Quick Review: Blackfire Mat Cleaner and Protectant

Desertnate

Desertnate

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 5, 2013
Messages
6,187
Reaction score
233
I had a little free time and some dirty all weather mats in all three of our family vehicles, so I drug out the cleaner and all my mats and went to work.

None of the mats had seen anything other than a vacuum cleaner since last fall, so they were pretty dirty. Because of the levels of dirt, I actually hit the MDX front mats and the Weathertechs with the power washer first, but only with water.

What did I think of the product? It's OK. Application is easy. Spray it on a dry mat, scrub with a soft brush, and then wipe off with a MF towel. Cleaning ability is quite good, actually.

Where I struggle with the Blackfire Mat Cleaner, is the appearance after your done. Being a dedicated product that supposedly has a protectant built in (and maybe a bit of a dressing) I was hoping to see some darkening... something. On my OEM BRZ mats that are a very soft rubber, there was nothing to see at all. Ditto for the MDX mats even though they are a harder material, but still on the soft side. The Weathertech liners did look a touch darker, but I couldn't tell if it was something the Blackfire Mat Cleaner left behind, or if it was simply because they were really clean.

I bought the mat cleaner in the first place out of a hope it would offer a little something I wouldn't get using an APC like I have in the past. Now, I'm not sure they do. In a few months, I'll use it again and do a full side-by-side test.

Here are some pictures of the results.

92d107977795545ee3162fbbb66e93b0.jpg
1da3c01f3e1b9c88dbe365372cd8d72d.jpg
47aad3e2a543864565c1c76cc3c9a2f3.jpg


Sent from my Pixel 7 using Tapatalk
 
It does a fantastic job of cleaning rubber mats. Here is how I know it is a good product, my wife really likes it and doesn't complain about it taking up garage space. Agree that it might be lacking on the protecting side. It also does not leave your mats slick so your feet don't fly off.
 
So is this pretty much the same product as Mckee's version? I mean the exact same in a different labled bottle??
 
PA DETAILER said:
I have been using this also for quite some time.
Click to expand...
What makes you keep using it? Do you like it better than just a normal cleaning product like an APC?

Sent from my Pixel 7 using Tapatalk
 
Silly Rabbit said:
So is this pretty much the same product as Mckee's version? I mean the exact same in a different labled bottle??
Click to expand...
It would depend on the age of the McKee's bottle. Many years ago when McKee's was part of PBMG it might have been the same/similar. Since McKee's left the PBMG "family" a few years ago, there is a good chance the formula could be different.

Sent from my Pixel 7 using Tapatalk
 
PA DETAILER said:
It appears to do a good job. Although I think McKess is better. Strong smell from McKees though. I have the new GRIOTS 3-1 Mat/wheel/tire cleaner waiting in the wings. Interested to see how it does on the floor liners.
Click to expand...

Be interested to hear your thoughts on comparing the two when you get it and use it.
 
If you have Adam’s Graphene spray coating USE THIS on your rubber/polymer matts. You will thank me later.

I will always have this in my arsenal for this specific reason. Darkens up nice… absolutely no slickness. Only other thing that works ok to make Matt’s look decent is WT protectant.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
PA DETAILER said:
It appears to do a good job. Although I think McKess is better. Strong smell from McKees though. I have the new GRIOTS 3-1 Mat/wheel/tire cleaner waiting in the wings. Interested to see how it does on the floor liners.

Griot'''s Garage 3-in-1 Wheel-Tire-Mat Cleaner
Click to expand...

Interesting to hear you like the McKee's better. I haven't looked at their product line in a while since I go through products much more slowly these days. I'll clean my mats outside on the driveway, so I'm not too worried about smell.

I didn't know the Griots product existed until I saw it at Autozone yesterday while picking up some parts. I too would like to hear what you think about it.
 
Coatingsarecrack said:
If you have Adam’s Graphene spray coating USE THIS on your rubber/polymer matts. You will thank me later.

I will always have this in my arsenal for this specific reason. Darkens up nice… absolutely no slickness. Only other thing that works ok to make Matt’s look decent is WT protectant.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

I do not, and would never thought of using an exterior product on my mats. I may give it a try.

It's good to hear there is no slickness. Many years ago I used a trim protectant on our mats (maybe 253 or 303?) and it made the mats REALLY slippery for a while. I couldn't buff the stuff off well enough to fix the problem either, so it just had to wear off. My wife was not amused... Since then I've not attempted to lay down a protective layer because I didn't want to risk it.
 
I like this stuff, it also works well if you have any plastidip surfaces on your vehicles…
 
Desertnate said:
I do not, and would never thought of using an exterior product on my mats. I may give it a try.

It's good to hear there is no slickness. Many years ago I used a trim protectant on our mats (maybe 253 or 303?) and it made the mats REALLY slippery for a while. I couldn't buff the stuff off well enough to fix the problem either, so it just had to wear off. My wife was not amused... Since then I've not attempted to lay down a protective layer because I didn't want to risk it.
Click to expand...

It was actually recommended buy Adam’s in a winter washing video. Seen [mention]Sizzle Chest [/mention] put it on convertible tops. Decent on paint but seems to work well in other places.

Do a test spot. You’ll finish the whole Matt


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top