How to Remove Overspray Without Damaging Clear Coat
If you’ve ever had to paint a car, you know how difficult it can be to get the right color without any of it coming back through as a drip or an overspray. Overspray from painting is not only frustrating but also time-consuming and expensive to remove. In addition, if left untreated, overspray can cause permanent damage to your paint job by dulling its shine and destroying the protective clear coat.
You have to choose when removing overspray, and we will go over them all in this article to know what your choices are and how they work! In addition, this article will show you how to remove overspray without damaging clear coat with just a few household items.
7 Reasons Why You Should Remove Overspray Without Damaging Clear Coat:
1. It Keeps the Paint Cleaner:
When overspray is left on the paint, it mixes with other materials and makes it harder for you to clean your paint fully. This also makes the job of keeping your car’s finish looking great longer difficult because you have to remove it from time to time manually.
2. It Prevents Water Spots:
Overspray is a type of paint that consists of fine particles. When this material mixes with water, it leaves behind water spots after the water evaporates. So if you want your car’s finish to stay looking great for as long as possible, removing overspray from time to time will help keep those pesky water spots from settling in.
3. It Keeps the Clear Coat in Good Shape:
Just like wax keeps your car’s paint protected, a clear coat does the same for your car’s finish. Although overspray doesn’t affect it much, keeping it clean and free from contaminants (such as dust and dirt) prevents its protective capabilities from wearing out too quickly.
4. It Protects Against Swirl Marks and Scratches:
Overspray can scratch your car’s paint when you use a magnet to remove it. If the scratches are too deep, they will become visible when any light reflects off them. Although you might not be able to see the damage in direct sunlight, someone else can notice them during an afternoon walk or at night.
5. It Helps You Clean Your Car’s Paint Easier:
When you remove overspray, many of the tiny particles standing between your paint and effective cleaning will go away. This makes it easier for your car to shine because everything is in its proper place – including the dirt, grime, and wax that you need to remove from the paint’s finish!
6. It Keeps You Safe:
When overspray settles on something, it can give off harmful chemicals that can harm you when inhaled. If you have a severe respiratory illness, these chemicals could make your condition worse over time. Therefore, keeping overspray away from you and your loved ones will ensure that you don’t have to deal with unwanted health problems.
7. It Keeps Your Car Looking Shiny:
The whole point of keeping your car’s paint looking great for as long as possible is to keep it shiny! If you want your car to stay this way, removing overspray whenever you see it is imperative. This keeps the finish clean and prevents water spots from ruining its appearance.
Now that you know why you should remove overspray, let’s explore how to remove overspray without damaging clear coat! Depending on how much time and effort you want to put into the process, you can use a few different methods.
12 Methods on How to Remove Overspray Without Damaging Clear Coat:
1. Masking:
If your automotive paint lacks that “sparkle,” why not give it a quick spray of clear? To get the best possible results from spraying automotive paint, you need to section off the area you will be painting. The best way to do this is with masking tape and newspaper.
Unwrap your car and lay down enough newspaper to cover the areas you plan on painting. Then, start spraying and begin masking immediately! If the newspaper gets in the way, mask over it and make sure you do this fast, or you’ll get runs.
2. Paint Thinner:
If you’ve just sprayed a clear coat over your paint job or if you have exposed un-sanded primer, then this is the product for you. Not only will it help remove overspray, but it will also work to correct minor mistakes while being gentle on your paint job. Best of all, paint thinner won’t cause big runs in your paint as masking tape will.
3. Brasso:
Overspray is most prominent after it is sprayed because of the clear coat mixed in with it, so getting rid of it before spraying your automotive paint job is the best idea you have. There is no better way to do this than using Brasso metal polish long as you apply it and wipe it down quickly.
4. Overspray Film Remover:
There are a few ways you can use overspray film remover. If you have already sprayed over your paint job, this is the product to use as it will remove any excess material that may cause damage to the paint. On the other hand, if you haven’t yet sprayed over your car but want to do so without creating too much of a mess, this product works great by applying a thin layer of the film remover before you spray.
