Over time, automotive interior plastics lose their luster. Haze, white spots and discoloration caused by ultraviolet rays are sometimes difficult or impossible to remove using waxes or other cleaners. Dying the plastic back to its original depth of color can be the missing element between a clean car and one that looks professionally detailed from the showroom.

Promoted by

Things You’ll Need

• Degreaser spray
• Clean cloths
• Latex gloves
• Painter’s tape

• Adhesion promoter
• Spray or applicator plastic dye
• Tack-free topcoat spray

• Mask off the area surrounding the plastic trim, using painter’s tape. Ideally, remove the piece from the vehicle entirely. Put on your latex gloves to keep your hands from becoming the color of the plastic you are refinishing.

• Clean the piece(s) slated for renewal using the degreaser spray and a clean cloth. Continue until the cloth comes back clean after wiping off the treatment.

• Wipe on the adhesion promoter with a clean cloth. This serves to prep the surface, making it easier for the color to bond to the piece.

• Spray or wipe a light primer coating of the dye onto the plastic surface while the adhesion promoter is still wet. Spray the dye the proper distance from the piece, according to the manufacturer’s directions on the product. Coat the surface of the item, starting and stopping off the edges of the piece, in a fanning motion. Do not expect the first application of spray to completely cover the trim. For applicator-based dyes, press the foam applicator onto the surface, moving in straight lines to cover the piece. Use a clean cloth to wipe away streaks before the dye fully cures.

• Re-spray or apply the dye in light coats, until the target color is achieved. The piece is complete once the color appears solid and consistent, without the item’s surface visible through the coating. Allow the dye time to cure between coats, based on the manufacturer’s recommendations.

• Coat the finished piece with a tack-free topcoat in the same manner as you applied the color coat. Always remember to follow the directions on the packaging, observing re-coat intervals and coating thickness per application.

• Remove the painter’s tape surrounding the trim surface. Re-install the plastic component if it was removed.

Source