How To Clean Car Paint Damage

Vinegar has plenty of uses in our daily lives. This ranges from being used in laundry, cleaning, food, baking, and also on the skin. Recently, vinegar has become a popular ingredient amongst car enthusiasts.

Most car owners use it to clean both the interior and exterior, remove water spots on car surfaces, and disinfect vehicles amongst other applications.

If you have seen or read about people using vinegar for various car applications, and you are considering doing the same, the thought of it damaging your car paint may have crossed your mind.

This is the question that this article is going to address. After all, vinegar is acidic, and because of that, can it damage car paint?

Before you use any product on your car, the rule is to always look at the ingredients and see if it is safe for use. Your car paint is one of the most sensitive parts of your vehicle. And it is the one that is most likely to be exposed and affected by such products.

Vinegar in this case is acidic. White vinegar, the type that is most commonly used in cleaning households has a PH of 2.5.

When sprayed on your car at full strength, vinegar will corrode or burn into your car paint. So, before we go further with this review, vinegar can damage car paint.

Though not all that acidic by volume, spraying vinegar on your car paint is likely to damage it. In most cases, it will etch your paint and this isn't a risk you should be willing to take just because you want your car to be sparkling clean.

The negative effects worsen if you spray vinegar on your car, and leave it out in the sun for too long. The excess heat accelerates the etching process.

will vinegar damage car paint

So, Should I Avoid Vinegar Altogether?

Probably not. Vinegar is great at stripping away stubborn grease and oils from your car paint. And because it is so useful and easily available, it won't be logical for you to avoid it altogether. Vinegar when diluted with water will clean your car and won't burn through the clear coat and paint.

Commonly known as a sour rinse, vinegar mixed with water is commonly used by car owners and professional detailers. It's great at removing fresh tree sap, grease, and any other form of stubborn dirt that ordinary car wash soap can't remove.

Even though diluted vinegar is given a green light by most professional car experts, it shouldn't be used regularly. If it's that strong when used at full strength, diluting it doesn't make it 100% safe.

It will have some acidic strength. And it may not etch your car paint, but it will definitely eat through your car's clear coat. As you may already know, your car's clear coat plays an essential role in lengthening the life of your car paint.

The key takeaway's here should be;

Never use vinegar at full strength on your car paint

Dilute it adequately, preferably on a ratio of 3:1 (vinegar and water)

Use diluted vinegar sparingly

If you were wondering whether vinegar will damage car paint then there is your answer. For those of you who would like to know more about vinegar, its uses, and its effects on car paint, keep on reading to learn more.

Vinegar and How it Removes Dried Water Spots on a Car

Do you wash your car with hard water? Afterward, do you often struggle to rub off dried water spots? Well, that's one of the disadvantages of using hard water. Not only doesn't it form lather easily but it also leaves behind annoying spots which are so hard to rub off.

The best option for you to avoid this is switching to soft water. But, if you only have access to hard water, there is a loophole – vinegar.

When sprayed on car paint and rubbed off gently with a microfiber cloth, vinegar absorbs the calcium and magnesium deposits that are left behind by hard water. This leaves your car sparkling clean and free from white spots.

As great as vinegar is in removing hard water spots, it can be a bit too harsh on your car paint. And that's the biggest concern for many car owners.

However, if it is diluted with water, its acidic strength is weakened significantly. And remains effective enough to remove spots.

What Other Alternatives Do I Have?

If your car always gets spots after washing it, and you don't want to use vinegar because of its impact on your car paint, here is the best alternative.

Invest in quality car wax. Waxing your car does more than just add a layer of protection to your car paint and make it shiny.

It also helps remove and prevent water spots from appearing on your car. Also, if your car is waxed, should you decide to spray it with vinegar, your car paint will be protected.

Please keep in mind that wax doesn't stand a chance against vinegar when it's in full strength. It will be stripped away.

How to Make a Vinegar Solution that is Gentle on Car Paint?

Because of its availability in most households, vinegar will remain to be the number one go-to ingredient to remove water spots and stains on car paint. So, it's a good idea that you know how to make a vinegar solution that is gentle on your car paint.

Once you are done washing your car, dry it and then apply this solution to remove spots and streaks. Never apply vinegar on a dry car because the water will carry some of the vinegar to places that you don't intend it to reach.

Making a vinegar solution, in this case, requires ¼ cup of white vinegar and a full cup of water. Put the mixture in a spray and shake gently so that all the ingredients are mixed up.

Once you have your solution, spray it on areas where there are spots on your car. Rub the vinegar off with a dry microfiber cloth and you won't see the mineral deposits anymore.

It's that easy and simple. To ensure the vinegar mixture doesn't corrode your car paint, apply it after washing your car on a cool day or wash your car in the garage, away from sunlight.

Also, when applying this solution to your car paint, don't bathe your entire car with acid. Instead, apply on some sections, and don't let the vinegar sit on your car paint for more than a minute.

You need to know that despite being so effective at removing water spots, vinegar will also remove your wax. You may have to re-wax your car later on.

How Do I Deal with Car Paint Etching Caused by Vinegar?

We all make mistakes and every day is an opportunity to learn something new. If you have been using vinegar and have recently realized etching on your car paint, then don't beat yourself up.

It happens to the best of us. Dimples or etch spots can best be fixed by paint correction or polishing. The latter is more affordable and easier.

You will need to shop for the best car polish on the market. It is advisable to invest in a machine polisher as it will make your work much easier.

Meguiar's and Chemical Guys are some of the popular polishing brands around. You can have a look at what they offer and choose one that suits your preference.

The key to getting rid of etching caused by vinegar on car paint is to polish thoroughly. You can hire a professional to do it for you.

It is also possible to do it yourself and save those extra dollars. Most polishers come with a foam cutting pad. This makes it easier for you to rub polish on your car.

Before polishing your car, wash and dry it. The presence of debris or other abrasives can lead to scratching of car paint during the polishing process.

Do the polishing in a garage or indoors, somewhere the wind can't blow dust onto your car.

With the right tools and products, you can effectively get rid of etching caused by vinegar on car paint. If the process seems a bit confusing, you can always hire a professional detailer to help you out.

Other than Vinegar, What Else Can Damage Car Paint?

Now that you know how to use vinegar safely, it's important to familiarize yourself with other things that can eat the paint off a car.

Most of the things I am going to list below are household products that we regularly use. And even though you may not know it, they could be responsible for damaging your paint.

Rubbing alcohol – It is similar to vinegar. When used at full strength, rubbing alcohol will burn through your car's paint.

All-purpose cleaners – When your car wash soap runs out, it's normal to be tempted to use your all-purpose cleaner. But, you should refrain from doing so. Some contain strong chemicals.

Gas spills

Bird droppings

Tree sap

Bugs

Soda and coffee

From gas spills to soda and coffee, these will only damage car paint if left to dry out on it. To keep your paint in good condition, wash your car regularly, avoid the above things from getting into contact with your car paint.