Removing dried wax from nooks, crannies, and plastic

I

imported_tuffluck

New member
Had some body work done on my car and they did not tape around plastic trim or around lights. The result is lots of dried wax in between body panels, around lights/bezels, and on bumpy black plastic trim. I though about taking it back and making them fix it, but honestly if they don't have the wherewithal to not do it in the first place then I don't really trust their removal techniques either. Can you guys help me with the easiest and most painless way to remove it from the different sections of my car? I'm hoping to do it tomorrow, and any products I need I can pick up hopefully at the nearest Autozone or Pep Boys.
 
For dried on wax on the plastic trim, some APC and a gentle scrub should remove it, however this will invariably require a re-application of the dressing/protectant.


 


As for the stuff in crevices etc, soaking with some QD may work followed by a wipe with a MF Towel. Then there are things like ear buds / toothpicks, brushes etc that may help get into the hard to reach spots.
 
Sigh...people put on so much excess LSP!  WIth a properly thin application you'd hardly notice any that you missed.


 


If using a toothpick in the tight spots, I'd whittle down the tip and "flag" it with a razor blade to turn it into a tiny brush.  Then soak it with QD to soften it up so it's less likely to mar.


 


For around the lights/bezels/etc. I'd just disassemble things.
 
Accumulator said:
Sigh...people put on so much excess LSP!  WIth a properly thin application you'd hardly notice any that you missed.


 


If using a toothpick in the tight spots, I'd whittle down the tip and "flag" it with a razor blade to turn it into a tiny brush.  Then soak it with QD to soften it up so it's less likely to mar.


 


For around the lights/bezels/etc. I'd just disassemble things.
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Thanks for all the help, good tip on the toothpick.  I managed to get most of it out by just letting the QD settle in the cracks for a while, loosen the stuff up and then drip out.  I missed a few spots that I'll need a toothpick for.


 


As for the plastic, I used a 50/50 of IPA and water with a golf bristle brush (sans metal) and that seemed to work pretty well.  I do see how the alcohol dried out the plastic a little.  What's a good thing to use to brighten the plastic back up...can't I use tire gel?


 


Lastly I'm curious if this is common even among good body shops (that is to get plastic trim waxed and leave it on there for the customer).  It irritates me and makes me think their workmanship was all around poor, although at the moment the work they did seems fine.  I did ask them not to wash my car (didn't want them to scratch it using crappy washing techniques), so I'm thinking they may have assumed that meant the plastic parts also.
 
tuffluck- None of the painters I use wax fresh paintwork, nor do they leave any compound/etc. behind.  Maybe I'm just spoiled.


 


I clean black plastic with Griot's Rubber Prep.  If it's still faded looking I use ValuGard's Fast Finish on it (yeah, I know...it's "just a QD" but it works great for me) or Ultima's TTGP trim sealant stuff.  Sometimes I use the FastFinish for a while and then switch over to the Ultima after it quits looking faded (the FastFinish somehow seems to restore it...weird but it really does IME).  I utterly despise the tire gel/slime approach and only use it as a last resort.
 
For getting in cracks and crevices I use an old, use-up gift card (softer and more flexible than a credit card) with a thin MF towel folded over it sprayed with a little QD or ONR. 


 


Odds are it is polish and not wax, as Accumulator stated.  Fresh paintwork should not be waxed.  Most polishes will soften up when wet.  Just let water/ONR dwell a few minutes to saturate.  If it is not easily accessible by any of the means mentioned here you can try pressure washing it after it is allowed to soak or a soft, paint-safe brush.
 
Accumulator said:
tuffluck- None of the painters I use wax fresh paintwork, nor do they leave any compound/etc. behind.  Maybe I'm just spoiled.


 


I clean black plastic with Griot's Rubber Prep.  If it's still faded looking I use ValuGard's Fast Finish on it (yeah, I know...it's "just a QD" but it works great for me) or Ultima's TTGP trim sealant stuff.  Sometimes I use the FastFinish for a while and then switch over to the Ultima after it quits looking faded (the FastFinish somehow seems to restore it...weird but it really does IME).  I utterly despise the tire gel/slime approach and only use it as a last resort.
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 Thanks.  Is there anything you would recommend that I could find locally?  I looked up Valugard and it's $12 shipping for a $5 bottle which seems like a lot :)
 
Was this done on an insurance claim?

Regardless, i would think about sending the body shop an invoice

listing the work done and your cost to fix it.


Of course, if you got a great deal on the body work, i wouldn't send estimate
 
Pink eraser trimmed to a sharp edge.  One swipe in the crack or crevice and any LSP or polish will be gone.
 
hey guys, after trying the rubbing alcohol on the bumpy plastic trim, a day later and i can see it only did remove about half of the wax.  it still looks pretty bad.  is there anything else i should try?  i'm tempted to go back to the body shop and tell them about it, this is ridiculous.  truthfully though i worry if i go back and demand some type of refund (i don't want them touching my car anymore), i have a feeling that if their body work starts to fade over time, they may not uphold their warranty on the work.  i found some griot's wax remover online that i may pick up, and i got some plastic shine product, but heck that's $20 they should be refunding me for those products.  just not sure how to handle the situation.  thoughts?
 
Nth Degree said:
Try a pink eraser for $.50. Follow with alcohol to remove the residue.
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I tried that and it did not help.


 


I just tried WD40 and it seems to have helped, but it could just me the oil masking the wax much like the alcohol.  Hopefully in a few hours I'll be able to see if it did anything.
 
tuffluck- I wasn just about to sugget the Griot's Dried Wax Remover.  There are also other "extreme cleaing of black trim" products but I suspect they're all kinda similar and I forget the name of the other one I've used.


 


I'd be pretty surprised if the shop gave you any sort of credit/refund, but it sure wouldn't hurt to let them know that their lousy work has put you in  a bind (be all polite about it so you don't risk coming across like a [jerk], tough as that might be).
 
Accumulator said:
Sigh...people put on so much excess LSP!  WIth a properly thin application you'd hardly notice any that you missed.


 


If using a toothpick in the tight spots, I'd whittle down the tip and "flag" it with a razor blade to turn it into a tiny brush.  Then soak it with QD to soften it up so it's less likely to mar.


 


For around the lights/bezels/etc. I'd just disassemble things.
Click to expand...


Thanks very much for this tip. I have already been soaking them in QD or APC, but the feathering idea is certainly one I will adopt,.
 
Horsehair brush + APc/Waterless wash helps along with the many great ideas in this thread like the card trick. Steam helps too!
 
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