Help removing white paint.

[Deleted member 9190]

Must have run over something with white paint on the freeway on the way home. No lines were being painted.

I can scrap the white off of the painted area with my fingernail. But the white on the black plastic doesn’t come off fully.

Any suggestions on compounds that won’t dull the black plastic? Thx in advance.

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[Tango45]

Maybe a little ironic, but perhaps gasoline?

When I was younger, I was a bit of a menace on the roads and I find out that gasoline would remove evidence of light unplanned, nonconsensual vehicle-to-vehicle contact. I'm sure there's some chemical explanation for that which holds true for similar products, some of them actually intended for the purpose, but it always worked for me when trying to hide evidence restore the beauty of the car I had in high school.

 

[UnsungZero_OldTimeAdMan]

Maybe a little ironic, but perhaps gasoline?

When I was younger, I was a bit of a menace on the roads and I find out that gasoline would remove evidence of light unplanned, nonconsensual vehicle-to-vehicle contact. I'm sure there's some chemical explanation for that which holds true for similar products, some of them actually intended for the purpose, but it always worked for me when trying to hide evidence restore the beauty of the car I had in high school.

Alcohol might be safer to use. Claybar is what I’d suggest on painted surfaces. But not recommended on textured plastic trim.

 

[Tango45]

Alcohol might be safer to use

Quick edit; respect. I don't think gasoline would melt the plastic - a lot of gas cans are plastic. That being said, you aren't wrong on trying alcohol (isopropyl, I assume, vs agave or corn-based) first. If you do try gasoline, try it in an inconspicuous spot to make sure you don't screw up your trim.

Fun fact: gasoline will melt styrofoam, though... and leave you with a sticky, highly flammable gel (see note on my first post about being a menace). Have fun!

 

[redantpile]

I would try dish soap and a scrubbing pad like a Scotch pad. Normally paint does not stick well to plastic.

 

[UnsungZero_OldTimeAdMan]

Do not use abrasive pad on textured plastic trim. It would be like sanding textured drywall.

 

[bogeybekk]

Had something similar happen to my VW Touareg back in the day. Took me some time to find a solution that worked but eventually ended up using a graffiti cleaner wipe. Took a little bit of elbow grease but it removed the paint and didn’t damage any paint or plastic. Make sure and test it out in an inconspicuous spot first though.

 

[Shorebreak]

Get a can of Break Free. My wife scraped one of our brand new cars against something and we took it to the dealership to see what they could do since the car was basically new.
One of the guys in the garage told me to drive it off the lot and he'll come talk to me in a minute. He brought a can of break free and a rag with him and buffed the white scrape marks away - perfectly good as new.
Been my secret move ever since. I don't know why the guy was so generous with me. They easily could've written it up as body work for a few hundred dollars........
It's safe for polymers - I mean, I use it on guns, and it doesn't do anything bad to them.

 

[Deleted member 9190]

Is this the “ break free” that you’re talking about?

Get a can of Break Free. My wife scraped one of our brand new cars against something and we took it to the dealership to see what they could do since the car was basically new.
One of the guys in the garage told me to drive it off the lot and he'll come talk to me in a minute. He brought a can of break free and a rag with him and buffed the white scrape marks away - perfectly good as new.
Been my secret move ever since. I don't know why the guy was so generous with me. They easily could've written it up as body work for a few hundred dollars........
It's safe for polymers - I mean, I use it on guns, and it doesn't do anything bad to them.

 

[Shorebreak]

Is this the “ break free” that you’re talking about?

Yes, it is.

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