Cleaning around badges?

B

benpocock

New member
How the hell do you do it?! Is it a case of using those cotton bud things or is there a simple spray on/rinse off product that would get rid of the muck that gets inbetween the letters etc?



Would somthing like APC+ get rid of it? I woud consider Simple Green but I think that's too harsh to use on paint. Or is it?



List your tips and tricks below!



Thanks,

Ben.
 
To get rid of the caked on wax and crud around badges and emblems I CAREFULLY use a sewing needle and GENTLY pick at the crud and it comes off in clumps.



I do this when the car is dry because it crumbles off easier than when wet.



When it is all off, I use a dilluted Meguiar's APC+ and squirt it in there and massage lightly with a Q-Tip.



Then I wash the car as normal. I'll use a liquid wax to re-wax the area because excess wax is easily wiped off.



Hope this helps.
 
All I do is jam the MF towel at the crevices. I find that gets out 99.9% of the wax residue. Or you can wet a small area of the MF with QD and try for the other .5%.
 
I didn't specifically mean wax residue, I really mean road crap and grime that accumulates there when a car hasn't been looked after in a while.



I'll give what you guys suggested a go though, thanks.



Ben
 
You can use dilluted APC+ and a soft detailing brush (http://www.autopia-carcare.com/mbm-br-15.html) or I have used the ultra soft toothbrushes from the supermarket.



If you let the APC sit for a minute then lightly agitate and manipulate the brush around the contours of the emblems / badges it will dislodge the crud.



If you buy a toothbrush make sure it says ultra soft.
 
I just use a soft brush and some QD. If that doesnt work, a cotton buds seem to do the trick. Never really tackled any really grubby badges tho.
 
Eliot Ness already mentioned the BHBs, but I'll add this- pull the cotton wadding off a q-tip or get a cotton ball. Sharpen a wooden stick (toothpick, swab stick, etc.) and use the sharpened stick to force the soft cotton (saturated with cleaner of choice) into the tight spots.



In a worst-case situation you could even use the wooden stick itself. Rather than sharpening to a point, sharpen it to a thin flat tip maybe 1-3mm wide. Soak with cleaner (or QD) and use to gently scrub the stuff off/out. Not marring-proof, but softer than any toothbrush I've ever seen.
 
BenP said:
I didn't specifically mean wax residue, I really mean road crap and grime that accumulates there when a car hasn't been looked after in a while.



Sorry, can't help you there. I've never let my cars get to that point.:p
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I have used APC and a soft paint brush. I use more of a small sweeping motion then a jam it in and scrub out the crud motion. For me a paint brush work great in inside letters, like the O or P.

Clay can work great too. Just be sure to not leave any clay stuck under the badging. It's a pain to remove once it dries. Speaking from experience. :)
 
termigator said:
BenP said:
I didn't specifically mean wax residue, I really mean road crap and grime that accumulates there when a car hasn't been looked after in a while.
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Sorry, can't help you there. I've never let my cars get to that point.:p
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Termigator,



I wasn't talking about my cars! I have the badges taken off to avoid such a problem; but I have a few cars coming up with heaps of lettering on them (namely an SL55 AMG that not only has that on the back but also has V8 KOMPRESSOR down each side!) and was enquiring about a quick and easy method!



Looks like it's down to the hardware store to get a selection of quality paintbrushes!



Ben.
 
Ben check the paint brushes very carefully. Some of the paint brushes are very stiff. I use a natural bristle trim brush, it is about one and a half inches wide and the bristles are about three inches long. I use lots of diluted APC to help flood the built up crud out.

V8 KOMPRESSOR on both sides, should be fun. :)
 
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