I have washed the car several times now. It cleans up real nice except for the black plastic trim. It seems like the dirt is embedded into the plastic. Anyone got any ideas on how to clean it? thanks
theguy
Re: Cleaning the Plastic Bumpers and side strips (theguy)
In lieu of armor-all type products, there is a spray called "Protectall" that
I use on my motorcycle and it's plastic trim. I tried it on plastic bumper
material and moulding & it works great...no white residue like wax or overspray
like rubber and vinyl treatment. Sold at motorcycle shops, Walmart etc......
In lieu of armor-all type products, there is a spray called "Protectall" that
I use on my motorcycle and it's plastic trim. I tried it on plastic bumper
material and moulding & it works great...no white residue like wax or overspray
like rubber and vinyl treatment. Sold at motorcycle shops, Walmart etc......
Re: Cleaning the Plastic Bumpers and side strips (theguy)
You're right the side molding, bumper fascia, and rocker panel fascia on the XC90 does provide a challenge for those of us who wash with water only. I'm sure there are a lot of products that work well, but I've used the Armor All Multi-Pupose Auto Cleaner to remove the stains and then have lightly applied Turtle Wax Wet 'n Black Professional Tire Dressing (doesn't streak or wash off easily).
You're right the side molding, bumper fascia, and rocker panel fascia on the XC90 does provide a challenge for those of us who wash with water only. I'm sure there are a lot of products that work well, but I've used the Armor All Multi-Pupose Auto Cleaner to remove the stains and then have lightly applied Turtle Wax Wet 'n Black Professional Tire Dressing (doesn't streak or wash off easily).
Re: Cleaning the Plastic Bumpers and side strips (COMark)
Here's an idea (this is more aimed at wax on the black plastic, but it seems to me it would work for dirt and wax) ... it's from a guy on autopia.org. I may try this myself out of curiosty. (I can't blame you if you paint them, keeping this black plastic nice is a little more time than the average person has)
"I have been performing an experiment over the past 2-3 weeks and I want to report my results.
Like many people here I have had problems removing wax/polish "stains" from textured, black body side mouldings. I have read all the threads on how to deal with this and in fact, even started one a few months back.
I have used Mothers Back to Black, I have tried bug and tar remover, I have tried using a white eraser, all with varying degrees of success, but nothing that was totally satisfying.
So, I decided to experiment with other things, things you might not think to use on black trim.
First thing I did was make sure I was dealing with wax/polish residue on the trim and not just faded trim. I used a magnifying glass and a straight pin to examine the trim closely and poke at the white residue and see that it indeed did flake off.
Next I took an old toothbrush, a small plastic bottle (like an aspirin bottle) and some Eagle One A2Z wheel cleaner (the stuff in the orange bottle). This is alkaline based and safe for clearcoat wheels, so I wasn't worried about it harming my paint.
I sprayed some A2Z in the small bottle and dipped the toothbrush in it. I then applied the A2Z to a small section of the trim. I aggitated the areas that were particularly bad. After 20 or 30 seconds I wiped it off thoroughly with a terry towel. I really dried it well with the towel with a buffing motion. I used the magnifying glass to examine the cleaned area. No sign of residue or harm to the trim.
I cleaned the entire trim on the passenger side of the car (leaving the driver's side alone). I have been fooled before by using solvents on trim, only to have the residue reappear a few days later. I didn't do any more cleaning or treatment on the trim for 2 weeks.
After that time, the passenger side trim still looked black and clean. This endured several washings, many days of rain and lot of sun and heat during that time. I was very pleased with the results.
Yesterday I did the same treatment on the driver's side. When everything was clean and dry I topped all the trim with some 303 and it looks as good as the day it rolled of the assembly line.
Some of you may think the A2Z is too harsh for this application, but I found it to be the perfect solution for my situation. If your black, textured trim is looking bad, you may want to consider this solution."
