Yesterday a bird did his business on my door ... i sprayed it with Zaino detail spray, and lightly wiped it off. I thought I did that correctly. Unfortunetly, for the couple hours or so the gunk was on, it etched my SB paint a little. I washed the spot more, then used my clay bar on it with moderate pressure. It looked like it started to work, but when I was done, the clay bar left a "hazy" mark where I used it. I figured that it was clay that got stuck, so i used it some more ... no help! I cleaned again, polished, and waxed, and that hazy mark is still there. This is the second time that my "cleaning" left a hazy mark on my car. The first time I had it buffed out. What should I do? Thanks.

 

buff it out yourself with some 3M 39009 (Perfect-It swirl mark remover) using a foam pad and a random orbital buffer. This product will remove all the Zaino polish, so after you have buffed, wash with dawn and start applying polish like it's your first coat.

What lubricant are you using for the clay? What brand of clay? (some are abrasive and will really ruin your finish). Does the haze look like scratches? A magnifying glass may be needed to tell.

 

Thanks Showcars ... I can always count on you!

I used the Zaino clay bar, and cleaned beforehand with the Zaino detail spray, and before that I washed it with the blackfire pinnacle wash soap ... the thing is it may not have been lubricated enough for me to clay, and i did use some moderate pressure. And yes, looking at it real close, it does look like minor scratches. This happened last night, and after what I did it seems like it is going away. It seems like the harder I try to make things right the more I make things wrong. This is the second time I actually made a small "haze" patch on my car. I think I will bring it to a detail shop instead of myself fixing it. Thanks again!

 

Did you use Z-7 and water to lubricate the clay? I don't use clay without first running it through my pasta roller. This makes a big "pancake" that is super flat. The clay should glide over the surface, and it'll knock off anything that is sticking up (like brake dust and overspray). Bird etching is not as easy to wipe out with clay, and for that I usually use 3M and a buffer.

If you take it to the shop, watch them as they do it. They'll probably use 3M FinesseIt and a DA (dual action) buffer. FinesseIt is more aggressive that PerfectIt, but once you've practiced and ruined a few cars, you get the hang of using it.

Don't despair - every time you make a mistake, you're learning! I've "learned" a LOT!

 

Yeah well thanks, I wish I had learned on my dad's '82 Volvo. Should I take to a detail shop (like the extra section at a carwash), or a body shop? Thanks for the input.

 

In my experience, you may not get anyone at the detail shop who is experienced with a buffer - they just use it to apply wax. A paint shop/body shop will definitely have someone who uses a high speed DA buffer regularly on newly-painted surfaces, so if it isn't his first day on the job, he'll know what he's doing. Also, you're more likely to find someone who will even let you stand there and watch/learn - another bonus for you. This clean-up should only take 5 minutes, so it's not like you'll be leaving the car (as long as you schedule ahead).