Use A Household Rubbing Alcohol
A great place to start, when you realize you have gotten wax on your cars plastic, is looking in your own medicine cabinet.
Rubbing alcohol is a staple in most homes, and for good reason.
Widely used for many things from cleaning body piercings to cleaning kitchen grime rubbing alcohol is made of components that make it an effective disinfectant that is frequently used for tasks big and small.
Its an inexpensive option as well and very safe unless swallowed.
Pour some rubbing alcohol into a dish. Using an old toothbrush and a towel, dip it in the rubbing alcohol, then gently scrub it against the wax spot on your cars plastic.
After a few passes, you should find the wax will begin to soften, then slowly release from the plastic. At this point, you can gently begin to peel it off the car and dispose of it.
Can You Use Car Wax On Plastic
In general, you may use solutions designed for automobile trim on any uncoated plastic surface that is located on your vehicle however, you shouldnt stop there.You should use these restoration solutions on plastic, rubber, and vinyl alike, not just to beautify, but also to preserve and keep them from cracking and becoming brittle.The label may state plastic and trim, but you should use them on all of these materials.
How Do You Remove Wax From Surfaces
Remove any excess wax with a scraper. After applying a moist, lint-free white cloth over the wax and heating it with an iron on medium, the wax will stick to the fabric. To get rid of residue, you can use rubbing alcohol. Alternately, you may freeze the wax using an ice pack and then shatter the frozen clump using a blunt instrument such as the handle of a kitchen tool.
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Clean Up Excess Car Wax
If you notice that you end up with a hazy coating of wax on the surface of your car after an auto detailing, then chances are you did not use the right application or technique while waxing your vehicle.
You may have also accidentally swiped some wax where it doesnt belong, like on your tires and wheels. Ways to clean aluminum wheels and rims that may have spots of excess wax can use the solution below or use a cloth dipped in water and a little dish soap.
Excess Car Wax Removal
Using a dry microfiber towel as a polisher, begin at one area of your car and buff the hazy area using small circular motions with medium pressure. Continue moving along the car using this same technique to wipe the leftover dried wax away.
Shake the towel to release dried wax before moving onto each section. After all of the dried wax is gone, the car surface should have a shiny appearance without any areas of haziness.
You use proper car care when it comes to your vehicle, such as regular oil changes and running it through the car wash, so why stop there?
Stripping off the old wax on your car and applying new wax, no matter which method you choose, not only makes your vehicle look like new but protects the car paint from grime and rust.
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The Rubbing Alcohol Remover
Rubbing alcohol, which you may already have in your hand, works well to remove wax from the cars plastic surface and is inexpensive. For safety and effectiveness without using water, you can spray, rub lightly with an old toothbrush, and wipe with a soft cloth.
Another way to remove the wax, dip a soft towel or a toothbrush in rubbing alcohol and scrub it over the affected area. When it comes up spotlessly, wipe it with a dry clean cloth.
Remember that rubbing alcohol leaves a white, cloudy residue when it dries.
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Try A Mixture Of Baking Soda And Water
Another great home hack for ridding your cars plastic from wax is the tried and true, constant go-tobaking soda.
Baking soda is a fantastic option for wax removal.
Almost every home has a box, and most of us have used baking soda at some point for something other than baking.
Its active ingredient is sodium bicarbonate, which is an abrasive agent that is also gentle on surfaces when applied. Whether you are using it on fabric or hard surfaces, its ability to remove unwanted particles is quite impressive, especially because its also very inexpensive.
Mix a small bit of water in with the baking soda. Then, using a toothbrush, gently rub the baking soda into the wax, using clockwise motions.
After a minute, you should notice the wax beginning to peel away from the plastic. Continue to rub the baking soda across it until you can use a microfiber cloth or soft bristle brush to wipe it all away.
Will These Products Be Effective On Ceramic Coatings & Sealants
Its important to note that the products I have mentioned above will have little to no effect on SiO2 based sealants and ceramic coatings. One of the main benefits of coatings is their extreme resilience to chemicals, and the cleaning power of these shampoos will simply not be strong enough to remove them.
