How to remove these stains without damaging paint?
- Thread starter doktormane
- Start date
Kiwi TJ
Just asked myself if I’m crazy and we all said No
Supporting Member
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Do you know what the stains are ?...it may need just a really good cut n' polish...unless the clear coat is damaged then your looking at a re-spray
Or rain stains...if that makes any sense. I moved next to the sea, having never lived so close to it before, would those stains be dried up sea salt?
Looks like hard water spots, a mild polishing compound should take care of it.
Kiwi TJ
Just asked myself if I’m crazy and we all said No
Supporting Member
Ride of the Month Winner
I used to live pretty close to the sea less than 2 miles so my cars would always need a weekly bath...and I'd polish mine twice a year to help protect the paint. Try a cut an polish you never know
100% hard water. Polish will likely be the least intrusive solution. Tons of stuff on youtube about it. Your paint needs to be corrected ASAP. Adams polish makes great stuff.
If you get it prof done, it will save you a week of hours in labor. Of course, that comes with a cost.
To br transparent, your paint is in really bad shape. I see where there was an attempt to fix it. Lots of swirl scratches. But no worry, most of that can be cut by a well experienced detailer.
If you get it prof done, it will save you a week of hours in labor. Of course, that comes with a cost.
To br transparent, your paint is in really bad shape. I see where there was an attempt to fix it. Lots of swirl scratches. But no worry, most of that can be cut by a well experienced detailer.
89grand
TJ Addict
That looks like fucked clear coat. There is no easy fix for that. Some of that looks like hard water spots, which can be removed, but if the other areas are ruined clear coat, there isn't much point in dealing with the water spots.
Try wiping it with WD-40. That often gets rid of tree sap and other stains. It also helps protect the surface for a while. Just don’t rub it across any stickers or adhesives which should not be removed. Goo Gone (depending on which formulation) may also help; just don’t scrub excessively. I used Goo Gone to clean up the residue after I chipped off the “Trail Rated” emblem.
WOW-- You have a serious issue there- its a combination of problems. First-- its GOING to cost you some $$, no way around that. You have a couple of options though as far as spending that $. You can take it to a pro detailer and pay him or you can use that money to buy the tooling and products and do it yourself, each has its own benefit. You have 2 MAJOR problems as I see it- 1) the chemical or water spotting and 2) the scratches by the hood latch that someone took something like scotch brite to it.
Benefits of taking it to a pro deatailer is that he knows what he is doing ( if he is a good one , if not then thats not good either) and can do the job correctly and much more efficiently. The down side is he might not be a good one and not do a - by professional standards — a good job, but you wont know that.
Benefits of doing it yourself is that $ you paid him to do it - you spend on the tooling & products that you keep to do this type of thing in the future. You learn to do it. You get enjoyment of doing it yourself.
There are pros & cons to each, you have to pick. let us know on here what way you go so you can be guided on what to look for either way-- PRIOR TO YOU DOING IT
Good luck & hope it turns out good for you
Benefits of taking it to a pro deatailer is that he knows what he is doing ( if he is a good one , if not then thats not good either) and can do the job correctly and much more efficiently. The down side is he might not be a good one and not do a - by professional standards — a good job, but you wont know that.
Benefits of doing it yourself is that $ you paid him to do it - you spend on the tooling & products that you keep to do this type of thing in the future. You learn to do it. You get enjoyment of doing it yourself.
There are pros & cons to each, you have to pick. let us know on here what way you go so you can be guided on what to look for either way-- PRIOR TO YOU DOING IT
Good luck & hope it turns out good for you
1TrackJack
Member
Try some Lime-away, if its hard water stains it will help remove them. Again, use in the most inconspicuous area.
Try some polishing compound next. Do not use any sand paper. Consult a recommended detailer.
Try some polishing compound next. Do not use any sand paper. Consult a recommended detailer.
Looks like damage to the clear coat. Now I know this will sound stupid. Really stupid. But it will remove road tar and pine sap that has hardened for a couple years. If it can do that then it'll do anything. And no paint damage.
