A paint spilled accidentally over your car can damage its finish and make it look unattractive. Working quickly is essential to get rid of this paint effectively and easily. This article provides some methods.
A wrong paint job can make your car look unattractive. While painting your car or applying touch up paint to it, some other areas might get painted as well, leading to a blotchy and uneven look. Sometimes, paint might be spilled accidentally over your car. Before painting your car, the previous color needs to be removed. Also, a wrongly done paint job needs to be repaired by stripping off the paint from the car surface. Whatever be the reason, removing paint from your car in the right way will help you give it the desired finish. For any of the above reasons, if you are wondering how to remove paint from a car, then some methods are given below.
Using Soapy Water
Take a bucketful of lukewarm, soapy water. Make sure you use a mild detergent or a car wash shampoo. Take a clean, soft rag or a rough dishwashing scrub. Dip it in soapy water and scrub over the paint thoroughly. This is an effective method to remove spray paint from a car if it is still not completely dry. The sooner you try doing this, the higher are the chances of getting results.
Using Paint Thinner
You can opt for a paint thinner, kerosene, turpentine, gasoline, or even nail polish remover to get rid of the paint. Wet a washcloth with one of these and lightly rub it over the paint which you need to remove. In case of enamel paint, you can successfully remove it. You will notice that the color transfers to the cloth. Just continue rubbing it to remove all the paint. If the color doesn’t transfer over to the cloth, then it is an acrylic or lacquer paint, for which you need to use the next method.
Using Rubbing Compound
In case of acrylic or lacquer car paint, you need to use a good quality car rubbing compound and buffer. Make sure the buffer is not over 2500 to 3000 rpm, as this might burn the paint and leave marks, especially in case of dark-colored cars. Start by applying or rubbing the compound on the paint, and then use a buffer. This will definitely help remove paint scratches from a car.
Using Sandpaper
Get your hands on an 800 grit sandpaper. Sand it continuously over the paint to be removed for a few minutes. Now take a thousand grit sandpaper and again sand continuously for a few minutes. Next, you will need a 1500 grit sandpaper to do the job. Once you are done sanding with this one and stripped off the next layer, switch to a 2000 grit sandpaper. After sanding with this, you might have scraped off the color. Using a wet sandpaper is also an effective technique.
Once you get the desired results with one of the aforementioned ways of removing paint from a car, you can finish by applying wax and polish to the car’s surface. Remember to park your car in the shade to avoid baking of any spilled color due to direct sunlight, making it difficult to be removed. If you are not getting the desired results, it would be best to take the car to an authorized service station and have its classic finish back.