Removing wax from black trim..

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DatacomGuy

New member
Might be a noob question.. and i've spent about 45 minutes reading thread after thread but never really found an answer to the question.



Need to get rid of some wax marks that the dealer got on the black trim (just bought a used Outlook, and they waxed before I picked up. Wish they didn't.)..



What can I use? I've read threads about APC staining, so I don't want to go through that..
 
Be careful using abrasive approaches like the magic eraser. Sure, often works great, but still...



APCs seldom staim plastic trim IME.



KAIO can be good for stuff like this (anothe reason why everyone should have it on the shelf IMO).



There are "Dried Wax Removers" made just for this, I got mine from Griot's.
 
GR-40 did a decent job for me, provided it wasn't years-old wax baked onto the trim (wish it was available at more retailers though, I *think* it's only Pakshak that has it these days).



I've also used mineral oil with nice results, it is surprising how well it cleans trim. Apply rather liberally with an applicator and come back with an MF and buff the trim to a uniform finish, the embedded dirt/wax that will come off on your MF will surprise you. It also acts as a sort of dressing, as it leaves trim with a satiny sheen. If it doesn't work for you (when it comes to trim, there is no "end all" product that works on everything) it only costs a few bucks.
 
Accumulator said:
Be careful using abrasive approaches like the magic eraser. Sure, often works great, but still...



APCs seldom staim plastic trim IME.



KAIO can be good for stuff like this (anothe reason why everyone should have it on the shelf IMO).



There are "Dried Wax Removers" made just for this, I got mine from Griot's.
Click to expand...



KAIO worked magic for me on some very old dried wax on smooth plastic that brushing + apc (3:1) could not dent.
 
For tough wax stain i use pencil rubber eraser, that red rubber tip at the end of a pencil, that usually work quite well
 
dirtdiggler said:
peanut butter and toothbrush - this the least agressive and may work for you.
Click to expand...

Not sure on the cleaning power of PB, guessing its working more so as a lubricant for the toothbrush to go to town on the trim. Have you tried using another lubricant with this method to yield similar results?
 
I think a soft tooth brush and some light oil like the kind you put in air tools would work. The oil would act as a lossening agent, kinda like when you warm up baby oil and put on a tick that's decided to take up residency on your skin.
 
I have used this PB method on my FJ cruiser trim to remove KAIO and also 105 on a Lexus RX350 trim with no harm. Again this is the least aggressive, but always worked.
 
So the peanut butter actually removes the residue huh? Not just the oils in it providing a temporary fix?



Not that I'm gonna put a foodstuff on my vehicle anyhow (for any number of reasons)....
 
SpoolinNoMore said:
Not sure on the cleaning power of PB, guessing its working more so as a lubricant for the toothbrush to go to town on the trim. Have you tried using another lubricant with this method to yield similar results?
Click to expand...

The PB's magic is the oils which break down the wax. As was stated earlier, this is the only method i have ever had to use, works every time.
 
I recently tried the PB and while it did remove the wax it left a visible brownish stain that was as difficult to remove as the original wax stain. I'm thinking that maybe plain olive oil might be a better solution, at least it's clear instead of brown.
 
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