ME!

So there was this quarter size berry stain on my hood, so I decide that I'm going to remove it this morning before the acids in the berry eat thru my paint. I get a paper towel, wet it down and then try to rub off the stain. Well, this was a bad move on my part. After cleaning it off, I noticed that I had scratches all over the place where the berry stain was and it looks like some of the clear coat came off Even though you can't see it unless you get up close to the hood, I am aware of it and its bothering me big time. My question is:

Will a good detailing fix everything right up? I will most likely detail my car after work tomorrow. I will wash it, then use Klasse AIO, the Klasse SG and top it off with some Meguiars Carnauba Wax. Do you think this will do the job? Man, this sucks!

 

Your proposed method will work just fine. It never hurts to ask, though.

 

yea that should work.

next time, if you see that, get it off immediately.

 

Thanks for the replies! I just needed reassurance that this should help fix things up. I guess now I need 2 hours of free time during the day to get a decent detailing job done...

Yeah, I should of removed it when I first saw it but I got lazy I know I deserve this

 

I would recommend against using paper towel on your paint... the materials used to constitute paper towel will undoubtedly scratch your paint. Did your clear coat come off, or is it just simply marred? Could you take a picture of it?

Does the area look dull and whitish? I'm wondering if you burned the clear... which would seem a little odd. If it is burned you get a for being able to do it with paper towel.

If it is just marred... you have several correction approaches that can be taken.

Klasse AIO and SG have no abrasion properties and won't remove scratches; albeit they may fill in the scratches and temporarily make them less visible.

 

Likely it was more than a berry - it was probably poop from a bird that ate a berry.

As an FYI, birds eat little pebbles and gravel to help them digest their food. Those same pebbles and gravel pass through their system. Rubbing said poop can scratch your paint.

Good Luck.

 

I will go out and take a picture during my lunch break and post it tonight. I'm not sure if its marred or it came off.

Ummm....it does kinda alook dull and whitish but I'll have to look again. How would I burn the clear just using a paper towel? This sucks!

So if both Klasse products won't help, what will?

 

D'oh! A light rubbing compound should do the trick.
I use to detail cars @ Acura in Chicago and unlike what a lot of wax companies, I never even use 100% cotton terry cloth/towels. I noticed when detailing a black 3.5RL that the (clean) terry cloth put very fine scratches in the clear coat. They were only noticeable under the florescents in the garage though...
Good luck!

 

Burning the clear is unlikely, that term is generally referred to when using an orbital buffer. This happens when buffing any given spot for too long. This friction heats up the clear coat and will then "burn" through to the paint. I learned this lesson pretty early. This can even distort side moldings...

 

Sorry about this newb question, but what would be considered a light rubbing compound?

 

It's all good. Rubbing compound I guess you can say is liquid sandpaper. This is what detailers use when buffing a car with swirl marks. They generally come in three "grits"; light, medium, and hard each with different abrasive properties.
Any detail shop will have this, or even Kragen, Autozone etc...
After using this, do a regular three step waxing process and of course finish it off with polish...

 

Virtual,

If you're not sure of what type of rubbing compound to use, it's probably best to let a professional detailer do it. If the compound is too abrassive, it can cause more damage.

For future reference, you can use a clay detailing bar w/ some car wash soap or detailing spray to remove stuff that is sticky and stuck on to the car.

 

hey canyon can you give us some tips on what brand name to use for wax, since you were a detailer before. Is Zaino good? or Meguiars NXT ultra wax ?

 

I've never used Zaino before, but from what I heard, they have good products. Personally I stick with the tried and proven Meguiars NXT/Gold class. I ALWAYS use microfiber to remove wax, but if the microfiber cloth is dirty, an old 100% cotton T-shirt will suffice...

 

I know, I should of waited until I washed the car before trying to remove the crap. Believe me, I am disgusted at myself...

 

As much as I hate to admit it (and think about it) I did the same thing awhile back. I keep a bottle of quick detailer and a chamois in my car at all times now. It's worked out just great on many occasions.