How To Clean Wax From Plastic Trim
This article was co-authored by wikiHow staff writer, Jessica Gibson. Jessica Gibson is a Writer and Editor who’s been with wikiHow since 2014. After completing a year of art studies at the Emily Carr University in Vancouver, she graduated from Columbia College with a BA in History. Jessica also completed an MA in History from The University of Oregon in 2013.There are 7 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page.The wikiHow Video Team also followed the article’s instructions and verified that they work. This article has been viewed 9,310 times.Learn more…
It can feel like waxing your car takes forever, so it’s easy to rush and get wax on the trim. Unfortunately, this leaves a cloudy white residue that’s especially noticeable if you have black trim. The good news is that you don’t need a lot of fancy tools or time to remove the wax and clean it off. Just take a toothbrush and eraser and rub the wax off! If you want to restore and condition the plastic trim, use a wax remover product that thoroughly deep cleans it as well.
What Are The Hurdles Associated With Removing Car Wax
Removing car wax is not an exact science. In fact, depending on the type of car wax used, how long it was applied, the amount of wax applied or buffed off, and even the amount of exposure, the removal process can be challenging for some car owners.
This introduces some of the hurdles or concerns that exist with regards to removing car wax.
Potential of Scratching: There are different methods used to remove car wax, one of which is to polish or buff it off. This involves the use of a cutting compound and power orbital polisher. The compound basically cuts into the layer of wax and removes it via friction.
If the polishing compound is too aggressive or the polishing cloth or microfiber towel has dirt or debris, it can cause light scratches or swirl marks.
Not Knowing When Its Removed: Another issue some car owners have with removing car wax or a paint sealant from the paint job is not knowing when its gone. If they are polishing, and not sure when its removed, they can cut into the clear coat or worse.
Car Wax Is Too Hard To Remove
Car wax can sometimes be difficult to remove from your finish. In these situations, do not use brute force to remove it. This can lead to damaging your vehicles paint. There are several ways to easily remove wax from your car or truck when it has hardened.
When removing car wax that has hardened on your vehicle, you will want to first soften the hard wax by applying some fresh wax on top of it. This remoistens the dried wax with the solvents in the fresh wax needed to soften it. Wipe the wax off with a microfiber cloth after the hardened wax has gotten softer.
You May Like: What Car Rental Companies Let You Drive Out Of State
Yellow Cutting Foam Pad Featuring Ccs Technology
- Removes up to 1,000 grit marks to smooth severe oxidation, scratches and swirls in your glossy clear coat
- Collapsed Cell Structure technology reserves excess product in dozens of tiny depressions in the foam material, releasing it onto your workspace as needed to extend your worktime and prevent product waste
- Compatible with any handheld polisher to buff worn, damaged surfaces to perfection
- Comes in a 6.5 or 5.5 diameter size
What Is The Difference Between Carnauba Wax And Paint Sealant
Carnauba wax is an all-natural wax and is often referred to as true car wax. Carnauba wax is preferred by automotive enthusiasts who want a superior shine for their car or truck. Usually, those that are competing in car shows. Carnauba wax has largely been replaced by paint sealant since carnauba wax usually only lasts days while paint sealants usually last months.
Paint sealants are commonly referred to as car wax but often dont contain any wax. Paint sealants are a superior synthetic alternative to natural Carnauba wax. If you see names like hybrid wax or synthetic wax, you know youre dealing with a paint sealant. Many paint sealants may include some Carnauba wax to help boost its shine, but the real benefit comes from the other ingredients.
Don’t Miss: Is Car Rental 8 Legit
Best Practices For Removing Car Wax
The information above should give you a solid baseline of the condition of your vehicle, specifically how to approach the wax removal.
Generally, if the car wax has been on for longer than two months, you can get away with using an automotive-specific degreasing or wax-stripping car wash soap or shampoo. If its less than two months old, you might have to use more aggressive methods.
Here is an easy way to remove car wax from your vehicle.
Removing Car Wax With Rubbing Alcohol
You can use rubbing alcohol to remove the layer of car wax from a vehicle. However, rubbing alcohol needs to be diluted with water before applying it to a vehicles paint. After diluting your solution of rubbing alcohol, you can apply it to the paint of your car and let it sit on the wax. Within a few minutes, the car wax on your vehicle will soften, and you can wipe it off of the finish.
