Removing wax residue from black plastic trim?

[Deleted member 5597]

Mother's "Back To Black".
And next time, do not use "wax" on your truck. No need for it. Use one of the new-tech ceramic sealers. They don't dry white, and most of them will actually enhance/correct the black plastic.

Yeah, I appreciate the advice! I found out the hard way about using wax, which I’ll never do again! I bought Mother’s Ceramic and Clay bar kit.

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[Tim d]

Back in the old days, there was paste wax and rubbing compound, and not many other choices of what to use to make your vehicle shine. It was an easy decision what to use, with Turtle Wax being the predominant choice. Rub on in small circles, let it dry, wipe off, and buff. Bumpers back then were metal, so we didn't have a problem getting waxy residue on them. Just wipe off and you were all set until the next waxing.
So, with the "Old School" method, I bought Meguire's Carnuba Paste Wax and accidently got some on the black plastic trim. Now I'm trying to figure out how to remove the residue.
Today, we have black plastic everywhere. Sometimes the wax gets on the black plastic trim. I watched tons of YouTube videos on how to remove it. Various methods I've seen used are:
1. Using an eraser
2. Dawn soap and water
3. Mr. Clean Magic Eraser
4. Clay Bar
5. WD40
6. Chemical Guys Nonsense Invisible Cleaner followed by Chem Guys Tire and Trim Gel
I tried using Dawn with a hard bristled brush, and it barely removes any residue.
What has everyone else used with success?

An eraser works great.

 

[notfast]

Former professional auto detailer here. I usually grab a clay bar, but that's because I have it handy. I've also had good success with synthetic clay mitts and with Magic Erasers/melamine foam.

Next time you wax, I suggest just masking off the plastic with blue masking tape. You don't have to be precise or concerned about wrinkles in the tape. Just needs to be close enough so you can wax to the edge of the paint without going completely across the tape.

Mother's "Back To Black".
And next time, do not use "wax" on your truck. No need for it. Use one of the new-tech ceramic sealers. They don't dry white, and most of them will actually enhance/correct the black plastic.

Depends on what you're looking to achieve, how much you're willing to spend, and how much elbow grease you're willing to sacrifice.

I use Meguiar's hybrid ceramic liquid wax, which as you mentioned doesn't dry white and can be applied over nonpainted plastics and rubber gaskets.

It's easy to apply and technically doesn't even need to be buffed off if you apply it thin enough, but it doesn't do much for scratches and swirls since it's purely a topcoat/sealer. It does last quite a long time though.

What I usually suggest is to wash the car once a week, wax it once a month, and clay bar it twice a year. That'll keep your car looking better than 90% of those on the road. As for wax, I've used the Meguiar's cleaner wax in the maroon bottle. It has a light polishing component which takes care of fine scratches and swirls.

As for washing it once a week, in my opinion, any decent conveyor or gas station car wash will be more than sufficient. They are machines, however, which is why it's important to go regularly. They can only remove a certain amount of crap per wash and don't know to scrub longer on dirtier spots.

If you want an absolutely swirl free wash, then you'd want to wash the car by hand or take it to a handwashing place.

 

[HeyBales]

So are some of the differences in success based on timing?

Oops I got wax on the bumper and it hazed and I see it when done with the car.

Oops I got wax on the bumper and didn't notice it a month ago and after days in the sun it looks different and I finally got to it.


Some of these suggestions sure seem like the former.
But some seem to help the latter.

Be nice to comment which situation a simple solution seemed to correct.

 

[Old Fart]

Bought the paint sealer from the dealer who waxes anymore, still thinking about painting the black OD Green and just adding beigh streaks to it. That way it looks like something that's supposed to be there.

 

[ClemsonU88]

Former professional auto detailer here. I usually grab a clay bar, but that's because I have it handy. I've also had good success with synthetic clay mitts and with Magic Erasers/melamine foam.

