Trim and Molding Care

[Mike@Autogeek]

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Trim & Molding Care

Nearly every vehicle you see on the road has some sort of black plastic or rubber trim on the exterior. As your vehicle ages, this trim fades and dries out if it isn’t protected. The trim is often overlooked because people either don’t know how to properly care for it or they don’t realize what an impact it makes on the overall appearance of the vehicle. This guide will give you some suggestions on how to keep trim and moldings looking like new for the life of your vehicle.

Regular maintenance

Wash the trim and moldings when you wash the rest of the vehicle. On coarse pieces, you may want to use a Pinnacle Detailing Brush, found in the Pinnacle Detailing Brush Kit. For larger pieces of trim, you might find it easier to use the OXO Car Wash Brush. A brush will allow you to pull contaminants out of the pores of the material. These contaminants may be contributing to the discoloration of the rubber or plastic. Avoid using stiff bristle brushes on smooth black plastic; it will scratch.

If you already have a dressing on the trim and molding, clean it off periodically. Layering dressings will eventually result in discoloration because the outermost layers are not curing to the rubber; they are just sitting on top of old layers. Take a moment to clean off old dressings at least every two months using DP Exterior Surface Cleaner. Spray a microfiber towel and wipe down the trim pieces to avoid overspray.

Once your vehicle is clean and dried, you need to protect the trim pieces with a quality rubber, vinyl, and plastic protectant. This will help prevent future UV degradation, which is the primary cause of fading. Pinnacle Vinyl & Rubber Protectant and 303 Aerospace Protectant are both exceptional products. They both provide excellent UV protection with a non-greasy, satin finish. Use a microfiber applicator pad to spread the protectant over the surface. It will provide an even coat without dripping or running. I apply protectant to my vehicles once a month because the sun is intense in Florida, but once every two months is probably sufficient in most climates.

When applying protectant, don’t skip the wiper cowl (the plastic piece at the bottom of the windshield), the mirrors (if applicable), and window and door moldings. Use a detailing swab to apply protectant in tight spaces. Open your doors and apply protectant to the rubber gaskets, too. If they become dry or brittle, they will not effectively keep out air and road noise. Wurth makes an excellent product for this purpose. Wurth Rubber Care is packaged in a sponge tipped bottle so you can rub it right onto gaskets. It will prevent freezing in winter months and it is silicone-free.

Restoration

If your black trim and molding have already faded, there are options to restore them. Forever Black is a black dye for coarse rubber and plastic pieces. The dye contains UV protectants to prevent future fading and its polymer formula ensures lasting color. Forever Black is a permanent dye so use care when applying it. In fact, test it out on an inconspicuous area before applying to all the trim. Keep in mind that it will not be able to absorb evenly into smooth plastic.

The Forever Black Bumper & Trim Dye Kit comes with a cleaner and a bottle of dye. The dye has a sponge-tip right on the bottle for easy application. Turn the bottle upside down and press it against something to get the dye flowing. Spread a thin, even coat over the surface and allow it to dry for 20 minutes. No buffing is required.

If your trim isn’t quite black or you have smooth plastic surfaces, another option is Black Again. This product is a shiny dressing that significantly darkens the color of the plastic or rubber. The trim will look like its wet. The gloss can be toned down by allowing the dressing to penetrate for a few minutes and then wiping it with a microfiber towel. Terry cloth towels will leave lint so it’s best to stick with microfiber for this job.

Don’t forget the license plate frame

If you have a black plastic license plate frame, it will benefit from a coat of protectant, too. Use a detailing swab or the corner of your microfiber applicator to apply a thin coat. For frames that contain a clear plastic lens, clean and protect it with Plexus to prevent yellowing.

[Casebrius]

What are your thoughts on the Poorboy's trim restorer? Should it be used regularly or just when the trim is getting dull or chalky?

[seonadancing]

i usually put plastic/rubber protector every month on my mouldings.

[LilBad//M]

303 is excellent, I also use a product called UV-2, which is similar to 303. I apply the protectant with a small angled foam paint brush which gets into all the crevices (including the seal around the door handles) and buff with a t-shirt type material.

[LupinIII]

is aromor-all too cheap? why not use that, it seems to work good....

[ATMSPORTS]

yea i agree 303 is great

[fdawg]

do you typically tape-up the paint around the trim while applying the stuff on the trim?

[Casebrius]

kind of a bummer when a forum sponsor thread is stickied and then not supported!

