrid Solutions ~42.2, Cerakote ~43.71

Sticky coffee removal + slickness afterwards (lb force)

  • Several brands improved after cleaning (notably 303, Chemical Guys, Adams).
  • Earlier-stage best: RainX ~1.7 lb
  • Later-stage effects vary by brand mention (e.g., Shine Armor ~1.3, PNS ~3.8, Car Guys ~4.4 at one point, Evo ~2.5, etc.).

Water repellency (subjective)

  • About half rated around ~1.5 (very good)
  • Others around ~2
  • Final overall winner used averaged ranked categories (gloss/color not used for scoring).

Comparisons / overall winner

  • The reviewer combined results and rankings, excluding gloss/color as subjective preference-based categories.
  • Overall winner: Chemical Guys
    • “Best average finish” ~1.5
    • Finished first or second across testing categories.

Strong performers:

  • PNS Professional: performed well in three out of four categories, but can make surfaces pretty slick (potential risk on steering wheel/seats).
  • 303 and “Gratz” (likely another earlier-mentioned brand): described as “average finish of five,” with particular strength on slickness/dust.

Important safety takeaway from the review

Products that create slickness on steering wheels/seats/driver controls can be a safety hazard. Brands explicitly highlighted as too slick include:

  • Armor All
  • RainX
  • Hybrid Solutions
  • Shine Armor

Pros and cons (overall themes)

Pros (what “good” performers did)

  • Better balance between cleaning + acceptable gloss
  • Reduced slickness risk (especially 303)
  • Less dust/dirt attraction (notably Chemical Guys, then Meguiar’s, then PNS Professional)

Cons (common failure modes)

  • Attracting dust/dirt despite protection claims (Armor All, RainX, Hybrid Solutions, Shine Armor)
  • Making surfaces too slick (Armor All, RainX, Hybrid Solutions, Shine Armor)
  • Color shifts (especially Shine Armor darkening heavily)

Unique points about user experience/usage mentioned

  • Many instructions stress:
    • Shake well
    • Apply with microfiber/cotton towel
    • Wipe off excess
    • Avoid letting it dry “naturally”
    • Test inconspicuous areas first
  • Some brands included explicit warnings:
    • Cerakote/others: do not apply to glass/controls due to slipperiness
  • Noted positioning:
    • PNS: claims no residue
    • Adams: targets a matte/no-gloss appearance

Concise verdict / recommendation

  • If choosing just one cleaner: Chemical Guys is recommended as the overall best performer (best average finish ~1.5), especially for dust/dirt behavior and consistent category performance.
  • If safety/slickness is top priority: 303 is best (~3.9 lb anti-slick performance) and also performs well against dust/dirt (~38.25).
  • Use caution / avoid:
    • Shine Armor (very slick + worst dust + strong darkening)
    • Products like Armor All/RainX that became very slick and/or attracted heavy dust.

Speakers / perspectives

Only one main tester/narrator is evident; no distinct additional speakers are clearly credited.

Original video