Paint overspray on rubber trim

[CobraKing]

Hi All,

I had to get the rear bumper and a quarterpanel repainted on my 2010 White Passat as a friend accidentally bumped into it. Make a long story short - the body shop did a terrible job masking off the surrounding trim and I now have paint overspray (looks like a milky substance) on the rubber trim from the A pillar to the C pillar as well overspray on my rear windshield (I hope that clay can get this off).

The rubber trim is smooth - what options (if any) do I have in order to get rid of the overspray on the rubber trim?

Is it possible to clay the rubber? Or is my only option one of the following - Rubbing Alcohol, Varsol or Paint thinner? Does Meg's make any products that can essentially 'clean' the rubber?

Thanks alot!

[Murr1525]

Re: Paint overspray on rubber trim

Claying is certainly an option.

#39 and APC are also options.

[BillyJack]

Re: Paint overspray on rubber trim

You can certainly try clay. Originally, clay was marketed as "overspray clay", intended for just that purpose. If the accumulation of paint is too heavy, using the appropriate thinner to melt the paint may be necessary. Just be sure and do a test spot first and be very, very careful, as any drips or runs can soften or melt the paint on the finished surfaces. When you mention "rubber" I trust you are referring to the weatherstrips, and not any trim pieces. You certainly don't want to use thinner on any of the trim.

Bill

[CobraKing]

Re: Paint overspray on rubber trim

Murr1525 - thanks for the tip, I'm going to place an order for M39.

Billyjack - sorry for the lack of clarity and you're right, the rubber I'm referring to is the weatherstripping. On higher Passat trims, this weatherstripping is actually plastic chrome but on my base model it's smooth rubber.

I was unclear if Clay would work as I've never heard of anyone's experience with clay on weatherstripping. I'll give it a shot (weather permitting) and post back here.

[Kevin Brown]

Re: Paint overspray on rubber trim

Depends upon how "dirty" the rubber was prior to the overspray "occurrence".

Moldings made of rubber usually have a waxy substance built into them (carbon black), as well as other ingredients that keep the rubber from deteriorating due to oxidation. If there was a nice coating of this present (as well as a thin layer of dirt and oxidation), the overspray should come off fairly easy.

Good recommendations here already- thinner, all purpose water based degreasers, they can work. Not super hip on the clay- it will likely work, but may get so laden with debris that it won't work to its full potential. If you got, try it- not going to hurt a thing.If you are going the clay route, at least pre-clean the rubber before claying.

If I was tackling the job...

I would try an all purpose cleaner first, and agitate with a brush.

If that doesn't work, use a "rubbing compound".
One of my favorite tools for removing stuck-on-rubber overspray was Meguiar's #14 Acid Rain Correction Cream. It basically worked so well because it was gritty. Scrub-a-dub!! You can use Meguiar's M01, M04, M49, M84, or M91 in its place. Simply dampen a cotton rag or microfiber, apply a bit of compound to the rag, and carefully scrub the rubber. You'll know right away if it works. Over the years, I've cleaned glass, ruber, and molded plastic parts similarly. Most times, it worked well on the plastic parts, unless they were brand new (no oxidized or dead material present). Always do a test spot when trying this procedure on plastics.

If that doesn't work, switch to the lacquer thinner.
People always seem to think it's so harsh, and it CAN be if left to soak, but you'll be wiping the stuff on with a towel, and it will evaporate almost immediately. With little or no dwell time, damage is minimal (and boy, will your rubber be CLEAN afterwards). Definitely an old-timer detailing trick that holds merit. It can be used on interior cloths, headliners, tires, whitewalls, white convertible tops to remove scuffing, and on and on.

One last note:
#0000 steel wool paired with the all purpose cleaner works well, too. Lots of caveats with scrubbing parts of your can using anything made of metal, so be "common sense" careful. If you're worried about the steel wool, you can always use bronze wool (I use it a lot). A bit softer, and no rust! It is sold at boat stores and some hardware stores. Anyway, you'd be wise to rinse and wash the car after using any "metal" scrubbing apparatus!

That is all.

[CobraKing]

Re: Paint overspray on rubber trim

Kevin thanks alot for the suggestions.

I'll give the APC a go first, then follow up with some M39 (which I believe is a strong rubber and vinyl cleaner). If that fails I'll try to obtain some M04.

Hope this works!

[Kevin Brown]

Re: Paint overspray on rubber trim

One of the procedures WILL work.

Do you already have the APC or M39?

[CobraKing]

Re: Paint overspray on rubber trim

^^
Kevin, wanted to give you and everyone else an update that the overspray is history!!

Bill at detailingdepot.ca (great guy and a fantastic site for Canadians) recommended some M39, which I ordered off him as well as M57.

I washed and dried the car, then hit the rubber trim with M39 on a microfibre cloth. The blue microfibre turned black after I was through and all the overspray was gone. Then washed and dried the trim areas and protected it with M57 - I could've used M40, but I figured the marine application M57 might be more robust for daily driven, non-garaged Passat.

Again, thanks to everyone for all the help! This is a great community.