BigEz
06-13-2005, 10:03 PM
Here's how I learned how to use carpet protectors to quickly wax the Element and not get one bit of wax on plastic parts.
So there I was on knee and elbow, painting baseborads and feeling every last one of my 46 years. Two things hit me suddenly. First, I'd rather be doing work on the E. The second thing was that carpet protectors, designed to prevent brushing of paint onto carpet, should have been sold as Element fender protectors--to keep wax of the fenders. They work much better for Element waxing because you don't need to get down on your knees and elbows. Nevertheless, the mislabeled product can be found in the Home Depot paint department.
Anyway, the carpet protectors are very thin pieces of plastic about 2 inches wide and 3 feet long. I cut one in half, inserted the thin edge between plastic and metal on the Element, and pushed in along as I quickly applied wax along the fenderline, roofline, and bumpers. You can even bend the protector around some of the larger radius corners. A corner of the protector can be pushed along the plastic doorhandle area to prevent getting any wax on that. Using the protector, you can use your wax applicator sponge without a care in the world. Once you have a couple inches of wax along all the plastic, it's a breeze to quickly apply wax everywhere else.
So there I was on knee and elbow, painting baseborads and feeling every last one of my 46 years. Two things hit me suddenly. First, I'd rather be doing work on the E. The second thing was that carpet protectors, designed to prevent brushing of paint onto carpet, should have been sold as Element fender protectors--to keep wax of the fenders. They work much better for Element waxing because you don't need to get down on your knees and elbows. Nevertheless, the mislabeled product can be found in the Home Depot paint department.
Anyway, the carpet protectors are very thin pieces of plastic about 2 inches wide and 3 feet long. I cut one in half, inserted the thin edge between plastic and metal on the Element, and pushed in along as I quickly applied wax along the fenderline, roofline, and bumpers. You can even bend the protector around some of the larger radius corners. A corner of the protector can be pushed along the plastic doorhandle area to prevent getting any wax on that. Using the protector, you can use your wax applicator sponge without a care in the world. Once you have a couple inches of wax along all the plastic, it's a breeze to quickly apply wax everywhere else.