Water stains on RAV4 -- what's safe to use?
MorrisonAndBoyd
body, windows, bumpers, wheels, everything. These dried stains haven't
responded to usual washing techniques.
I need to know if it's safe to use baking soda and a soft scrubber
sponge on it. I think the baking soda would give mild abrasiveness
without scratching or otherwise damaging the finish, but I'm just not
sure. And I don't want to take any chances!
And what about baby shampoo? I've read that it's a good alternative to
commercial auto cleaning solutions. I know that dishwashing detergent
is [supposedly] really bad for a car's finish, but baby shampoo doesn't
contain anything that should damage the finish...right? So I'm
wondering about baby shampoo, baking soda, and a very soft scrubber
sponge. Any thoughts on that?
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Anyolmouse
"MorrisonAndBoyd" <nospam...@phonydomain.com> wrote in message
news:Fe6dnew7spVwjejX...@earthlink.com...
> My RAV4 has water stains that look like dried raindrops all over
it--the
> body, windows, bumpers, wheels, everything. These dried stains
haven't
> responded to usual washing techniques.
>
> I need to know if it's safe to use baking soda and a soft scrubber
> sponge on it. I think the baking soda would give mild abrasiveness
> without scratching or otherwise damaging the finish, but I'm just not
> sure. And I don't want to take any chances!
>
> And what about baby shampoo? I've read that it's a good alternative
to
> commercial auto cleaning solutions. I know that dishwashing detergent
> is [supposedly] really bad for a car's finish, but baby shampoo
doesn't
> contain anything that should damage the finish...right? So I'm
> wondering about baby shampoo, baking soda, and a very soft scrubber
> sponge. Any thoughts on that?
My advice is to call a detail shop and see what they say about removing
the spots.
--
"We have no government armed with power capable of contending with human
passions unbridled by morality and religion. Avarice, ambition, revenge,
or gallantry, would break the strongest cords of our Constitution as a
whale goes through a net. Our Constitution was made only for a moral and
religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any
other." --John Adams, October 11, 1798
Anyolmouse
Joe AutoDrill
news:Fe6dnew7spVwjejX...@earthlink.com...
> body, windows, bumpers, wheels, everything. These dried stains haven't
> responded to usual washing techniques.
>
> I need to know if it's safe to use baking soda and a soft scrubber sponge
> on it. I think the baking soda would give mild abrasiveness without
> scratching or otherwise damaging the finish, but I'm just not sure. And I
> don't want to take any chances!
>
> And what about baby shampoo? I've read that it's a good alternative to
> commercial auto cleaning solutions. I know that dishwashing detergent is
> [supposedly] really bad for a car's finish, but baby shampoo doesn't
> contain anything that should damage the finish...right? So I'm wondering
> about baby shampoo, baking soda, and a very soft scrubber sponge. Any
> thoughts on that?
I'm a former professional auto detailer (ran my own business for years in
NY-metro) who hasn't worked in the industry for a decade or so but here are
my thoughts...
1. That is what we used to call "acid rain" deposits. It's either chemicals
or hard water deposits from rain drops or other water sources that were left
to dry on the surface. Hopefully, they are build-up and not pitting
related. If the latter is true, take it to the pros and see what they say
depending on the type of paint you have (straight color, clear coat,
tri-quad coat clearts, tinted clears, etc.)
2. I'm betting someone hosed off the car in sunlight or something similar
and let the water simply dry on there. That means it is probably just
simple deposits of "XXXX" on the paint from the local water supply. This is
the best case scenario...
3. Don't use the baking soda / water / scrubber. ...Not unless you want to
go to the pros or the paint shop afterwards.
4. Baby shampoo is fine.
5. Dish washing detergent is fine in any strength whatsoever as long as you
wax the car afterwards. The reason it's not suggested is because of it's
strength. It removes the oil that waxing the car elaves behind. Personally,
I use lemon scented Joy concentrate. A teaspoon in 2.5 gallons of water is
plenty for a normal wash. Squirt it right on the rag for what you are doing
and rinse like crazy afterwards. Dry the car with a soft towel that has had
it's tags removed. Then wax the car. Use a good Carnuaba-based wax or
something at the higher end. Either the soap or the waxing might remove the
spots... But no guarantees.
6. Did I mention avoiding the baking soda and scrubber?
7. If all else fails, try gasoline. (gasp!)... If it damaged paint, then
gas stations would be sued by motorists every time they spilled a little
bit. I've cleaned a number of cars with gasoline including brands such as
Ferrari, Porche, Mercedes, TVR, Nissan, Toyota, Opel, etc. If you feel
unsure about this, try it in a hidden spot first and remember that soft
cotton towel with no tags for this process too. DO it outside with plenty
of fresh air!!! Wash as mentioned in #5 above and then wax - maybe twice to
make sure you don't miss a spot. Gas will remove everything imagineable
like tar, tree sap, unidentified gook, and of course, wax!
8. If at any time you feel uncomfortable, stop and take it to a pro. Let
their liability insurance cover you.
Truth is, you probably need to use a polish or compound of some sort to get
that stuff off there, but I don't suggest that *any* non-pro do that who
hasn't at least practiced on some throw-away paint jobs... Especially if
you don't know that a soft scrubber ios a bad idea on paint to begin with...
Plus, the pros will have either an orbital or high speed "wheel" to really
work the paint as needed...
If the paint is pitted, they will need to take aggressive steps to polish
those buggers out.
If all else fails, remember that this advice may be worth what you paid for
it...
--
Regards,
Joe Agro, Jr.
(800) 871-5022
01.908.542.0244
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V8013-R
MorrisonAndBoyd
THANK YOU for such a comprehensive, thoughtful reply.
