Trim Dressings

Trim dressings bring faded black plastic and rubber back to a dark, even colour and help stop it fading again. Our range covers tyre and trim dressings, black plastic restorers, trim coatings, and engine bay dressings from Koch-Chemie and Tenzi.

How to choose

• Dressings such as Yum Dress V2, a water-based dressing with an adjustable satin to rich dark finish, and Dodo Juice Dark Matter darken trim and tyres and are reapplied as they wear off.
• Restorers are for plastic that has already gone grey: see Trim Restoration. For a matte refresh of faded interior and exterior plastics, Sonax PROFILINE PlasticCare freshens the colour without a greasy shine, according to its listing.
• Coatings go on clean, dry trim and last the longest.
• Finish: Stjarnagloss Gummi, Dodo Juice Dark Matter and Deturner Cream Tire Dressing leave a satin, factory look, and Duel Profile starts satin and gets glossier with each extra layer. For a wet look, Sonax XTREME Tyre Gloss Gel gives what Sonax calls an ultimate, glossy black wet look.

Good to know

• Clean the trim first with a product from All Purpose Cleaners and a brush, then let it dry: over dirt or old dressing, a new one goes patchy and wears off quickly.
• On tyres, dress the sidewall only, never the tread, and wipe off the excess so it does not sling onto the paint.

How do I restore the plastic trim on my car?

Start with clean, dry trim, then choose by its condition: a restorer for plastic that has already gone grey, a trim coating for the longest result, or a dressing that darkens it and is topped up as it wears.

Related: Paint Protection & Finish, Wheels & Tyres, Applicator Pads, Detailing Brushes. Popular brands here: Dodo Juice, Yum Cars, Sonax, Stjarnagloss.