House Cleaning and Stain Removal Forum

[gviola]

Hi. How do I remove the resin from a paintball on my brand new high gloss black car? I have washed it several times to no avail.
Thanks for any help you can give.
Gail

[mrscleannw]

Hello gviola;

Regular paintballs are made of a gelatin shell filled with food coloring and vegetable oil. The gelatin shell is designed to break upon impact; however, bounces (or ricochets) may occur.

I’ve experienced permanent paint discoloration on my black car due to pitch from fir trees. Unfortunately I did not remove the pitch soon enough and some discolored, dull spots remain to this day. As the protective high-gloss coating is gone, the discolored spots oxidized quickly.

The only way I have found to improve the discoloration is using high-grade car wax and buffing.

Here are a couple of other suggestions:

Wash your car with mild car wash detergent and cold water. Dry gently with a terry or soft towel that won’t scratch the paint. At this point, if it is cold out you may want to bring your car in the garage and allow the surface to warm up first.

Cleansers and paint types vary so please test this in a inconspicuous spot first; you don’t want to strip the paint.

With a soft cloth, try using an auto paint wax & grease remover (this will not harm the paint); you can purchase this from an auto body paint shop (possibly a car parts store to, just tell them what you need it for and they should be able to point you in the right direction) this will remove tar, gum residue, etc., rub gently in a circular motion. Allow to air dry. Then using a clean soft cloth gently buff/polish the area. Repeat if needed.

You can also try a detail shop. They may have additional methods to repair and recoat the spot. I would just make sure they are aware the spot is from paintball resin.

Good luck!!
Mrs. Clean