There are many ways oil paint can come into contact with your car’s body. You have unknowingly parked your car near a construction site, or your kids could have accidentally spilled some oil paint on your car when engaging in DIY crafts.
Irrespective of how the oil paint got on your car, what matters most is how fast and efficiently can you remove it from the car body.
Drops of oil paint especially if they are of a contrasting color can make your car look terrible. And because of that, it is understandable that you may want to get rid of it right away. However, this urge shouldn’t direct you into using the wrong paint removal products.
Regarding oil paint on the car body, there are a couple of things you need to know. In your attempt to remove the oil paint, your removal product could remove the paint beneath as well.
Such an amount of damage will be quite costly and you will have to part with more money when getting professional paint correction services.
There are hundreds of ways you can remove oil from the car body. Most of this information is available online, especially on car detailing forums. With there being so many ways, you shouldn’t follow recommendations blindly.
For instance, I have read in some forums that kerosene or scratching the oil paint can remove it from your car’s body. This isn’t only misleading but the results will be disastrous.
Kerosene and other types of fuel are harmful to car paint. They eat through the wax, clear coat, and leave a dull finish. Scratching on the other hand will SCRATCH your car body.
If you are looking for proven ways how to remove oil paint from a car body then you have come to the right place. To kick things off, I am going to list some of the proven ways of getting rid of oil paint on the car body.
And proceed to share step-by-step guides on methods that I think are more effective and safer on your car paint.
Table of Contents
What are the Methods I Can Use to Remove Oil Paint from Car Body?
• Claying
• Recommended paint removal products that should be bought at the auto shop
• Peel off the paint drop with a fingernail when it hardens
• Polish and waxing
The above are some of the proven ways I have come across that can help remove oil paint from cars. Depending on the approach you use, some methods may be more fruitful than others.
So, it’s up to you to analyze and determine which method seems better. To help make your work easier, below I am going to focus on some of the methods I think are more effective at removing oil paint from the car body.
Using Acetone to Remove Oil-Based Paint from my Car Body
Acetone is a very popular product in the auto-detailing industry. It can be used to remove stubborn stains including oil paint drops and anything else that binds on car surfaces such as adhesives.
It is strong at loosening different compounds and if used wrongly, acetone will hurt your car’s clear coat. So, be very careful when using this product and follow the instructions provided keenly.
To use acetone in the removal of oil-based paint from your car body, you will need a small paintbrush or Q-tips, lint-free cloths, obviously some acetone which can be sourced at your nearest hardware and car wax to create a smooth finish when you are done.
Dip your brush or Q-tips in some acetone and apply a thin layer to the paint. Be very careful not to get the acetone on other parts of your car body.
Doing this will result in damage to the clear coat. Also, when you dip the brush, only scoop very small amounts of acetone. This will ensure the acetone doesn’t run off your car paint. Precise application is crucial when using acetone.
After applying it correctly to the oil paint stain, leave it for more than 5 minutes. Grab the lint-free cloth and dab the paint stain.
Kindly avoid rubbing the paint stain as you will spread it to other parts of your car. Repeat this process several times while turning the cloth so that only a fresh part touches the stain every time.
If the oil paint doesn’t come off in the first attempt, repeat this process thoroughly. In every application, only apply the acetone to the top part of the paint stain.
Having noticed that the paint is gone, apply some wax to the cleaned area. This will restore any wax that may have been stripped by the acetone and restore your car’s shine.
As great as acetone is at removing oil paint from the car body, you should know that it can remove your car’s paint as well. The only way to avoid this is by not applying it directly to the car paint.
Also, if you don’t have acetone, you can use paint thinners or mineral spirits. However, I wouldn’t recommend the latter as they are not effective paint removal products.
Should either run on your car paint, the results will be catastrophic. If you doubt your ability to only apply acetone to the affected area on your car body, you can always cover the surrounding areas with adhesive.
Can Rubbing Alcohol Remove Oil Paint from Car Body?
For car owners who can’t get their hands on acetone, then rubbing alcohol is another excellent alternative. Rubbing alcohol is another popular product that is commonly used to clean car stains. It can also be used to remove oil paint from the car body.
Rubbing alcohol works by dissolving the oil stain thus allowing you to remove it easily from your car surface. However, rubbing alcohol is a strong solvent and will eat through your car’s clear coat and etch the paint if not used correctly.
So, if you are going to use rubbing alcohol, here is how you should go about it. Start with marking the area around the oil paint with tape.
Make sure that you use tape that won’t leave adhesive marks or residue on your car’s surface. Masking tape is an excellent choice. However, at your nearest auto shop, you can ask for better alternatives.
The reason why you should cover the surrounding areas is to ensure that even if the rubbing alcohol runs through the nearby areas, it won’t come into contact with naked paint.
After covering the surrounding areas, apply rubbing alcohol and leave it there for two or three minutes. Use a clean microfiber towel to remove the oil paint stain.
Depending on how long that stain has been on your car body, you may have to use a lot of elbow grease to remove that stain with a microfiber cloth.
You can even use your fingernails to lightly peel the top paint. If the alcohol has soaked into the paint stain then you won’t have to result in such measures.
As it is with any other paint removal method, once you are done using rubbing alcohol to remove oil paint from your car body, what follows should be proper waxing and polishing of the affected surface.
It is also important that car owners understand how strong rubbing alcohol can be. To be on the safe side, you can dilute rubbing alcohol in water and see if it will remove the oil paint stain.
What is the Safest Way of Removing Oil Paint from Car Body?
Acetone and rubbing alcohol are very effective at removing oil paint from the car body. However, they can severely damage car paint if not used correctly. And because of this reason, some car owners are reluctant to use these two methods.
If you are looking for the safest way of removing oil from a car body then brace yourself for using a lot of effort. Soap and mildly hot water is the only method that won’t damage your car paint.
A quality car wash shampoo can help remove oil paint stains on your car body. To help the car wash shampoo in its efforts, hot water loosens the oil paint.
This process involves lots of scrubbing and at one point you may have to use your fingernails to chip off the paint.
Can Professional Paint Correction Remove Oil Paint from Car Body?
Even though it costs more, professional paint correction is the safest and most effective method of removing oil paint from the car body. At times, DIY paint correction doesn’t always offer satisfactory results.
However, taking your car to a professional does the exact opposite. These guys have the tools, knowledge, and experience in the removal of stains such as oil paint from car bodies.
I would highly recommend taking your car to a skilled auto-detailer if the oil paint stain is significant.
Or, if you have little knowledge of DIY paint correction. At the end of the day, what you do to your car is entirely up to you.
If you are comfortable with driving around with an oil paint stain then that’s fine. But if that’s not the case, you will have to do something about that stain.