Remove stains
- Thread starter giannicsl
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Hey Gianni, sorry to hear about your experience.
Are the spots only on alu parts? no white spots on other materials (chrome, rubber, glass, paint?)
are you sure these aren't spots of dried calcium from hard water (i guess not, as the rest of the parts on your car seem still nice, but just checking)
It would be important to know if your trim is original, meaning bright anodized, or if they have ever been restored. If restored, then usually 3 options exist: 1. keep them as polished bare aluminium. Option 2. is to use some sort of protection: wax or paint. option 3 would be bringing them back to anodized.
You can check if it is bare aluminium or anodised/painted by trying to run a current over it: Anodising and paint will act as isolators. If it is just polished aluminium, then you can let a bulb burn using the trim as a wire.
Knowing what surface we are looking at will make it easier to identify the failure mode and to start digging into a 'way back'.
Assuming your trim was still original (anodized, then look for ingredients of the used soap such as NaOH (=Caustic Soda=Lye=Natrium Hydroxide), KOH (=Caustic Potash=Potassium Hydroxide or (not common in soaps): chromic acid or phosphoric acid.
If your spots are only on bare aluminium, then I would suspect ingredients being (slighty) alkali or acidic.
Are the spots only on alu parts? no white spots on other materials (chrome, rubber, glass, paint?)
are you sure these aren't spots of dried calcium from hard water (i guess not, as the rest of the parts on your car seem still nice, but just checking)
It would be important to know if your trim is original, meaning bright anodized, or if they have ever been restored. If restored, then usually 3 options exist: 1. keep them as polished bare aluminium. Option 2. is to use some sort of protection: wax or paint. option 3 would be bringing them back to anodized.
You can check if it is bare aluminium or anodised/painted by trying to run a current over it: Anodising and paint will act as isolators. If it is just polished aluminium, then you can let a bulb burn using the trim as a wire.
Knowing what surface we are looking at will make it easier to identify the failure mode and to start digging into a 'way back'.
Assuming your trim was still original (anodized, then look for ingredients of the used soap such as NaOH (=Caustic Soda=Lye=Natrium Hydroxide), KOH (=Caustic Potash=Potassium Hydroxide or (not common in soaps): chromic acid or phosphoric acid.
If your spots are only on bare aluminium, then I would suspect ingredients being (slighty) alkali or acidic.
Last edited:
giannicsl
Well-Known Member
hello and thank you for your quick and important reply
my trims are original and never retouched ...
it would be boring to reassemble these parts and I would like to try to clean them without going to any body shop
I read that you can use hot water and bicarbonate, or vinegar ...
here is the reason why my cars never go out in the rain ...
I'm terrified of the washing workers ...
yet, fuck, they knew my car ... this is the third time I've had it washed after the restoration .....
they used large bottle soap all over the body ....
my trims are original and never retouched ...
it would be boring to reassemble these parts and I would like to try to clean them without going to any body shop
I read that you can use hot water and bicarbonate, or vinegar ...
here is the reason why my cars never go out in the rain ...
I'm terrified of the washing workers ...
yet, fuck, they knew my car ... this is the third time I've had it washed after the restoration .....
they used large bottle soap all over the body ....
Vinegar is a light acid, and it may damage the anodized trim, be carefull.
TRY MOTHERS ALUMINUM POLISH
IF ANYTHING WORKS IT WILL BE THAT
IF ANYTHING WORKS IT WILL BE THAT
I have a similar problem on the rims of my Weds. I have tried several polishes and cleaners, and while some have helped a little, none have completely eliminated the problem. I think the anodyzing is breaking down. I am in the process of removing the anodyzing from my wheels, and plan to go without anodyzing which means I will need to polish my rims from time to time.
I believe some of the folks here have had their aluminim body trim cerakoted to avoid this exact same problem.
I believe some of the folks here have had their aluminim body trim cerakoted to avoid this exact same problem.
giannicsl
Well-Known Member
I have read your information with great interest.
I thank.
I have to find some simple Marseille soap and try it with hot water, hoping to remove the odious whitish stains .....
I am very embittered.
the car has undergone a restoration and having everything disassembled again is impossible for now .... I want to enjoy the car ...
these situations are very boring because it becomes a chain of wasting time and money to restore everything ...
how about if I also try with WD40?
See you soon.
I thank.
I have to find some simple Marseille soap and try it with hot water, hoping to remove the odious whitish stains .....
I am very embittered.
the car has undergone a restoration and having everything disassembled again is impossible for now .... I want to enjoy the car ...
these situations are very boring because it becomes a chain of wasting time and money to restore everything ...
how about if I also try with WD40?
See you soon.
