How To: Remove Dried Wax From Trim?
Although black plastic trim is not as common now as it was back in the 80s and 90s, there is still enough plastic and rubber on a car to cause you trouble. Wax can build up on these areas leaving white or cloudy stains.
There are all sorts of products to remove this wax residue, but basically they just work because they contain solvents that melt wax. The same is true about peanut butter, I know it sounds stupid, but there are people who treat their plastic trim with peanut butter. Peanut oil mostly hides the stains and is no different to putting a silicone based product on your car, peanut oil is also a mild solvent, so it will remove wax residue. All in all, peanut butter is a poor dressing for plastic, a poor solvent for removing wax residue, and it makes a hell of a mess. So don’t bother.
If you want to remove wax residue, get yourself some Isopropyl Alcohol (rubbing alcohol) from the chemists or hardware. Alcohol is strong enough to remove wax, and mild enough not to damage, this is a common product used by any good car detailer for cleaning off wax from trims or preparing the paint work to ensure it is clean as possible for the first layer or wax or paint sealant.
Not all stains are wax residue, some might be polish or other contaminants, in which case you should never underestimate the power of good old soap and water along with a bit of elbow grease. I would recommend trying this approach first.
2 Responses to “How To: Remove Dried Wax From Trim?”
Discussion Area - Leave a Comment
You must be logged in to post a comment.
I used to buy a cheap paint brush and tape the bristles about a 1\4 from the bottom. This makes the bristles a bit stiffer. Once the bristles on the brush are secured, you can run the brush safely along all the edges and quickly and effectively remove wax residue. You may want to start with a stiff toothbrush first if there is excessive build-up. Then wipe with a clean dry or damp textured cloth.
If you are trying to remove whitish stains as opposed to thick, powdery buildup then before using a stiff brush or a lot of elbow grease or a solvent, all of which could cause damage of their own, try a pencil eraser - either on the end of a #2 pencil or one of those block erasers. Should come right off.