# Cleaning unknown substance off the car **URL:** \ **Category:** Auto Type/Class\ **Tags:** trucks\ **Created:** [June 7, 2007, 2:45am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/cleaning-unknown-substance-off-the-car/328 "2007-06-07T02:45:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Emily\_Borling](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Emily\_Borling](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Emily_Borling)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2007, 2:45am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/cleaning-unknown-substance-off-the-car/328/1 "2007-06-07T02:45:15Z")
Our red truck has hard, white, crusty spray-like paint or sprayed concrete on the lower edge of of the truck. Turtle Wax Tar and Bug spray cleaner won’t touch it so I guess it is not paint. It doesn’t budge when I wet it down. How do I remove this strange spatter? ---
**Author:** ![Caddyman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/caddyman/32/23_2.png) [@Caddyman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Caddyman)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2007, 4:47am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/cleaning-unknown-substance-off-the-car/328/2 "2007-06-07T04:47:35Z")
IF you have a late model vehicle with clear-coat paint, oven cleaner will take almost anything off without damaging the finish. TEST the finish first on a small, unseen area. Chances are, you ran over some fresh highway paint and splattered it on your vehicle. ---
**Author:** ![Emily\_Borling](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Emily\_Borling](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Emily_Borling)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2007, 9:54pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/cleaning-unknown-substance-off-the-car/328/3 "2007-06-07T21:54:02Z")
I have tried oven cleaner on the underside of the running board but oven cleaner did not budge the spatter. I have sprayed it on a cloth and applied it to the truck so that I could not damage the finish. I waited an appropriate 5 minutes but nothing. Any more ideas out there? ---
**Author:** ![americar](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/americar/32/42_2.png) [@americar](https://community.cartalk.com/u/americar)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2007, 10:32pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/cleaning-unknown-substance-off-the-car/328/4 "2007-06-07T22:32:46Z")
Try Isopropal alcohol ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/original/3X/1/d/1d47c66a543aa6c5a7873bb2320858f978ff52ed.png) [@system](https://community.cartalk.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2007, 2:08am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/cleaning-unknown-substance-off-the-car/328/5 "2007-06-08T02:08:19Z")
I know it sounds strange but I have had good luck with Tide Powdered Laundry Detergent. Always test it on a small area 1st. ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/original/3X/1/d/1d47c66a543aa6c5a7873bb2320858f978ff52ed.png) [@system](https://community.cartalk.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2007, 8:25pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/cleaning-unknown-substance-off-the-car/328/6 "2007-06-09T20:25:52Z")
Well Gollee mineral spirits/lacer thinner always works for me ---
**Author:** ![rocketman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/eada6e/32.png) [@rocketman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/rocketman)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2007, 10:06pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/cleaning-unknown-substance-off-the-car/328/7 "2007-06-09T22:06:57Z")
How about some good old rubbing compound? ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/original/3X/1/d/1d47c66a543aa6c5a7873bb2320858f978ff52ed.png) [@system](https://community.cartalk.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2007, 1:13am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/cleaning-unknown-substance-off-the-car/328/8 "2007-06-12T01:13:01Z")
I’ve tried every idea thrown out there including Goo Gone and Baby Oil. I wouldn’t try rubbing compound on the paint because of the clear coat finish. (Maybe, I could try that on the running board and brace which also has spatter.) Frankly, I can pick and scrape off the spatter with a hard plastic object covered in a sock and by keeping the surface wet with water and car cleaning soap. Looks like it will take all summer prying that off the car. The other products would work if it was paint because they would make the spatter smaller as I rub at it. But that doesn’t occur. It must not be paint. Wish I knew what messed up our car finish (and other cars as well, I imagine.) ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/original/3X/1/d/1d47c66a543aa6c5a7873bb2320858f978ff52ed.png) [@system](https://community.cartalk.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2007, 2:09am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/cleaning-unknown-substance-off-the-car/328/9 "2007-06-12T02:09:18Z")
I have had luck removing paint overspray with “clay bar” product. I don’t remember who makes it but you can get it at almost any national chain auto parts store or Walmart. It comes with the clay bar and some “lubricant” The only problem with the product is that in the process of removing the overspray, it will generate fine scratches. To remove the fine scratches you will need to use some polish and probably an orbital buffer and then you will have to re-wax. Sorry about your luck, but the clay bar should do the trick.