How do you clean dried compound/polish from hard to reach places?

[olenderc]

I've got a few places on my front bumper where it didn't seem appropriate to tape up when I was compounding/polishing. As a result I have a few spots that have dried up residue that I cannot seem to get rid of with regular washes.

I've bought a few boars hair detail brushes I'm gonna try with some P21S TAW and maybe some CarPro Eraser, but it seems pretty dried on there to the point where you would have to use fingernail pressure to remove. Unfortunately, its between cracks where you can barely reach with anything other than maybe a brush. I tried credit cards with my thinnest microfiber towel and it wouldn't fit so I'm out of ideas, any suggestions?

[Paul A.]

I have an abundance of various little pointy things and small brushes, including toothpicks. For areas i can get to with a MF towel wrapped around one of my "pointy" things i spray the towel with various things...All In Ones, QD spray even Iso Alc at times. Then have at it with the pointy thing and MF. Some areas are just too tight and i resort to straight toothpick or a spritz and a brush.

I will add that i have expanded my use of tape, though. It is so much easier to remove tape than digging into cracks and crevices but i understand how it still gets into some things that you didn't consider taping off.

[olenderc]

Is there anything that will help to physically dissolve the dried compound/polish in the (likely) case even a brush won't be able to agitate the stuff enough to remove?

[fly07sti]

APC and a steamer usually work very well for me. Spray with some APC, then get in there with something like a toothpick, as Puckman said. Then blow out with steam.

[allenk4]

+1 for Steam

[jsgntulok]

A photo of the area with the dried compound/polish would be good.

[olenderc]

http://i.imgur.com/LNui5Nx.jpg

Sorry, not the best, I know. It's the best I could do in a moment's notice while it's thunder-storming outside.

Unfortunately, I don't have the luxury of access to a steamer. Guess I'll have to give APC and some brushes a go. Otherwise, guess it's there for good.

[allenk4]

Are you saying the compound is trapped in deep scratches in the paint on the bumper?

Go take a close-up photo

I bet Art Hernandez has a special brush for exactly this job.

[olenderc]

No no, sorry. I should have described the awful photo a little better. The "white" stuff you see in the crevice directly to the left of the fog light is the dried up crud. The rest is rain, no scratches on my bumper.

[mc2hill]

I have an abundance of various little pointy things and small brushes, including toothpicks. For areas i can get to with a MF towel wrapped around one of my "pointy" things i spray the towel with various things...All In Ones, QD spray even Iso Alc at times. Then have at it with the pointy thing and MF. Some areas are just too tight and i resort to straight toothpick or a spritz and a brush.

I will add a MF wrapped around a craft/popsicle stick works good for me.