How to Polish Car Trim
Many cars have trim around the edges and the metallic material differs from the material from the body of the car. While these details give the vehicle a more stylish look, they do require extra work when you set out to clean and polish the car. There are many products that will work well and give your trim the polish it needs and your car the shine it deserves.
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Instructions
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1
Purchase a brand of trim polish of your choice. Be sure that the polish is made for the type of material your trim is made of; a metallic polish can stain a plastic trim and a plastic polish can stain a metallic trim. The polish typically comes in a thick liquid form, making it easy to rub into the vehicle. A high quality polish is Meguiars, but any brand will suffice.
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Wash the car, including the trim, with your choice of car soap. A good, inexpensive choice would be 3D Pink Car Wash.
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Dry the car, either allowing it to air dry or by using a clean towel. Alternately, you can use any soft cotton or microfiber material to dry the vehicle; products such as a shammy can work quite well.
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4
Wax the car as described in the directions on the bottle of wax, making sure to keep the wax off the trim of the vehicle. Waxing the vehicle is an optional step that, if desired, should be completed before polishing the trim.
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Apply a small circle of polish (no more than 1 inch in diameter) to damp, clean towel.
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Rub polish into the trim using a circular motion.
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Allow the polish to dry on the trim. The surface will look slightly "foggy" or smudged; the drying process should take approximately 10 minutes.
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Use a dry towel to buff the polish off of the trim.
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Tips & Warnings
Wash your towels with a high-quality fabric softener to avoid scratching the vehicle as a result of a rough towel.
Avoid getting the trim polish on the body of the car; as much as possible. While the material of the body is generally hard to stain, the polish may still stain it. To ensure not getting any polish on the body, place painter's tape on either side of the trim to give you a buffer.
