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Will ArmorAll cleaning wipes hurt exterior paint?

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by jaw444, Jan 22, 2009.

  1. jaw444

    jaw444 Member

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    I wanted to get something to remove bird droppings from my otherwise clean car, and at the Toyota agency parts department i got a product called ArmorAll To Go Cleaning Wipes. On the back it says "safe for auto surfaces." Tonight i used some wipes on one large bird dropping on the hood of my car. Then, i started wondering if it was really safe and i read the bag more closely and i see that it says on the front that it's for interior surfaces, and on the back it says 'not recommended for glass or painted surfaces.' So then, i squirted some water on the area to rinse it off, and wiped it with a wet paper towel gently.

    Would that be enough to remove the substance that isn't recommended for painted surfaces, or should i do something more to get that stuff off the hood? It's night and the light was bad out there, even with the garage light on. I hope i got it off. The bird dropping is gone at least. Should i expect the paint to dull in that area, to lose its shine or some other damage? will it be ok?

    I looked on the ArmorAll website, i see they have another product for external surfaces that looks the same which they didn't have at the agency.

    Can anyone recommend something for removing bird droppings from a car that otherwise doesn't need to be washed?
     
    #1 jaw444, Jan 22, 2009
  2. effwitt

    effwitt Paparazzi Magnet

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    What about baby wipes? It's never hurt the surface of a baby in my experience. The only thing I'd be concerned with is being gentle when rubbing the poop of the car. The poop could be abrasive and damage the finish.
     
    #2 effwitt, Jan 22, 2009
  3. JSH

    JSH Senior Member

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    Almost all Armor All products are made for interior surfaces and contain silicone. The silicone conditions the plastics on the interior and keeps them from drying out and cracking. You should never use silicone on a painted service. It won't hurt the paint but if you ever are in an accident and need bodywork the new paint will not stick to anything that has had silicone on it. Instead of just roughing up the paint the body shop will need to complete strip the panel back to the bare metal which will greatly increase your cost.

    I use simple green mixed at a 10:1 ratio (water / simple green) for detail cleaning. Spray, let soak for about a minute, whip off, and rise with water. I don't use a cloth because the cloth will absorb the residue and then it can act as an abrasive. I use my bare hand and for stubborn spots my thumbnail.

    BTW, I only completely wash my car about once a year. However, I do wash off bird droppings and rinse the car and undercarriage at a coin car wash after each winter storm. Other than that the rain washes my car.
     
    #3 JSH, Jan 22, 2009
  4. jaw444

    jaw444 Member

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    Thank you for the replies--very helpful.

    Do you think that the ArmorAll silicone i put on the hood, covering about a 12" diameter area, and then rinsed with water less than a minute later may have resulted in the permanent effect you described, making it so new paint would not stick?

    It just started raining here minutes ago, pretty hard, and i have a long drive to make, 50 miles, so the car is about to get its first wash since i've had it. Now i will see how it drives, with its new tripletread 195-60-15 tires inflated to 41 front, 39 rear.
     
    #4 jaw444, Jan 22, 2009
  5. JSH

    JSH Senior Member

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    Paint will not stick to that 12" area. It is not that big of a deal, just don't do it again. Since the hood is aluminum and is very easy to replace, no auto body shop would try to straighten a hood in the event of an accident. The only issue would be if you tried to have something minor like a rock chip repaired.

    If you do try to have the hood painted, tell the body shop about your armor-all experience. It is better to let them know ahead of time so they can strip that area to the metal. It will cost a little more but not as much as if you don't tell them.

    If you don't tell them about the silicone they will rough up the old paint and paint the hood. The area with silicone will "fish eye" and they will have to strip that area to the metal and start again. If you don't tell the body shop you will basically pay for them to paint the hood twice if you want a good finish.
     
    #5 JSH, Jan 22, 2009
  6. sdtundra

    sdtundra Senior Member

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    Seeing as I am a detailing nut and detail other cars for money, I would say no to Armor All on paint.

    I use a product called Ultimate Quik Detailer(UQD) made by Meguiar's based in Irvine. It's $9.99 at Walmart. It makes the surface slick and also has some hyrdophobic properties to help water bead. I use it for in between wax/details on my Prius.

    Also, I wouldn't use a paper towel on your paint because they are abrasive. I would spray an area with any Quik Detailer product and wipe off with a microfiber towel.
     
    #6 sdtundra, Jan 22, 2009
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