303 Tech Tips
Brake Dust: How to make your wheels repel brake dust & easier
cleanup.
You can use 303 Protectant to make your tires have that rich, waxy, almost
vinyl-like, dark black look and feel of brand new rubber...like they do right when they
pop out of the mold at the factory. When treating your tires with 303, spray the wheels,
too. Then wipe them completely dry with a soft, absorbent cloth. Wheels polished this way
have a beautiful luster. And they will repel dirt, dust, grease, oil and road film to stay
cleaner, longer. The best news is when the wheels do become soiled and need cleaning
again, they'll clean up much, much easier. Use 303 Protectant regularly, keep your wheels
looking great and save yourself a lot of time at cleanup. 303 Protectant is 100% safe for
all wheels, all alloys.
How to stop those annoying squeaks in your vehicle's
dash.
Persistent, can't-find-it, can't-get-rid-of-it noises in your vehicle's
dash and console can quickly become a major irritation. Most of the time these
noises can be quickly and easily eliminated. Knowledgeable specialists make a lot of money
from new car dealers with this Tech Tip. THE CAUSE: During assembly, car
manufacturers install little sticky-backed felt pads at strategic points between the
formed plastic pieces that fit together to make the dash, console and other parts of an
interior's trim package. Ninety-nine percent of the time these noises start when a felt
pad slips off (or isn't positioned correctly in the first place). THE CURE: 1)
Carefully dis-assemble the plastic pieces in the noisy area. 2) Treat all pieces with 303
Protectant (Spray on liberally, wipe completely dry). 3) Reassemble. Little fuss, no muss
and no more problem! Lasts 2-4 years.
Make your Head & Tail Lights Brighter
You may not know this, but after driving on the road awhile, your
headlights and tail light lenses get dirty and greasy, causing them to look dimmer.
Lenses are plastic, and after constant exposure, plastic gets brittle and cracks and
breaks easily. And on newer cars, lenses can cost a lot of money. This is really
important at dusk, when sunlight makes visibility difficult. One way to keep your
lenses clean, enhance the color and minimize damage is use 303
Protectant After you wash your car, apply 303. You'll find that your lenses stay
brighter and last longer with 303 protection. This application is very popular with
the Police Force and Highway Patrol. They use 303 Protectant to keep their lenses clean
and bright and to extend the lens life.
Conditioning your Wiper Blades for Winter
Here's how to Keep Snow & Ice from Sticking to Wiper Blades! For
many Americans, the end of summer means Snow. In many parts of the U.S. and
throughout Canada, snow building up on the wiper blades adds an additional hazard to
driving in the snow and sleet. Many drivers there have found the solution in 303 Wiper Treatment. 303 Wiper Treatment not only conditions
wiper blades and stops them from skipping and chattering, but also keeps snow and ice from
sticking to the treated blades. This, keeping snow and ice from sticking to the
treated blades. This, keeping snow and ice from sticking to and building up on a
surface, is called an "anti-icent" property. As an anti-icent Wiper
Treatment is provided in convenient foam applicator pad saturated with product, so all you
have to do to apply it is wipe your wiper blades back and forth with the pad a few
times. Let it soak for a minute and then wipe the blades dry. See better and
drive safer in cold weather with 303 Wiper Treatment for as little as $.50 a month.
Save Your Engine Hoses
Anyone who looks under the hood of their own car knows how oily and filthy
the engine components can get. Because of grease, oils, fluids and the ozone
generated by the engine during operation, radiator and A/C hoses, belts, CV boots and
other rubber pieces often have to be replaced prematurely. These replacements are
annoying at best and always inconvenient - not to mention expensive. Also, with a
dirty engine it is difficult to tell if your vehicle is losing fluids. 303 Protectant used in the following manner is an excellent
way to maintain and extend the life your under-the-hood rubber and plastics at the same
time keeping the entire under-the-hood area looking like new. First, clean the
engine. Your can do this at home, or perhaps more conveniently at a self-help Car
Wash. First spray the engine with a degreaser. After the recommended time, use
the high pressure hose to wash down and away grease, oil and accumulated dirt. Wipe
up pooled water with old towels (or blow it away with an air hose) removing most of the
water. Then spray 303 Protectant liberally to entire engine compartment, covering
the rubber, plastic and painted surfaces. If you have an air hose, blow excess 303
down through the engine and dry surfaces completely with dry, clean, absorbent cloths to
remove excess. If you don't have an air hose, let 303 stand for 5 min. then dry all
surfaces. CAUTION: Use care to avoid getting water into distributor or unsealed
electronic components. A beautiful, perfectly clean engine! The 303 repellent
will keep your engine looking great for months. And when your entire engine
compartment finally needs cleaning again it'll just take you a few minutes to keep your
engine components looking new.
