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Getting smoke stain off rubber trim?
Hey guys. Bought a 2006 4runner owned by a smoker. The car is almost surgically clean now but the last thing I can’t seem to get to budge is getting the smoke/nicotine/whatever stain out of the rubbery vinyl type weatherstrip around the windows. Presumably from smoking with the windows down. You can see in the photo how the color transitions. The bottom half is obviously the natural color which was protected by the door. The tannish brown is what I’m trying to get off.
I’ve tried everything I knew of. Scrubbed it with cleaner, magic eraser, almost melted it with the steamer and nothing. Replacing the pieces are like $80 per window from Toyota which is outrageous for some rubber weatherstrip.
Any suggestions? Bleach? Alcohol? Leather/rubber recolor kit?
Thanks for any replies!
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Super Member
Getting smoke stain off rubber trim?
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Super Member
Re: Getting smoke stain off rubber trim?
I use degreaser or a multi purpose cleaner and then follow up with a something like Hyper dressing to rejuvenate and moisturize
“I have trouble with names and faces, but I never forget a car.”
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Re: Getting smoke stain off rubber trim?
Try Nextzett Plastic Vinyl Deep Cleaner Plastik Reiniger. Its designed to remove nicotine and tar from smoking. You love it once you try and always keep a bottle around. Best plastic/vinyl cleaner I have ever used.
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Re: Getting smoke stain off rubber trim?
This is just me thinking out loud and take it not as a recommendation. But test it if you dare and when the other options is out LOL.
I think that cigarette smoke is mostly based on tar accually. And not so much of the nicotine that is the brownish discolor you get. Glass cleaners is often alcohol based. And ipa or ethanol is what the alcohols which is used. So I would test with a glass cleaner first and move up to strong dilution of ipa. You could try a panel wipe product also. Gtechnic Panel Wipe has a high ratio of ethanol in it so that could also be a product to test out. Then you can often get ethanol much cheaper from storm kitchen fuels. Just look up so it is ethanol based. Then you have acetone which also is good to desolve tar. And of course a tar remover. There are some strong citrus based degreaser that desolves tar too and can maybe be the best way to go with to don't damage the vinyl seal. That is the problem how aggressive you can go without damage the vinyl in this case. And maybe the vinyl has been stained so bad that you don't can rescue it. And as eldorado showed you above I would test that Mothers Back to Black or another rubber cleaner. It would be the most gentle to test with first.
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Re: Getting smoke stain off rubber trim?
Try Citrol 266 diluted 10:1. If that doesn't work, make the dilution a little bit stronger. It works most of the time.
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Re: Getting smoke stain off rubber trim?
A lot of great replies guys. I’ll give them a try! Worst case I just replace the weatherstrip.
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