Most modern Ceramics will require polishing with a medium to heavy cutting compound and a more aggressive pad to be removed from the paintwork.
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Trying A Wax Remover Product
How To Use Dish Soap To Strip Wax
Although it is not a method I would recommend, if you dont have any dedicated products for doing a strip wash of your car available to you, you can use a household dish soap such as dawn ultra to remove wax from your vehicles paintwork.
You can simply add a decent amount of Dawn to a bucket of hot water instead of your regular car shampoo.
Although Dawn is a harsh detergent, some of the more modern car waxes can be quite resilient to chemicals and chances are you will need to do more than one wash of the car to remove most of the wax layer. Another factor that comes into play is how long the wax has been sitting on the paintwork
You will know if you have removed the protection if you are no longer seeing any signs of water beading or sheeting on the paintwork.
Here is a good example of paintwork where the protection has been completely removed
I know most people who are reading this article are not the type who wants to use something that is designed for household cleaning on their pride and joy, so what other options are there when it comes to products which will remove wax from the paintwork of a car?
Luckily there are some solutions available which are designed specifically for this purpose while being safe for your paint.
Lets take a look.
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Removing Wax From Car Windows
The worst thing to do if you get a smear of wax onto your car windshield is to run the wipers, as this results in the smearing of wax and creating a blurry window. To remove wax, use something a little stronger.
Saturate a clean cloth with the Coca-Cola and clean off the entire windshield using circular motions. The acids within the cola dissolve the layer of wax. Be sure not to get any of the liquids onto your cars paintwork.
Clean the soda residue from the window using a glass cleaner or a DIY glass cleaner with Dawn. Dry off the glass using a clean towel.
Pour some isopropyl alcohol onto a cotton ball and use it to remove any wax residue from the windshield wipers by wiping from one end of the blade to the other. You can also use IPA, which is equal amounts of isopropyl alcohol and water and is a detailer favorite.
The best way to wash car windows is with a vinegar and water solution and a squeegee. Taking your time on this step, both inside and out, ensures you have the best visibility when it really counts.
If you discover other stuck-on messes, you can try to use this technique to get rid of them as well. Removing dried pine sap from your car doesnt have to be a chore if you know what works to take them off easily. This is an excellent remedy for getting bugs off a car, too, especially on the front bumper or windshield.
The First Step In Removing Car Wax
Before removing old wax, you need to clean your car to remove any dirt and debris. Having a clean and dry vehicle allows the pre-wax cleaner chemicals to be more efficient at removing the old wax without having to go through layers of grime.
- Microfiber towel
Spray your vehicle with a garden hose and then fill a bucket with warm water and a few squirts of dish soap. Dunk the sponge into the soapy water and then clean your cars surface in sections using circular motions.
After car washing, rinse each section with the hose before moving on to another to prevent the soapy residue from drying and leaving dirty streaks and spots. Dry the entire surface of your car using a microfiber towel to remove water spots from your car before they dry.
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Easy And Fast Methods To Remove Car Wax From Plastic
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Owning a car is fun, but maintaining it is not so much fun its a hassle. Maintaining a car takes a lot of time and effort.
As for waxing, theres nothing to worry about because its not difficult. You dont need a lot of complicated tools or a lot of time to remove the wax and clean it. Instead, scrub away the wax with a toothbrush and eraser, or use a wax remover product, and youre done. You need to know how to remove car wax from plastic using these things.
Let us share some ways in this article to help you get your car back to its new look.
Preparing A Car For Polishing
This is probably the main reason for detailers wanting to strip away the wax and oils from a vehicles paintwork. Some people may argue that once you begin to polish your carthat most of the wax will be removed in this process, but in my opinion, this isnt the correct way to go about it.
Wax and other protective products can interfere with the polish and pad. Just think of it as a barrier that rests between the paint that you want to polish, and the polishing media itself.