Rubber Seals - Not `Rubber' Anymore
Maybe not a surprise, but no longer are a car's rubber seals made from
`rubber'. To keep the inside of your car quiet and dry, car makers use a specialized
synthetic material called EPDM, (ethylene propylene diene monomer). Real rubber, or blends
containing real rubber, just cannot endure the direct exposure to sunlight(ultraviolet
light) and the harmful-to-rubber oxidizing gases in our atmosphere. To quote from the
engineering specs, EPDM is "Ideal for outdoor applications because of its excellent
resistance to ultraviolet light, ozone, oxidants, and severe weather conditions".
EPDM is great stuff, but it has some downsides. It's tear resistance is only fair, so
sticking & tearing is not uncommon. And just like real rubber, it has extremely poor
resistance to solvents(petroleum distillates) and oils. "You mean I don't have to
`protect' my car's door & trunk seals?" That's right, and treating your seals
with a leading-brand "protectant" is almost always exactly the WRONG thing to do
to your seals. Any chemical product that contains oils or petroleum distillates is
incompatible with EPDM. TIP: NEVER apply any rubber or vinyl treatment that has an oily or
greasy nature or contains petroleum distillates. READ THE LABEL! If a product contains
petroleum distillates, do not apply it to your rubber seals. Though its powerful UV
screening benefit is not needed in this application, 303 Protectant is great for cleaning
EPDM seals and to keep them clean. 303 Protectant makes EPDM seals look like new and
PREVENTS sticking and tearing. Because it is safe for EPDM and prevents sticking &
tearing, manufacturers exclusively recommend 303 Protectant for this application.
Car Bras
A car bra (aka mask) is one of the quickest, easiest and most effective
way of customizing (or beginning to customize) a vehicle's appearance. A quality car bra
fits tightly with no loose or flopping areas, and at the same time removes and reinstalls
easily. As a general rule, the best choice is a higher priced car bra, properly designed
and carefully manufactured to fit better and with quality materials to last longer. Car
bras, like tonneau covers, are directly exposed to the sun. Consequently, one of the first
things an uninformed enthusiast is inclined to do is to wipe down his or her new car bra
(or new tonneau cover) with two or 3 coats of a `name-brand protectant'
product...inevitably something containing silicone oils or other oils and perhaps even
petroleum distillates. While these products are never a good idea as far as vinyl is
concerned(see 303 Tech Facts Vol. II) (Daisy, refer to here), they can cause another
problem on car bras...condensation under the bra. A slick glossy coating of any oily
substance is a very efficient way of blocking the vinyl's ability to "breath".
The result: Condensation and possible harm to the paint. 303 Protectant, on the other
hand, does not affect the breathability of vinyl. 303 beautifully enhances color and gloss
and, unlike `name brand protectant's, is not greasy and oily, does not attract dust, does
not wash off, is the world's most powerful UV screening protection for vinyl, beautifully
enhances vinyl's color and luster and that lasting much longer than `name-brand
protectant' products. Another nifty thing about using 303 Protectant on a car bra has to
do with bugs. 75 MPH bugs just don't stick! 303'd vinyl repels dirt, dust, road oil &
tar as well as bugs, and stays cleaner much longer than untreated vinyl. Any what about
any bug smears or tidbits that do manage to hang on? Easy, they wipe off instantly with a
damp cloth or damp paper towel.
