If you’ve ever had your car painted or detailed, chances are that the job left a bit of excess residue and paint particles—these particles are known as overspray. Depending on the severity of your case, overspray can look like a fine layer of dust covering your car. In worse cases, it looks as though your vehicle is covered in little bubbles or raindrops. Bottom line is, it’s not a good look. Luckily, there are some overspray removal methods that are sure to get your car looking as good as new.
Buff It Out
This DIY overspray removal technique commonly involves a clay bar but can be done with other materials as well, including some less abrasive sponges. Both of these can be bought at most big-box stores as well as local shops and don’t cost much at all. You’ll need one other supply, though. Either get your hands on an auto body cleaner, use a glass cleaner that you have sitting around your house, or fill a spray bottle with a simple mix of soap and water. Wet the affected areas and use your “scrubber” to gently buff away the overspray. If you feel friction, you’ll know it’s working. Once there’s no more friction, use your chosen cleaner to clear up any leftover gunk.
Wet Sanding
Wet sanding involves using more abrasive material like sandpaper alongside some type of lubricating agent to remove overspray. By sanding down the flecks of overspray paint, you’re clearing up the unsightly mess on your vehicle. It’ll take a fair amount of time and even more patience. Slow and steady is the order of the day when it comes to any wet sanding project. While this method is fairly effective, a warning to the user: Overly wet sanding your car has the potential to compromise some of the original paint, so be extra careful if you choose this method.
Use a Plastic Razor
You’ve likely heard how you can remove adhesives, paint flecks, and sticky substances from glass and other surfaces using a conventional razor. While you could certainly do that with your car, a metal razor has the potential to cause all sorts of scrapes and scratches on the original paint job. Plastic razors look just like their metal counterparts but are made of fairly hard plastic. If you’re lucky, a plastic razor will have enough oomph to get rid of some of the oversprays without damaging any of the paint below. This will certainly take the most elbow grease, but if you’re up to the task, it’s a great DIY method for cleaning up your car.
Go With a Pro
This is by far the easiest (and of course costliest) method on the list. Instead of risking a bad DIY job or spending hours trying to remove the overspray to no avail, find a trusted auto body shop or overspray removal service like National Overspray Removal and have them do the job for you. They have extensive experience working with even the trickiest of overspray removal jobs. They also provide free estimates so you know exactly what the removal is going to run you. Plus, since their services are fully mobile, you don’t have to go out of your way to take your car into a shop. Their convenience and service quality adds up to a company worth trusting with your overspray removal project.
Overspray is unsightly and can greatly devalue your car. Instead of driving around with flecks of paint all over your ride, use a DIY overspray removal method or call up a professional. In no time at all, your car will be looking like it just got delivered from the factory.