Mothers Back to Black Trim and Plastic Restorer Review

Pats300zx

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Since my I am almost out of my bottle of Blackfire AIO Trim Protectorant I decided to pick up a bottle of Mothers Back to Black Trim and Plastic Restorer and try and do a comparison of the two. The Mothers product is also a AIO trim cleaner/restorer but is in the lotion form as opposed to Blackfire's spray version. However they also appear to have recently released an aerosol version. I remember using the old Mothers Back to Black back in the day and it was probably one of my least favorite trim dressing as it always appeared to run in the rain and had next to zero durability.

Mothers Back-To-Black Bumper & Trim Care restores black plastic & rubber bumpers and trim to their original black color. Care for your car's bumper

Mothers Back to Black Trim & Plastic Restorer

Product Description

Mothers™ Back To Black is ideal for a variety of exterior hardware. It’s called Back To Black, but it works great on all colors of exterior trim. If it’s made of plastic or vinyl Back To Black will breath new life into it. Use Back To Black on molding, louvers, bumpers, window trim, skirts, seals, door handles, wiper arms and any exterior vinyl or plastic surfaces.Mothers™ Back To Black is ideal for a variety of exterior hardware. It’s called Back To Black, but it works great on all colors of exterior trim. If it’s made of plastic or vinyl Back To Black will breath new life into it. Use Back To Black on molding, louvers, bumpers, window trim, skirts, seals, door handles, wiper arms and any exterior vinyl or plastic surfaces.

Cost: $10.99
12 ounces

Application and Use

1-Scent-the product has a mild chemical smell that is not overpowering.
2-Consistency-thick lotion which made it pretty easy to apply and spread
3-Application-I applied with a micro fiber applicator and worked into the trim on my truck (rear bumper area, mirror enclosures, and wiper cowl). The product spread easily and completely with no streaking. I would advise being careful as I did have some issues getting it on the surrounding paint and glass but this was easily removed with some QD and a micro fiber towel.
I buffed after about 5 minutes with a clean micro fiber towel.

Pictures

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Thoughts

1. The Mothers Trim and Plastic Restorer was very easy to apply and gave the trim and plastics on my truck a very dark look. The trim and plastics on my truck are in excellent shape so I didn't really have an opportunity to get how it would restore faded or neglected plastics. The plastics on my truck were not overly dirty but product, which claims to be a AIO, did clean them up nicely and left a very dark overall look.
2. I drove through some rain on the evening after applying and the product still looked good the following morning with minimal fading and no streaking.
3. In comparison to Blackfire AIO I would say that the Blackfire product would be a tad more versatile as you could use it on tires as well especially when doing a rinseless wash or working on a garage queen where you didn't want to wash the tires or wheels with a standard bucket. I am not sure if the Mothers aerosol version can be used on tires.
4. Overall I found the product to be excellent and a great value at the price point. Especially for a product that can be purchased OTC at most retailers that sell Mothers products.
 
Nice Review.

I hope this is improved vs the original version as you mentioned. I tried the similar product from Meguiars years ago, and I had the same results you did, it ran and had no durability.
 
I'm interested to see if the product attracts alot of dirt where it's been applied. Usually find out when it comes time to wash the vehicle and your mitt winds up full of black soot.
 
I wouldn't bother using this on faded trim. I have an 11 year old Mazda with badly faded luggage rails on top. Back to Black looked great when it was first applied, but as soon as it dried, it didn't look any different than when I started.
 
I wouldn't bother using this on faded trim. I have an 11 year old Mazda with badly faded luggage rails on top. Back to Black looked great when it was first applied, but as soon as it dried, it didn't look any different than when I started.

They sound like they need more applications until they are hydrated. I posted this on Autopia but it works very well after cleaning with Mothers Heavy Duty Trim Cleaner. It actually outlasted Meguiar's Ultimate Black when I tested them side by side.
 
They sound like they need more applications until they are hydrated. I posted this on Autopia but it works very well after cleaning with Mothers Heavy Duty Trim Cleaner. It actually outlasted Meguiar's Ultimate Black when I tested them side by side.

I've had a lot of trouble trying to get this trim restored. I first tried Back to Black, then went on to BlackWOW. BlackWOW actually worked really well for a couple of weeks, but started to get blotchy as time went on. The last thing I tried was Solution Finish. It worked pretty well too, but I think I need to do it again. I don't think I put enough on and let it sit long enough. Unfortunately, the weather right now in Oklahoma isn't much good for any type of detailing unless you can get your car inside. The trim on this car has really been quite a trial.
 
IMHO...It streaks horribly....also does not last long....i just did solution finish a month ago still looks great..expensive 1oz $15 but worth it.
 
I wouldn't bother using this on faded trim. I have an 11 year old Mazda with badly faded luggage rails on top. Back to Black looked great when it was first applied, but as soon as it dried, it didn't look any different than when I started.

Dried? You let the product dry on the trim? Sounds like you didn't work it in long enough. Some stubborn spots require multiple applications.

OP, thanks for the review. I had similar results. Excellent product. Did you apply a trim sealant after? From memory, I don't think B2B offers any protection. This product paired with WETS is a perfect combo.
 
I wouldn't bother using this on faded trim. I have an 11 year old Mazda with badly faded luggage rails on top. Back to Black looked great when it was first applied, but as soon as it dried, it didn't look any different than when I started.


What did you clean/prep the surface with prior to using the trim restoring product? Unless the trim is really well prepped, you won't get much longevity from any trim product.
 
it says "original formula" on the bottle - not sure why they would say that since the back to black i've come to know is horrendous. solution finish, renu pro...there have been so many consumer products on the market that have outperformed back to black by a long shot.

maybe forrest can chime in and let us know if this is a new formula or something.

their trim cleaner, however, is great.
 
Dried? You let the product dry on the trim? Sounds like you didn't work it in long enough. Some stubborn spots require multiple applications.

OP, thanks for the review. I had similar results. Excellent product. Did you apply a trim sealant after? From memory, I don't think B2B offers any protection. This product paired with WETS is a perfect combo.







their trim cleaner, however, is great.


I made a mistake, I had the OPs product confused with the trim cleaner! Never used the one in this review. I was speaking of my experience with the trim cleaner. My mistake!
 
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