I've been away from my car for a few weeks. In the interim, a fine grit/dirt seems to have combined with the morning dew and dried onto my car in little specks all over the horizontal surfaces.

These specks are very hard to remove with normal hand-washing, and I'm afraid I'll scratch the finish if I scrub too hard.

Is there a particular kind of soap or compound that will break this stuff up so that it can easily be washed away without damaging the paint/finish?

Claybar is what you are seeking

Some very super sudsy soap and a very clean hand, no rings, and lots of water for suspension/floating.
(wash your hands with a lot of soap first)

It was the preferred method of washing aircraft canopies that were very dirty.

You want to "float" all the grit off you can. And using a bear hand will help you "feel" the grit, and when it is clean.

Do not use a clay bar if you have dirt or grit, as it will embed in the clay and scratch the finish and make you very sad.

Once you have removed all you can, then you can move to the clay bar. (it is the last step of cleaning).

Take it to a car wash, use the soaking soap/foam, then high pressure rinse? If that doesnt work, maybe a quick detailer spray and microfiber towel. Then clay bar if that didnt work.

quote:

Do not use a clay bar if you have dirt or grit, as it will embed in the clay and scratch the finish and make you very sad.

Not if you are doing it properly it won’t.

quote:

Originally posted by sigmonkey:

using a bear hand will help you "feel" the grit

quote:

Originally posted by BigJnSA:
Take it to a car wash, use the soaking soap/foam, then high pressure rinse? If that doesnt work, maybe a quick detailer spray and microfiber towel. Then clay bar if that didnt work.

Tried the car wash. Didn't work. Physical scrubbing is required, and pretty hard scrubbing at that.

I have a clay bar kit, but am hoping to find something that will just dissolve this tenacious stuff.

It's not as simple as just dirt on my car. This stuff won't come off without aggressive scrubbing with a brush--like to the point I get winded (and I run Spartan Races).

It's as if it's baked on or something.

Iron-x?

quote:

Originally posted by Black92LX:

quote:

Do not use a clay bar if you have dirt or grit, as it will embed in the clay and scratch the finish and make you very sad.

Not if you are doing it properly it won’t.

^^^^^^^^^^^
Make sure you use enough of the spray that the clay bar comes with. It can be a pain, but it works.

I am with Black, clay bar but only after a really good, sudsy wash and even then, based on what you described, I would do a small test area first to make 200% certain you aren't introducing more imperfections then you are removing.

If you want to try the chemical route maybe start with a good bug and tar remover and see if that softens and lifts whatever the mess is

quote:

Originally posted by Black92LX:

quote:

Do not use a clay bar if you have dirt or grit, as it will embed in the clay and scratch the finish and make you very sad.

Not if you are doing it properly it won’t.

Black is right. Clay bar is EXACTLY why it as created...to remove rail dust and embedded particles in uncured clearcoat.

It will leave finish smooth as a baby’s ass...if done right.

I use the Zaino products...including their clay bar.

quote:

Originally posted by Patriot:

quote:

Originally posted by Black92LX:

quote:

Do not use a clay bar if you have dirt or grit, as it will embed in the clay and scratch the finish and make you very sad.

Not if you are doing it properly it won’t.

Black is right. Clay bar is EXACTLY why it as created...to remove rail dust and embedded particles in uncured clearcoat.

It will leave finish smooth as a baby’s ass...if done right.

I use the Zaino products...including their clay bar.

What he said. Clay bars will amaze you if done properly. As stated, wash the car beforehand. After the clay bar, I usually go over the finish with a damp cloth because there is often a dirty film left behind. After that I use a liquid wax such as Meguiers.

A proper washing using the correct methods and solutions would be my first step followed by the clay bar treatment followed by another good wash. This is how I do both my cars with Zaino products. They have some great "how to" sections with each of their products. Sal knows his stuff. Be aware that doing a clay bar treatment will also remove waxes and most sealants.

Check out Chemical Guys. A pretty extensive offering of car care products. If you're unsure which is best for you, call them. They have an active phone number.

https://www.chemicalguys.com/E...h_Products_s/371.htm

I've been using Chemical Guys Citrus Wash and Gloss for years. If there's something it doesn't take off, I have a claybar to use.

After you get it off, seal your car with something to make it harder for stuff to stick. I'm too cheap to pay for a ceramic coating, but I've been using Rejex since I got a new car and it's really slick. Stuff slides off with water now.

Definitely use a clay bar. I have used McGuire’s and Griots. I prefer the McGuire’s. Take small chunk of clay and kneed it out. Use lots of the lubricating spray it comes with and wipe back and forth over the car. Be sure to fold the clay over on itself when it gets dirty. Replace often so as not to use too dirty of clay. If you drop it on the ground, toss it away and grab another new chunk.

After the clay bar you'll need to apply a sealant because the clay will strip everything off. Clay gets the car ready for polishing or sealing.

If the other posts haven't already convinced you, there is no magic bullet to getting that sort of contamination off the paint. Highlighting what others have already noted, I'd....

1 - Soak the car for a long time with a good car wash soap, and then carefully remove whatever you can.
2 - Clay bar the vehicle. Detailer tip: Clay bar right after washing (i.e. while the car is still wet) and use a new/ clean, bucket of car wash soap as your clay lube. Keep the surface super soapy while claying to minimize adding abrasions to the paint, constantly kneed the clay to get a clean surface, and if you drop the clay, throw it away and get another bar. Best practice is to cut the clay bar in half and only use half at a time.

One point of disagreement I have with a couple posters here. No matter how careful you are with the clay bar, if the paint surface is significantly contaminated, you will introduce micro-scratching to the paint surface getting it clean. Not to worry though, those micro-scratches can be removed very quickly and easily with a good polish or scratch remover.

Finally, if your car is subject to an environment where this sort of contamination can/will occur again, seal the car as opposed to waxing it. A good sealant will make it harder for contaminants to adhere to the surface, and will better protect the surface when you do have to remove something from it.