I have seen many instances in the past where people complain that they are not getting results when polishing a car, and a lot of the time this comes down to the way a car is prepped.
Removing wax and previous protection is absolutely an important step in this process!
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How To Get Car Wax Off Of Black Plastic Trim
But what about black or grey plastic or rubber trim? Lots of us have giant plastic fenders and all of us have rubber seals round our home windows. How to revive light BLACK car paint the quick method 2020. I simply overlook about it as a result of it takes a lot of time to element it out and the car gets dirty again in a quick time on this pollent season. Acetone like nail varnish remover is meant to work too, followed by washing the world then applying a product such as meguiars trim deatiler. Honda Ridgeline Owners Club, forum community to discuss reviews, equipment, performance, care, mods, and more.
This is a natural wax remover as its highly effective. You must ensure that the focus of the water and the alcohol is completed appropriately. You will start by completely washing the vehicle, the car wash solution will assist with this. This might be efficient for getting rid of grime on the cars floor. For whatever option you go for, you could have to apply it appropriately over the surface of the car.
Why Are Plastic Cleaners Different
When using cleaners and coatings, its important to gain an understanding of why they work. Painted surfaces are solid to avoid water penetrating to your underlying metal, creating rust. Waxes added to these surfaces are intended to add a layer over your paint to avoid scratches, and encourage longevity.
On the other hand, plastic surfaces are considered to be a soft material, as they have a certain amount of flex, moisture absorption, and can more easily be scratched or damaged.
The major advantage with plastic moldings revolves around a cost effective, simple to manufacture part that can be replicated for many years to come. While the soft characteristics are important in the construction of the parts, they also leave the part susceptible to damage. This damage often focuses on the idea of the part drying out while in the direct sun, and becoming damaged from the suns UV rays.
To avoid this, plastic components are coated during manufacturing with plastic conditioners, which add a specific oil like coating to the surface, which soaks deep into the material.
Over time, this coating begins to break down and be removed from your plastic surfaces. This leaves the material bare and open for contamination and sun damage.
Once you are left with a clean surface, the plastic coatings often called conditioners, or restorers add a moist layer which fills the pores of the material, and adds an outer coating to keep that deep dark shine.
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You Are Unhappy After Applying A Specific Product
In the past when I was a lot more inexperienced I tried a lot of cheaper products that were an absolute nightmare to work with. Some of the times the finish of the car would look worse than before applying the wax.
Thankfully these days I know only to buy quality products.
There were cases where I had to strip the wax off the car almost immediately after application because I was unhappy.
So now you know the main reasons why one might want to completely strip and remove wax off a vehicles paintwork, lets look at the various products you can use to accomplish this.
How To Remove Car Wax From Plastic Without Damaging The Plastic
Getting car wax off plastic is a relatively simple task, but there are some things to keep in mind. Carelessness can lead to damage to the item you’re removing the wax from. Secondly, make sure you use the right product.
The wrong one will result in more problems and more work for you. Lastly, and most importantly, know when to stop. If it starts to look like it’s taking too much effort, take a break and start again later.
As someone who loves to spend time with my car and waxing it, I’m always looking for ways to get rid of pesky wax residue without damaging the surface. I’ve experimented with a number of different materials and techniques and have finally come up with a solution that works well with most types of plastic.
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Take It To A Professional Detailer
Finally, if youve tried all the above suggestions and nothing is getting rid of that stubborn wax on your cars plastic, it may be time for some professional help.
Leaving wax build-up on your car is not ideal. Not only is it unattractive and takes away from your cars overall shine, but it can eventually begin to melt and cause damage not only to the plastic but to other areas if it bleeds onto them.
A reputable car detailer will know exactly what to do in order to remove the car wax from the plastic on your vehicle. They may have products or even equipment that work more effectively than what you have at home, or will be more effective than regular retailed cleaning agents.
Just make sure to find a professional who knows what they are doing and can explain the process to you.
