So, you got car wax smudged all across your plastic surface, and you thought car wax was supposed to protect the car paint so it must cleanse the plastic as well, right? Wrong!
Car wax is a specially made coating material used for exteriors of cars only. Although, it might seem to do wonders in making a clean and glossy outlook of your car, it would destroy the shine, look and beauty of any plastic surface it touches.
Car wax is made of natural oils, carnauba wax, petroleum distillates and beeswax that ensure shine and gloss of the car paint by forming a coating over it and protecting it. However, if applied on plastic, it causes a weird looking white haze all over the place you rubbed it on. This is because, the plastic traps the wax onto it and causes a layer of wax to accumulate all over its cracks and crevices, making it look white and hazy, causing it to ruin the paint of the plastic.
However, this is not something to fret over for too long, and the problem can be fixed in no time. The following will explain in detail on how to get rid of car wax off plastic, the different possible solutions that anyone can apply and have their plastic surface shining in no time.
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How To Remove Car Wax Off Plastic?
It is always recommended to cover the plastic areas of your car whenever you decide to do a wax job, but precaution can only take us so long without messing up, and sooner or later you would find yourself facing the problem anyways.
Once you got the wax onto your plastic, you must’ve done one of the two things; either you immediately tried to wash it off with soap and water, or you didn’t notice it, and now the wax has dried and the paint on the plastic seems like its ruined. What seemed like a day to clean your car has turned into a shit show, ruining all your effort to make your car look spotless and shiny.
However, there are a number of ways this problem can be easily fixed no matter how long you’ve left the wax on the plastic. The two major methods that we’ll be talking about here are:
- Quick fix using products found around the house.
- Using specific products made to resolve this problem.
DIY Home Products to Use
Usually, it is recommended to follow any random DIY that shows you how to perform a fix to your problem. Such as the heat method that is being spread around like wild fire. Using such a method will only cause more problems than solve one, by melting your wax and smudging it all over the plastic even more. Another example of a poor technique is the buffing method, which causes permanent damage to the plastic and ruins it completely.
Fix 1: Alcohol [Denatured]
One of the most economical and best option for you might be some drops of alcohol. It is something that can be found commonly in any household and has a capability to clean many different kinds of surfaces. From metal, rust, and grease, to plastic, waxes and stains.
Look for a clean cloth or a toothbrush and dip it in alcohol, and apply it to the area of wax on plastic and slowly start rubbing away at it. You will see the wax come off and accumulate on the surface. As soon as that happens, find a clean dry cloth and wipe the wax off the plastic. Do this a couple of times and you will have your plastic surface back to its original form.
Fix 2: Pencil Eraser
Pencil erasers are yet another cheap and easy solution to the problem at hand, as they can effectively do the job and are especially great for small crevices and hard to get places. By applying your eraser back and forth over the area of wax on plastic, you will see the white haze start to disappear and gather on the tip of the eraser. Occasionally, try to rub the eraser off some jeans or tough surface to remove the gathered wax on your eraser.
If you are looking for a long-term solution, go ahead and buy a pack of flat rubber erasers for yourself. Otherwise, look for a pencil eraser around your house, or ask your daughter for it.
Fix 3: Bristle Brushes
Soft bristled brushes are also a good option, as they can easily be found. These are soft brushes, if used correctly, can remove a lot of wax from the plastic surface. Softly start to brush back and forth on the location of the wax, and you’ll start to see particles of wax coming off the surface. Repeat this process and keep a soft hand and avoid any kind of brash movement.
Dedicated Products to Use
If you are looking for a professional fix to your problem that does not require a lot of labor or time from your side, then using dedicated products are the best way to go. These allow you to avoid any kind of mishaps and protect you from the uncertainty of the DIY type of solutions. Out there on the internet it is hard to trust a 5 second YouTube shorts or a TikTok DIY, but dedicated products can save you the experimentation and research phase of your job.
There are basically two products that can be used to remove car wax from plastic material.
- Spray-On Wax Removers
- Magic Erasers
Spray-on Wax Removers
Spray-on wax removers are the top product in wax removal, and have a lot of advantages over other methods. Starting with, spray ability, this solution will allow you to reach surfaces and locations that are hard to get near with a tool, brush or cloth. As they give you the complete range of spray. Next, this product dissolves the wax wherever it touches the plastic and frees the wax from the cracks and crevices it seeped into.
This product is easily available in any car repair and maintenance shop, and you can also find a bunch of them on the internet with a cheap price and a good deal. Some of the best products out there are ‘Trim Clean’ by Chemical Guys, McKee’s 37 Wax Remover and Meguiar’s M39 Vinyl Wax Remover.
Magic Erasers
Magic Erasers are your go to tool box material, that can both be used for a long time and can show wonders in cleaning more than a wax on a plastic surface. These products are made of resin and are used with water. One of the best products out there are Mr. Cleans Magic Eraser.