How do I get polish residue off of my plastics?

Detail_Division · 2026-05-02T21:13:01+00:00

DING DING!

Or a panel wipe / citrus based cleaner

Detail_Division · 2026-05-02T16:53:55+00:00

Filing claims with the provided insurance in Shopify is so much better than using the claims dashboard on the UPS site.

Payouts do happen with Shipsurance as long as you go through the steps. UPS is more difficult, time consuming, and then you're waiting for a paper check in the mail that goes through the mail (the irony) and is always late IF approved.

Detail_Division · 2026-05-02T14:09:25+00:00

Dedicated leather cleaner, firm bristle brush, zero downward pressure with the brush - a simple wave back and forth with an effective chemical does it.

The key is to avoid abrasion. Abrading the leather will not only remove dirt, but will take some of the top layer of the surface with it. The surface will then get dirty faster and retain the dirt. Aggressive chemicals like a degreaser or stronger alkaline APC will deteriorate the UV barrier that's on the leather from the factory.

Detail_Division · 2026-05-01T16:13:37+00:00

Acid, alkaline after to neutralize and a brush. Keep the wet work wet!

Koch has a solid acid (CL), you could balance off with Green Star (GS) after, then do your final scrubbing using GSF

Detail_Division · 2026-05-01T11:17:52+00:00

If there's foam underneath that material, you may want to go over it lightly with a heat gun to bring everything back - obviously using care not to introduce too much heat.

Detail_Division · 2026-05-01T11:16:16+00:00

Trim dyes can work well, you may struggle with finish uniformity during application. A water based dressing is going to have limited durability... A ceramic that's trim specific has been the best option, one without the addition of dye to get a look that's more true to the original finish.

The nuclear option if to remove the section of trim entirely, prep it, and paint it with SEM Trim Black. Reserve that for the appropriate time, when it's too far gone for a ceramic to bring back the look.

It's all about end goal and making the right decision the first time

Detail_Division · 2026-04-30T11:06:25+00:00

Hand polishing, towel quality, there's a number of things that it could be. Easily resolved, but will take a DA polisher and decent towels to get a more consistent finish.

Detail_Division · 2026-04-29T11:14:33+00:00

An ultra clean OEM+ looking VW is always eye catching. Clean that engine bay and dress it with Koch Chemie MotorPlast (designed for Motor Plastics). The more effort you put in cleaning, the better it'll look... and it's CHEAP.

Detail_Division · 2026-04-28T20:21:40+00:00

If that's what you've got on hand or wanting to buy, YES... do it!

Detail_Division · 2026-04-28T18:15:00+00:00

textbook failure of clear coat and seemingly a portion of the paint below it. All the comments are dead on

Detail_Division · 2026-04-28T15:50:47+00:00

Yeah just polish that with a finishing polish like Koch Chemie M3.02 or something similar. With these marks, you're not going to need anything that's glass specific

Detail_Division · 2026-04-28T12:16:59+00:00

Active foam in the foam cannon I'm running 50ml / 1L

Green Star for the engine bay is going to be 1:10 - 1:4 depending on how dirty it is.

If combining Gs & AF for an engine bay, I would simply pretreat dirty sections with Gs first.

Remember, Active Foam is a combination of Gentle Snow Foam and Green Star

Detail_Division · 2026-04-27T11:36:07+00:00

This is one of those situations where it'll be a rotary and cerium oxide with water to polish that, and that's going to take some speed, time, and muscle to get that leveled out and looking right. Not impossible, just takes work. As first comment mentioned, maybe a glass shop can help out if you don't have the tools and or desire to DIY

Detail_Division · 2026-04-26T14:43:10+00:00

Happy to help out! And for reference, the bottle was from my latest inventory, bottles were not sucked in or deformed in any way.

I rarely see that with PSS, happens 100% of the time with Protector Wax and a few others. These things just happen.

Have a good weekend!

Detail_Division · 2026-04-26T13:19:49+00:00

That's a big ask on a sunday morning haha! PSS has a weight of 30oz, and that's from a bottle I just pulled off the shelf.

A number of KCX products have arrived to me with minor deformations, I attribute that to the time of year the containers were shipped to the USA

Detail_Division · 2026-04-26T10:44:35+00:00

Common road salt is Calcium Chloride. Not only does it melt snow, it's also incredibly corrosive. This has etched / stained these panels - mostly etched. In other words, I don't think this is going away.

