Interior Exterior
Q:
I have had my car for 9 months now. The day I purchased the car I noticed some whitish discoloration around the engine start button and the driver door sill. I figured it was from the dealers cleaning product and a good clean up with a Meguiars product would take care of it. Unfortunately it never seems to resolve the issue permanently. Any product suggestions for a solution?
A:
Hi Paul,
Do you think there is some product or wax residue in the plastic, or do you feel it's actual discoloration in the material? If the former, then it can be difficult to clean. You might need a somewhat stiff brush and a proper degreaser that won't harm the material. If the latter, then some kind of dye is the only thing you can do.
A mild cleaner/rubber and vinyl dressing will only cover up the problem for some finite period, as you mentioned.
- J
A:
I think it's some kind of product residue which continues to return after I apply a dressing. However, I cannot be sure.
A:
From what I've heard, this is the best trim cleaner for removing wax residue:
http://www.topoftheline.com/trim-cleaner.html
However it does seem like a hassle to buy something online for a small problem, so I imagine some kind of degreaser would work as well. You could try using some dish washing liquid in combination with a Mr. Clean Magic eraser (Target, Walmart, grocery store, etc.). Just try not to use too strong a product.
Sorry I can't help more. Usually I just keep trying things.
- J
A:
Thank you for the suggestions. I will start trying out.
A:
Forgot to mention that the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser has done a pretty good job of removing scuffs from door or console panels in all of my cars as well. Did a pretty good job of removing some wax residue from exterior trim on my Merc with just plain water.
See you around.
- J
A:
Thank you! I will look for the product.
A:
DO NOT use Mr Clean Magic Eraser on anything. It has abrasives in it. I had the same issue with white residue and I tested a small area with the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser. It did remove some of the white residue but it also scrathed the plastic.
A:
That's true. Surfaces I used it on were pretty hard so I didn't notice anything wrong. Tread carefully then. I'm guessing if the surface is very textured it turns out more smooth?
- J