about using distilled viniger...

maxima2k2

New member
ok, i have used a mixture of 50/50 distilled viniger/distilled water on the hood and baking soda (made into a paste), but it looks like it didn't remove any of the bird or water etchings. Paint still looks the same. Is there a certain about of time the baking soda should be left on the hood before rinsing? How much baking soda should be applied? I didn't put a whole lot. Will it actually remove bird and water stain etchings after its been on the hood for at least 8 years?
 
Um...not sure exactly what you are trying to remove, but let me say this. The idea of the baking soda is to neutralize any acids from the bird poop that may have leached into the porous matrix of the paint, in an effort to curb more/future damage. The baking soda will not reverse any existing damage/etching.



The vinegar is supposed to loosen/dissolve mineral deposits from water spots. If what you are seeing as "spots" are really acid rain etchings, rather than hard water stains sitting on top of the paint, you have the same problem as above.



The only way to correct these defects is to remove paint down to a level that is below the damage, which on a clearcoated surface doesn't leave you much to remove before you have other problems. Some bird damage can have its appearance improved by using products that will fill the "fissures" to some degree, but this is hiding, not reversing/correcting/removing.



Hope that helped.
 
Yeah, the only benefit from using both the vinegar and the baking soda at the same time would be to get a forceful foaming effect the way you mix them to clear a drain. I don't see this helping any with prepping an automotive finish.



Used separately, the vinegar will dissolve things that are alkaline and the baking soda will neutralize things that are acidic. Sorta a very weak version of decontamination systems like ABC.



IMO any etching that's been there that long is there to stay.
 
Yeah, the idea is to truly neutralize the acids so etching does not continue/come back even after after you polished it out and topped it again with a LSP. That said, if the acid/conditions were severe enough,sometimes the etching simply is too severe to entirely correct but the acid neutralization ought to prevent it from getting worse each time it's re exposed to mositure and heat.
 
Accumulator said:
IMO any etching that's been there that long is there to stay.





I agree. 8 years is a long time. This is just a side note, but in the future I would use the vinegar full strength instead of 50/50, and try to get those water spots/bird bombs off your paint as soon as possible. Don't wait 8 years. :xyxthumbs
 
maxima2k2 said:
Will it actually remove bird and water stain etchings after its been on the hood for at least 8 years?

NOTHING will REMOVE etching.

weither its been there for 8 days or 8 months.

nothing. period.
 
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