[7il]

I just ordered forever black's trim and bumper kit. Ill fill you guys in with pics and results..and whatnot

[fisherbln]

I just ordered forever black's trim and bumper kit. Ill fill you guys in with pics and results..and whatnot

I've got the same kit, I just need to get around to using it. I've read wonderful things, but it seems the key is to make sure the trim is VERY clean before applying the dye. So, from what I understand, use the cleaner until you are sure they are absolutely clean and you will get the best results.

[7il]

I've got the same kit, I just need to get around to using it. I've read wonderful things, but it seems the key is to make sure the trim is VERY clean before applying the dye. So, from what I understand, use the cleaner until you are sure they are absolutely clean and you will get the best results.

Thanks for the tip! Can I use rubbing alcohol to achieve the same results as the cleaner if I run out?

[fisherbln]

Thanks for the tip! Can I use rubbing alcohol to achieve the same results as the cleaner if I run out?

Absolutely. You might also try degreasers like 409 or simple green.

[Balthazarr]

I would use Simple Green before using alcohol.

Don't use Armor All. Especially, on interior trim.

[Balthazarr]

do you typically tape-up the paint around the trim while applying the stuff on the trim?

I have hellrot paint so I mask it off above and below.
If you get the dye on the paint, make sure you remove it asap or it will
be difficult if you wait.

[7il]

The stuff doesn't go on smoothly..as it dries, it leaves "brush" strokes from the sponge!! WTF

[jaross]

I would use Simple Green before using alcohol.

Don't use Armor All. Especially, on interior trim.

y not use armor all? it did great things to my black plastic exterior pieces.

[LupinIII]

i agree, armor all seems great.

also, back to black seems good also, just a lttle hard to aply cleanly because it was so drippy

[7il]

I heard armor all is oil based.

[jaross]

I heard armor all is oil based.

isnt plastic made out of fossil fuels. why would oil hurt it?

[Balthazarr]

isnt plastic made out of fossil fuels. why would oil hurt it?

Armor All is silicone based. It destroys the vinyls in your dash.

The dash, door panels, seat backs, and numerous other
interior/exterior trim pieces are usually vinyl. Vinyl may be viewed as raw
semi-liquid vinyls that are held in place by a solid vinyl "skin" (this
description is for illustration only and not a PhD chemical dissertation ).
The dash and other vinyl parts of your car are constantly bombarded by UV
that breaks down the molecules of the skin, allowing the raw vinyls to escape
(off-gassing). These free vinyls then may deposit themselves on the glass,
forming a haze that is difficult to remove. If you have such a haze, it is
probably your dash that has decided to pick up stakes and migrate.

Silicone based vinyl dressing products do not usually contain UV
protectants and the silicone may act as a magnifying glass, intensifying the UV
degradation. Silicone oil may also dissolve the essential oils in the vinyl
skin, hastening the premature formation of cracks in the vinyl skin. A
quality vinyl protectant will contain a UV protectant and essential oils to
replace lost oils from the vinyl.
These protectants are expensive, so the
K-Mart specials may do more harm than good. Silicone also has very strong
electrostatic attraction which may be considered beneficial in that it will
tend to stay where it is placed, but will also attract every dust particle in
the surrounding three counties.

Any vinyl protectant should be applied to a soft cloth and worked into the
surface. After a few moments of allowing it to work into the surface, buff
off the excess. The dash should be treated more often than any other area,
as it is subject to the most severe attack by UV and heat.

[7il]

From what I've heard, the armor all dries up and it leads to the cracking of the dash. I use vinylex from the makers of lexol and it is AMAZING (use it on the bumper and bumper trim mouldings, too) BETTER than the forever black crap i just bought for 17 bucks.

[Eryan36]

So that's why I can't get that haze off my windshield... Thank you, previous owner.

[muni33]

Thanks for the info, which is very timely. I just finished waxing my m3 for the first time this spring, and now I know what to do for the trim.

[smallwood]

I agree 100% that Lexol Vinylex is the best product for trim. I tried Back to Black, Black Again, and about every other product people recommended before I tried the Lexol. I also use Lexol leather cleaning products on the interior.

A question. The black piece that runs from the top of the window to the bottom of the window and is the piece you usually grab to close the door, is that piece plastic or painted? Actually, I never close the door by that piece since it leaves fingerprints and eventually discolors but sometimes people do so I need to know how to protect it. I've been looking at other brands of cars and it appears that a number of models have that same piece and usually it looks like crap even though the rest of the car looks good.

My son just bought a 2003 Saab and while the paint is in good shape that black piece is discolored.

Any suggestions?

[Agua]

I've been very satisfied with Back to Black as well.