If you've ever owned a vehicle with piano black plastic, you probably know the frustrations it can bring. Piano plastic trim blemishes easily and is a pain to clean and

polish

. All attempts to restore it to its former glory seem to be in vain.

But not all hope is lost—with the right tools and techniques, you can make your piano black plastic trim sing. Here’s how to easily clean and polish the piano black plastic trim on your car, with a little help from

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How to clean exterior piano black plastic

To clean the exterior black piano plastic trim on your car, you’ll need the items listed below.

Materials needed:

Bucket

Gentle to medium-strength all-purpose cleaner

Water

Sponge

Polishing cloth

Protectant spray

Painter’s tape

Car polish

Handheld polisher

Medium-strength wool pad

Foam pad

Cleaning spray

Microfiber cloths

Once you have all the materials you need, follow these simple steps:

1. Clean the piano black plastic

Start by pouring 4 cups of gentle to medium-strength cleaner into a bucket with 6 cups of cool water. Using a soft brush or sponge saturated with the cleaning solution, wipe down the piano black trim on your vehicle's exterior. Allow the trim to air dry before wiping it down with a soft, clean cloth.

2. Mask off the area

Next, line the exterior trim of your vehicle with long strips of painter’s tape. Make sure not to cover the surface of the trim.

3. Apply the wax

Apply three pea-sized drops of polish onto the surface of your trim, work it into the surface using the hand polisher and the wool pad. Apply light pressure as you work the polisher slowly up and down the trim's surface. Use a polishing cloth to remove excess polish.

4. Polish

Switch to a flat foam polishing pad and squeeze two pea-sized amounts of polish onto the pad.

Buff the surface of the trim

. Using slow speed, move the polisher in a quick, vertical motion. Continue for one to two minutes until the surface is evenly polished. Peel away the tape and brush off any remaining polish using a clean buffing cloth.

5. Apply a cleaning spray

Lastly, apply a cleaning spray to the surface of the trim. Buff the cleaner into the trim using a microfiber cloth in long, vertical motions.

MORE: How to polish aluminum wheels

How to clean interior piano black plastic

Before cleaning and polishing the piano black trim

inside your car

, you need to gather the right materials. The materials needed for this process include the following items.

Materials needed:

Clean, circular brush

Cleaning spray (formulated for use with plastic trim)

Microfiber cloths

Painter’s tape

Ceramic hybrid wax

Handheld polisher

1-inch microfiber pads

Red and black foam polishing pad

Meguiar’s M105 polish

Meguiar’s M205 polish

Once you have all the materials you need, follow these simple steps:

1. Clean the piano black plastic

Start by cleaning the interior trim using a clean, circular brush. Wipe off any dirt or specks of dust on the surface of the trim. When removing the dust and dirt, use short motions while brushing lightly along the surface.

Spritz a cleaning spray designed for interior trim on the surface of the brush or a clean microfiber cloth. When wiping the spray off of the trim, use circular sweeping motions. Don’t forget to clean any buttons while you’re at it.

2. Mask off the area

Next, cut off strips of the painter’s tape. Secure the strips along the edges and sides of your piano black plastic trim, paying special attention to the corners. The tape is meant to protect the surrounding surfaces from the wax and polish.

3. Apply the wax

Once the surrounding surfaces are adequately protected, it’s time to apply the wax. Dip a microfiber applicator into the ceramic wax and apply it to the trim. Allow the wax to sit for three to five minutes before wiping away the excess using a clean microfiber cloth.

4. Polish

Apply a pea-sized amount of Meguiar’s M105 polish onto the surface of the trim using a hand polisher and a microfiber pad. Move the hand polisher back and forth to apply the polish evenly to the surface.

Next, switch to a new pad with a pea-sized amount of Meguiar’s M205 polish and apply it evenly across the trim’s surface.

5. Buff

Buff the trim by using a clean, red foam pad and a small amount of Meguiar’s M105 polish. Repeat this step.

Lastly, apply a small amount of Meguiar’s M205 polish to a black foam pad and buff the surface of the trim. Repeat this step once before removing the masking tape.

Once your car's piano black is all clean and polished, it's a good idea to protect your vehicle from future damages. That's where

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