Proper Car Exterior Trim Restoration

Let's face it. If you have a car that's more than a few years old, then you've probably noticed that some vinyl and rubber parts of your car look dull and grey. That's what you can come to expect after years of exposure to the sun's harmful UV rays. Now that we've covered the bad news, let's move on to some good news about this frequently talked about auto detailing topic.

The good news is that you can restore that vibrant black appearance of your car's vinyl and rubber exterior surfaces with a trim restoration product. Not only will this type of product restore that luster that you've been missing so much, it will also help to protect it from further damage in the future.

Luckily, we have an awesome product that will help restore your car's vinyl and rubber surfaces in no time. Polishing System's Black Fusion is the perfect solution to your faded trim woes. Now that we've found the fix, let's jump right in to the steps you'll need to take.

Things you'll need:

1. Trim Restoration formula like Black Fusion

2. Foam applicator

3. A clean and dry surface ( Yes this means wash & dry your vehicle thoroughly)

STEP ONE

Make sure that your car's surface is clean, dry and free of debris. For more information on how to properly wash and dry your car's exterior, be sure to check out our article titled: "Proper Car Washing" for some helpful information.

STEP TWO

Apply product directly onto your foam applicator. Don't worry if you over apply product, you can always use a rag or cloth to wipe off the excess.

STEP THREE

Wipe the affected areas with your applicator. You're going to want uniform coverage on all of your trim and plastic to ensure maximum coverage. You should start to see results immediately. If you notice spots that are over saturated or under saturated, you can make a few more passes with your applicator to even out the finish. You may apply more product up to 2-3 more times if desired. This will help darken the trim to it's original shiny black appearance and add more protection.

Trim Restorers often last for up to several months, so it's recommended that you reapply once a season thorough the year.

Proper Tree Sap Removal

It can be hard to find a good parking spot that provides enough shade to prevent your car’s interior from turning into a burning hot sweat box. I think we can all say that we’ve sought refuge underneath that big shady tree in the park or at home. What we didn’t think about was all the tree sap that had accumulated while we were parked there.

Ideally, you want to remove that sap as soon as you see it, but since we’ve all got work, families and other things to do, things like this often get pushed to the back burner. Remember, time is not on your side when it comes to tree sap on your vehicle’s paint. The longer it sits, the longer it cures and allows the water in the sap to evaporate, leading to a sticky mess that traps other airborne contaminants and creating the perfect environment for them to eat into your clear coat.

If you’re lucky enough to catch it while it’s still warm and gooey, a wipe with a warm wet cloth may do the trick, so long as the water and the environment temp have allowed the sugars in the sap to soften.

If it’s been a while since you’ve allowed it to sit and cure, you may need to employ more drastic measures such as a quality solvent similar to Polishing System’s Tree Sap Remover. As with any solvent, you want to be sure you keep the area wet and allow it time to work. A few mins should do. After the sap has softened, you can use a wet and warm microfiber cloth to remove all traces of the sap. We also recommend you use a finishing spray wax such as Polishing System’s Wipe-N-Glow with a clean microfiber cloth to restore the shine that the solvent removed during sap removal.

Why You Should Never Use Dish Soap to Wash Your Car

If you think about the reason dish soap was created, you’ll realize that it does an amazing job at removing grease, tomato sauce, cheese and just about anything else that sticks to our plates after we eat. With that realization, dish soap should be conversely thought of as the opposite when it comes to your car. Sure, your car will be so squeaky clean and lemon fresh that you could eat off of it, but why would you need to....? Dish soap was designed to be used just as the name implies, on dishes, not your car. We’ve compiled a list of exactly why using dish soap on your vehicle is a terrible Idea. It goes a lot deeper than you might think.

Dish Soap Removes Wax

Imagine spending good money to get a layer of protection applied to your car only to have it stripped away by a 99¢ bottle of dish detergent. Sounds like a nightmare doesn’t it? Sure, your car may look and smell clean but what you don't see is the door left wide open for Salt, Acid Rain, Sunlight, Heavy Metals, Road Grime and other nasty abrasive and corrosive elements to come on in and do their best at destroying your vehicle on a molecular level. Unless you’re into dulling and faded paint, steer clear of this common mistake.

Dish soap degrades UV Protection

Auto paint manufacturers create their product to specifically resist ultraviolet light. Daily exposure to the sun mixed with regular use of dish soap will weaken your paint’s ability to resist these harmful rays which will ultimately lead to the paint fading.

Dish soap causes oxidation

The moment your paint job starts dulling just know that oxidation is just right around the corner. The key ingredients in oxidation are water, oxygen and sunlight. Peeling and cracked paint allows the water to get underneath the paint. Sunlight will only enhance this process by heating up the moisture under the paint, causing more cracks, bubbles and peeling. Don’t give your car a nasty paint rash.

Dish Soap will dull your headlights

If you’ve used dish soap regularly to wash your car, then you may have noticed that your headlights have gotten cloudy. Dish soap residue builds up and will stick to your headlights causing them to become hazy and not properly allow light through when it’s most important. This can even be dangerous, because it will directly impede your vision during night time, rain and snow.

Now that we’ve spent enough time covering what you should not use to clean your car, Let’s talk about what you should use to properly clean your vehicle. Polishing Systems Inc has a wide variety of car soaps, shampoos, degreasers, window cleaners and other specialty products to help you keep your vehicle clean, protected and in good repair. Now that we’ve got you pointed in the right direction, it’s time to stop what you’re doing, put the bottle of dish soap down and slowly back away. Getting what you need is just a few clicks away.