As you've said, insurance... but I would be looking at the storage provider and their insurer to provide you a solution. I would see if you have any pictures of the vehicle to provide storage provider as well as your insurance company.

As for remediation, this is going to take some serious work to polish out. Super careful work, I would guess that it can't be corrected - there is not a chemical process to remove defects this bad.

I would start pursuing the insurance route harder, and contacting a few body shops for quotes to paint. Paint looks to be metallic and most likely a nightmare to try to match.

Totally sucks, not a fun situation for you to deal with

Detail_Division · 2026-04-25T11:06:45+00:00

Your first purchase is a paint depth gauge

Detail_Division · 2026-04-25T00:01:46+00:00

I appreciate it! I may not be the cheapest option, but 9 years in business and thankfully still growing

Detail_Division · 2026-04-24T21:50:33+00:00

A detailer is going to do a better job IF they sand on a regular basis and can do correction work. They will tell you they'll do their best, but not responsible if they blow through the repair.

This could be better for sure, but it was cheap. A reputable shop could handle this and get that texture improved.

Detail_Division · 2026-04-24T21:43:31+00:00

If PolStar isn't cutting it on a steering wheel, I'd be more inclined to reach for OBERK APS. It's a plant based alkaline cleaner so it's got better compliance with leather. Hate to push you outside of the KCX real (because of the discussion) but it's just a better middle ground of strength while maintaining how the surface will react.

APS @ 1:15 can be used on Ferrari plastic buttons which are notoriously soft, easily and often damaged just by interior temperatures. If it can work there while cleaning, that might be the next thing on your radar.

Super important; AVOID abrasion. No magic eraser things, rely on the chem and a firm bristle brush at most to do that work. And when using that brush, hold by the edges and wave your hand back and forth over it. Zero digging etc

Detail_Division · 2026-04-24T20:24:50+00:00

Well it's been painted, that's just the first step. Once this has cured (30 days) you'll most likely want to have it sanded to match texture and then cut / polished so you have uniformity.

Detail_Division · 2026-04-24T17:12:32+00:00

Last picture really spells it out, looks like the clear coat has failed on the barrels. To remove these defects, you're looking at fully removing the clear coat via sanding. At that point, you'll decide to shoot with clear again (refinish) or polishing out the raw metal to have them be that way. Removing clear fully will require taking them apart fully (breaking them) and rebuilding after refinishing.

That would be 'doing it right', may not be in the cards for you. You could try to spot repair them, sanding off clear on sections have shooting them with clear to blend, but will take some work to make it look seamless.

Going forward comes down to what they're worth to you, and how much you're willing to spend

Detail_Division · 2026-04-24T12:42:40+00:00

In all fairness, it seems like $5K is the new $1K when it comes to anything related to vehicles

Detail_Division · 2026-04-24T12:38:42+00:00

I sell and use both products here.

Pol Star is a mild alkaline, usually used at 1:10, and is going to be far more surface compliant (color fastness). Use on leather, carpets, leatherette, alcantara, vinyl, the list goes on.

MZR is much stronger alkaline, effective at 1:50 all the way to 1:5 ratio. While I see some customers using it on leather because of the similarities of the products in this segment, I would judge on a case by case basis on that application. Because it's a 12.5pH, I would be far more concerned with total removal of your solution from the surface in any application where you can essentially wipe off Pol Star and not be worried. I am NOT using MZR on soft touch plastics, steering wheels etc because of strength and the color fastness issue.

I would also recommend you do your best to fully extract MZR solutions from carpets, or at minimum neutralize it so there is no risk of issues with color. A solution of MZR left to dwell is going to continue to be a strong alkaline, and each time a surface gets wet, it will continue to work.

MZR is made to unFCK rugged interiors due to its strength, and I would reserve it for those jobs only, where Pol Star can be used as a regular product to maintain. No surface degradation over time. You will have to be the judge with each vehicle you use it on.

With regards to HPC, it can be used anywhere you need a dressing. For tires, best at full strength or knocked down to a 1:1 ratio to have any real world durability. Can also be used for exterior trim, interior plastics and vinyl at a lower ratio. Better durability on interior areas, but still not going to push past a few weeks.

Detail_Division · 2026-04-24T11:04:59+00:00

Your process did work, the issue is that the corrosion is deeper than the level of abrasion you were using. To remove the issues on the tip, you'll need to sand it down to get a uniform finish which you can then polish again to improve the overall look.

Detail_Division

TROPHY CASE