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mrkotfw
Samba Member
Joined: June 10, 2013
Posts: 223
Location: Bay Area (California)
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 Posted: Tue Mar 17, 2015 10:30 pm Post subject: Very basic question: How do I remove grease/oil from paint? |
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Hello everyone,
Over the past few months, I've been fixing my daily driver. It has this horrible bright yellow color (original paint is red) and has a lot of grease/oil stains.
I tried using isopropyl alcohol and rubbing out the grease stains, but it's not 100% effective.
What can I do? |
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Air-Cooled Head
Samba Member
Joined: October 15, 2002
Posts: 4070
Location: Chicago Suburbs
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| Posted: Wed Mar 18, 2015 1:42 pm Post subject: |
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I;m guessing you mean the grease/oil has soaked in, to the point It is no longer on the paint, it in the paint, and maybe to the primer.
Since I can't think of any compound or chemical that wouldn't damage the paint also, I'm going to say you can't. But I don't know everything. 
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mrkotfw
Samba Member
Joined: June 10, 2013
Posts: 223
Location: Bay Area (California)
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| Posted: Wed Mar 18, 2015 2:21 pm Post subject: |
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| Air-Cooled Head wrote: |
I;m guessing you mean the grease/oil has soaked in, to the point It is no longer on the paint, it in the paint, and maybe to the primer.
Since I can't think of any compound or chemical that wouldn't damage the paint also, I'm going to say you can't. But I don't know everything. |
I doubt that it's in the paint. They're smudges. I've been working on the engine and occasionally I will touch the doors, touch the fenders with my greasy hands. |
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raygreenwood
Samba Member
Joined: November 24, 2008
Posts: 21513
Location: Oklahoma City
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| Posted: Wed Mar 18, 2015 2:57 pm Post subject: |
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| mrkotfw wrote: |
| Air-Cooled Head wrote: |
I;m guessing you mean the grease/oil has soaked in, to the point It is no longer on the paint, it in the paint, and maybe to the primer.
Since I can't think of any compound or chemical that wouldn't damage the paint also, I'm going to say you can't. But I don't know everything. |
I doubt that it's in the paint. They're smudges. I've been working on the engine and occasionally I will touch the doors, touch the fenders with my greasy hands. |
Air-cooled-head is correct.....they ARE in the paint. The paint surface unless its really the highest gloss level of polish possible.....is porous under a microscope. The oil and grease get into those pores and the viscosity to pore size differential is too high for the grease to be easily gotten out....because the depth of the pores is deeper in microns....than the width of the pore openings are.
So each cleaning pass just gets a layer off the top of each little column of grease in the pores.
A combination of very hot water and high pressure....with an industrial degreaser added in....and a little bit of Jet-dry spot remover/surface tension additive like you sue in a dishwasher will probably be as good as you can get without using a solvent hot enough that will also dissolve the paint.
For degreaser/soap...try some powdered dishwasher detergent...because most have a rinse additive in them already...mix it up strong in very hot water and run it through a cheap pressure washer...bearing in mind that most $100 pressure washers from sears/wal mart and Harbor freight are not set up for long usage with hot water. Ray |
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mrkotfw
Samba Member
Joined: June 10, 2013
Posts: 223
Location: Bay Area (California)
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| Posted: Wed Mar 18, 2015 3:00 pm Post subject: |
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| raygreenwood wrote: |
| mrkotfw wrote: |
| Air-Cooled Head wrote: |
I;m guessing you mean the grease/oil has soaked in, to the point It is no longer on the paint, it in the paint, and maybe to the primer.
Since I can't think of any compound or chemical that wouldn't damage the paint also, I'm going to say you can't. But I don't know everything. |
I doubt that it's in the paint. They're smudges. I've been working on the engine and occasionally I will touch the doors, touch the fenders with my greasy hands. |
Air-cooled-head is correct.....they ARE in the paint. The paint surface unless its really the highest gloss level of polish possible.....is porous under a microscope. The oil and grease get into those pores and the viscosity to pore size differential is too high for the grease to be easily gotten out....because the depth of the pores is deeper in microns....than the width of the pore openings are.
So each cleaning pass just gets a layer off the top of each little column of grease in the pores.
A combination of very hot water and high pressure....with an industrial degreaser added in....and a little bit of Jet-dry spot remover/surface tension additive like you sue in a dishwasher will probably be as good as you can get without using a solvent hot enough that will also dissolve the paint.
