Are these solvents safe?

M

MarkyyDee

New member
Just want to start by saying hi to all the forums members. I have read so much great information on these forums and decided that it was time that I join. I’m a mobile detailer that operates out of a town called Lithia springs in Georgia, which is about 15 minutes from downtown Atlanta. Here lately I have been running in to a problem and I’m looking for a low cost and paint safe solution. A lot of my customers lately have been coming in with their bumpers covered in bugs and tar occasionally. I can’t seem to get them off with a regular wash or ONR wash unless the car has been wax and or sealed. I have used stoner’s tarminator but it just has become too expensive to keep purchasing. So with that being said I’m turning to the autopia community to suggest a low cost and paint safe method for removal. Now I have been told by someone that I could use either Mineral spirts or Deodorized kerosene to soak the bumper before I wash it and then after I wash it just make sure I re wax the area. That method would definitely be cost effective I’m just not sure how safe it is, so I’m open on any and all suggestions that you guys have.
 
+1 APC



Soak a micro fibre towel and let it sit for 4-5 minutes (it can be held in place with detailer’s clay) before removing. Then use a (pre-soaked then wring damp) Professional Bug Sponge the open-cell construction 'grabs' foreign matter on your cars paint surface and safely removes it.
 
Over the years, found that the biggest concern when it comes to removing bug guts is that most don't use logic when dealing with them.

1.When they hit the surface, they contained body fluids, they were "wet".

2. The fluids/moisture left the smashed up bug and it dried to a hard deposit. (bird bombs do the same, only most have a lot of amino acids, etc and "etch quickly" the paint)

3. If, you are washing the vehicle, which should be done before any polishing, etc wet the entire vehicle and spray the front area of the vehicle over the water wetted fascia's, bumper, grill, head lights, windsheild, etc with your all-purpose and go on washing the rest of the vehicle, just keep that all purpose applied area wetted with a lite mist.(don't wash it off, just keep it active)

4. Water is the "universal safe solvent", and given a little time, will rehydrate the bug gut deposits.

5. That "water" increases the "active surfactants" in the all purpose, just don't wash it all off until the rest of the vehicle is washed, then use your mitt to "wash the bug gut" area.

6. For month's old deposits, it may be necessary to use a bit more all purpose and a more agressive bug sponge for them to come the rest of the way off.

7. If you still observe some "guts", more than likely, they are gone, but the acids in the bug's body have "etched" the paint and no amount of "rubba-dub" is doing to put the paint back on the part.

Mineral spirits, Tarminator, etc, hydrocarbon based solvents sold will work--here is why, they "are slow evaporating" and do the same as the water, just stay there a bit longer to "break down-desolve" the bug deposits.

That's why they are sold under that usage, they are marketed that way.

To perhaps make this a bit more clear, your mother, wife, etc, those who do the wash, "pre-soak" stains, extremely dirty fabrics, and doing so allows the water and surfactants to break down the soil, etc.

Same with "bug guts", soak, soak, and then wash.

Hope this helps.

Grumpy
 
I'm not a fan of removing wax/sealant when I don't have to. And I dislike sponges and mesh that can scratch by themselves or push contaminants into the paint. A water or QD (my preferred choice) soak for a couple minutes has never failed to remove squished bugs.



For tar I much prefer a solvent based sealant over tar removers. Wipe on, wipe off. Clean and protected in one pass.
 
Brad B. said:
I'm not a fan of removing wax/sealant when I don't have to. And I dislike sponges and mesh that can scratch by themselves or push contaminants into the paint. A water or QD (my preferred choice) soak for a couple minutes has never failed to remove squished bugs.



For tar I much prefer a solvent based sealant over tar removers. Wipe on, wipe off. Clean and protected in one pass.
Click to expand...



Brad, that is good information, however, your cars never get dirty enough, set with "crap" on them long enough to have do much more than that!

LOL!

Grumpy
 
Well thats sort of true. Plus the secret electronic Bug-Off Forcefield (patent pending) that I developed for my cars. It goes with the Invisible Bird Poo Halo that I'm testing now. :)
 
Thanks for all the replies. Are the mineral spirts safe though or do I have to worry about any damage it could cause down the road and Brad B could you recommend me a few solvent based sealants that you use. The bugs aren’t really the biggest of my concern it’s more of the tar. So many customers have been coming in with tar right along the bottoms of their doors and I’m looking for something relatively cheap and effective as well as safe to use, even if I have to re-wax the area after using that’s fine
 
Look for any "All-In-One" product or a "cleaner" wax. Virtually all of these contain solvent cleaners and some contain mechanical (abrasive) cleaners as well. I use Zaino All-in-One a lot, Klasse All-In-One, 3M One Step, Einzett Polish Wax, Meguiars and Mothers have a few as well. Even the cheap Nu Finish cuts tar like crazy.



Mineral spirits is a bit harsh, IMO, to use on finished paint.
 
Brad, today's paint systems are formulated to resist much stronger and by that I mean "clorinated" solvents, such as the benzene in gasoline, the small percentage of toulene in gas, etc.

Would I use mineral spirits on some that was painted with a cheap rattle can spray bomb of paint?

No, but almost every petroluem based cleaner wax, tar remover, etc contain a version of mineral spirits.

There are the odorless, there are the higher refined versions, but they all use mineral spirits in those sort of products.

Few, like the New Car Prep do not use mineral spirits, but a very special solvent, which is why it is non-flammable and non-combustible, and it is much more expensive in bulk than mineral spirits and is produced in very limited quanities, so hard for most chemical companies to get their hands on.

Plus read the label on the New Car Prep, no big scarey "posion", etc "can not be sold in California", etc as it is totally VOC compliant.

Same product that AI produces for Chyrsler and Ford and sold by them under their labels.

Grumpy
 
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