Products / Wash & Exterior / Paint Decontamination

Wash & Exterior

Paint Decontamination

Some contaminants don't come off with regular car wash soap: bug splatter, tree sap, adhesive and iron fallout from brake rotors. Decontamination is the deep cleaning process for this kind of grime, which bonds to the surface and needs special products to remove.

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How to decontaminate the right way

The main rule — identify the type of contamination first, then pick the right cleaner. Paint decontamination is especially important after winter and before you apply a protective coating: if you lay protection over tar, iron particles and other contaminants, they stay locked under the coating and can shorten its life.

The right order: wash → remove contaminants → surface prep → protect.

Why doesn't car wash soap remove iron and tar?

Car wash soap is made to remove dust, sand and road film. Tar, adhesive and bug splatter need special dissolving products, and iron fallout from brakes is removed by a reaction with the iron particles.

Which cleaner should you choose?

Orange specks on the paint are iron fallout. To remove them, use Double Iron, available in 500 ml (16.9 fl oz) bottles and 5 L (1.3 gal) jugs. Purple color change shows surface contamination, yellow shows deeper contamination.

Remove sticker residue, gum and sap with Orange Spirit, made with orange extracts. For tar and road grime, including road salt residue, use Tar Spirit.

Bug splatter and other organic grime on the front of the car come off with Juicy Citrus — a pH-neutral concentrate with D-limonene. For convenience there's the Juicy Citrus Kit kit with bottles and a dilution ratio sticker.

Before applying protection and after paint correction, use Easy Prep — an alcohol-based surface prep that removes wax, silicone and polishing compound residue.

General rules

Work in the shade on a cool car. Don't let the products dry, and rinse them off thoroughly with water after. Don't layer different cleaners on top of each other without rinsing first. When working with solvents, wipe black plastic right away. Wear gloves.

FAQ

What order should you clean the paint in?
Start with a touchless wash and a contact wash. Then, on cool paint, remove iron fallout — you can apply the product to a dry or wet surface. Wait for the reaction and rinse thoroughly, not letting the product dry. After that, remove tar and road grime with Tar Spirit. Then rinse again and wash with car wash soap.
Do you need surface prep before a ceramic coating?
Yes, always. A ceramic coating has to bond directly to the clear coat, not to polish, wax or oil residue. Easy Prep removes that residue, and its slow flash time lets you work the surface thoroughly. Don't use it on hot paint or in direct sunlight.
Will these products damage the clear coat?
Used correctly, these products are safe to use on paintwork. Stick to the dwell time and don't let the product dry. Don't work on hot paint or in direct sunlight, don't rub contaminants with a microfiber towel, and match the product to the specific type of contamination. Test solvents on exterior trim and rubber in a hidden spot first.