How to deal with cleaning plastic trim with the rest of the car


johnnyninja

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Hi guys. First post.

I’m going to be getting a new Outback and I’ve been researching waterless cleaning. The Outback has some thick plastic trim under the doors. I was looking at the Optimun products and see that they include a shining or waxing agent. I’m wondering if I can use that on the plastic trim without causing it to haze over time? Which product would be best to protect the trim?  I’ve been doing a lot of research online but haven’t been able to come up with a specific plan. My goal is to maintain the car using a waterless method between professional detailing. I’d like to clean and protect it, but not ruin the trim.

Any information is appreciated.

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I'm a proud Subaru owner as well and very familiar with the black plastic trim you speak of.   After washing with ONR, I regularly use Optimum Car Wax on the trim for its patented UV inhibitors which should help prevent the trim from hazing over time.  I put it on the headlights to prevent hazing of that plastic as well. 

I've also used 303 Aerospace protectant which also claims to protect plastic from the harsh UV rays.  I've heard that you can also use Opti-bond tire gel on the trim, although I'm not sure how well it works to protect from UV.  All 3 products should leave a nice clean deep black look, with the latter 2 also providing some shine.

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It seems that whole "avoid getting wax on the trim" thing is something that has been passed down through the years without taking into account technological advances. One of the reasons I like the Optimum line so much. Not nearly as much redundancy as many other brands, and it's designed with efficiency in mind.

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