Go to the shaving section of your local Mart and get some "William's LECTRIC SHAVE" and use some on a cotton ball or some cotton flannel. Let it soak on the surface for a min or so. Then just start lightly scrubbing. It comes up real easy. When it stops removing or the cotton ball is full just repeat everything. Soak and scrub till it's all gone. Gets hardened grasshoppers off glass easy too. Works for tar on your hands. Works as a solvent for everything I've ever encountered. And it is obviously safe to be around. It's really amazing stuff. Father used it for decades after a shave.
Go to the shaving section of your local Mart and get some "William's LECTRIC SHAVE" and use some on a cotton ball or some cotton flannel. Let it soak on the surface for a min or so. Then just start lightly scrubbing. It comes up real easy. When it stops removing or the cotton ball is full just repeat everything. Soak and scrub till it's all gone. Gets hardened grasshoppers off glass easy too. Works for tar on your hands. Works as a solvent for everything I've ever encountered. And it is obviously safe to be around. It's really amazing stuff. Father used it for decades after a shave.
It will likely benefit you to look up water spots and etching, clear coat etching to be exact. That’s actually is what is going on in the pics provided. I doubt any of these home brews are worth the effort. But it’s your time and effort.
John Scoggins
TJ Enthusiast
Without feeling the paint, it looks like Hard water spots combined with a cleaner stain, (and at spot where it looks like something abrasive was rubbed in a circle). Seen worse get corrected by the following:
Step 1. Clay bar
Step 2. Compound
Step 3. Polish
Step 4. Wax
I used Meguiars products because you can get them at Walmart, AutoZone. ETC. and they are priced very good. I also have a Dual Action (DA) polisher because my shoulders are over 50. You can use an orbital but it is safer with a DA since it will not burn your paint during the correction process if to much pressure is used. There are a lot of videos out there on how to step through the process (Meguiars, Mothers, and Turtle wax have some good ones posted on there site).
I am not pushing Meguiars, but I have had great results with their products. You can shop around, and pay a lot more for something like Chemical Guys, Adams and what not but have never found there products to be any better really.
Do a test spot first, and if you decide to do the paint correction, the biggest thing ot remember is to work in small sections (2ft x 2 ft) at a time as each Step is applied.
PS EDIT Before Step 1 wash the Jeep first with some Dawn.
Step 1. Clay bar
Step 2. Compound
Step 3. Polish
Step 4. Wax
I used Meguiars products because you can get them at Walmart, AutoZone. ETC. and they are priced very good. I also have a Dual Action (DA) polisher because my shoulders are over 50. You can use an orbital but it is safer with a DA since it will not burn your paint during the correction process if to much pressure is used. There are a lot of videos out there on how to step through the process (Meguiars, Mothers, and Turtle wax have some good ones posted on there site).
I am not pushing Meguiars, but I have had great results with their products. You can shop around, and pay a lot more for something like Chemical Guys, Adams and what not but have never found there products to be any better really.
Do a test spot first, and if you decide to do the paint correction, the biggest thing ot remember is to work in small sections (2ft x 2 ft) at a time as each Step is applied.
PS EDIT Before Step 1 wash the Jeep first with some Dawn.
xxdabroxx
TJ Addict
If it's hard water I'd try some sort of acid before I started cutting and polishing. I had a summer job at a dealership and the older detail guys would spray acid on paint to clean up hard water deposits. You could try a vinegar solution and a soft sponge or rag. Make sure you rinse it well.
If you clay bar make sure you wax after as they remove the wax too.
I really like AMMO's videos.
If you clay bar make sure you wax after as they remove the wax too.
I really like AMMO's videos.
It looks like a combination of bird dropping damage and hard water stains. As stated above the damage has been done by etching. Most polishes will have little effect on it. Wet sanding would be the best but if your not experienced will probably make things worse. Try some meguires m105 cut-compound followed by a good polish.
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