How to Remove Overspray

If you leave your car outside a body shop while they're painting, paint might cover your car. This is called overspray. Automobile paint is made of acrylic enamel, or polyurethane. Some people use clay to remove the overspray, but you can remove it with sandpaper and water.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• 1200-grit sandpaper
• One 2-gallon bucket of water
• 1 teaspoon washing liquid
• Machine polishing compound
• Electric buffer
• Glazing compound
• Soft rag

1. Mix 1 teaspoon of dishwashing liquid to 2 gallons of water. Make sure there is not dirt in the water or on the sandpaper, and then dip the sandpaper into the water.

2. Use the wet sandpaper to lightly sand the overspray. Keep sanding until the overspray is removed, being careful not to sand into the paint's topcoat.

3. Put machine polishing compound onto the buffer Working in small sections at a time, rub the compound onto the car. The buffer should turn at 1500 RPM's. Lightly buff the car. Clean or change the buffing pad as needed. Use a rubbing compound around the sharp creases and paint edges where it would be easy to buff through. Use a hand glazing compound and a soft rag to remove the swirl marks. Keep the car out of the direct sunlight until you're done.

Tips & Warnings

• Wear a dust mask when you're buffing the car.
• If the car's a solid color, a few years old or has been painted before, the buffing and sanding will remove the orange peel, making it shine better than when it was new.