Review: Blackfire Interior Protectant

[AustrianOak82]

Blackfire Interior Protectant

Description:

BLACKFIRE Interior Protectant with Polycharger is the only product you need to maintain the look and feel of leather and soft vinyl upholstery. This 100% water based protectant uses micro-engineered polymers that are readily accepted by leather and soft vinyl. BLACKFIRE Interior Protectant contains no oils, silicones, or petroleum distillates. It leaves a deep, satin, natural-looking finish on interior auto surfaces.

Directions:

Spray BLACKFIRE Interior Protectant directly on the surface or spray a microfiber applicator pad and wipe areas to avoid overspray on glass. On leather, allow a minute or two for product to penetrate. Wipe surface with a clean Cobra Microfiber Towel. If overspray lands on glass, it can be wiped off easily with any glass cleaner. BLACKFIRE Interior Protectant dries very quickly allowing you to drive the vehicle immediately without fear of staining clothing.

Products Used:

1. Meguiar's APC (Diluted 10:1)
2. 70% IPA (Diluted)
3. MF towel (2)

Conditions:

I applied indoors at 72 degrees. Dash was in a Toyota Corolla. It had a little bit of old product on it but definitely needed a good cleaning and coating.

Preparation Steps:

1. I thoroughly cleaned the dash panel of this Toyota Corolla with APC.

2. Once that was complete, I cleaned the dash with IPA just to make sure I had removed all of the product that was already on there.

Application:

I applied the product using a MF cloth. I sprayed it directly on the cloth, about 5-7 sprays over the entire cloth. I rubbed it in with a circular motion and then did a final buff when that was complete.

I taped the dash into three different sections. I applied a competitors product to the left side, the BF IP to the middle section, and I left the right section of the dash with nothing on it.

Review:

Overall, I was not a big fan of this product. I hate to give it a thumbs down, but I have used several of BF's products and this is not one of the best ones in my opinion. My 1st impression wasn't all that great. It was very, very watery and didn't seem to be as thick as some of my favorite products. It didn't really rub in well and I had to make several passes to rub it in.

When I cleaned the dash, I had a little bit of chalking left over from the APC and IPA cleaning (ran out of distilled water). It doesn't look as bad in person as it does in the pictures! The main thing I noticed when I took the after-photos, was that the competitor product (left side/driver's side) covered this chalking completely. After rubbing in with several passes, the BF didn't really cover any of it. I felt like I was smearing water around on the dash vs massaging the product into the trim.

I took the after-photos about a month after I applied it. I wanted to give it some time in the sun (driver parked in direct sun daily). I also wanted to get some dust to settle on the dash, so I could gauge the repellency of the product. The competitor's product (left side/driver's side) really brought out the dark color of the dash and left it with a satin to semi-gloss shine. The BF section (middle)had a matte to satin gloss present, but there was no darkening of the color at all. It looked very similar to the section that had no product at all (right side/passenger side). Looking at the dust in-person, the BF and no product section had about the same amount of dust. The competitor section had visibly less dust. Not too scientific with the curve on the dash, but it was noticeable.

Final Thoughts

Hopefully the photos help with the review. You can see where the competitor's product (left side/driver's side) coated much better and brought out the color depth much better. It also covered the rough surfaces present in this Corolla much better. While it's not my cup of tea, it doesn't speak to the other products in BF's line-up, which I enjoy. I would like to see it thicker to coat better and a little "milkier" to darken the color better. The BF section looked better than nothing at all but not by much.

[ViperGuy21]

That's unfortunate....
I am going to write a review of this tomorrow, but mine will be positive. I've only use it on the dash, but I've had great experiences with it. It looks good, doesn't attract too much dust, smells nice, no problems with application. Maybe it's just a difference in material...

[The Guz]

What is the competitors product?

I like this product from blackfire. I have nothing but good things to say about it. I have a review floating around on it.

[AustrianOak82]

What is the competitors product?

I like this product from blackfire. I have nothing but good things to say about it. I have a review floating around on it.

I wasn't sure on the etiquette of naming what I compared it to...

[woodsman]

I would also be interested in the product used in comparison. I feel it will validate and give people a more informed basis to draw their own conclusions. Thanks for the review.

[Angus]

I also have a favorable review locked and loaded on this one from BLACKFIRE. It a good interior protectant, may very well be my new favorite even.

I'd say if you're going to do a comparison you have to name the other product(s) used - even if AG doesn't carry it.

[The Guz]

I wasn't sure on the etiquette of naming what I compared it to...

You can name it but not provide a link to it. I'm curious as to the product you put it up against.

[ViperGuy21]

That's unfortunate....
I am going to write a review of this tomorrow, but mine will be positive. I've only use it on the dash, but I've had great experiences with it. It looks good, doesn't attract too much dust, smells nice, no problems with application. Maybe it's just a difference in material...

Whoops....
For some reason I read DP instead of blackfire. My bad...

[AustrianOak82]

Alright, that makes sense. I used M40 on the left part of the dash. When I don't use M40, my next go to is UP but I have used quite a few protectants so I had a decent number of products to compare against this one when rendering an opinion.