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Armor Cleaning Help


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Hey, I recently just received an ATA armor kit from a gentleman on ebay. As I opened the box it became evident that it came from a smoker. I was thinking about soaking the armor in a bath to get rid of the smoke smell and was curious as to what works best for cleaning the ABS. Will bleach or vinegar work ok without damaging the plastic?

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  • 3 weeks later...
Hey, I recently just received an ATA armor kit from a gentleman on ebay. As I opened the box it became evident that it came from a smoker. I was thinking about soaking the armor in a bath to get rid of the smoke smell and was curious as to what works best for cleaning the ABS. Will bleach or vinegar work ok without damaging the plastic?
I got mine in similar shape. I had to wash it, let it air out for a couple days and then seal it in a box with baking soda for awhile. Eventually I just ended up sending it and repainting the whole kit to get rid of the discoloring. It's not going to be fast or easy, but it can be done to get the smell away.

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Is it just the smell or is there yellowing on it?  If it just the smell it should come out by cleaning it with a dish detergent like Dawn, and maybe even white distilled vinegar.  Neither will harm the ABS.

If it has a yellow discoloration it may be the ABS, which can discolor from extended periods of sunlight among other things.  If that is the case, I would try this:

https://trooperbay.com/trooperbay-armorwhite-plastic-whitening-gel

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On 11/13/2017 at 12:15 PM, Pretzel said:

Repainting it may be the best bet. Do you have photos? More importantly, who was the seller on eBay? You must be cautious when purchasing armor on eBay. 

I don't currently have pics but I asked the guy lots of questions before buying. It's an ATA kit (ATA signature inside helmet) that he bought a while ago but never got around to building. A few very minor scuffs from storage but other than that, still new condition.

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On 11/13/2017 at 2:32 PM, justjoseph63 said:

Is it just the smell or is there yellowing on it?  If it just the smell it should come out by cleaning it with a dish detergent like Dawn, and maybe even white distilled vinegar.  Neither will harm the ABS.

If it has a yellow discoloration it may be the ABS, which can discolor from extended periods of sunlight among other things.  If that is the case, I would try this:

https://trooperbay.com/trooperbay-armorwhite-plastic-whitening-gel

I haven't really noticed discoloration. I did use dish soap and vinegar and that seemed to help. More than anything, I think it just needed to air out. All the armor was in the box with some soft goods(foam, gloves, etc.) and I think that's what was holding most of the smell. I will definitely check out the whitening gel. Thanks.

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  • 1 month later...

What are the best suggestions for cleaning up ABS of small scuffs ? I don't want to use anything abrasive if it comes to needing to smarten up my armour.

I appreciate it will never remain 'as new' all the time it gets worn but nice to know your tips and tricks for making the best.

 

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I use a good quality car polish on mine, auto glym .... works a treat , oh and T Cut before the polish if it’s scuffed T cut is a car paint restorer we get in the U.K. , so anything like that should be ok followed up by a good old polish

 

 

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