Best way to remove paint splattered on truck?

Driving on the highway the other day I ended up with white paint splattered on the grill and lower black bumper insert. What's the best way to remove it without damaging the paint or flat black insert?

 

The first thing I would use is clay bar. Wash the truck well first but DO NOT attempt to scrub the paint off aggressively when washing. The goal will be to remove the paint splatter without damaging your paint in the process. So just wash to get the truck clean.

Mother's makes an excellent clay bar kit you can find nearly anywhere. Walmart and AutoZone usually carry it. My local Tractor Supply even sells it. https://www.walmart.com/ip/Californ...75035&wl11=online&wl12=15137646&wl13=&veh=sem

Spray the area well with the clay lube and slowly try to see what will come off with the clay bar. Hopefully it's a type of paint that will come off easily. How to Clay Bar: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g3CL04f2NAc

What doesn't come off with the clay bar will likely need to be buffed off with a machine. If you don't have a DA polisher or access to one with good pads and products, then I would would go to a local CERTIFIED detailer and get a quote to buff off the paint on your painted surfaces.

For the plastic, use a soft bristled brush with Simple Green Dilutes 2:1 with water:cleaner. The paint on the plastic will likely come off with some persistent scrubbing, just be careful so you don't marr the plastic finish and be careful what products you use on it so it doesn't discolor it. After working on the black bumper insert I highly recommend Chemical Guys Tire and Trim Gel as a treatment to condition black trim. It's amazing stuff. I treat all my black trim with it 3 times a year and it lasts and lasts. Might help prevent the insert from drying out after trying to scrub off the paint.

Just remember to take your time and don't panic. This can come off, you just want to get it off ASAP so you don't get any etching in your clear coat (or paint if you have a white truck) from any acids that could be in the paint. Take your time and it can be fixed. Good luck!! Also, take some pictures and share with us how it does.

 

I'd start using your finger nail to get off what you can then a q tip dipped in water to dilute a touch of WD 40 on the tip

 

I had something like this happen at a dealership on another truck of mine. Had washed my truck the night before and took it in the next day for small cosmetic warranty issue. When I got it back, someone had driven it around past the paint dept, and driven through a puddle of diluted paint or something. One whole side of my truck was covered in baby blue specks. I told them to clay it and they agreed. Came back later that day and my opinion was they just let it sit there without doing anything. I'd try the clay bar first, and if that doesn't get it, then take a wet cloth and cover your fingernail and pick em off one at a time if it has specks. If it's something larger like big splatter spots, then maybe goo gone bug and tar remover will break it down.

 

if it were me, the first thing I would go after it with is some straight gasoline. Wipes it right off!

 

Unfortunately I have to wait until the weather clears up. Hopefully Tuesday.

 

Wd40 on a rag should do it , just don't let it bake in the sun before trying to remove it

 

Depends on the type of paint it is and the condition of your paint/wax.

Hopefully it's latex and your truck is well waxed.

Clay may work if the offending paint is thin and you have endurance. A Nanoskin Autoscrub would work better/easier (and you'll never use clay again)

If it's a solvent based paint, anything you use to dissolve it will run a risk of damaging the vehicle paint.

The exception would be some forms of 'soft' enamels, mineral spirits would not hurt your truck paint.

Regardless, test any solvent on some inconspicuous place, like the pinch weld, first.

 

I was able to remove the splattered paint from painted surfaces using Meguires cleaner/wax. Took some time but it's gone. Maybe I got lucky because I waxed the truck a week ago. I haven't had much luck on the non painted bumper inserts though...

 

Excellent and congrats!

 

congrats on getting it off. I use that same stuff for things like sticker residue and tar on my other car.

 

I know it's late but another product to try in such situations is acetone (test in an inconspicuous place first) using a microfiber towel ; then wash, wax etc. as needed after.

 

I had this happen. Use a pressure washer with no chemicals. This works with road paint and latex paint. Not sure about oil based paint. I used chemicals as well and the pressure washer worked perfectly.

 

Got most of it off. I'll see how much the rest bothers me before I start replacing bumper parts. To be truthful, I see it but others don't notice it.

 

See post 9.

Did you figure out what type of paint it was? This stuff worked good (slow, but good) for a van I did that was covered in minute latex overspray. (yellow on a white vehicle)

 

Hell yeah brother, that or moonshine... clay bars are awsome

 

just dont forget which jug is which...

 

used the same when I tripped over our kayaks holding 5 gals of house paint blue paint all over rear of truck and Habitat camper. not a good day after a great morning on the water. I knew as soon as i made contact i was going down and about to paint some shit blue. glad it wasnt the motorcycles or momma car...

 

I drove through a puddle of it last week and it splattered all down the truck side and into the side tread of my KO2's. It was on the passenger side so I didn't notice it for 2 days.
I just hand buffed it off the paint with hot tap water and a micro-fiber cloth, no chemicals, for the tires and flat black inner fender wells just a stiff brush and "Lift Off" worked like a charm. Let it soak on the latex for 3-4 mins. then scrub and spray off.