Cleaning Foam Applicators

[bigcarrot]

So I used SVRT for the first time last weekend and my foam applicators are pretty dark where I applied it to the applicator. I attempted to use APC to clean the foam applicator but it didn't even put a dent in it.

 

Just curious if this is normal or not. I think the applicator picked up some grime that didn't come off when I was washing the car.

 

[Team Adam's]

Perfectly normal... anything you use on a rubber surface, like tires, door seals, etc. will get black transfer. Its not dirt, its simply the old oxidized rubber coming off, no matter how much cleaning you do it will always produce a black transfer onto the app.

[Chewy]

Did you use them on the tires? It's normal for them to stay dark after being used on the tires. I've used APC and Dawn and neither touch it. No matter... They work fine!

 

This is why I use the foam blocks to do SVRT work on the outside. I cut them to the shape I want and they cost MUCH less than the other apps.

 

Chris

[bigcarrot]

Ok, just making sure all is well. I guess that's why it says to do the tires last

 

Yeah I cut one of my applicators up for the tiny plastic/rubber on the car/engine compartment. Blows me away how my car only has 5K miles and the SVRT showed me how new trim is supposed to look

 

Well now with the tire applicator I don't have to worry about that since I'll have a dedicated applicator for just the tires

[Doug123]

Oh yeah. There IS a reason that the tire applicator is black. The tires and rubber are colored black, so it will always be there. And it will get on anything that you use to wipe the tires/tmoldings down, or dry them.

[Chris@Adams]

 

Well now with the tire applicator I don't have to worry about that since I'll have a dedicated applicator for just the tires

Bingo!

[bigcarrot]

Oh yeah. There IS a reason that the tire applicator is black. The tires and rubber are colored black, so it will always be there. And it will get on anything that you use to wipe the tires/tmoldings down, or dry them.

 

 

You don't mean like when I goto wash my car next time around ill get black crud on my wash pad/Great White Drying Towel will I? I applied SVRT on some black rubber molding on the roof of my car.

[Team Adam's]

Getting highly technical here... rubber itself, extracted from trees is a yellowish brown color. Tire manufactures make it black for a number of reasons. Raw rubber is soft and highly susceptible to temp changes. It'll deform, warp, melt, get sticky when its warm. It gets brittle, fragile when cold... all things highly undesirable for tires for obvious reasons.

 

In the mid 1800's Goodyear patented the process of 'vulcanization' which makes rubber what you see in tires today. Highly elastic, durable, and temp resistant. The process involves high heat, sulfer, and carbon to cross link the rubber molecules... its the carbon part that gives the black and is what absorbs heat and allows it to dissipate w/o changing the tires consistency to a larger degree. That characteristic is what makes it so well suited for other areas of the car as well.

 

(I'd also suspect people have become so accustomed to black tires and trim that making it any other color would freak people out LOL)

 

The carbon black is impregnated thru the entire tire, so as the surface is worn away via scrubbing, wiping, etc. it transfers to anything it touches, causing stains.

 

NOW - if you've previously used a silicone tire dressing thats a different type of staining and likely more road grime suspended in silicone than rubber.

[bigcarrot]

Interesting, well I think i'll be fine. Never had issues before.

[Doug123]

Getting highly technical here... rubber itself, extracted from trees is a yellowish brown color. Tire manufactures make it black for a number of reasons. Raw rubber is soft and highly susceptible to temp changes. It'll deform, warp, melt, get sticky when its warm. It gets brittle, fragile when cold... all things highly undesirable for tires for obvious reasons.

 

 

The carbon black is impregnated thru the entire tire, so as the surface is worn away it transfers to anything it touches, causing stains.

 

Excellent description- The carbon is IN the tire, and carbon is black.