Rubbing Alcohol
 

I found some white crap on my car and have no idea what it is. I'm sure some motherf'er did this to my car because I dont think it was from natural weather or what not.

Anyways I removed the white crap on the car and there are some blemishes. If I use rubbing alcohol to clean the area, will it damage the paint of the car?

NO.....Don't use alcohol,use a good wax/polish may do the job.

I am not advocating this, just passing on information that was given to me. I have not researched it!

The installer of my UltraShield told me to keep a small spray bottle of isopropyl alcohol and a microfiber towel in the car to remove bird droppings from the paint as quickly as possible. They use a 33% mix with water. They mix their own. I think most over the counter alcohol is about 25% by volume. He claimed it would not damage your clear coat.

Love to hear some input.

Let the debate begin... :)

rubbing alcohol is fine on paint. i use it all the time to remove wax.

but to remove this white crap, if it's caked on i recommend you get some clay and quick detailer. use the softest clay you can find cause the paint is very soft. i use Griot's clay (yellow gooey ikky mess, but works great).

Car Care, Detail Supplies, Garage Organization, Car Accessories - Griot's Garage 800-345-5789

Agreed, alcohol is fine. I keep a spray bottle of 50/50 IPA/Water on hand for detailing (learned through Autopia.org).

But like Ken said, if it's caked on, you might want to try a clay bar, could be more effective.

I like the 50/50 idea but would use distilled water to eliminate any hard water issues.

To the OP use a spray bottle to douse the problem area, if stuffs starts to run off you are in luck….keep spraying. I would avoid wiping until whatever the stuff is has gotten soaked with the solution. After the bulk is gone then go the clay using detail spray as a lubricant.

If the stuff stays put I'd try using some bug/tar remover and let it sit until the problem stuff starts to break down.

my 2 cents………..for a local 370 owner

check out the seattle area thread there's quite a few of us.

As said already, don't bother with the alcohol unless there is still physically gunk on your paint. If you have just a surface blemish, use a good wax or polish and some elbow grease and it should look perfect!

IPA won't harm the clear coat, but it can dry out trim so keep it away from any rubber, plastic, or vinyl. Its a handy tool to have if you need to strip a panel down for correction. Also, good for removing hardened tree sap if you happen to get some on the finish. Keep in mind using it anywhere on the paint it will remove any wax/sealant so you need to put protection back down again after using it.

I wouldn't advocate its use as a bird dropping remover as it has no lubrication... A quick detail spray is a far better choice for removing bird droppings in a hurry. It will wet the contamination and lubricate, making it much safer for removal.

Bingo! :tup: