Car wax removal?

Daniel Moore

Daniel Moore

Joined
Jul 28, 2003
Messages
2,790
I wax my car weekly, and although I love the benefits of waxing (preventing and removing rust, making the paint last longer, making the paint shine, watching water bead on the hood :o :D ) I cannot help but be a little discouraged when, after a couple of hours, tired arms, and hands that will smell like Rain Dance or Turtle Wax for the next week, the black rubber and plastic trim and molding on my car is a gross blue shade. I try to avoid these areas, but inevitably there are slipups and they don't come off with buffing or washing. I've tried Black Magic, but it only masks the problem, and not for very long. Does anyone know of any methods or products that will get rid of this :confused:
 
First, I think you're probably over-waxing.

A true wax car wax consists of the wax, usually carneuba (sp) wax, and petrolium distilate. The spirts make the wax soft. When they evaporate, the wax hardens. There's another benefit of putting the spirits in, they dissolve any wax which may already be on the surface so you don't get buildup. This also means that there is no benefit to waxing repeatedly.

A true wax can be removed with ammonia. Just a splash of household amonia in a bucket of water should so the trick.

By the way, most glass cleaners contan ammonia.
 
Go here and ask your car detailing questions http://autopia.org/forum/index.php?

Those guys can answer everything.

And weekly waxing does sound like you're overdoing it. A good wax should withstand a number of washings. A little quick detailer spray and a microfiber towel could give you that instant shine without all the work.
 
Peanut Butter on the plastic will strip the wax and "oil" the trim. Try it and you'll be amazed.
 
Thanks for the advice guys. I'll have to give Windex a try and Jif if that doesn't work :D


At this point, the waxing is more to remove light surface rust (11 year old car in New England :eek: ), and I haven't had enough time to do one really good waxing to remove it all, so these have been shorter, quicker waxings.
 
Then you need to do the whole surface of the vehicle with Mother's Clay Bar. You'll remove the oxidation, small rust pits and have a smooth surface. Then prep it with a good soap, even dishwashing soap to strip any leftover wax or grease, then wax. You'll be surprized how good it looks.
 
Naptha will do it easily enough without causing harm. You can get a quart of VM&P Naptha at any paint store for just a couple of bucks.

If you don't have a paint store nearby, you can use lighter fluid, Ronson or Zippo. Naptha is the main ingredient in it.

Try scrubbing the trim with a toothbrush if it's the dimpled type(not smooth).
After you get it off, apply some armorall to the trim.
 
I know it sounds too easy, but I have tried it myself on the trim of several vehicles and it works like a charm. Pencil eraser, yup, same one I use on the 204's rods. Just try it, a Sanford Magic Rub Drafting Eraser is my favorite, but any will work.I just follow it with a dry rag to dust off the remains.
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Yo Needle. try some Klasse, it will not cause those problems once you have cleaned thouse areas. Some of the best wax money can Buy , about $26. for a 16oz bottle ,you'll love it .you can find it at autotopia the link someone provided.I've tried MANY + always come back to KLASSE. the one in the RED bottle, KLASSE al in one. GOOD LUCK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
Gollnick said:
....carneuba (sp) wax, and petrolium distilate.....
Click to expand...

Chuck! Carnauba....petroleum....distillate! ;) When I was but a babe in arms, I was found wandering alone in the deep woods by a band of roving Websters and they adopted me and taught me their ways.
 
Hey fellas,

I tried using the eraser first, but it was not a very quick way to remove large streaks of wax, and I found that the Windex worked a lot better. That said, for small spots of wax, an eraser gives you a lot more control.
 
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