Acetone is a colorless, flammable, and volatile liquid. It is a very good solvent which means it possesses the ability to break down and dissolve other materials. But, does acetone remove touch up paint?
Yes, acetone can remove touch up paint from your car but you need to employ extreme caution when using acetone to avoid repainting the whole area again.
What is Touch Up Paint?
Touch up as the name implies, is a term used to describe when a particular area of a newly painted surface is re-coated probably due to a defect or error. It is mainly used to cover and correct minor damage that occurs after the initial painting has been completed.
So we can simply say that a touch-up paint is a paint used in the correction or re-coating of a recently painted surface usually to attain perfection.
It is hard to achieve a face without blemish from a touch-up hence, the touch-ups are still noticeable to some extent.
The main motive of using touch-up paint is to cover up the damages so they are less noticeable, to maintain a suitable outward look, and also to prevent rust.
Does Acetone Remove Touch Up Paint?
Yes, acetone can remove touch-up paints on your car but you need to apply it with caution else, you might need to repaint.
Acetone is a solvent meaning it is commonly used to dissolve unwanted materials and as a result, it is a common ingredient in the pharmaceutical, beauty, and domestic sectors. In the beauty industry, It is used as a key ingredient in the production of nail polish removers.
It is common knowledge that acetone can also mask paint scratches on a car but what many people do not know is that acetone is a strong solvent and if not used with care, it will not only mask the paint scratches, it will also remove the touch-up paint, wax and can also eat through the clear coat on your car.
To put it bluntly, not only can acetone remove touch-up paint, but it also can remove the entire paint on your car and you might need to repaint it.
The funny thing is, it only needs a couple of hours to eat through the entire painting job on your car. So if you must use acetone on your car make sure to use it with care and extreme caution, apply timing to Its application to prevent the chemicals in it from dissolving your paint to the base.
What Can You Use to Remove Touch-Up Paint?
1. Acetone
You can use acetone to remove touch-up paints, just that you have to be careful. Use little concentration and make sure it doesn’t stay for long. Having acetone on your car for too long might pose more of a problem than a solution
2. Rubbing Alcohol
Just like the acetone, rubbing alcohol can also be an effective method of removing touch up paints but make sure never to use the alcohol to its full capacity, dilute to about 10% to 15% to prevent etching and your car losing its shine
3. Shoe Polish
Applying a contrasting color of shoe polish has also been said to work in removing touch-up paints, though this would depend on how loose the touch-up paint is.
Will Rubbing Alcohol Remove Touch-Up Paint?
Yes, rubbing alcohol can remove touch-up paint. Alcohol is also a good solvent but should never be used to its maximum strength as it can cause paint etching and can also eat through your car’s clear coat causing it to lose its shine. While using alcohol, reduce its concentration to about 15 percent.
How Do You Remove Touch-Up Paint?
To remove touch up paint,
Scrape Off Excesses
One of the effective and cost-friendly ways of removing excess touch-up paint is to scrape off the excesses. You can easily attempt to scrap the excesses off with your fingernails.
Being easily removed with your fingernail would mean that the touch-up wasn’t properly applied in the first instance but at least it has made removing the touch-up paint easier.
If the paint is loose but not enough to remove with your fingernail, you can use a toothpick to pry it off by sliding the tip of the toothpick under one edge of the touch-up paint and prying upward.
If the touch-up paint is recently applied or loose enough, you can remove everything using the toothpick.
While using the fingernail or toothpick, it is essential to apply gentle pressure as any excessive force can make the paint job worse you may end up scrapping some of the car’s original paint making the issue worse than it was.
Try a Lacquer Thinner
If the fingernail and toothpick don’t work, next you have to try using a lacquer thinner. First off wash up the spot with some mild detergent, then dry the area thoroughly before applying the lacquer thinner.
While applying the lacquer thinner, make sure to follow the instructions on the solvent container.
Sand Off the Dried Paints
Another way to rid your car of touch-up paint is to sand off the dried touch-up paint. Needless to say that before you can use this method, the touch-up paint has to be dried; using this on a car before it is dried will only worsen the situation of the car.
Apply car masking tapes to the area around the touch-up paint; this is to prevent you from accidentally removing extra paint.
After applying the masking tape, make sure to rub gently with 150-grit sandpaper, after that, clean the surface with a soft dry cloth or towel.
If the touch-up paints persist you might have to take it up a notch by using 600-grit sandpaper. Remove the tape and clean again with a dry soft cloth or towel or better still, get a brush to do this. Your car should be good by now.
See a Professional
If after all these, the touch-up paint persists or you are unable to do any of the methods listed above, it is best to visit a professional and have them look into it for you.
Final Thoughts
Acetone is a strong solvent and as much as it is commonly used for household materials, it has its merit and demerit like everything else.
Acetone can indeed be used to clean up touch-up paints but it also poses a threat to the initial paint of the car as it is very strong and if not handled with maximum care can end up causing more damage and you might need to repaint.
Ways to remove touch-up paints have been highlighted in this article and if for any reason you feel you can’t do them, it’s fine to get your car to an expert, let them have a look, and address the issue for you.