Next time you wax, I suggest just masking off the plastic with blue masking tape. You don't have to be precise or concerned about wrinkles in the tape. Just needs to be close enough so you can wax to the edge of the paint without going completely across the tape.



Depends on what you're looking to achieve, how much you're willing to spend, and how much elbow grease you're willing to sacrifice.

I use Meguiar's hybrid ceramic liquid wax, which as you mentioned doesn't dry white and can be applied over nonpainted plastics and rubber gaskets.

It's easy to apply and technically doesn't even need to be buffed off if you apply it thin enough, but it doesn't do much for scratches and swirls since it's purely a topcoat/sealer. It does last quite a long time though.

What I usually suggest is to wash the car once a week, wax it once a month, and clay bar it twice a year. That'll keep your car looking better than 90% of those on the road. As for wax, I've used the Meguiar's cleaner wax in the maroon bottle. It has a light polishing component which takes care of fine scratches and swirls.

As for washing it once a week, in my opinion, any decent conveyor or gas station car wash will be more than sufficient. They are machines, however, which is why it's important to go regularly. They can only remove a certain amount of crap per wash and don't know to scrub longer on dirtier spots.

If you want an absolutely swirl free wash, then you'd want to wash the car by hand or take it to a handwashing place.

I run my truck through the touchless car wash as needed. I "wax" it twice a year (once in the Spring & once in the Fall). That's always kept my vehicles looking sharp...in my opinion. Everyone's got their standards, so to each his own.

I'm a little confused. You said to clay bar it twice a year, but then you wax it once a month. So you put wax on top of the ceramic coat, or is the clay bar not ceramic? If the clay bar isn't ceramic, when would you ceramic it? After every waxing? It may have been around for years, but ceramic coating is new to me.

 

[dochawk]

just a clay bar isn't going to coat it; it removes.

you need clay and something.

For that matter, I believe that the clay will completely strip the existing wax.

 

[Deleted member 5597]

So, as an update, dawn and water with a hard bristled brush didn’t work. I had a magic eraser and it worked. I used warm, almost hot water to wet the eraser in. My black plastic trim still looks good and hasn’t faded, nor dry rotted yet. I live in Florida and the sun is hard on anything plastic. I still might put Cerakote on the black now that I got the white, wax residue off.

 

[notfast]

I'm a little confused. You said to clay bar it twice a year, but then you wax it once a month. So you put wax on top of the ceramic coat, or is the clay bar not ceramic? If the clay bar isn't ceramic, when would you ceramic it? After every waxing? It may have been around for years, but ceramic coating is new to me.

Clay bar decontaminates the paint, and also strips off any wax. If you have a light-colored vehicle and look really closely, you can see iron dust and other fallout particles stuck on the paint.

I prefer synthetic clay mitts. They work 80% as good as natural clay, but it's significantly faster. For the stubborn spots I'll use natural clay.

For show cars, I prefer putting ceramic or hybrid-ceramic products on first, then natural carnauba wax on last. At least for me, synthetic and hybrid-ceramic products do not have as glossy of a show-car shine as natural carnauba wax, but carnauba wax doesn't last as long. But in my opinion, that last bit of extra shine really only matters if the car is going to be in a show.

But again, that lengthy process (wash-claybar-polish-seal-wax) is mostly for customers who want their car to look showroom new.

For a daily driver, I wouldn't bother with multiple coats of anything, or even polishing it to be honest. Again, I get a $6 gas station car wash once a week, wax it once a month, and because I'm lazy, I clay bar it once a year. Waxing fills in light swirls and scratches. Once they reappear and/or when water no longer beads on the surface, you know you should wax it again.

Polishing basically sands down the clearcoat so that the swirls and scratches are level with the surface, thereby making them "disappear". Technically you can only do this a finite amount of times before the clearcoat burns through. That's partly why I see no value in polishing a daily driver. The thing is gonna get pinstriped again on the next off road trip or swirled up at the gas station car wash.

