Expert: Robert Lamb - 11/22/2006

Question
Hey Robert, I got a little problem I was hoping you may be able to help with. I attempted to take some overspray off the speedometer plastic in my car. I had no choice but to use something strong enough to take paint off, yet wouldn`t harm the plastic. Well I settled on that OOpps product. It kinda smells like lighter fluid. That stuff.   Well it did okay on the one side, but it kind of fogged the plastic on the other. Is there anything (polishing compounds, chemicals or whatever) that you have in your little bag of tricks that might help me to restore the transparency of that plastic. Thank you, in advance!!dmdrc

Answer
Some people feel Novus has the best scratch removal chemicals on the market for Plexiglas and other types of plastics. Go into a motorcycle shop or just about any motorsports store in your area that sells dirt bikes, ATV's, etc. and buy a bottle of Novus Plastic Polish or Plexus Plastic Cleaner, or you can find it online at:
http://www.plexusplasticcleaner.com/
http://www.noscratch.com/novus/uses.shtml
http://www.denniskirk.com
http://tri-stateantiques.com/novus.html
http://www.centsibleamusements.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=543
Another option is to look for a scratch remover made by KIT or try McGuires Faring Cleaner.  They can be found in the same place as Novus and have a polish that will fill in some scratches.  
As far as a cleaner for plastic, go to Boaters World or any boat store of the like and buy a product called Top Choice Plastic Cleaner. This stuff is designed to clean vinyl and acrylic. Or you can go to ACE hardware, or equivalent, and try Plastic Magic aerosol or Plastic Shield - small white bottle with a yellow label, liquid.
The most low tech option is to spray something like Lemon Pledge or Citra Gloss on a microfiber cloth. This has been known to work on some plastics.
Whatever you do, try it in a small spot in the most out of the way area first. If all goes well, continue on the rest of the affected area. And be sure to let me know how it goes!
Happy scratch removal!