Having your vehicle egged is no joke. Damage to the paint is due primarily to the contents of the egg and not the impact.
Eggs contain sulfur which is a component of two amino acids in both the egg yolk and white. Not long after the egg makes contact with the paint finish, the acid begins to chemically etch into the surface of the paint causing it to crack and deteriorate - this is called crazing. Tree resin (sap) and bird droppings are also acidic and can cause similar harm to the paint finish if left untreated.
The good news is that like other car surface issues, it can be fixed. If you're are a casual weekend detailer or never worked with car care products before, I'll outline what you can do to solve most of the issue. If you're more experienced, I'll show you how to completely resolve the issue.
However, if the contaminant has penetrated past the clear coat and reached the base coat, the only solution is to have the surface repainted. Unfortunately, you may not find this to be the case until you've treated the area with the process outlined below.
What You'll Need:
- nextzett Car Wash Shampoo
- nextzett No. 1 Clean & Polish
- nextzett No. 2 One Step Polish
- nextzett No. 3 Polish & Wax or SF3 Premium Protect
- Foam applicator pad
- nextzett Microfiber Towel
Advanced Users: To remedy the issue completely, some wetsanding may be required.
Solution
Step 1
Don't delay, you have to clean the egg off the paint as soon as possible. Left to sit (especially in hot weather or in direct sunlight) the egg will etch its way through the clear coat and into the base colored coat of the paint finish. At that point, the area will have to be repainted to restore the original condition. For this reason, timing is of the essence!
Just remember to clean the area without causing any more paint damage. DON'T use paper towels, old rags or any other cloth/applicator that will scratch the surface. Also, don't use glass cleaner which is designed for cleaning glass. If you've done any of these, don't panic. You've given yourself more work to do but it can be fixed.
With your car in the shade so that the paint finish is cool to the touch, wash your car with one of a selection of nextzett car wash shampoos. Or, if your car is already clean, just wash the area to be treated with a quick detailer like Perfect Shine to remove any loose dust or debris in the affected area so you won't cause additional scratches while treating the area.
The key is to remove the contaminant to neutralize its etching properties as soon as possible.
Step 2
Now that the surface is clean and dry, we need to remove the damaged paint finish. This is done using car polish. Depending on how severe the damage is will determine which polish or polishes we will use.
If the paint has deep scratches or looks like the picture above, you'll have to polish first with No. 1 Clean & Polish. The strong but precise abrasives in No. 1 will safely remove the damaged layers of paint. Don't worry, we are talking microns so you won't be completely removing the clear coat. If applying by hand, use a plush cotton towel for the best results. Polish the surface until the appearance of the damage is reduced. This might take two to three applications so be patient.
If applying by machine such as a Dual Action Orbital, apply on a medium-high setting (varies by machine) with a cutting foam pad.
If the damage is deep enough so that the polish is not removing the damage, you'll need to wetsand or have a professional detailer fix the defect.
Step 3
After polishing with No. 1 Clean & Polish, polish the surface with No. 2 One Step Polish. One Step Polish is a finer grade polish and will enhance the depth and gloss of your paint. After polishing, the surface should look significantly improved with the majority of the defect removed.
Step 4
After polishing the paint, you need to seal the finish with a protective layer of wax. Apply No. 3 Polish & Wax with a foam applicator pad to protect the paint against oxidation, UV rays, bird droppings, acid rain, road grime and from any future egg attacks (if you should be so unfortunate).
Prevention
Of course there's no way to prevent someone from throwing eggs at your car. However, be sure to regularly apply wax to your car to slow down the effects of eggs but also everyday contaminants like bird droppings, tree sap and road grime which can also cause damage to your paint. Proper car care protection and timing is everything. Polish and wax your car twice a year if you have a daily driver. Even though it lasts between four and six months, you can apply SF3 Premium Protect more often to ensure sufficient protection.
It's also recommended that you carry a clean microfiber towel and a bottle of quick detailer like Perfect Shine in your car in case you are away from home you can clean any bird droppings, sap or egg immediately.
Remember that the sooner you can remove the contaminant, the less damage to the paint you'll have to fix.
If you have any questions, contact us!