Ceramic coating and synthetic sealing do not really fill in swirls and scratches. They do to some extent, but not as much as waxing.

Washing the car at a gas station once a week, and I'm going to say "coating" the vehicle with something once a month (cleaner wax, hybrid ceramic wax, hybrid ceramic spray coating, etc.) will keep it looking better than 80% of the cars on the road and prevent the clearcoat from oxidizing.

Claybarring is entirely optional. I'd wager the vast majority of vehicles on the road are lucky to get washed once a month, never mind clay barred at all.

You would ceramic coat the vehicle after claybarring and polishing it, but before waxing it (if you want to go that far). Professionally applied ceramic coating is pretty amazing stuff. I'd equate it to applying a very thin layer (maybe a hundred microns thick) of high-gloss epoxy onto the vehicle as opposed to any sort of traditional wax. After the vehicle has been ceramic-coated, it's good for months or even years of gas station or whatever car washes, and mud and stuff just slides right off.

Consumer-grade ceramic or hybrid-ceramic products are easier to use but don't last as long. Maybe a few months at most.

I'm not a fan of "touchless" carwashes either. Touchless washes have to use higher pressure water with more acidic chemicals in order to do marginally less cleaning as a good ole tri- or 5-brush car wash or conveyor wash. If I was that concerned about not having swirl marks, I'd opt to do a rinseless car wash before a touchless car wash.

 

[ClemsonU88]

I used my son’s eraser dry. Worked perfectly, and it’s dirt cheap/free.

(Edit)
1) I realized after posting that I didn’t get the tailgate handle. Tomorrow.
2) The eraser leaves a little residue. You may want a wet paper towel or rag to wipe it off.
3) A rigid eraser makes getting curves a little more difficult than something flexible like a magic eraser or the PrismaColor Magic Rub.

 

[ClemsonU88]

Clay bar decontaminates the paint, and also strips off any wax. If you have a light-colored vehicle and look really closely, you can see iron dust and other fallout particles stuck on the paint.

I prefer synthetic clay mitts. They work 80% as good as natural clay, but it's significantly faster. For the stubborn spots I'll use natural clay.

For show cars, I prefer putting ceramic or hybrid-ceramic products on first, then natural carnauba wax on last. At least for me, synthetic and hybrid-ceramic products do not have as glossy of a show-car shine as natural carnauba wax, but carnauba wax doesn't last as long. But in my opinion, that last bit of extra shine really only matters if the car is going to be in a show.

But again, that lengthy process (wash-claybar-polish-seal-wax) is mostly for customers who want their car to look showroom new.

For a daily driver, I wouldn't bother with multiple coats of anything, or even polishing it to be honest. Again, I get a $6 gas station car wash once a week, wax it once a month, and because I'm lazy, I clay bar it once a year. Waxing fills in light swirls and scratches. Once they reappear and/or when water no longer beads on the surface, you know you should wax it again.

Polishing basically sands down the clearcoat so that the swirls and scratches are level with the surface, thereby making them "disappear". Technically you can only do this a finite amount of times before the clearcoat burns through. That's partly why I see no value in polishing a daily driver. The thing is gonna get pinstriped again on the next off road trip or swirled up at the gas station car wash.

Ceramic coating and synthetic sealing do not really fill in swirls and scratches. They do to some extent, but not as much as waxing.

Washing the car at a gas station once a week, and I'm going to say "coating" the vehicle with something once a month (cleaner wax, hybrid ceramic wax, hybrid ceramic spray coating, etc.) will keep it looking better than 80% of the cars on the road and prevent the clearcoat from oxidizing.

Claybarring is entirely optional. I'd wager the vast majority of vehicles on the road are lucky to get washed once a month, never mind clay barred at all.

You would ceramic coat the vehicle after claybarring and polishing it, but before waxing it (if you want to go that far). Professionally applied ceramic coating is pretty amazing stuff. I'd equate it to applying a very thin layer (maybe a hundred microns thick) of high-gloss epoxy onto the vehicle as opposed to any sort of traditional wax. After the vehicle has been ceramic-coated, it's good for months or even years of gas station or whatever car washes, and mud and stuff just slides right off.

