*&%^$@ Ford Plastic

[PonySHO]

You're right Don, some places are pretty good when it comes to checkout time. CJ Pony Parts has by far the best prices on stuff and I don't recall paying any shipping on my orders. JR Cigars charges $3/item which is also reasonable. It's just that some places your order is 20% shipping/handling even on a large order and to order just a bottle of that stuff, it wouldn't be cost effective.

 

[SHOTT6]

Not too be Dick, but wax products say on the bottle not to get on any plastic.

I put painters tape all around my car when I wax it.

Good to get all this input and know that it will come off.

 

[PonySHO]

Not too be Dick, but wax products say on the bottle not to get on any plastic.

I put painters tape all around my car when I wax it.

Good to get all this input and know that it will come off.

Yeah, I know, but I was in a hurry to get some coats of wax on it before it got really cold (I was putting the wax in the oven just to warm it up a little!) I think leaving it on over the winter caused it to set in making it such a pain getting it off again. Masking it off is just a pain though, but looks like I'll be doing it :shakehead

 

[IM Buddy8]

Let me know how Magic Eraser method works. I can pretty much guarantee you will find a solution with it.

 

[MilkMan]

I just tried the Magic Eraser the other day and it worked great. I had tried microfiber and a few different plastic cleaner/restorers without much luck. The Magic Eraser took the wax stains off in just a few seconds with only water.

Thanks for the tip!

 

[gregoire]

I used back to black this weekend for the problem, worked very well. Applied with a micro-fiber cloth. The problem was less severe after trying to scrub it off with a toothbrush then a wire brush a couple or weekends back.

 

[hawkeye18]

I solved this problem years ago, the solution is a WURTH product called Rubber Care.

I have been selling detail products for years and only sell what works for me and my customers. Lots of "detail" web sites have their favorite stuff, but most often it has some baggage or some detailer pushing it. yes, I am pushing this stuff, but I don't care if you buy from me and I don't surf web sites pushing my business. I DO go here because of my history with the SHO and the Club and the conventions. Ask others here, I only speak up when I feel necessary.

Wurth Rubber care is a clear product that will take those hard pebbly plastic pieces that are discolored with wax (don't get me started on liquid waxes....! Stay with a quality carnauba paste). I found this out from a friend that sold the product years ago.

I sell it so do lots of others, but right now you can't get it in CA and some other states due to VOC's. It is safe to use on paint and plastics, and Wurth is working on a formula to meet CA's silly rules.

If you are interested, contact me off the list and I can talk you through how to use it and get good results. I tried Back to Black and don't like the result. Rubber Care leaves the item looking like new, but it may take several applications before the effect is permanent. It isn't expensive and goes a long way. Works on all this plastic like stuff around wipers, roof racks, caps on pickup truck bumpers etc. Also, is great for its main purpose, protecting and conditioning soft rubber seals. Great to use under hood for detailing on hoses and other black plastic.

Don, are you referring to the aerosol, or the gel w/ foam-tip applicator? I'm about to buy some based on your recommendation.

 

[IM Buddy8]

I just tried the Magic Eraser the other day and it worked great. I had tried microfiber and a few different plastic cleaner/restorers without much luck. The Magic Eraser took the wax stains off in just a few seconds with only water.

Thanks for the tip!

I'm glad someone took my advice.. I've dealt with this problem on many differetn cars and the Mr. Clean Eraser has never let me down..

As the OP was saying he used back to black and it made it look O.K. if he woudl have done Mr clean eraser frist it woudl look perfect.. Now when the back to black wears off you will see it slightly still.. My initial post was use MR clean than back to black but someone accused back to black as being a dye.. Even tho it's clearly white and it's a conditioner to condition plastic.. :wave:

 

[warmonger]

melted peanut butter...

 

[gipraw]

For the OP .. taping off the the best prevention .. to fix your issue, all you need is a soft tooth brush and some creamy peanut butter .. use the peanut butter like toothpaste, and it will remove the wax residue with very little effort.

Ugh .. there is a lot of bad information in this thread, specifically about what soap to use.

Do not use anything but a proper car wash soap at the correct dilution to wash your vehicle. dish soap are especially bad because they will cause clear coat failure at some point. An occasional wash with it is one thing, but if you use dish soap all the time, you are asking for trouble. If you don't want to take my word for it, then talk to some of the chemists at PPG or Dupont about it.



I would never recommend using Back to Black. In my opinion (and most other experienced detailers), it is one of the worst products on the market.

It has been years since I used Rubber Care, but if I remember correctly, it worked well.

 

[IM Buddy8]

Peanut butter works.. I used it previous to using mr clean eraser.. But peanut butter only lasts about 3 months and when it rains.. you will have peanut oil slowly sliding down your car.. It's more of a grease to cover it. The MR clean takes the residue out and then you can apply back to black to protect it in the future.. I've used so many products worrying about this.. I have bad OCD and trust me.. Mrclean, back to black is the best you can do and you can't even tell it was ever there.. Ever

 

[RonPorter]

For the OP .. taping off the the best prevention .. to fix your issue, all you need is a soft tooth brush and some creamy peanut butter .. use the peanut butter like toothpaste, and it will remove the wax residue with very little effort.

Ugh .. there is a lot of bad information in this thread, specifically about what soap to use.

Do not use anything but a proper car wash soap at the correct dilution to wash your vehicle. dish soap are especially bad because they will cause clear coat failure at some point. An occasional wash with it is one thing, but if you use dish soap all the time, you are asking for trouble. If you don't want to take my word for it, then talk to some of the chemists at PPG or Dupont about it.



I would never recommend using Back to Black. In my opinion (and most other experienced detailers), it is one of the worst products on the market.

It has been years since I used Rubber Care, but if I remember correctly, it worked well.

Well, to each his opinion.....

Since none of us will talk to PPG or DuPont folks, you may as well have said to call God on the Red Phone.

"Clearcoat failure"?? Can't buy it. I'm sure the stuff from a barrel that car washes use far outweigh anything with dish soap.

And, since I've been using it on the wife's '95 Del Sol for the last 15 years, with perfectly fine clearcoat (except where she keeps bumping stuff), I'm not too worried.

Oh, and at least over that same period (longer, IIRC), I guess I must not have been happy with Back To Black on five SHOs, my former 911, and my wife's cars. Gee, and I thought it worked as advertised for me.

 

[gipraw]

you are correct. Opinions do vary, and are formed based on experience and knowledge. I bet we also have different definitions of perfectly fine when it comes to paint condition.

If mixed at the correct ratio, the car wash soap is much better on the paint than dish soap is, although I was talking about hand washing, not using a commercial wash bay or tunnel.

Didn't mean for my comments to come across as trying to pick a fight, because they weren't meant that way at all. I just have a habit of chiming in when I see people talking about car washing technique that is less than optimal. Washing your car with a product when the manufacturer of the product says specifically that it is not recommended for that use, is by definition a less than optimal technique.

 

[Blk_Sho]

use a WHITE eraser. im own a mobile detailing service in toronto. it does the trick every time i go to a clinets house and find that the previous detailer waxed the trim/plastic,,,,it never fails try it!

 

[PonySHO]

Blk Sho, thanks for the tip. It makes me think of this story back in college. I had a professor from the UK and he got on a tangent one day about American vs. British English. In the UK, an eraser is called a rubber... a flashlight is a torch. He once went to a seminar with his secretary. They checked into their hotel rooms and saying goodnight, he told her, "I'll knock you up in the morning."
gipraw, I just noticed your signature... those are a couple of neat Pontiacs!