6 Alternative Ways to Use Armor All

You probably have a spray bottle of Armor All in your garage right now. Think about it — how long has it been there? If it's been a year or more, you may not be making good use of that small investment.

Armor All is one of those cleaning items that’s used infrequently, since its only advertised use is for cleaning automotive dashboards and some interior trim. But this substance has far-reaching cleaning and polishing uses outside of automobiles. Here are six ways to use Armor All that you may not have considered:

1. In the garage

Since your Armor All is probably stored in the garage anyway, consider its use on other vehicular equipment and even outdoor toys. Armor All can shine bicycles, tricycles, and scooters just as well as it can clean the interior of cars. Additionally, use it to clean gunk from lawn and garden equipment like mowers, weed eaters and edgers, restoring their shine.

2. In the backyard

Use Armor All to rejuvenate a tired, scratchy swing seat — my son loves the "slickness" of the seats on his swing set after I do this, which makes it easier for him to slide on and off them. Add sheen to outdoor furniture and even a textured patio table glass top. Armor All won't give a "streak free" shine like Windex, but it's perfect for textured tops where streaks won't be seen. It will also help restore the furniture’s like-new look.

3. In the closet

Rejuvenate synthetic and patent leather purses, belts and shoes using a small spray of Armor All on a soft cloth. Simply wipe and shine the surfaces of the accessories to remove scuffs and minor dullness. Also, use Armor All on the side of rubber-soled shoes to give them an update (but don't use Armor All on the bottom of shoes since this can make them too slick for walking on smooth surfaces).

4. On the front porch

Clean grime from often-touched outdoor locations — the mailbox, the doorbell, the front door handle, and even outdoor faucet tops. Armor All, of course, does not work as a disinfectant, but it can help these areas by removing dirty buildup. The water repellant capabilities in Armor All will also help protect these areas from further exposure and buildup caused by weather and other natural elements.

5. In the kitchen

I routinely clean my black composite kitchen sink with Armor All, letting the polish sit in the sink overnight so that the film has a chance to work into small scratches and abrasions (use on acrylic sinks, too). Stainless steel appliances can also be cleaned with a light application and thorough wiping with Armor All, removing those pesky fingerprints.

6. In the toybox

If your toddler's metal push trucks and Matchbox vehicles have lost their luster, restore them with a bit of Armor All. Be sure to clean completely after spraying so no liquid is left in crevices (like around tiny seats or tires of the toys). This can be used with other painted metal and plastic toys, as well. If you are concerned about residue for very young children, follow this up with a quick wipe of the surface using a disposable antibacterial wipe, like a Clorox cloth).

Even though Armor All is not necessarily a stock-up item, there's no reason to let a good bottle go to waste (or to forgo one found on sale). So remember to make this cleaner multi-task and use it on much more than just your automobiles!