NOOO! Overspray On My New Baby!

[Peace2Peep]

:mad2: I stinkin' can't believe this! I was parked at a hotel in Orlando over the weekend and some stinkin moron was pressure washing the hotel exterior walls and oversprayed some "Concoction" on my car that made the surface look like it had small white pebbles of white stuff. The hotel manager was quick to say that they would help immediately, and came down to look at the problem first hand. The overspray idiot also came...he had the nerve to take out a garden hose and start rinsing my car off...I let it progress while my rage got hotter until he grabbed a grubby towel and started walking toward my Mercuric beast...I said "Get away from my car! I did not ask you to wash my car!" The manager bristled and I know he thought there was going to be a fight on his hands but calmed downed when he realized the idiot was 5'8" 165 and I'm a sprite 6'3" 275. I win. So the idiot proceeds to tell us how the BLEACH and SOAP mixture that he was using was perfectly harmless to my car...I quickly asserted that bleach is what many people use to REMOVE WAX from their cars before waxing a fresh coat...and my car had just been waxed(by me) four days ago! To make a long story short, the hotel admitted they were on the hook for a buff and wax, etc...and didn't blink when I brought them a bill for $199 for my local detail shop(wish you were here Jason) to clay bar, buff, and wax/glaze my black beauty to perfection. It took them 7-1/2 hours just removing the marks and another 3-4 to finish up(YES I WATCHED). I'm so sorry that I didn't take pictures in its injured condition, but I was too sick to my stomach. I must say that even after rinsing for a long time(30 minutes, but I refuse to rub the surface of my car with that junk on it...wasn't sure what it was) the texture of my finish was lumpy and water spots stuck that I couldn't take off with any amount of spot testing with car wash soap. I will post my celebratory pics tomorrow because she looks great!

JASON, what do you recommend for bleach/ammonia "Attacks" on our vehicles? Mine actually had bits of dried paint that were sprayed off the building as well

[Rider90]

Bleach & Ammonia, including diluted versions and products based from, are two old-school methods of cleaning different surfaces. For years, bleach was used on cloth tops but it is too harsh and can break down the fibers quickly causing the top to discolor and come apart. Ammonia is commonly found in house-hold glass cleaners but is discouraged on vehicles because of the harsh effects ammonia has on rubber, plastic, and vinyl. Although Bleach still has it's way in the white-wall industry, to some extent, Ammonia is hardly used anywhere for detailing. You will find it in a few cheap glass cleaners here and there, but it is not seen often because it will destroy aftermarket window tint.

As for the overspray issue...

If the contamination had quite some depth, as in it was a fairly tall "Chunk" of whatever, you would find me taking the extra buildup off with a razor blade, and clay-baring the surface with mild and medium grade bars. If that does not take care of it, then comes a good compound, and as a last resort - Color sanding. But it should not have to go that far.

If bleach and/or ammonia were to get on the surface of my vehicle, I would rinse as soon as possible. Bleach and Ammonia are both bases so the results should not be too bad to begin with. But if bleach and ammonia were to get on the car at the same time, I would probably back away from the car. The dangerous mixture of the two can cause severe health issues.

Long story short: Leave the Bleach and Ammonia in the house! ;)

[Peace2Peep]

Yes...Keep it off our Marauders too...SUCKERS!

[jawz101]

I don't think I'd ever use a razor blade near my paint unless it was one of those plastic ones. There's no way. As for everything else Jason said, I'd agree. Clay bars and compound. Maybe automotive lacquer thinner but then apply wax right after. I've used all of the above (except for bleach & ammonia... new one on me) clay bar or lacquer thinner being the easiest. Many pinstripers use thinner to clean up mistakes as they stripe. Just make sure you get it from an automotive chemical supplier and wax afterwards.
If you use clay bar use the spray they give you. If you run out use some ammonia free window cleaner and apply liberally as you go.

[Rider90]

I don't think I'd ever use a razor blade near my paint unless it was one of those plastic ones. There's no way. As for everything else Jason said, I'd agree. Clay bars and compound. Maybe automotive lacquer thinner but then apply wax right after. I've used all of the above (except for bleach & ammonia... new one on me) clay bar or lacquer thinner being the easiest. Many pinstripers use thinner to clean up mistakes as they stripe. Just make sure you get it from an automotive chemical supplier and wax afterwards.
If you use clay bar use the spray they give you. If you run out use some ammonia free window cleaner and apply liberally as you go.
There is no contact with the blade and the paint. I've seen thick chunks so large if you were to take a clay bar and break it down, you would just be scratching the paint. I may not have made it clear that the blade is not on the surface.

[jawz101]

<Rider> geez. That'd be a serious cleanup job. I'd love to trade some war stories sometime. Maybe that's a good idea for a new thread :)

[Peace2Peep]

I have a friend that got Roofing Tar on his paint and chrome on a classic car! It was ridiculous! That is BAD!

[jawz101]

ok... that just demands a new thread