Here's an idea (this is more aimed at wax on the black plastic, but it seems to me it would work for dirt and wax) ... it's from a guy on autopia.org. I may try this myself out of curiosty. (I can't blame you if you paint them, keeping this black plastic nice is a little more time than the average person has)
"I have been performing an experiment over the past 2-3 weeks and I want to report my results.
Like many people here I have had problems removing wax/polish "stains" from textured, black body side mouldings. I have read all the threads on how to deal with this and in fact, even started one a few months back.
I have used Mothers Back to Black, I have tried bug and tar remover, I have tried using a white eraser, all with varying degrees of success, but nothing that was totally satisfying.
So, I decided to experiment with other things, things you might not think to use on black trim.
First thing I did was make sure I was dealing with wax/polish residue on the trim and not just faded trim. I used a magnifying glass and a straight pin to examine the trim closely and poke at the white residue and see that it indeed did flake off.
Next I took an old toothbrush, a small plastic bottle (like an aspirin bottle) and some Eagle One A2Z wheel cleaner (the stuff in the orange bottle). This is alkaline based and safe for clearcoat wheels, so I wasn't worried about it harming my paint.
I sprayed some A2Z in the small bottle and dipped the toothbrush in it. I then applied the A2Z to a small section of the trim. I aggitated the areas that were particularly bad. After 20 or 30 seconds I wiped it off thoroughly with a terry towel. I really dried it well with the towel with a buffing motion. I used the magnifying glass to examine the cleaned area. No sign of residue or harm to the trim.
I cleaned the entire trim on the passenger side of the car (leaving the driver's side alone). I have been fooled before by using solvents on trim, only to have the residue reappear a few days later. I didn't do any more cleaning or treatment on the trim for 2 weeks.
After that time, the passenger side trim still looked black and clean. This endured several washings, many days of rain and lot of sun and heat during that time. I was very pleased with the results.
Yesterday I did the same treatment on the driver's side. When everything was clean and dry I topped all the trim with some 303 and it looks as good as the day it rolled of the assembly line.
Some of you may think the A2Z is too harsh for this application, but I found it to be the perfect solution for my situation. If your black, textured trim is looking bad, you may want to consider this solution."
Re: Cleaning the Plastic Bumpers and side strips (doublel)
Here's an old detailer's secret to cleaning the wax & otehr crap off of the plastic trim.... Use peanut butter. Takes it off like a charm. White vinegar works too. Dont ask me how... it just does.
For regular cleaning (inside & outside), I'm religiously loyal to Einszett Cleaning products. I get them from http://www.autobahnfluids.com
I use Eunszett for all my cleaning needs... for every car I own: from my beater Jeep Liberty, to my show-car ride '01 Passat B5, to my soon to be in my driveay XC90T6. Great stuff. The cockpit cleaner is my favorite.
Here's an old detailer's secret to cleaning the wax & otehr crap off of the plastic trim.... Use peanut butter. Takes it off like a charm. White vinegar works too. Dont ask me how... it just does.
For regular cleaning (inside & outside), I'm religiously loyal to Einszett Cleaning products. I get them from http://www.autobahnfluids.com
I use Eunszett for all my cleaning needs... for every car I own: from my beater Jeep Liberty, to my show-car ride '01 Passat B5, to my soon to be in my driveay XC90T6. Great stuff. The cockpit cleaner is my favorite.
Re: Cleaning the Plastic Bumpers and side strips (BoeserVolvo)
Boeser
I think you mean penut oil?!
![Image]()
I have actually used penut oil and it works great. Put a small amount of oil on a soft cloth and rub the area you want to clean, and off comes the dirt, wax or anything else that has become embedded in the black plastic.
Matt
Boeser
I think you mean penut oil?!
I have actually used penut oil and it works great. Put a small amount of oil on a soft cloth and rub the area you want to clean, and off comes the dirt, wax or anything else that has become embedded in the black plastic.
Matt
Re: Cleaning the Plastic Bumpers and side strips (gmark2000)
Here is a link to assist you in finding 303.
http://www.303products.com
Here is a link to assist you in finding 303.
http://www.303products.com
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