Recommended Reading: How Much Does Rental Car Insurance Cost
Pro Tip #: Use A Soft Brush For Gaps And Molding
No matter how hard you try to keep wax off of molding and out of cracks its almost inevitable that this will occur. Thats why it is a good idea to keep a soft brush handy while you are waxing your car. The brushes can be purchased at most auto parts stores and only cost a couple of dollars. Removing wax from a cars molding after it has dried can be difficult and sometimes the wax will leave permanent staining. Wax left in the cracks and crevices between body panels will harden and become very noticeable once dry. To avoid both of these situations, use a soft brush to remove any wax from moldings or cracks and crevices before it dries.
Waxing your vehicle is a great way to ensure that it stays shiny and looking great. Waxing will work to protect your cars paint from damaging sun rays, abrasive dirt, and chemicals in the rain and snow. Properly maintaining your cars paint by regularly waxing can extend the life of your cars paint and help keep your car looking good long into the future. Using the tips in this article, youll be able to wax your car like a pro and feel proud of your hard work when you drive around in your glossy car.
helpful
How To Remove Old Car Wax
As you probably already know, over time the wax on your car will deteriorate. As mother nature tests your vehicle, and you continue to wash it, the wax will begin to come off of your car. Whenever you stop seeing benefits from the wax, you can almost guarantee its no longer there. To make sure that there is no old wax left on your vehicle, all you need to do is perform a standard car wash using a combination of car soap and all-purpose cleaner. If you dont want to mess around with diluting many products, you could use a product like Adams Strip Wash. Its a concentrated soap designed to safely remove any last stage protection from your vehicle. Strip wash products are very effective on old wax. Though when using them on freshly waxed cars, it may take many washes to strip the wax.
Read Also: What Your Car Says About You
S For Removing Car Wax During Your Auto Detailing Career
The first step in removing wax is to make sure the car is clean before performing the job. After youve washed it, dont dry it, since you will use surface cleaners to wash it once more during the wax removal process. Be sure all waxed areas are accounted for, and then rinse. Use a microfibre towel to dry the car and the paint while being careful not to cause scratching. Once this is done, you can remove the wax and then apply a new wax job. Students taking an auto detailing course should know that wax removal jobs are frequently done with either clays or pre-wax cleaning solutions.
Thanks to its oily nature, the best way to remove car wax is arguably to use a degreaser rather than an isopropyl alcohol solution , as it is more effective with substances of this type. If you have a degreasing solution that is specifically made for vehicle use, this is the best course of action if youre working on car paint.
What If I Spill Too Much Alcohol On My Car
Even the best of us make mistakes sometimes. Once, I saw somebody put an almost-full bottle of rubbing alcohol on top of the car without the lid screwed on tightly.
Then, they forgot about it, knocked it over, and it spilled all over their hood. Naturally, they panicked before I stepped in and offered a helping hand.
If you happen to make the same mistake, the best solution is to immediately dilute it. Either hose the section down or dump a couple of bottles of water on it . Keep in mind that time is of the essence! If you let it sit for more than a few seconds, it can quickly damage your paint.
You May Like: How Can I Get My Car Fixed With No Money
Pro Tip #: Wax Your Car Under Cover
If possible, try to wax your car under some sort of protective cover. This could be a carport, tent, or other structure that provides cover from the elements. There are two main reasons why this is important.
The first reason is that on a sunny day the surface of the car can become incredibly hot. When you apply wax to the hot surface of your car the wax will almost immediately become dry and caked on. This makes it incredibly difficult to remove and you will be spending much more time and effort to remove the wax than would normally be the case.
The second reason to wax under cover is in the event that it starts to rain. If the surface of the car is wet, the wax will not adhere to the surface properly and will create a mess. The wax will run off the surface of the car and may get on surfaces you were not intending to wax such as molding and plastic body parts. These types of material can be difficult to remove wax so it is important to wax your car under a controlled environment.
When And Why You Should Remove Old Wax From Your Car
New wax should be applied when the old coat starts to wear off. This usually occurs around the 3-month mark but can happen sooner if your car is regularly exposed to the elements.
Because wax acts as a barrier between your car and wax’s protective coating, old wax can prevent new sealants from bonding to your car’s paint. This means that the new wax won’t be as effective a protectant.
It also means that you won’t get the brilliant shine that comes with a fresh coat of wax. Finally, adding new wax on top of the old doesn’t hide or fix any problems . It simply makes these defects harder to remove.
Recommended Reading: How To Open Car Trunk Without Key
Summary: And The Best Wax Remover Is
For de-waxing your car’s body, clay bars are the best wax removers, with spray-on wax removers coming in as a close second. When removing wax from plastic trim, magic erasers are your best bet!
