A good interior dressing will not only improve the looks of tired plastics, it’ll serve as an invisible layer of protection to ensure the plastic stays factory-fresh for longer. What it won’t ordinarily do however is clean the plastic of any dirt, you’ll normally have to treat these beforehand with an interior detailer before then applying the dressing.
Duel Autocare combines an interior with an interior cleaner in the form of Satin, an all-in-one product designed to save time. As an interior cleaner, it’s a joyous product to use thanks to a good bottle design, lovely smell and the fact it produces noticeable results. What lets it down is the protective qualities, it only fights dust, a poor showing when almost every other interior dressing on sale also offers at least UV protection.
Verdict: An effective interior cleaner, but the protective qualities leave a lot to be desired.
3.5/5
Duel Autocare Satin Interior Detailer
Price: RRP £8.95 | VIEW OFFER
Pros:
• Time-saving interior cleaner and dresser
• Smells amazing
Cons:
• No UV protection
Specifications
Volume 500ml
Finish Satin
Scent Lime
Anti-static Yes
UV protection No
Materials Rubber, plastic, vinyl
Extras Interior cleaner
What’s good?
There’s no denying that the combination of interior cleaner and dresser in one package is a clever idea and can be a genuine time saver. A test on a moderately dirty door card (complete with mud, finger marks and grime) showed that Satin could expertly lift these contaminants. Applied to a microfibre towel and then worked onto a plastic panel, Satin was easy to work with and most contaminants only required a single pass to shift them. It also restored the plastic to a uniformly dark finish, complete with a subtle satin look.
The citrus scent is also delightful, not unlike a bag of chocolate limes. This scent may not last as long as a proper air freshener but does provide a scent that lasted a couple of hours in a fully treated car. It also makes the dressing a dream to work with, even if it did promote overly liberal trigger usage.
What’s okay?
Duel Autocare claim that Satin offers a ‘Satin OEM finish,’ a finish that we found to be quite muted. You’re given the choice of leaving it on the panel or buffing and the end results look pretty similar. There’s no doubting there’s a satin-look to the plastic, it’s just not as sleek as expected. If you’re after something really glossy (or matte), this isn’t the right option for you.
On muckier panels where a second application was required, a telltale greasy layer appeared before buffing. Thankfully none of the panels ever felt greasy to the touch but care was required when buffing the interior to keep any white residue from appearing.
Any negatives?
Duel Autocare make no reference to UV protection, a fairly important factor for protecting interior plastics. The most constant threat to your interior trim is from the sun and its UV rays. These rays can fade and eventually crack plastic trim which is why is often the sole purpose for applying an interior dressing.
Satin only offers anti-static properties which means dust particles won’t settle on the treated surfaces, nice for visuals but not on par with any other interior dressing on sale. The best use we could find for Satin was as an interior cleaner that could then be topped up with a dedicated interior dressing, defeating the entire point of the product.
Other items to consider:
Gtechniq C6 Matt Dash, RRP £7.25
Autobrite Direct Pink Sheen, RRP £12
EZ Car Care Sleek, RRP £9
How we tested it:
Satin was applied according to the printed instructions for a microfibre towel and used to treat the driver’s door card of a daily driven car. We monitored the results over a few days to judge the durability. It was also applied to a sectioned-off portion of a dashboard to provide a direct comparison with other interior dressings.
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