Stubborn red berry stains on paint.

P

P Rock

New member
I have this tree in my yard that drops these berries every fall and they came early this year. The berries are in a hard shell which resembles a nut and when they fall out of the tree, the impact on my car causes them to splatter a red berry on the paint.
They leave an EXTREMELY stubborn stain on the paint. I have tried Carpro tar X, a light polish by hand , I even used a compound with a dual action and none of these worked. It helped a little bit but the stains remain.
The only thing that works is to scrub each stain with a cleaner and a lot of pressure. This is very time consuming since there are probably a hundred individual stains on the car.

It seems like I`ll need a somewhat harsh chemical to break down and loosen up the berries then try wiping it away. I`m wondering if anyone here has dealt with the same issue and wondering what product suggestions I can try to break down the composition of these berries so they wipe away easily.

I have attached a picture for reference.
Any input appreciated. Thanks in advance.
 

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P, do you know what kind of tree it is?

I had a friend with a similar problem and he cut the tree down late at night :)
 
tom p. said:
P, do you know what kind of tree it is?

I had a friend with a similar problem and he cut the tree down late at night :)
Click to expand...

I have no clue what kind of tree it is but it`s definitely a nuisance. Maybe I`ll be buying a chainsaw soon ....
 
This could work I think. Stoner XENIT Cleaner & Remover. It`s to find the chemical to desolve the specific dirt you got. Citrus oils desolves a various kind of dirt which is great. I think that a strong bug remover could also work. It`s not easy to find the right chemical to take care of a unusual dirt. But when you find it it`s often melts away in front of you. So it`s often a trial and error with what you have. Start small with the sections you clean. And the dwelling time is also important to get as long as possible. If you want a longer dwelling so it`s not drying on the paint. I use a mf towel soaked with the chemical over the spot. And then gently wipe it with it and rinse it off thoroughly.

https://www.autopia-carcare.com/stn-94213.html#.W4Vy_jGew1I
 
Regulars here could see this coming:

I`d use something like ValuGard "A" as the first option and still plan on maybe using a Paint Cleaner.

And I`d get a better LSP on there in hopes that the berries will clean off without residual staining.
 
I went to the Valugard website for the first time today. Some different products on there. Cerious Compound, works as a compound and polish. Interesting products.
 
Accumulator said:
Regulars here could see this coming:

I`d use something like ValuGard "A" as the first option and still plan on maybe using a Paint Cleaner.

And I`d get a better LSP on there in hopes that the berries will clean off without residual staining.
Click to expand...

Also noticed you`re in NE Ohio... is a "paint cleaner" basically a really fine polish?
 
Is it a berry or a small fruit, like a choke cherry or a pin cherry?? I only ask because if we knew, we would all benefit from the knowledge of what it is and how to clean it (once you report back on what was done to clean it), OR at least trying to avoid parking a vehicle under such a tree/bush.

Some natural-occurring stains are always a bear to clean and remove effectively. Pine pitch is one that if left on one`s vehicle WILL etch the clear-coat. There is also a spring-time fungus in the South (forgot the name; artillery-something) that is difficult to deal with. In Green Bay,WI have a tree that drops extremely gooey, sticky seed pods that WILL discolor the clear-coat/paint yellow and etch it as well.
 
rlmccarty2000 said:
I went to the Valugard website for the first time today. Some different products on there. Cerious Compound, works as a compound and polish. Interesting products.
Click to expand...

Note that *I* don`t use their Compound that supposedly works like both a compound and a polish ;)

Maybe it`s the first such product that *actually* works that way, but I won`t be the guy who finds out.

I shouldn`t say anything about products I haven`t tried, but uhm...I made some educated guesses about them and, well...nah.
 
P Rock said:
Also noticed you`re in NE Ohio... is a "paint cleaner" basically a really fine polish?
Click to expand...

Different companies use words like "polish" and "cleaner" in *VERY* different ways, and oh man can it be confusing!

That`s not a bad way to think of it, just take it to the extreme- the abrasives (if present) will be *SO* fine/gentle that (most) Paint Cleaners will be functionally nonabrasive on most auto paint. Many rely on chemical cleaning agents rather than abrasives. But oh sheesh, look at all the qualifiers I used to post that...but it`s *that* variable between different ones.

Example of what I`m thinking of: Pinnacle Paintwork Cleansing Lotion.

When I mentioned a "better LSP", some *really* are that much better when it comes to providing protection. I`ve had stuff eat *right* through a fresh coat of a good wax and trash the paint; I`ve had the same stuff sit on a different wax for months with zero damage..
 
Accumulator said:
Note that *I* don`t use their Compound that supposedly works like both a compound and a polish ;)

Maybe it`s the first such product that *actually* works that way, but I won`t be the guy who finds out.

I shouldn`t say anything about products I haven`t tried, but uhm...I made some educated guesses about them and, well...nah.
Click to expand...

I just figured it was some kind of product with diminishing abrasives. They definitely have a very interesting product line. Their shampoo is dirt cheap.
 
Lonnie said:
Is it a berry or a small fruit, like a choke cherry or a pin cherry?? I only ask because if we knew, we would all benefit from the knowledge of what it is and how to clean it (once you report back on what was done to clean it), OR at least trying to avoid parking a vehicle under such a tree/bush.

Some natural-occurring stains are always a bear to clean and remove effectively. Pine pitch is one that if left on one`s vehicle WILL etch the clear-coat. There is also a spring-time fungus in the South (forgot the name; artillery-something) that is difficult to deal with. In Green Bay,WI have a tree that drops extremely gooey, sticky seed pods that WILL discolor the clear-coat/paint yellow and etch it as well.
Click to expand...

I do not know what kind of berries they are but they`re inside of a nut (I don`t even know if they`re actually berries). They fall out of this tree for about a week every fall when it starts to get cold. They`re in a hard shell that resembles a nut. When this "nut" hits the car, a brownish/reddish liquid splashes onto the paint and this is what is difficult to clean once it`s baked on. Unfortunately, I was on vacation last week when all this happened so it baked in the sun for days. Usually, they fall later on the year but this year they fell early so it caught me off guard.

I don`t want to compound the entire car because its ceramic coated and I don`t want to remove the coating. I know that if I scrub each one with a lot of pressure, they start to come off. I just wish I knew what chemical will make them come off easier. Here`s the short list of things I`m going to try next...Meguiars degreaser, Stoner tarminator, adhesive remover.

I will report back.... any other suggestions in the meantime will certainly be helpful.

EDIT: Adhesive remover only removed a little bit off the top...the stubborn part baked into the paint remains.
 
What brand of ceramic coat product was applied to your car? Maybe/probably the ceramic coat is stained, unless it went through the coating. This is puzzling, normally the coating will repel most liquids.
 
rlmccarty2000 said:
What brand of ceramic coat product was applied to your car? Maybe/probably the ceramic coat is stained, unless it went through the coating. This is puzzling, normally the coating will repel most liquids.
Click to expand...

Gtechniq ceramic coating. The berries seem to have etched right through it.
 
Accumulator said:
P Rock- Huh, I too am surprised that you`re having this issue with a coated car.
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As am I.... I was in Jamaica for a week and the temperature was in the 90`s here in Ohio that week. I`m thinking the acidic berries had plenty of time to cook and the coating eventually gave in? I don`t know but this kinda changes my opinions on this coating (Gtechniq).
 
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