AQUEOUS VS. SOLVENT-BASED FLUOROPOLYMER FABRIC
PROTECTORS
Fluoropolymer fabric protector products come in two forms, aqueous &
solvent-based. The aqueous form uses water as its base. This is the form used at textile
and carpet mills. The textile or carpeting is put through a water/fluoropolymer bath and
then through a high heat process(up to 195_ Centigrade! Without this high heat, an aqueous
fluoropolymer never cures fully, and can perform only to about 30% of its potential. This
is why a topically applied aqueous fluoropolymer product performs at such a poor level. If
you own a textile mill, go with aqueous. Otherwise, aqueous is a poor choice and a worse
value. 303 Fabric Guard is only available in a solvent base. 303 Fabric Guard uses
odorless mineral spirits(OMS), a very mild, easy to work with solvent which is ozone safe.
OMS carries the protective polymer deep into the fibers and then evaporates in such a way
to fully cure the high performance 303 fluoropolymer. Expect coverage of 75-100 sq. ft. of
acrylic canvas with the 15.2 oz aerosol, 500 - 800 per gallon with proper spraying
equipment although up to 1000 sq. ft. is possible. Coverage on heavier fabrics and
carpeting is less, depending on type of material and pyle. 303 Fabric Guard: Safe &
effective on all synthetic and natural fabrics including wool and silk and on all natural
leathers BEST repellency for Water and Oil BEST stain resistance & soil release
characteristics Durable protection lasting up to 3 years BEST UV Screening to control
fading Will not alter the color, feel, flammability or breathability of fabric Resists
mildew formation Environmentally safe. No ozone depleting solvents. Non-toxic and odorless
when dry.
GAME CD's
Nintendo and PlayStation video game CD's rented from the local video store
are handled a lot and not carefully. Video and/or audio problems with them are
common...you get them home and they don't play right...very frustrating. A quick and
inexpensive way to make these games play right is 303 Sonic Blast.
One quick spray, wipe completely dry with clean, absorbent, non-abrasive cloth...and they
play perfect. Since 303 Sonic Blast treats treats up to 300 cd's and only costs around
$10, using it even on your kids' non-performing rental game CD's is a lot better than the
alternative. For perfect, error free performance, video and sound, use Sonic Blast on all
your household's music CD's, DVD's, CD-Roms and game CD's.
303 PROTECTANT - Makes Life Easier In The Snow
Spray any hard surface with 303 Protectant. What
have you got? An unbelievably smooth, super-repellent finish that snow and ice just can't
stick to. Uses: ...Skiing: To keep snow and ice from sticking to and building up under
your heels while cross country skiing. ...Snowmobiles/ATV's: In the obvious places.
...Snow shovels: To keep snow from sticking to, hanging on and yanking your arm out of its
socket. ...Ice fishing: Ice will not stick to or build up on rod, guides or line.
...Satellite dish antennas: Snow sloshes right off dish antennas. ...Corrugated
fiberglass: Snow slides right off green house, porch and shed roofs. (Same with vinyl
awnings). Application: Must be applied at above-freezing temperatures. Spray on, wipe
completely dry.
303 Fabric Guard - A wet-weather friend.
303 Fabric Guard is an extremely effective,
long-lasting fabric protector that makes winter a lot more pleasant. Here are some uses:
...Overcoats/hats: During the colder months, millions of us wear our overcoats and hats
almost every day. And what does this mean? Frequent visits to the cleaners, of course. A
303 Fabric Guard treated overcoat is extremely resistant to soiling and both water and
oil-based stains. Treat your overcoat and hat with 303 Fabric Guard and see your friendly
cleaners every two or three months instead of every other week. ...Rain Gear: Breathable,
water-repellent fabrics are used in today's premium quality rain gear. The key to this
modern fabric is a specialized membrane which allows water vapor out while keeping rain
from penetrating in. This membrane is always covered by a textile, usually nylon,
chemically treated at the fabric mill to repel water. After a time, though, this repellent
coating wears away and that's when the textile starts to get wet & heavy when it
rains. To restore lost repellency to this outside layer, treat it with the right type of
fabric protector. Unfortunately, a number of `water repellent' products contain silicones
or waxes which, while restoring water repellency temporarily, do so in a way that a) does
not maintain the fabric's breathability and b) usually causes the treated fabric to soil
more readily and become much more difficult to clean when soiled. You should also know
that these silicone and wax-type repellents are specifically recommended against by the
manufacturer of the fabric and the garment maker. 303 Fabric Guard restores enduring water
repellency and resists soiling and both water & oil based stains. And it does so
without affecting a fabric's breathability. In fact, 303 Fabric Guard is the same
industrial strength fabric protector exclusively recommended for Sunbrella® the acrylic
canvas manufactured by Glen Raven Mills, Inc., the breathable outdoor textile used in
marine, commercial & industrial awnings and automotive fabric convertible tops.
