black plastic trim

[Manko76]

Does anybody have any car wash components or methods to get the black plastic trim on cars clean without using some type of dressing?

I have a conveyor, full service car wash. It seems like more and more cars are coming with more and more plastic. The cars are coming out very clean except by the time the plastic fully dries (while my employee is doing interior of car) the lower plastic trim looks faded and stained. Its not the case for any higher trim, just the lower panel stuff. I know in a lot of cases it is just stained plastic from someone not taking care of their car. Sometimes they are relatively new cars ands no matter what we do to it (scrub/brush/cleaners) it does not look clean compared to the rest of the car unless we talk the customer into adding a dressing to it.

I'm more just wondering if its something we are doing wrong or missing in our tunnel.....or if like everything in the world products and materials are continuing to get cheaper and worse and staining a lot faster/easier.

Anybody else notice this issue getting worse in the last few years?

 

[washnshine]

Does anybody have any car wash components or methods to get the black plastic trim on cars clean without using some type of dressing?

I have a conveyor, full service car wash. It seems like more and more cars are coming with more and more plastic. The cars are coming out very clean except by the time the plastic fully dries (while my employee is doing interior of car) the lower plastic trim looks faded and stained. Its not the case for any higher trim, just the lower panel stuff. I know in a lot of cases it is just stained plastic from someone not taking care of their car. Sometimes they are relatively new cars ands no matter what we do to it (scrub/brush/cleaners) it does not look clean compared to the rest of the car unless we talk the customer into adding a dressing to it.

I'm more just wondering if its something we are doing wrong or missing in our tunnel.....or if like everything in the world products and materials are continuing to get cheaper and worse and staining a lot faster/easier.

Anybody else notice this issue getting worse in the last few years?

Providing the rest of the car is coming out clean, the plastic is most likely faded, and stained primarily from UV rays and environmental conditions. If the lower painted side portions of the cars and rocker panels are clean, your wash is not missing these areas - they just do not look as good because of the fading/staining. Very high pH solutions can also cause fading over time.

Unless the trim is dressed, recoated or died black again, there is not much you can do online in a single tunnel wash to rectify the problem.

As with most problems, prevention is the key. The high end ceramic and graphene sealers will go a long way toward protecting and maintaining the black trim, when included regularly in washes and before the fading becomes a problem. It’s also another advantage to highlight when touting the benefits of ceramic or graphene in the wash process.

 

[Manko76]

Providing the rest of the car is coming out clean, the plastic is most likely faded, and stained primarily from UV rays and environmental conditions. If the lower painted side portions of the cars and rocker panels are clean, your wash is not missing these areas - they just do not look as good because of the fading/staining. Very high pH solutions can also cause fading over time.

Unless the trim is dressed, recoated or died black again, there is not much you can do online in a single tunnel wash to rectify the problem.

As with most problems, prevention is the key. The high end ceramic and graphene sealers will go a long way toward protecting and maintaining the black trim, when included regularly in washes and before the fading becomes a problem. It’s also another advantage to highlight when touting the benefits of ceramic or graphene in the wash process.

Thank you. That is what I thought too. I just hear so many customers complain and say it comes clean everywhere else that eventually I start to question myself. I believe since 99% of car washes are express now, they just do not see the car completely dried as a finished a result like they do at a full service. Or its just a customer complaining. most of the time a damp rag run over the plastic makes it look clean just long enough for them to leave and they are happy with that.

 

[OurTown]

since 99% of car washes are express now

Maybe in the conveyor wash world.

 

[Earl Weiss]

If you run a clean white rag over the trim nd it does not ick up any dirt it it clean. That can be "Proof" for the customer. Next step is recommend a treatment.

 

[Greg Pack]

Could this be a problem being caused by the CTA?

 

[washnshine]

Could this be a problem being caused by the CTA?

My guess is that it would be worse in the areas immediately around the tire from overlap of the CTA spray right before and after the tires. If it’s consistent all the way down the full length of the sides and lower front and rear bumper areas, it sounds more like general fading and drying out. I am thinking the CTA would show a definite pattern, but only the OP knows the exact issues.

 

[Greg Pack]

Certain aggressive chemicals can bleach out the plastics over multiple washes. Best product I've used to refinish black plastic is a product called solution finish. It's more of a dye than a dressing. The guy that invented it actually was in the self serve business. But even that product will last so long if you're taking it through the car wash and they are using aggressive chemistry.