Nextzett Plastik Reiniger Plastic Deep Cleaner – A Specialty Cleaner With Versatility
by Rodney TatumLike many products from Nextzett, the lack of attention Nextzett Plastik Reiniger Plastic Deep Cleaner receives in the industry is not a good reflection of my (positive) experiences with this product. But the consistently high praise this product has received in smaller circles over the years not only backs my assertion but ultimately became the cause of my curiosity about this product.
But the lack of popularity is understandable.
This product has been available for a while and has not received much exposure, especially from detailing businesses. I believe one of the reasons is it falls into a niche categorization. It falls under the category of specialty material cleaner (plastic). Although known to effectively pull grime from these surfaces, many consumers gravitate towards ‘all-in-one’ type products. Consequentially all-purpose branded cleaners will be more popular amongst the mainstream. Products that are known to be effective at various dilution ratios, which this product is not sold or marketed as, are going to be more popular. Obviously, if you are using certain products to fulfill higher volume demands, you want it to be cost effective. One of the clearest paths to that goal is to find something you can dilute for various uses.
That is going to eliminate this product from consideration for a lot of people.
From my experience with this product, it is outstanding in its intended role. It is meant to address grime embedded in plastic. With respect to the use of strong all-purpose cleaner type products, not all plastics are the same. It (understandably) may not be practical to have dedicated products for every surface. But I try to have a resource I am confident in for different situations.
I have found a unique way to take advantage of the strength of this product.
These short-nap fiber carpets commonly seen in most car trunks can be a bit of a challenge to clean. This is technically an off-label use of the product. But from my general understanding of the product, it made logical sense to give it a try.
My preferred carpet and fabric cleaner is Sonax Multipurpose Cleaner. Usually, Sonax Multipurpose Cleaner is very effective. In this case, it had no significant effect. I found utilizing Nextzett Plastik (below) in one attempt, although not perfectly clean, to be much more effective here. The alternative method that would have made sense would involve saturating the product with a cleaner that is more alkaline and then neutralizing it with a fiber rinse product. This would be a more time consuming and labor-intensive alternative versus using Nextzett Plastik Reiniger Plastic Deep Cleaner. For daily driven vehicles, where it may be inevitable for trunks to take a beating with debris and other foreign substances, this may be a great maintenance spray to have on hand.
Exterior plastic trim takes a beating from the environment, which means there may be even more of a buildup of grime and other contamination (including dry wax). The concept of using this product for this use was not my idea, as I have heard many enthusiasts proclaim this to be a favorite use of the Reiniger Plastic Cleaner. I understand the popularity of this method when its intended use (releasing embedded grime from plastics) can make cleaning exterior plastic trim with this product a logical option. I am using a foam swab to control where the product goes.
The directions call for the product to be removed promptly (‘do not allow the product to dry or allow to work for more than 3 minutes). A damp cloth is the preferred method of removal/residue control via company specifications.
When using it on exterior trim, I personally like to follow up with a residue-removing cleanup product. An example of this could be following up with a product like Gyeon Prep or even Poorboys Spray & Wipe for a surgically clean surface. For interior surfaces, I may perform a similar task with a product like Gtechniq Tri-Clean.
It does not specify that it can be used on dashboards. I would NOT use it on those surfaces. Nextzett does make a dedicated product for that role.
Nextzett Plastik Reiniger Plastic Deep Cleaner works great on really dirty plastic door panels. I had a ’95 Honda Accord that had really filthy rear interior door panels–seemed like road film/grease had gotten past the failing door seals and fused with the panels. I first used an APC on them, but it didn’t seem to do much to clean them–just couldn’t cut the grease well enough. So on a whim I got a bottle of Nextzett Plastik Reiniger Plastic Deep Cleaner, thinking that it probably wouldn’t do much. Wow, what a difference! With a few minutes and a little elbow grease, the panel looked almost new! The product did not damage the surface. It also doesn’t require rinsing off (just wipe with a damp rag.) I highly recommend it for this application.
I have had great success using this product to remove sticky residue from those 2000 era rubberized trim pieces. I also use it on a swab to clean exterior rubber around window trims. However I did not know I had to remove the residue, I essentially just used it like cockpit premium. Luckily I haven’t had any issue but will definitely follow up now