Winterizing Your Inflatable
303 Protectant is a beautifying, UV screening
protective treatment a number of inflatable boat manufacturers recommend. Before storing
your inflatable boat, treat it with 303 Protectant. Spray on, wipe completely dry. Then
deflate your inflatable, fold it up and bag it (if possible). Then store it in a
room-temperature area over the winter. Next spring your inflatable will look great -
bright & clean, have a like-new suppleness and texture AND the inflatable fabric WILL
NOT STICK TO ITSELF as you unfold it and get it ready for the season. Then use 303
Protectant as necessary over the summer and your inflatable will look the same when you
put it away again next fall.
Aluminum & the marine environment.
Anodized aluminum is a common marine material used in many ways: Supports
for bimini tops & enclosures; tuna towers; frames for hatches and windshields; sail
masts & booms; outriggers, ladders & other trim. Aluminum is particularly
susceptible to degradation from salt air and salt water. 303 is an excellent, super-easy
way to keep aluminum looking like new and to protect from salt air & salt water
degradation. (Wax can do this, too, but wax is less effective, doesn't last as long and is
so much more difficult to apply that it's rarely used this way). In addition, 303'd
aluminum repels air, water, smudging, soiling, fish blood and scales. ALSO: Racing
sailors(and sailboarders) '303' their masts to cut the drag coefficient. Knowledgeable
boat owners treat instrument bezels and other colored anodized aluminum(usually black) to
revitalize the color & prevent fading... against which 303's powerful UV screening
agents are effective.
Two Personal Uses for 303 High Tech Fabric Guard
...FINE APPAREL: One drop of wine or salad oil or any sauce will ruin a
fine silk blouse or tie. But not if you've protected that tie or blouse with 303 High Tech Fabric Guard. Protects against indelible soiling and
both water and oil-based stains. One can of 303 HTFG will protect 1-3 dozen $60 - $100
silk ties. ...UMBRELLA: Tired of leaving your dripping, wet umbrella to dry in the office
or on the porch or kitchen floor? Treat your umbrella with 303 HTFG. Note the next time
you use it that the fabric will not absorb water as before, but stays repellent and dry.
Before you enter a building, tap the umbrella handle lightly with the heel of your hand.
Any water beaded on the fabric falls off, leaving it virtually dry...read for the next
Rain Storm. 303 High Tech Fabric Guard is safe and effective on all synthetic and natural
fabrics including silk, wool and Haitian Cotton. Always check fabric for color
fastness.
303 On The Golf Course
1) Shoes: Treat leather golf shoes with 303 Protectant before hitting the
course (spray on/wipe dry). Most grass stains won't stick and what grass stains do make it
back to the club house are easily wiped off. (303 Protectant also waterproofs the leather)
2) Golf balls: Treat your golf balls with 303 Protectant (spray on/wipe completely dry).
As with the shoes, grass stains just won't stick. And we've heard (though we cannot
confirm or recommend treating golf balls for this purpose), that 303-treated golf balls
fly further and roll farther. Try it, and get back to us with what you see.
303 High Tech Fabric Guard for Billiard Tables
In any pool parlor, having drinks at or setting beverage containers on a
pool table is a big no-no. Why, because a spill of almost any liquid on billiard
cloth causes an immediate, permanent stain. You can protect the cloth on your pool table
from stains by treating it with 303 High Tech Fabric Guard. One 15.2 oz aerosol can
will treat up to a 5 x 10 snooker table. The treated cloth will resist both water
and oil based stains for up to 2 years. And the application of 303 HTFG does not
affect table play (the way the balls roll & react) at all. Treat new cloth right after
it's installed. Or, if applying to cloth that has already been used, use a damp
cloth to wipe as much dust and soiling away first. Then apply 303 HTFG. Spray
on. Let dry overnight at room temperature.
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