Removing baked on wax and wax on trim?

X

XRL

New member
What do you guys suggest for cleaning baked on wax off. My gf's car has some baked on wax in a few places, and mine has a little bit of it as well. I've heard that a 50/50 solution of Isopropyl Alcohol and water works well and lets you wipe the wax right off with a cloth or q-tip or whatever you want. I'm imagining this would take off the wax on the car as well, not necessarily a problem, just something I'd want to know ahead of time.



The real problem will be the plastic trim pieces. Her car has some plastic trim pieces that used to be black, which now have some ugly white marks on them from wax getting on them. What should I use to clean this? When I searched the best suggestions I found were "soap and a sponge" and interior cleaner. I will need to find some sort of product to restore a bit of color back to those pieces too. Prferably something that lasts longer than Mothers' B2B.



Thanks
 
Griots sells some specialized stuff, which is only fitting, because their BoS wax stains plastic easily. I've also used a rag with some alcohol on it, though on some brands of wax Windex or ammonia works better. Griots Interior Cleaner also works, oddly.
 
I use Meguiar's APC+ 4:1 most of the time for that type of problem- if it is REALLY on there, I rarely reach for Meguiar's Super Degreaser instead. Careful with the degreasers around paint, though.



Usually though, the APC+ is great.
 
A while ago I read a post where someone did a comparison test of all the top trim restorers. Black Again won the contest so i picked up a bottle and was amazed at how easily it removed wax and made the trim look brand new.
 
I know you stated you searched but



I am very sure if you search again you will get no new info from this thread as it

been talked about many many times before



when I searched I saw a lot more Peanut Butter, Mineral Oil, QD with a brush, and specific wax removers from several vendors

and little to no talk about "soap and a sponge" and interior cleaner
 
For plastic trim I use Black Wow to get rid of the white portions. If its real bad, I have a super tiny bottle of Pre Wow that Richard is currently beta testing out to people. Its stronger than Black Wow but does not restore the trim, rather removing the wax or whatever is on the trim making it white. You then follow up with BW to make it the best shade of trim you've ever seen :)
 
This has been stated several times before (in previous threads) but I've had great results using a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser. Wet it, wring it out, and "lightly" rub (wipe in most cases) the dried wax off of the trim. Then wash or clean as normal and dress the trim. The trim "looks" faded because of the dried on (or baked on) wax residue (that was the case in my experience). The Magic Eraser is less than $1 to try, available everywhere, and it really works well, especially on textured trim. We bought a Honda Accord and the trim along the bottom was horribly stained with old wax. I tried many many things before I found out how well the magic eraser worked. Be careful though- you don't want to rub very hard in the same spot (do a test spot) as it could/would remove some color if you kept rubbing an area. Hope this helps.
 
Try Stoners Tarminator, I have used it to remove hard to remove stuff, including baked on wax, just spray it on, let it sit for a minute, wipe it off. It cost around 3 to 5 dollars, can't hurt to try it.



From the Stoner website



Tarminator is the fast, easy way to remove tar, sap, grease, and asphalt from auto surfaces.



Tarminator quickly removes sticky tar and stubborn grime that detergents, soap, and water can't take off -- even with a pressure washer.



Great for automotive fenders, rocker panels, bumpers, grills, windows, and body panels that pick-up road tar, grease, and sap.



Cleans painted surfaces in preparation for polishing and waxing. Removes silicones and wax build-up. Won't harm clearcoats or vinyl trim.



Tarminator is so simple and easy to use, just spray and wipe away build-up.





Convenient aerosol spray saves time when cleaning cars, trucks, SUVs, RVs, motorcycles, trailers, and more.

Tarminator's unique, MicroActive cleaning technology breaks down the complex molecules found in tar and other sticky materials.





With Tarminator, even the most stubborn, baked-on tar wipes off gently and easily.



Tarminator is specially formulated to clean quickly without harming paint, clearcoats, and other finishes.

Tarminator dries completely, leaving no residues, stains, or discolorations.
Click to expand...
 
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