MIY: Vinyl Protector Spray

by: Texas Homesteader ~

RancherMan is constantly maintaining our vehicles’  tires & dashboards as well as various tractor rubber & vinyl parts. But we recently ran out of vinyl- cleaning/protectant spray. Oh no that just can’t happen – he’s just not going to be without this favorite maintenance spray.

But instead of automatically running to the store (and true to our crunchy-green nature) we started wondering if this was a product we could make for ourselves.

Turns out you can indeed.

Make your own vinyl protector spray using baby oil, filtered water and a few drops of dish soap. Quick, easy and CHEAP! #TexasHomesteader

We already had everything at the house that we needed to whip up a batch of vinyl protectant.  In a small dish we stirred in 1 cup baby oil into 1/3 cup filtered water and added 2-3 drops of dish soap.

After it was all mixed thoroughly we poured the mixture into an empty spray bottle that previously contained the commercial version of vinyl protector.  Now for the real test – does it work?

Works Great For Us

RancherMan loves it. And as I mentioned, this item is a daily staple in our shop. So there’s lots of past experience to use to compare.

RancherMan says it’s easy to use too. Just shake the spray bottle before spraying on surfaces and wipe the area with a soft cloth. 

He reports that this homemade mixture has worked great, didn’t collect dust any worse than the commercial product typically does and surfaces still look shiny & protected even several weeks after application. He gives it two thumbs up!

OK folks, I think we have a bingo. Remember this is something that worked very well for us, obviously your circumstances & results could be different. So use at your own risk.

For us – this homemade vinyl protector recipe is a SUCCESS! I’m very happy that we didn’t need to buy yet another expensive product entombed in yet another plastic spray bottle so we could throw this empty bottle away.

(did I mention how much I hate both plastic & landfill waste?)  

Add to those benefits that the cost was minimal and it used products we already had in the house. 

YES – chalk another victory for DIY!

~TxH~

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17 thoughts on “MIY: Vinyl Protector Spray

  1. Roberta

    We have no baby oil. Will mineral oil work?

    Reply
    1. Texas Homesteader Post author

      I don’t see why not, but you’ll want to make a very small batch and try it out first to make sure it’s safe on surfaces. (I can’t imagine that it wouldn’t be but…) Let us know the results using mineral oil in case another reader might benefit from your substitution. ~TxH~

      Reply
  2. Eric

    Can I add hair conditioner to the recipe to provide more conditioning and protection for !y car dashboard and interior ?

    Reply
    1. Texas Homesteader Post author

      I’m sure you could Eric, but the question is what ingredients might be in the conditioner and how those extra chemicals might react with the surfaces you’re using it on? I’ve never added anything extra and it’s always worked pretty well as-is, so I can’t really verify what adding hair conditioner might affect. If you decide to give it a try come back & let us know how it worked for you. ~TxH~

      Reply
  3. Elise Stahn

    Does this work on hard plastics, or just rubber/vinyl things with more flexibility? I have an old pet carrier that I’m trying to extend it’s life, and like you said, commercial plastic conditioner is expensive.

    Reply
    1. Texas Homesteader Post author

      This spray is an inexpensive mixture we make to use in the shop to clean/polish as well as apply a moisture-protective coating on various surfaces. We’ve never used it on a pet carrier before but I don’t see why it wouldn’t do the same for it. ~TxH~

      Reply
  4. Gaylene

    I came across your article when searching for a vinyl protectant for the top edge of our swimming pool liner on an above ground pool. The liner folds over the top frame that holds it up. The sun heat will destroy it one day and have to buy new one. Will this homemade cleaner protect it from the suns rays to extend the life of the liner?

    Reply
    1. Texas Homesteader Post author

      I have no idea Gaylene, but I know we don’t use it for any kind of UV protection as you’d experience with a pool liner. We basically just use it to clean & protect against the drying effects of the environment here. I’d not chance it if I were you – sorry I don’t have any suggestions. Perhaps a store specializing in pool supplies might have something specifically designed to protect against the sun’s UV? ~TxH~

      Reply
  5. Donna

    Question. Does it have to be filtered water or would tap water be okay? We live in st. Charles mo and the water is great, doesn’t taste like chlorine etc thanks

    Reply
    1. Texas Homesteader Post author

      We used filtered water just because that’s what we have. I don’t see why tap water wouldn’t work as well though. ~TxH~

      Reply
  6. Leslee Jensen

    Can I use this on leather?

    Reply
    1. Texas Homesteader Post author

      I’ve never tried this spray on leather, Leslee so I can’t say I recommend it. But I don’t think it has any ingredients that I think would be harmful for leather. Vinyl is less penetrable than leather and many times adding oils to leather will darken it, so that’s one thing to keep in mind (if you don’t want your leather darker.) Maybe try it on an inconspicuous spot first? ~TxH~

      Reply
  7. Terri Presser

    Once again another great idea, thanks for sharing at Good Morning Mondays. Blessings

    Reply
  8. Patricia

    I am catching up on my blog reading… this recipe sounds easy enough. I love that it’s made with household items we already have on hand! I was just telling the hubby– we’ve got to cut down on the number of products we bring home, that have non-compostable (my own make up word) packaging!
    I can’t wait to give this one a try!

    Reply
  9. Jayne

    We have just installed vinyl coated ‘wooden’ floorboards in our kitchen. I suppose this would work on them? I’ll try it in a corner first – thanks!

    Reply
  10. Terry

    What a great thing you came up with Tammy, not to mention also there are no chemicals in it! I have to try this. Thanks for sharing.

    Reply
  11. ColleenB.

    Super, Easy recipe that I think my no-cook husband could even make :}
    Thank you
    Two thumbs and 2 big toes up for success :}

    Reply

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