For degreaser/soap...try some powdered dishwasher detergent...because most have a rinse additive in them already...mix it up strong in very hot water and run it through a cheap pressure washer...bearing in mind that most $100 pressure washers from sears/wal mart and Harbor freight are not set up for long usage with hot water. Ray |
Wow, I'm glad I asked. Thank you for the excellent explanation.
My father has a pressure washer. I believe it's Honda. I'll see if hot water is possible.
Thank you. |
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[email protected]
Samba Member
Joined: June 02, 2011
Posts: 1593
Location: Louisville, ky
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| Posted: Wed Mar 18, 2015 4:34 pm Post subject: |
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| mrkotfw wrote: |
My father has a pressure washer. I believe it's Honda. I'll see if hot water is possible. |
On the bottom of the home hot water heater there is a spigot and a hose connection. |
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Stuart Maingot
Samba Member
Joined: December 13, 2009
Posts: 240
Location: Trinidad West Indies
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| Posted: Fri Mar 20, 2015 7:29 am Post subject: |
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| WD 40. Allow it to penetrate for a few minutes b4 using the pressure washer. |
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mrkotfw
Samba Member
Joined: June 10, 2013
Posts: 223
Location: Bay Area (California)
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| Posted: Sun Mar 29, 2015 6:17 pm Post subject: |
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| raygreenwood wrote: |
| mrkotfw wrote: |
| Air-Cooled Head wrote: |
I;m guessing you mean the grease/oil has soaked in, to the point It is no longer on the paint, it in the paint, and maybe to the primer.
Since I can't think of any compound or chemical that wouldn't damage the paint also, I'm going to say you can't. But I don't know everything. |
I doubt that it's in the paint. They're smudges. I've been working on the engine and occasionally I will touch the doors, touch the fenders with my greasy hands. |
Air-cooled-head is correct.....they ARE in the paint. The paint surface unless its really the highest gloss level of polish possible.....is porous under a microscope. The oil and grease get into those pores and the viscosity to pore size differential is too high for the grease to be easily gotten out....because the depth of the pores is deeper in microns....than the width of the pore openings are.
So each cleaning pass just gets a layer off the top of each little column of grease in the pores.
A combination of very hot water and high pressure....with an industrial degreaser added in....and a little bit of Jet-dry spot remover/surface tension additive like you sue in a dishwasher will probably be as good as you can get without using a solvent hot enough that will also dissolve the paint.
For degreaser/soap...try some powdered dishwasher detergent...because most have a rinse additive in them already...mix it up strong in very hot water and run it through a cheap pressure washer...bearing in mind that most $100 pressure washers from sears/wal mart and Harbor freight are not set up for long usage with hot water. Ray |
Just a few questions that I didn't think of when you posted, but:
1. What kind of industrial degreaser do you recommend?
2. What is the mix that you recommend? How much hot water to degreaser to Jet Dry spot remover?
| Stuart Maingot wrote: |
| WD 40. Allow it to penetrate for a few minutes b4 using the pressure washer. |
Good idea, thanks |
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marklaken
Samba Member
Joined: March 19, 2004
Posts: 2416
Location: fort collins, CO
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| Posted: Mon Mar 30, 2015 8:04 am Post subject: |
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I've always had decent luck with wax and grease remover (from autopaint store - the FLAP & walmart stuff is notably inferior to the autopaint store stuff).
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Wish List:
1967 Wesfalia SO-42 Parts Needed: Kitchenette, Cot Poles
'65 rear left beetle fender
15" Bus Wheels in fair condition
Mark Laken
Fort Collins, CO |
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Karly
Samba Member
Joined: August 01, 2002
Posts: 641
Location: Australia
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| Posted: Sun Apr 05, 2015 3:50 am Post subject: |
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I've just been using simple green on the inside of my engine decklid, over time with a few cleanings its removing more staining each time and on parts I've even got the shine back on the OG paint. I'm pretty pleased with it as it seems nice and gentle on the paint and using it as well.
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1960 Beetle ''Heidi" daily driver
1964 Karmann Ghia project |
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mrkotfw
Samba Member
Joined: June 10, 2013
Posts: 223
Location: Bay Area (California)
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| Posted: Mon Jul 13, 2015 10:20 am Post subject: |
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An update:
Using Simple Green Pro HD Heavy-Duty Cleaner Liquid Solution, a sponge, and WD-40 worked very well. |
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