wax residue on trim parts

[sewerman]

Gentlemen,

I was a bit careless when I waxed the wife's Impala and got some wax on the black grainy textured trim pieces on the car.. Now I can't get the stuff off..

I tried Mother's back to black but after a week or two the white marks are back.....So what can you all recommend...Thanks..

 

[Whimsey]

I've tried white erasers made in Japan from the stationery store and they worked, with elbow "grease". In fact I've seem them in the supermarket also. Other people say the "Mr. Clean" white cleaning sponge works really well. I haven't tried them yet but will do. Finally people say peanut butter works well. Though I'd have to say it sounds messy but tasty

.

Whimsey

 

[Steel Blue Wind Rider]

sewerman, mothers only lasts a few weeks because it covers them up, it doesn't remove them. Visit
www.autopia.org, the best detailers site on the web. Do a search for trim issues. You'll find a few more remedies, as Whimsey already mentions a couple. Good luck and let us know what worked for you.

 

[benjamming]

You could change to a different kind of wax next time that doesn't leave marks like that. I believe P21S & Zymol are not offenders in this area.

From http://www.carcareonline.com/viewarticle.aspx?art=12
Cleaning White Wax Residue Stains on Trim: One of the more common problems is white wax residue stains on your exterior rubber or vinyl trim. To remove these stains, simply dampen a small spot of a clean, soft cloth with a wax solvent such as One Grand Tar, Gum & Wax Remover or undiluted Wurth Citrus Degreaser. I use a piece of 100% cotton terry cloth because the texture of the cloth helps remove the wax residue from the millions of tiny depressions in the pebble surface. Either spray a small amount on the cloth or place the cloth over the top of the bottle, hold it in place with your index finger and momentarily invert the bottle to dampen a small spot on the cloth. Rub the white stained area carefully with the solvent saturated section of the cloth to dissolve the wax residue. Repeat as necessary, as it may take several applications of solvent to remove significant amounts of wax residue. If the cloth does not get down into the bottom of these tiny depressions, then you may have to resort to a soft brush. Dampen the stained area with the solvent and gently brush the residue with a soft brush to dig out the remaining residue. Use the brush carefully, as it may scratch you paint. Once you have removed all traces of the residue, wash the trim and surrounding areas thoroughly with car wash. Rinse the area completely with water to remove any traces of solvent and then dry. Finally, apply a protective coating of your favorite rubber protectant and you are done.

 

[Seth_TJ]

I am an expert on this, I spent almost 4 hours cleaning wax off my Jetski. The guy I bought it off of OVERWAXED this thing (yes, it is possible, I saw it first hand) He waxed EVERYTHING, everytime he rode it.

I used a rubber school eraser (don't get the smooth shiny kind) and went over all the trim on the thing. Then I liberally applied Mothers back to black on and scrubbed with a stiff bristled toothbrush sized brush. The eraser got most of it but the back to black has alcohols that dissolve wax. I let it dry them buffed it off hard with a textured towel. Then I put a coat of 303 aerospace protectant over that.

 

[Whimsey]

Something else I thought of. Try a diluted dish washing soap. After all it removes all wax from paint. That's why they say you should never wash your car with it. But to get the wax off the plastic moulding should be ok.

Whimsey

 

[XS650]

Try Goo Gone or other petroleum based cleaner. Or a little kerosene, or WD40.

 

[ant]

I've never had any success with peanut butter or any other home remedy. Even the product "Wax Blaster" was absolutely useless on dried wax residue. The only thing I've found to work is the Mr. Clean magic eraser and GR-40. The Mr. Clean will work with less trouble than GR-40, but be very careful around paint as the eraser will SCRATCH. You can buy the magic eraser at most grocery stores, it's usually with the cleaning supplies.

 

[TN Tracker]

I've had good luck with full strength Simple Green and a toothbrush, then 303.

 

[sewerman]

Thanks for all the responses,gonna choose a remedy on the way home and will let ya all know how I did...

 

[JohnnyO]

Mother's Back To Black. You can use it on other colors as well.

 

[Len_A]

Actually, and I can't believe this hasn't been posted already, but plain peanut butter works pretty good.

Choose whatever cheap plain (not chunky) style peanut butter, smear it over the waxed trim, and let it sit for about a minute. Wipe it off, and then wash the area first with your favorite car wash product, then rewash the whole car.

Treat the molding with your favorite protectant. That should take care of it.

And before anyone asks, it seems to be a combination of of the peanut oil breaking the wax down, and the peanut butter itself carrying the wax residue away when you wipe it off.

 

[tom slick]

turtlewax "black chrome" applied liberally with a toothbrush works extremely well.

 

[ChrisW]

I've great luck with Stoner's trim shine.

 

[Dominic]

If you can find a pool store... Pool Magic works wonderfully - its a vinyl cleaner.

 

[tblazed]

I've used naphtha and a tooth brush, followed up with Mothers BTB and it worked well. Gray stuff gone from the textured black plastic on the bumper top pads and wheel well openings.

For the peanut butter users, wouldn't a little peanut OIL be a lot less messy?

 

[XS650]

quote:

---

Originally posted by tblazed:

For the peanut butter users, wouldn't a little peanut OIL be a lot less messy?

---

Yes, but then your dog wouldn't wipe it off for you.

 

[tblazed]

My dog would try to eat the trim, too!

 

[tblazed]

A warning on the naphtha use I mentioned above, it will make black trim look terrible by itself, because it will strip the surface and turn it gray and will really show up any oxidation. Use as a last resort, and follow up with something heavy in silicone to finish it up. Haven't really found a perfect way yet to restore black trim that's been in the sun a few years to an original finish without then having to reapply the trim product like BTB and maintain it regularly.

 

[1sttruck]

I use a stiff brush, looks like a big toothbrush, and then followup with black stuff.