Pro Detailer Bundle:
Includes Mirror Shine, Full Decon Kit and Microfiber Towels
New to car detailing? Or just looking to bundle and save? We made this bundle of our most popular products to help you get the best results out of Mirror Shine! Save an extra 23% on the bundle.
How To Completely Remove Car Wax From Your Paintwork
DarrenComments
Knowing how to remove wax from a car is a necessary skill that every detailer, both amateur and professional should be comfortable with. Even in 2020 with so much information at hand both on detailing forums and youtube channels, there is still some confusion around this topic.
The good news is that despite all the misinformation out there, the process for doing this is quite straightforward!
In this post, I will cut through a lot of the BS out there and give you some essential tips on how to completely strip and remove traditional carnauba based wax from a vehicles paintwork.
Before we dive into the How To, it is important to understand what makes up the ingredients of traditional car wax as this is what determines the best course of action for removal.
You May Like: Does Mercedes Have An Electric Car
Structure My Deal Recent Activity
- Est. Payment
- Not submitted
- Finance for }/mo. } months at } APR|Lease for }/mo. } months, } annual miles|}}
- Prequalification
- You applied for credit instead
Structure My Deal tools are complete you’re ready to visit Saunders Motors Company Limited!
We’ll have this time-saving information on file when you visit the dealership.
- Access your saved cars on any device.
- Receive Price Alert emails when price changes, new offers become available or a vehicle is sold.
- Securely store your current vehicle information and access tools to save time at the the dealership.
- Access your saved cars on any device.
- Receive Price Alert emails when price changes, new offers become available or a vehicle is sold.
- Securely store your current vehicle information and access tools to save time at the the dealership.
Make the most of your shopping experience!
Remove Wax From Plastic Car Trim
While being immersed in the action of waxing your car, you may inadvertently get some of the wax onto rubber or plastic trim along the sides.
Unfortunately, you cannot remove the wax using an all purpose cleaner or cleanser because that will also remove the wax from the paint. Believe it or not, you can remove wax from plastic car trim using a pencil eraser.
- Chemical Guys Trim Clean
Pencil erasers work great at removing the wax off of trim because you can get into small areas with closer detail. Use either a white or pink eraser to gently rub the waxed area of your cars trim.
If the eraser doesnt do the job, you can use a Magic Eraser that is slightly more abrasive to remove wax from the plastic trim. If this still doesnt do the trick, you can try Trim Clean by Chemical Guys, which is a more expensive alternative.
Try these remedies for getting Super Glue off car paint, too, if you accidentally drip some on your vehicle during a repair project.
Read Also: How Long Does Coolant Last In A Car
Can I Wash My Car With Vinegar
Vinegar is a great household item to wash your car with, but since it is a mild acid, we would recommend diluting it with water.
You can use three parts of water with one part of vinegar. Clean the car thoroughly with it, and rinse it off promptly.
You must not let it sit on the paint of the car for too long.
The Effects Of Rubbing Alcohol On Car Paint
Isopropyl rubbing alcohol doesnt have much effect on a vehicles paint when you dilute it. However, in its undiluted form, rubbing alcohol can potentially damage the finish. Depending on the type of paint on a vehicle, undiluted isopropyl rubbing alcohol can remove paint from the car or truck. This is usually only true for older vehicles with single-stage paint.
Don’t Miss: Can You Add Someone To An Existing Car Loan
How To Wax Your Car With Amazing Results: 7
While most people wash their vehicles every now and then, the majority of drivers do not wax their cars. Waxing your car is one of the best ways to make it look great and protects its exterior. Although waxing a car takes a little elbow grease, it is not a terrible way to spend a Saturday afternoon. You will be proud of your hard work when you see your car gleaming in your driveway. Follow these steps to wax your car to a shine.
Youre reading one of our Beginner Drivers Guide articles. Need to practice for your upcoming exam? Take our free sample driving test — no registration required!
How To Remove Car Wax From Plastic Trim: Step By Step Guide
As you take the time to look around your vehicle, you will find a handful of different materials.
While many large surfaces are painted, you may find chromed trim, glass windows or lights, rubber tires, edge trimming, clear plastic lights, and black plastic trim. While automotive soaps are designed to safely wash all of these external materials, top coatings such as waxes and other protectives are extremely specific, allowing your surface to be protected in very unique ways.
For example, a hydrophobic window coating intended to be used on your windshield to repel water, is far from the best option for your chrome trim or wheels.
While each coatings may play similar roles in protecting against sun or water damage, they may still fail to be the best option for other non-specified surfaces. One example would be automotive waxes being great for paint protection, but failing to evenly coat or protect plastic trim pieces.
Recommended Reading: How Much Is A Car Lift
