Paper Towels on a car

[brendan1234]

hey guys,

There was a lot of pollen and dust from the trees on the hood of my car

I decided (I was at the office) to take some paper towels and just wet it and wipe some of it off.


I did the same when I saw some bird droppings.

1. 1. Used a soapy wet paper towel 2. rinse with water filled paper towel 3. wiped with dry paper towel



Will the paper towel hurt the paint finish?

[Murr1525]

Re: Paper Towels on a car

Well, the paper itself isnt going to damage anything.

But if it is scratchy, and your paint was sensitive, and you rubbed it around, could cause a bit of swirling.

[brendan1234]

Re: Paper Towels on a car


It was the bowny kind of paper towel in find in supermarkets

[brendan1234]

Re: Paper Towels on a car

[brendan1234]

Re: Paper Towels on a car

it looks like that...

[dixie_boysles]

Re: Paper Towels on a car

i personally dont do it, may cause swirling.

[ClearlyCoated]

Re: Paper Towels on a car

Paper towels have fibers that are coarser than microfiber towels, and some scratching is inevitable if enough pressure is applied behind it. Next time your use a clean MF towel folded into quarters and lightly draw it across your paint.

The static nature of the microfiber actually attracts dust, so no pressure is required for the towel to pick up the dust or pollen. I have used it with good results without a detail spray, but using a detail spray is the recommended method. Or you can use a dedicated product like the California Car Duster, which several members here endorse.

[Markus Kleis]

Re: Paper Towels on a car

Paper towels can definitely scratch paint - I would avoid use in the future and stick to microfiber towels when possible.

[brendan1234]

Re: Paper Towels on a car

yeah...darn, hahah

shoulda known better

[brendan1234]

Re: Paper Towels on a car

for bird droppings, do u use the MF cloth also? I would think it would be a waste....

[PursuitSE]

Re: Paper Towels on a car

I would use the California Car Duster. I've never had a problem with it.
In fact, I washed my car on Sunday and dusted it every evening with the duster. It looks like I just washed it. But, you can only use it for dust, not dirt.

[Murr1525]

Re: Paper Towels on a car

Yeah, the Duster may be a good idea for you to try.

You can use a MF cloth a few times for droppings, then wash it. Just re-fold to a clean spot.

[ClearlyCoated]

Re: Paper Towels on a car

for bird droppings, do u use the MF cloth also? I would think it would be a waste....

How to safely remove a dried bird dropping

[Selectchoice]

Re: Paper Towels on a car

The ideal scenario would be to wash the car immediately, alternately use a quick detailer with a plush microfibre towel. I think that's fairly commonly known here on this forum.

However when a scenario occurs, perhaps like in the case of the OP, and you are not in immediate possession of said microfibre or a detailing spray, let alone a facility to wash the car fully, what do you do?

Leaving the bird dropping on the paint until you're able to 'correctly' remove it can actually do more damage than careful removal with a wet, and I emphasize wet, paper towel.

I have seen instances when a car's painted panel has been so hot that bird droppings are baked into the paint within minutes. I've had to sand out the remnants of bird droppings to correct the damage on client's cars, when using something simple like this paper towel method wasn't used. Sure you may marr the finish slightly, or inflict a swirl or two, but usually a mild paint cleaner will correct that fairly readily.

Sanding will leave you with a complicated compounding and polishing process and more importantly less paint on the panel than you could have otherwise had.

I believe in an emergency, and that is what this was, the OP saved more potential heartache by using the paper towel.

Would I recommend using a paper towel if you had access to a car wash, or detailing spray and microfibre towels? Of course not, but that is not always how life presents itself.

[brendan1234]

Re: Paper Towels on a car

The ideal scenario would be to wash the car immediately, alternately use a quick detailer with a plush microfibre towel. I think that's fairly commonly known here on this forum.

However when a scenario occurs, perhaps like in the case of the OP, and you are not in immediate possession of said microfibre or a detailing spray, let alone a facility to wash the car fully, what do you do?

Leaving the bird dropping on the paint until you're able to 'correctly' remove it can actually do more damage than careful removal with a wet, and I emphasize wet, paper towel.

I have seen instances when a car's painted panel has been so hot that bird droppings are baked into the paint within minutes. I've had to sand out the remnants of bird droppings to correct the damage on client's cars, when using something simple like this paper towel method wasn't used. Sure you may marr the finish slightly, or inflict a swirl or two, but usually a mild paint cleaner will correct that fairly readily.

Sanding will leave you with a complicated compounding and polishing process and more importantly less paint on the panel than you could have otherwise had.

I believe in an emergency, and that is what this was, the OP saved more potential heartache by using the paper towel.

Would I recommend using a paper towel if you had access to a car wash, or detailing spray and microfibre towels? Of course not, but that is not always how life presents itself.

yeahh....thank you...lots of nice people here on this forum...

wow...baked into the paint?? oh no...