5. Baby Oil:
Many people have had great results with baby oil on their automotive paint job. Rub a small amount into an area that has been affected by overspray and wipe it off immediately afterward with a clean rag.
6. Rubbing Alcohol:
One of the best things about rubbing alcohol is that it removes automotive paint overspray and cleans up any dirt or grime. Apply a small amount to a clean rag and wipe off the affected area.
7. Mineral Spirits:
When it comes to removing overspray, Mineral Spirits is a little like paint thinner as it will help remove the material and correct any mistakes you might make while moving fast. Simply wipe down your car, apply a small number of mineral spirits to a clean rag, and wipe away excess material quickly before it has time to dry.
8. WD-40:
Overspray isn’t just annoying, and it can damage your paint job if you leave it sitting on there for too long, so it’s best to remove it as soon as possible. The great thing about using WD-40 is that not only will the product help clean away any material, but it will also help to protect your paint job. Spray the area with WD-40 and wipe away any unwanted material with a clean rag.
9. Car Wax:
If you are spraying over your car, then here is another excellent way to get rid of that pesky overspray! Apply any car wax to the surface you are trying to protect and wipe away the excess material with a clean rag.
10. Make Your Paint Basket:
Although this may seem a little intimidating at first, you can make your paint basket with a few items from around the house. First, stretch the pantyhose over any wire hanger and spray it with Plasti Dip to seal it against moisture.
11. Q-tips:
For those areas that are hard to reach (like the inside of a wheel well), simply cut up some Q-tips and use them to remove any excess material. This is also great for those areas where masking tape would typically leave behind residue.
12. Plasti Dip Spray Rubber Coating:
If you need to mask off certain areas of your car (like the inside of a wheel well) then spray rubber coating like Plasti Dip on there and peel it away once your paint job has dried. Don’t worry about overspray as this product won’t do that!
Some Tips and Suggestions:
The following are some helpful tips to remove overspray from the paint of your vehicle.
- Always work in a shaded area. Over time, paint begins to fade if the sun’s UV rays do not cover it. Also, a hot surface will dry lacquer solvents too quickly and cause paint problems.
- Make sure you have enough quality lacquer thinner for your job before starting. Cheap thinners only contain 20% or fewer solvents, while the more expensive ones contain over 50%.
- Always test your lacquer thinner on a small inconspicuous spot first to ensure that it will not damage the surface of the paint where you are working or cause spotting/marring on unprotected areas of paint.
- You can use an excellent grade of sandpaper (1000 – 1500 grit) to lightly scuff the overspray on your vehicle before attempting to remove it. If you are removing lots of paint, use a rotary buffer.
- Always work in small sections if you remove more than light amounts of paint; otherwise, keep an eye out for swirl marks. It is always best to remove as little paint as possible.
Conclusion:
The best way to remove overspray from a car is by using rubbing alcohol and some paper towels. This process should be done as soon as possible after the overspray has been applied before it dries, or else you will have an even more difficult time removing it later on!
To learn more about preventing this problem in the first place, check out our blog post. This easy-to-follow how to remove overspray without damaging clear coat guide walks you through the steps of removing overspray without damaging your car’s paint job. For more information about how to get professional help with painting your vehicle, contact us today.
Louis Wein
Louis has always been fascinated by cars. He loves the way they look, the sound of the engine, and how they make him feel when he's driving. He is always keen to learn more about different mechanics of cars and how the engine contributes to other aspects of the car. As an automotive technician with over 10 years of experience, he knew how they worked and loved taking them apart to see how they went back together. He was especially interested in the mechanics of combustion engines and loved finding ways to make them more efficient. He loves to work on cars and help people keep their vehicles running smoothly. As a senior editor, he enjoys contributing to Diy quickly because it allows him to share his knowledge and expertise with others.