WD40 will only make it look OK for a few days at best.
Removing the anodization is not something to do with the trim on your restored car.
Best case scenario is to tape above & below the trim to protect the paint & use progressive rates of fine automotive sand paper from 500 to 2000 then use very fine steel or bronze wool number 0000. This is a long slow process.
Removing the anodization is not something to do with the trim on your restored car.
Best case scenario is to tape above & below the trim to protect the paint & use progressive rates of fine automotive sand paper from 500 to 2000 then use very fine steel or bronze wool number 0000. This is a long slow process.
Go over it with Minwax or Varnathane satin floor restorer. It is a a thin, water based polyurethane. Put it on a rag, wipe it on the trim. It will last a few years, repeat as needed. Think out of the box. $20
I am a big fan of Nuvite aviation polish. I would try it. I suspect that the anodize is missing and bare aluminum is corroding. I would start with a C grade. You might try any aluminum polish.
nuvitechemical.com
Nuvite Chemical Compounds for Aviation
Nuvite Chemical products clean, polish, protect and maintain the condition and airworthiness of the entire aircraft for the aviation industry. Nuvite appearance maintenance products for aviation/aerospace include metal care, paint care, wetwash/degrease, interior care, galley/lavatory and kits.
+1 on Nuvite. I have used it on a variety of aluminum bits and it works well and holds up well.I am a big fan of Nuvite aviation polish. I would try it. I suspect that the anodize is missing and bare aluminum is corroding. I would start with a C grade. You might try any aluminum polish.
Nuvite Chemical Compounds for Aviation
Nuvite Chemical products clean, polish, protect and maintain the condition and airworthiness of the entire aircraft for the aviation industry. Nuvite appearance maintenance products for aviation/aerospace include metal care, paint care, wetwash/degrease, interior care, galley/lavatory and kits.
Wait. The car got washed and it did that to the trim? I would definitely start with different types of cleaners before going to acids, solvents or sanding. What was used to wash it? Ingredients? Maybe some macro photos to see what's going on with it.
Just as @Dan Wood suspects, I really think the trim was sanded and polished during the restoration, which is quite common due to the trouble of getting new good looking anodizing on the trims.
The trims could have been left without anything to protect the aluminium. Depending on what were used during the wash, raw aluminium can get spots and stains. It could have had a little protection from the polishing compound for the first couple of washes, but now it wasn't enough anymore.
The alternative is that the original anodizing failed, but all beltline trims + window trims at once? Hmm.
Gianni, are you 100% sure the trim wasn't touched during the restoration?
I sanded, polished and put on a ceramic coating on my beltline trims, and that has hold up very well since 2017.
The trims could have been left without anything to protect the aluminium. Depending on what were used during the wash, raw aluminium can get spots and stains. It could have had a little protection from the polishing compound for the first couple of washes, but now it wasn't enough anymore.
The alternative is that the original anodizing failed, but all beltline trims + window trims at once? Hmm.
Gianni, are you 100% sure the trim wasn't touched during the restoration?
I sanded, polished and put on a ceramic coating on my beltline trims, and that has hold up very well since 2017.
All you have to do to determine if the anodizing is there or if it was stripped off before is to take some metal polish (or wax/any type of polish) and test buff a 6 inch portion of the trim. If the cloth comes away black, the factory anodizing was removed. If you don't get any color on the cloth, then it's still anodized. Take you 10 seconds to find out one way or another...
If you've taken it to a car wash they've probably used tfr (traffic film remover) to quickly blast over the car before washing and aid in removing grime off the car.
TFR needs to be diluted an incredible amount and I refuse to use it on anything I own. The dealership I used to work at had used it once and it promptly stripped the black coating off my waistline trims on the golf and marked my plastic trims similar to your ally. The one I now manage I have banned its use in our Valet bay after we had to replace a set of side steps on a customers car having had the exact same thing happen, only for the valeters to wash the car and the exact same thing happen AGAIN!
Long and short of it, metal polish probably won't do anything as it is chemical staining, there is no real quick fix as it has damaged the anodised coating. Only way to restore is strip the anodising and polish/ reanodise.
TFR needs to be diluted an incredible amount and I refuse to use it on anything I own. The dealership I used to work at had used it once and it promptly stripped the black coating off my waistline trims on the golf and marked my plastic trims similar to your ally. The one I now manage I have banned its use in our Valet bay after we had to replace a set of side steps on a customers car having had the exact same thing happen, only for the valeters to wash the car and the exact same thing happen AGAIN!
Long and short of it, metal polish probably won't do anything as it is chemical staining, there is no real quick fix as it has damaged the anodised coating. Only way to restore is strip the anodising and polish/ reanodise.