wax residue on black surfaces

["Tony Sims" <simstony@domain.elided>]

Rob writes:

>Has anyone come up with an easy way or product to remove wax/polish residue
>from black plastic or rubber?  I have tried toothbrushes, Oops!, Goo-gone,
>Windex, 409 and many other products.  Anyone have a simple solution besides
>not getting it on there in the first place?

For rubber, I've had luck with a couple methods.  A toothbrush and a small
amount of Bon Ami cleanser seems to do the job, but be careful around paint,
as Bon Ami is abrasive, albeit much less han other cleansers.  Also, a shop
rag and white gas (Coleman stove fuel), this is safer near painted surfaces as
the white gas evaporates quickly and usually won't damage paint if it's not
allowed to sit.  Wear gloves, don't breathe the fumes, no naked flames, etc.

Plastic is tougher, because it is porous so the wax gets a good bite, but it
will scratch and may succumb to any fluid strong enough to lift the wax.
Maybe try a soft toothbrush and toothpaste, the toothpaste is slightly
abrasive, but more along the lines of a polishing compound so it might not
damage the finish of the plastic.  Like the bottle always says, try it in a
hidden spot first...

I have some wax a mechanic friend of mine gave me years ago (like 20 years
ago), the brand is PRO, from BAF Industies in Santa Ana, CA.  It's just called
Yellow Wax, and it is amazing -- you can rub it right on the rubber and
plastic, it won't ever turn white, I've even waxed flat black paint with it.
It actually seems to help the rubber and plastic better than Armour All-type
stuff.  It's so soft it only lasts a few washes, but I've yet to see anything
that makes a car look better, especially dark colors -- better than Griot's,
better than Zymol.  It hides swirl marks, scratches, chips, it's really hard
to believe.  I have 2 cans, one is almost gone but one is still full.  I only
use it on the "toys".

My friend used it for a Sanger v-drive he had, it was painted black and had a
full chrome 400.  Looked amazing on a sunny day blasting down the Willamette.
Bonus points for anyone who knows what the heck I am talking about!

Tony
Portland, OR
74 GTV 2000
70 2800CS
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