Consumer-grade ceramic or hybrid-ceramic products are easier to use but don't last as long. Maybe a few months at most.

I'm not a fan of "touchless" carwashes either. Touchless washes have to use higher pressure water with more acidic chemicals in order to do marginally less cleaning as a good ole tri- or 5-brush car wash or conveyor wash. If I was that concerned about not having swirl marks, I'd opt to do a rinseless car wash before a touchless car wash.

Thanks for the lesson/education. Seriously.

I didn’t know most of that.

 

[Palindrome]

Former professional auto detailer here. I usually grab a clay bar, but that's because I have it handy. I've also had good success with synthetic clay mitts and with Magic Erasers/melamine foam.

Next time you wax, I suggest just masking off the plastic with blue masking tape. You don't have to be precise or concerned about wrinkles in the tape. Just needs to be close enough so you can wax to the edge of the paint without going completely across the tape.



Depends on what you're looking to achieve, how much you're willing to spend, and how much elbow grease you're willing to sacrifice.

I use Meguiar's hybrid ceramic liquid wax, which as you mentioned doesn't dry white and can be applied over nonpainted plastics and rubber gaskets.

It's easy to apply and technically doesn't even need to be buffed off if you apply it thin enough, but it doesn't do much for scratches and swirls since it's purely a topcoat/sealer. It does last quite a long time though.

What I usually suggest is to wash the car once a week, wax it once a month, and clay bar it twice a year. That'll keep your car looking better than 90% of those on the road. As for wax, I've used the Meguiar's cleaner wax in the maroon bottle. It has a light polishing component which takes care of fine scratches and swirls.

As for washing it once a week, in my opinion, any decent conveyor or gas station car wash will be more than sufficient. They are machines, however, which is why it's important to go regularly. They can only remove a certain amount of crap per wash and don't know to scrub longer on dirtier spots.

If you want an absolutely swirl free wash, then you'd want to wash the car by hand or take it to a handwashing place.

I am just wondering the logic or scientific reason for washing every week? Here in Az it is very dry and I go months between washes. I do dust my cars almost daily and use a hybrid ceramic coating 2-3 times a year...just wondering?

 

[Deleted member 5597]

I used my son’s eraser dry. Worked perfectly, and it’s dirt cheap/free.

(Edit)
1) I realized after posting that I didn’t get the tailgate handle. Tomorrow.
2) The eraser leaves a little residue. You may want a wet paper towel or rag to wipe it off.
3) A rigid eraser makes getting curves a little more difficult than something flexible like a magic eraser or the PrismaColor Magic Rub.

Thanks for letting us know that the eraser method works. I use the magic eraser works too. Dawn doesn't do anything.

 

[notfast]

I am just wondering the logic or scientific reason for washing every week? Here in Az it is very dry and I go months between washes. I do dust my cars almost daily and use a hybrid ceramic coating 2-3 times a year...just wondering?

The air in AZ is also cleaner than here in Los Angeles. My car gets noticeably road-grimy in a few hundred miles of driving around the greater Los Angeles area. Whereas a few hundred miles of driving around Las Vegas results in basically nothing except dust.

If I let that road grime build up for more than two weeks, a single pass through a gas station car wash is insufficient at getting it all off.

 

[Palindrome]

The air in AZ is also cleaner than here in Los Angeles. My car gets noticeably road-grimy in a few hundred miles of driving around the greater Los Angeles area. Whereas a few hundred miles of driving around Las Vegas results in basically nothing except dust.

If I let that road grime build up for more than two weeks, a single pass through a gas station car wash is insufficient at getting it all off.

Thanks for the response. Yes I noticed that grime when I used to visit San Diego and L.A. for just a few days.

I just wanted to make sure of my cleaning regiment since you are a car detail-er pro!

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