Polish/Wax on Plastic

[Mr_boondoggle]

How can I remove polish and wax from the plastic trim pieces? No mater how much I scrub, I still have the white traces of polish and wax on my plastic trim pieces.

[reidg]

My mom, being a dental heigenist suggested to me to use TOOTHPASTE.

I'm sure nothing will take it all off, but some toothpaste on a rag or paper towel
works well because of the chunky-ness/abrasivness of it. Smells fresh too! haha

[Benny1560]

A more conventional method (though no more effective, I am sure ) taken from CarCareSpecialists.com. Good luck!

Cleaning White Wax Residue Stains on Trim: One of the more common problems is white wax residue stains on your exterior rubber or vinyl trim. To remove these stains, simply dampen a small spot of a clean, soft cloth with a wax solvent such as One Grand Tar, Gum & Wax Remover or undiluted Wurth Citrus Degreaser. I use a piece of 100% cotton terry cloth because the texture of the cloth helps remove the wax residue from the millions of tiny depressions in the pebble surface. Either spray a small amount on the cloth or place the cloth over the top of the bottle, hold it in place with your index finger and momentarily invert the bottle to dampen a small spot on the cloth. Rub the white stained area carefully with the solvent saturated section of the cloth to dissolve the wax residue. Repeat as necessary, as it may take several applications of solvent to remove significant amounts of wax residue. If the cloth does not get down into the bottom of these tiny depressions, then you may have to resort to a soft brush. Dampen the stained area with the solvent and gently brush the residue with a soft brush to dig out the remaining residue. Use the brush carefully, as it may scratch you paint. Once you have removed all traces of the residue, wash the trim and surrounding areas thoroughly with car wash. Rinse the area completely with water to remove any traces of solvent and then dry. Finally, apply a protective coating of your favorite rubber protectant and you are done.

To help minimize wax residue stains on your rubber trim, apply a coating of rubber protectant before you wax. This coating will help prevent the wax from adhering to the rubber or vinyl trim and any that does sneak onto the trim may usually be removed with the application of a little more rubber protectant.

[Saab Fahrer]

I use a degreaser and a toothbrush, but Benny's idea is probably better because you want to keep the degreaser localized to the effected area. If it runs down the panel, you will have to apply wax again and might end up in the same boat as when you started!

[Muzzy]

go to a local paint supply store for auto body shops. get a product called "refinish restorer" it works awesome! it is very expensive ($40 for a pint) but you do not use much at all. i work at a body shop and use it frequently, a pint lasts me a little more than a year.