How to Clean Automotive Exterior Plastic Parts
Vehicle exterior parts are composed of plastic for design flexibility, durability and resiliency. Headlights, bumpers, wheel covers, fenders and side view mirror housings often consist of molded plastic. Airborne dust particles, brake exhaust, bug carcasses and road debris accumulate on exterior plastic, causing the parts to become dingy. Grime particles become more difficult to remove the longer they remain on plastic parts. Regularly clean plastic parts to preserve their appearance and the vehicle's overall aesthetic appeal.
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Things You'll Need
- Spray nozzle
- Garden hose
- General automotive cleaner
- Clean lambswool mitt
- Soft polypropylene brush
- Clean microfiber towel
Instructions
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Park the vehicle in a shaded area away from direct sunlight. Let the plastic parts cool completely.
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Screw a spray nozzle onto the end of a garden hose. Spray the plastic parts with water from the garden hose to loosen bug carcasses, dirt, brake dust and debris.
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Spray general automotive cleaner onto a clean lambswool mitt.
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Rub the mitt over the plastic parts in circular motions to remove the loosened grime. Gently scrub stubborn gunk with a soft polypropylene brush. Frequently rinse the mitt and brush with fresh water to avoid reapplying abrasive particles to the plastic surfaces.
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Rinse the plastic parts with water from the garden hose to wash off the automotive cleaner and loosened grime.
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Wipe the plastic parts with a clean microfiber towel until thoroughly dry.
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Tips & Warnings
Spray the automotive cleaner directly onto the plastic parts if they are extremely dirty.
You can substitute a nonabrasive scrub sponge for the polypropylene brush.
Pressure washers can damage vehicle plastic parts.
References
- Photo Credit Microfiber Towel - Rolled image by MrGreenBug from Fotolia.com
