Chemical Paint Cleaning

Cleaning paint

• At times, it is necessary to clean a painted surface. If a vehicle is painted with pin stripes or other ornamental painting, it is necessary to clean the paint with the appropriate chemicals to prepare the surface and remove grime. If you are cleaning the paint in order to paint on top of the surface, choose a cleaner that does not include a wax or sealer. If you are cleaning the paint to remove tar or other grease, use WD-40 or mineral spirits applied directly to the tar or grease. Take care with these chemicals as they will remove the wax layer and dull the paint if scrubbed directly onto the painted surface. They should only be used in the exact area where new paint will be applied.

Removing Paint

• Stronger chemicals can be used to remove paint and clean the surface for repainting. A liquid paint remover is the best method of chemical paint cleaning. Once the paint remover is applied to the surface, it will penetrate to the base surface and weaken the paint's bond so that it can be scraped and/or gently sanded off. This method works best with wooden surfaces but there are chemical cleaners that are made specifically for most surfaces. Once the paint is removed it may be necessary to go back with a second coat of the chemical and remove paint from crevasses and corners.

Paint Cleanup

• Sometimes paint spills or wayward spray from a paint sprayer gets onto surfaces that should not have been painted. These areas can be cleaned with mineral spirits or other weakened chemical removers. If paint has splattered onto glass soak the area with ammonia based products and use a paint scraper to remove the paint. If you are using mineral spirits to remove paint make sure that the surface you are cleaning will not be adversely affected. The container will state which surfaces can be safely cleaned with mineral spirits.