Hey guys!

I need some quick help! I was using rubbing alcohol on my windshield to get rid of some "tar" and the bottle leaked over the side of the car and even though rinsed it right off, it left a big discolored spot. I already tried claybar and wax
Any tips how to get rid of that??

Thanks for any helpful information!

 

Rubbing alcohol shouldn't cause any permanent damage to a factory finish - is the car original paint? These cars generally have a clear coat from the factory and rubbing alcohol shouldn't eat through the clear to affect the colour. Claybar may not be aggressive enough and wax would just seal the discolouration in, so you need to lightly water sand with 1200 grit paper or even just rubbing compound and then a buff and polish.

 

I just went back down and used rubbing compound and a buffer and it seems to look shiny again and the discoloration is gone. That was weird...it was not everywhere the alcohol spilled over but in one particular spot. I wonder if the paint was touched up there or the clearcoat is damaged?
Looks good now, applied another layer of wax after and it seems to be alright!
Gotta wait and see what it looks like in the sun and maybe still might have to sand it, but for now it's ok! Thank you for the tips!

 

Like most solvents it has to have a time to evaporate, can be a while. isopropyl alcohol should not be a threat to the paint for the short term. Woody

 

Alky will strip the wax and can take oil out of the paint ( most paints use a plastizer) . They are usually made of soy bean oil. I would rub some soy bean oil on the area and leave it sit for a while ( put on thick) after a bout and hour or two, remove excess, clean and rewax. Hope it works and doesn't show in sunlight!

 

Unless you really know what you're doing with wet sanding, and the necessary steps to remove the sanding marks, DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT DOING THIS TO YOUR CAR!!!!! Diluted isopropyl alcohol is often used in the detailing process as a wipe down following the compounding step to ensure that all lubricating oils from the compound that might otherwise hide defects have been totally removed. This allows the detailer to better inspect their work and make sure they are removing the defects and not just filling them in. Buy accidentally spilling a high concentrate of isopropyl alcohol (usually 90+%) you would have very effectively dulled down the finish in that area. Using a compound to deep clean the area and restore the gloss was a smart move and should be anyone's first step. Waxes won't fix this because they aren't intended to fix issues. Clay won't fix it because clay only works to remove above surface bonded contaminants.

Glad to hear that you don't have any long term damage and that your fix was successful.

 

I've actually just had the same thing happen to me with a high % alcohol. Could I bother you to ask what brands of compound and wax you used? the alcohol left a haze where the alcohol dripped. appreciate the advice, thanks again!

 

You do realize this is a 5 year old post, right ?

 

Yeahhhhhh... Saw you were still active on the site.. never hurts to try :/

 

I am EVER so grateful for this thread as I just did the same thing and I thought I ruined my car! I have a professional going to work on it tonight... I'll show him this thread just in case its something he's not faced before.

THANKS A TON!