Has anyone discovered a way to remove left over wax, that has dried into a powder form, from the vents, lettering, etc.? I want to be sure not to damage the paint but there must be an easier way to get the dried wax out of hard to reach spots. Suggestions? Thanks, Bonnie

Wet Que-tip??

I tried using a Q-Tip that I wet with water and when the water dried I found that most of the residue was still there. Thanks, Bonie

I've always used a worn toothbrush. It doesn't take much motion to get out the wax.

Evening Bonnie. I'm going throw out a few idea's. I've used them all to get stubborn wax residue out of emblems and in cracks. By the way, I don't use regular wax anymore, but use Zaino polish (http://www.zainostore.com/). It works great, looks fantastic, and best of all, will never leave any white powder residue.

Anyway...Get some wooden toothpicks called "Stim-U-Dent" made by Johnson & Johnson. They are by the toothpaste at most CVS type drug stores. You will use this to "pick" out the wax. You can moisten them and they will be firm but not scratch your paint. Sounds crazy, but once you get them and use them, you will know what I mean. Very inexpensive.

Now for some liquid to soften up the wax residue. Try a 50/50 mix of water and Denatured Alcohol (you can get it at Home Depot). Put in a clean spray bottle and spray on wax residue, let it soften up the wax and start using the Stim-U-Dent toothpicks to gently remove the wax residue.

Two other Quick Detailing sprays that also work very well for removing wax residue is Meguiar's # 34 Final Inspection and Eagle One Wet Wipe and Shine. Again, just spray it on, let it sit a minute and then start picking out the wax.

One last thing that also works is TurtleWax Bug and Tar remover. This sometimes requires a bit more work, but is safe for all clear coats.

Sometimes finding the two Quick Detailers is tough, so maybe try the other two liquids first.


Oh yea, we now have a new forum just for detailing questions. Check it out. It is growing.

Hope it helps. Let me know if you are successful or not. It worked on my '73.

Oh yea, forgot one thing. I also use a small can of compressed air. After I use the liquids and toothpicks, I'll wipe away or blow away any left over flakes. You can get the small cans of compressed air at most computer stores. Or if you have a compressor, just blow away the any flakes after picking them loose.

A toothbrush is a little harsh and could scratch the finish. I use a 2" paint brush that I modify by cutting the bristles down to about 3/4"; this makes it stiff enough to do the job but not damage the paint, I use denatured alcohol and even full strenght it won't damage cured paint. Finally I blow the residue out with compressed air.

First remember when waxing your ride don't apply the wax all over your emblems, tail lights, black window trim areas etc. It's very simple to STOP short of them and save a lot of time during final detail. You should NEVER have the problem trying to get wax out of those letter emblems unless you bought the car from another owner.

I know this may sound dumb to most but I still see folks waxing there ride in the sun, and never wax the whole car and then start to remove the wax....A HUGE NO NO!! Just had to get that in even though it has nothing to do with the question.

If you do have wax build up on the emblems and tail lenses a "soft" tooth brush will work well. Be very careful with the pressure of the brush against any paint, more so on darker colors. Also there are the tooth brushes that have that rubber pointed tip on the other ends. These work well also. Q-tips are a pain in the ass as they are just to weak, bend and fall apart.

The miracle product to remove anything on your paint....a "MILD" enamel reducer you can buy a auto paint supplier. Careful when using this stuff...HAVE FRESH AIR!! Road tar, sticky tree sap, glue, old bumper stickers, any paint marks on your paint from other cars, painted polls etc. that are on top of your paint, will disapair in seconds! This will not harm your paint, (never use on new paint under three months old) but remember to re-wax that area as it will also remove your wax.

Remember also one of the best ways to remove older wax is with applying new wax over the old. It will remove the older wax easy.

WAX ON WAX OFF!! :P

I reposted this info in the new "detailing" forum so it wouldn't get lost.

Q-Tips... BAD
Tooth picks... BAD
Tooth brush... BAD
Jack hammers... REALLY BAD 8O

All these will scratch and can cause damage.

The best. safest, and gentlest way to remove wax residue is to use Dawn dish washing liguid. Apply a little to the affected area and let it sit for a few minutes then hose it off using strong pressure. Keep doing this until all the wax is gone.

Next, don't use a wax or polish that leaves residue! Products such as Zaino and NXT will not leave any residue.

Thanks to everyone for all the great tips. I use Zaino now but this is from the wax before I started using it. I tried some of these suggestions and it makes the work much easier.
Believe me, I won't come close to the lettering again. This is quite a project but I want to enter it in Good Guys in 3 weeks and need it to look it's best.
I hadn't thought of the air in a can but it is a great idea. I use it on my keyboard and in my wood shop.
So again, thank you. Bonnie