Well teh other day I washed my car, and usually I wash and then wax it. My car is parked under a tree so I get a lot of birds doing their business on my car, which I could expect. I usually just spray the stuff off with a hose, but this time, something happened. I sprayed off the top layer of dung off my car, then I washed the car. When I dried the car, I could still see the stain of the bird dung. I scrubbed real hard using soap, but it wouldnt come off. A friend told me to use some rubbing compound, so I did, not only did it not get it off, but now I have these marks (kinda like fading, but not really scratches) over the area where i used the compound. What the heck did I get myself into? And how do I get this rubbing compound off and the bird stains? The stains have no color to it, more of just an outline, and theres a lot of them. Please help!

 

Rubbing compound is abrasive but if you used an automotive rubbing compound (like the 3M brand), it should have left you with a pretty good glossy shine. Anyway, I will assume that whatever you used left you with some swirl marks. You might want to try the following:

1) Wash that area thoroughly
2) Use a clay bar to try removing the stained area
3) Use a swirl remover / polish
4) Wax

See if that helps.

Peace.

 

Thanks Ill try that out. Whats tyhe purpose of a clay bar? Where can i get it? Also, they are nto really swirl marks, just an area of "faded" area of when the rubbing compiund was used, and rubbing it with some force.

 

I had this happen happen on my spoiler. I did several applications of Meguiar's Scratch-X followed by Gold Class Swirl Remover and Gold Class Wax. It didn't come off completely with the 1st application, but eventually it polished out (a couple more applications). Sounds like the rubbing compound was a little harsh. Keep at it and hopefully it will go away. Good luck.

 

Yeah I think I used some strong rubbing compound. =(

 

The clay bar removes contaminants and stains that tend to stick to the surface of your car. It also gets rid of paint oxidation. Run your fingers along the roof, hood, trunk, or back bumper cover. You should notice that it feels "grainy" to the touch. A clay bar will remove most of that feeling, leaving a smooth-as-glass condition. It's the perfect prep before a hardcore session of exterior detailing.

If you actually developed a faded surface with the rubbing compound (next time, use 3M automotive rubbing compound only) and forceful rubbing, you might want to try getting some scratch and haze removal products. They act very much like a swirl remover/polish, so hopefully that will help. Just don't forget to wax at the end.

Peace.

 

Sounds like the result of that Turtle Wax compound in the red can, right? You might as well box that up or throw it in some far corner because you shouldn't need something that powerful in the future.

A scratch remover or swirl remover should get rid of the dullness. You could also try a few applications of this on the poop damage too. It sounds like the paint was chemically damaged from the poop, which was possibly baked-on seeing as how you're in sunny Florida. (Treat it like oxidation.)

YMMV, but clay isn't usually used to remove oxidation unless it is very heavy. It is typically used to shear off tar specks and other industrial fallout that has bonded to the paint and doesn't come off with a regular washing. A "gritty" feeling surface will become smooth.

Try not to use excessive force when washing or polishing the paint - you'll only mess with your technique or cause damage and remove more paint than you want to. "Firm" pressure is enough when polishing, almost no pressure is best when washing - if something doesn't come off easily keep wiping for a while, or move on to another approach.

 

You are exactly right, I did use that compound in teh red can, doh! Do you have any recommendation on scratch/swirl removers to get rid of the dullness?

 

3M Swirl Mark Remover
Meguiar's Dual Action Cleaner Polish
Meguiar's Scratch X

 

Mothers also makes a scratch remover. Of "off the shelf" retail stuff, Mothers, Meguiar's and some Eagle One products are the "good" stuff.