How do you apply trim dressing to a vehicle?

Question specifically is aimed at how do you apply trim dressing, i.e. cowling, plastic trim on a vehicle using products such as Black Wow (messy) and UTGP (soon to receive), etc...


I try to be very careful with the area I am working on, but sometimes you do smudge some on the paintwork or glass and it can be a pain to remove. I've found a clean MF and IPA straight work well for Black Wow smudging.

In short of taping off an area, escpecially the cowling below the windshield, avoiding contact witht he glass is very very difficult. I usually apply with a yellow foam applicator and use a lot of care to avoid contact with things I do not want the dressing to come in contact with. Taping off an area seems like a pain and waste of tape, but I could be wrong...

 

I use those foam paint brushes. You can buy them at any walmart or home depot. And they are like 2 for a buck or something.

 

When my raceglaze brush set arrives I'm going to try using a smaller brush to apply dressing to tighter spots like the cowl. Ive used my swissvax brush for applying hyperdressing to offroad tires with lots of crevices, worked well.

 

On tires I use my swissvax pneu brush too. works very well.

 

The Poly-Foam paint brushes or a yellow foam applicator pad cut into a square or rectangle for more precise application.

 

DD Uber detail foam blocks and foam paint brushes. The DD blocks are great because they're like 4"X4" blocks and you can them down to however small of a piece you need for certain areas. The new blue uber dressing pads are nice too.

 

I have been using Ultima Tire & Trim Guard Plus on my plastic trim. It's a bit messy (it's easy to apply too much), but I have found that foam cosmetic or make up sponges work well and make the job much easier.



You can get a bag of these sponges at the local drug store for a couple of bucks.

I owe this suggestion to MOL member Bri9801.

 

Looks like a useful and informative thread I started. It's nice to contribute :kilt:

 

This is a great topic I have the same question. I normally use a cotton towel but need a new meathod cause it is a pita.

 

Mosty different foam apps... but those little makeup applicators look awesome!

 

I was thinking of using a laminated piece of paper to stick underneath the cowling to protect the windshield for the are being worked... I haven't tried it yet, because everytime I detail the car I forget where I put that laminated piece of paper....

 

For cowling I use Megs aerosol detailing spray, and for everything else I have Adams detailing blocks that I have cut up and I just use once and throw away.

 

i have a lamination machine thingie. we can make DB logo'ed trim dressing guard

 

I do it as the first step of a detail. Before I even wash the vehicle. Like this:

1. Clean the trim with whatever APC you like.
2. Take cap off can of Stoner Trim Shine (or the Meguiar's workalike product)
3. Spray liberally, directly onto trim.
4. Proceed with my detail.
5. At the end of the detail, touch up any areas that look uneven.

And that's it.

The wash step gets rid of overspray. And, on stuff like the top of the rear bumper on a pickup truck, just enough Trim Shine gets removed during the wash step that the trim isn't super slippery. It's an unusual approach, but I'm convinced that it saves me a huge amount of hassle.

 

I made a small applicator.. I ended up cutting the section here in 1/2 again. I purchased this at O'Reillys. AG sells it too. I tried the foam brushes but these worked better since it absorbed better and spread more evenly,