However...before you posted it I got antsy! I decided to give the baby
shampoo a try. I did a small area of the body--and I used the scrubber
sponge. Let me clarify the type of scrubber I'm talking about: The ones
I have are from the kitchen cleaning supplies area of supermarkets;
they're pink (the sponge part) with a white scrubber, and they're
labeled "light duty." They're fine for use on everything from fine china
to shiny faucet fixtures because they don't damage anything.
Anyway, I did a small area, rinsed with copious amounts of water, and
dried it with a soft towel. The next day I thoroughly inspected it--and
it looked GREAT. :) Then I tried the same method on a small area of a
window (my windows are manufacturer tinted), with less stellar results.
The baby shampoo alone didn't work. I tried the baking soda (on the wet
scrubber) and it worked better but still didn't thoroughly remove the
stains. (The window is fine. The soda didn't damage it at all, nor did
the sponge. However, with your warning I am NOT going to do it again.)
I've now done about 1/4 of the car with the shampoo/sponge combo and it
looks amazing. Shiny, clean, really great.
Just FYI: My car has basically been sitting in my driveway for the past
six months. I had to stop driving because of a brain tumor and its
consequent brain surgery--and its complications and recuperation.
Friends and relatives stayed with me pre- and post-op and did drive my
car, but everyone was so focused on me that the car's condition really
didn't seem very important by comparison. I only resumed driving 3 days
ago, but only for a short trip to the pharmacy--the drive-up window, no
less. I'm not up to walking around stores yet, which is why I hoped to
find a homemade alternative--that I already had on hand--to store bought
car cleaning products. The 1/4 of the car's body that I've washed so
far took a whole day to do--spread out in little blocks of 5-10 minutes
at a time. My stamina just isn't back yet!
You're right about the origin of the water spots--I've deduced that when
the sprinklers are on in the backyard the wind occasionally blows water
onto the car, hence the spots. The finish is NOT pitted at all. Once I
got the spots off the body it looked brand-new. The spots on the
windows come off if I GENTLY scrape them with a fingernail (I did this
on a 1"x1" inconspicuous area), and the surface beneath them is fine.
The fact that they do come off with scraping leaves me thinking there
must be a non-potentially-damaging way I can get them off...but I'm not
sure how yet.
I can't thank you enough, Joe, for the great info you've provided.
Joe AutoDrill
You are more than welcome.
As a side note, I should have mentioned that a razor blade will often work
wonders on glass. Just make sure you are scraping and not "cutting" with
the tip or edge as it could potentially scratch glass... And if it's a Ford
or other brand with a protective coating on the outside (often gold or
green) then avoid doing this... But generally, razor blades are used to
remove glue, stickers, paint overspray, etc.
I wish you much success in your recouperation and long-term health!
Skipfromla
<auto...@yunx.com> wrote:
>> I can't thank you enough, Joe, for the great info you've provided.
>
>You are more than welcome.
>
>As a side note, I should have mentioned that a razor blade will often work
>wonders on glass. Just make sure you are scraping and not "cutting" with
>the tip or edge as it could potentially scratch glass... And if it's a Ford
>or other brand with a protective coating on the outside (often gold or
>green) then avoid doing this... But generally, razor blades are used to
>remove glue, stickers, paint overspray, etc.
>
>I wish you much success in your recouperation and long-term health!
I had a similar problem with my car's windows and used acetone, the
active ingredient in most nail polish remover. It worked very well
and removed the water spots. Just keep it away from painted surfaces
and things that are rubber, probably soft plastic too.
Rastamon
On the windows you can use White Vinegar, it's a very light acid and water
soluble. That was a dealer's detailer's secret from long ago. Rubbing
compound also works, but a bit messier.
Joe AutoDrill
> active ingredient in most nail polish remover. It worked very well
> and removed the water spots. Just keep it away from painted surfaces
> and things that are rubber, probably soft plastic too.
Very good advice... Acetone will soften paint much like a low-level paint
remover. It will also destroy some hard plastics as well as the softer
stuff from time to time.
john
"The best way to get rid of fresh stains, water spots and smears is to
remove them as quickly as possible, before they have a chance to bake
into the paint or cause permanent damage.
This is why Meguiar's recommends keeping Meguiar's Quik Detailer® or
Ulimate Quik Detailer® or Final Inspection and a microfiber polishing
cloth like Meguiar's Supreme Shine Microfiber in the trunk or the back
of your car, truck or S.U.V. Having immediate access to the right
tools to remove fresh bird droppings and other unwanted contaminants
at a moments notice can make the difference between an unsightly
permanent stain or a show car shine.
If you have stubborn stains, spots or smears that a quick detailer
will not remove, your next best bet is to wash your car and then use
one of Meguiar's paint cleaners like ScratchX or Deep Crystal Paint
Cleaner to safely clean the surface and remove the offending
contaminants."
http://www.meguiars.com/faq/index.cfm?faqCat=Paint%20Care&faqQuestionID=48§ion=_48#_48
They have a helpline that can also answer your questions.
On Aug 1, 9:07 pm, MorrisonAndBoyd <nospamwan...@phonydomain.com>
wrote:
rigger
> "MorrisonAndBoyd" <nospamwan...@phonydomain.com> wrote in message
>
> news:Go-dnS0NO9c7ierX...@earthlink.com...
>
>
>
>
>
> > Joe AutoDrill wrote:
>
> On the windows you can use White Vinegar, it's a very light acid and water
> soluble. That was a dealer's detailer's secret from long ago. Rubbing
>
> - Show quoted text -
Another solution is to use Bon-Ami, which is French for "Good Friend",
I've been told. I've only used it on windows, not paint.
I've also used this on photographic darkroom equipment because it
will not scratch (and is also made in Kansas City, MO).
dennis
in nca