We needed vinyl care
When researching the different products available in the market place, we came across a few potentially damaging ones if used long term. One of these even happened to be the biggest seller in this range. It was a combination of two ingredients that we dont think should be used on interior surfaces. Namely a silicone (water or oil based) and a solvent (makes it dry quickly) that really don't do anything to help your cars' interior. These type of products are usually in the cheaper end of the aisle at most auto parts stores.
After using them, you find they leave everything slippery, quite shiny and they attract dust back to the surface that you of course must repetitively clean! However, the biggest drama with these ingredients is not seen till a few years down the track. Silicones actually put a barrier over the porous plastic surface, sealing in the solvents and beginning the breakdown of the item it was used upon. I've lost count of the amount of brittle and cracked dashes, seats and door trims I've seen helped along by these products doing this.
As well as these products wishing to harm the inside of your precious car, the interior also cops a hiding from a variety of other environmental elements. The sun brings in damaging heat and UV rays to fade and dry out the plastics over time. In the cold and wet times of year, mildew and mould form to stain and create damage if left to their own devices. Then there are the beautiful families of bacterias that like to move in and build up, mainly as the interior is never cleaned like we do the exterior of the car. All manner of living things become at home in your car when introduced thanks to the kids, pets, sweat, sneezes, coughing or even just opening the windows thus entering the car's interior. It can quickly become a very unhygienic area you don't want to be sitting in on a daily basis.
So we gave our research chemists this list of things we needed to combat and after many different trial batches, we finally had something we could use in the arsenal. We gave it the very original name of Vinyl Care.