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  4. Can you polish out stains?

Can you polish out stains?

Quick answer: It depends on the stain and how deep it’s gone. Most common stains (bird mess, sap, bugs, water spots, tar, fallout, etc.) can be removed or greatly reduced with machine polishing; tougher etching may need local wet-sanding. If the mark has bitten through the clear coat, Repair-&-Repaint is required. Prompt cleaning and a ceramic coating help prevent future staining.

It really depends on the stains, what they are and how deep they go. The vast majority only penetrate a few microns of the clear-coat on modern paintwork. If the paint is heavily oxidized they can penetrate deeper, as can some acids and solvents, But generally speaking, if you get to them quick and they aren't too deep, and we can polish them out, removing some of the paint using wet-sanding.

Types of Stains

Here's a list of the kind of stains we have successfully dealt with over the years.

Ceramic coatings can help minimize damage from all these kinds of stains!

  • Bird Droppings - Bird mess is acidic (pH ~3–4.5) and full of gritty uric acid crystals. Left to bake, it hardens and distorts the clear coat, leaving a dull “etched” patch even after you wash it off. Soften with water, lift it gently, then protect the area. If there’s a shadow left, you’re into machine polishing and, ideally, a ceramic coating to help next time.

  • Tree Sap - Sap lands sticky and dries like varnish. It traps dirt, turns dark, and can bite into the lacquer under heat. Don’t scrub it dry; soften with a dedicated tar/sap remover, then wash and top up protection. Stubborn halos usually need a light polish to restore gloss.

  • Bug Splatters - Insect remains are protein-rich and acidic. On a hot panel they cook on, leaving ghostly outlines. Pre-soak before washing, use a bug remover, and avoid dragging them around with a sponge. If stains linger, a targeted paint correction will flatten the clear coat back to true.

  • Hard Water Spots -When water evaporates it leaves mineral rings. Under the sun those minerals can bond and even etch tiny craters into the lacquer. Dry the car after washing, use deionised water if you can, and reach for a water-spot remover. Etched marks need polishing; deposits alone can often be dissolved.

  • Petrol, Diesel & Screenwash - Fuel spills are solvent-heavy and can soften the clear coat, leaving greasy or yellowish staining around the filler. Screenwash overspray brings alcohols, surfactants and dyes that can leave rings and coloured streaks when they bake on. Rinse spills immediately. If marks remain, a light machine polish usually clears them.

  • Fuel, Oil & Road Tar - Tar and oily grime cling hard and discolour light paint. Use a proper tar remover before washing; don’t grind it in with a mitt. Any brown shadowing that survives cleaning will respond to a quick polish, then seal to slow it returning.

  • Egg - Raw egg is slightly alkaline and packed with proteins and fats. Add sunshine and you’re basically cooking it onto the paint. It sets, stains and can etch. Flush with cool water (not hot), soften, lift, then wash. If a halo remains, machine polish is the fix.

  • Vomit - Highly acidic and full of enzymes, vomit can etch the clear coat and leave bile stains, especially on light colours. Flood with clean water, wash thoroughly, and reassess. Rough, dull patches usually need a correction pass to level the lacquer.

  • Leaf Litter - Wet leaves leach tannins—natural dyes and mild acids—that stain paint brown. They also trap moisture around trims and badges, encouraging mould and corrosion. Brush leaves off promptly, wash the area, and polish if any tea-coloured shadow remains.

  • Solvent Migration (Stickers & Plastics) - Vinyls, nylon carpets and rubber mats can leach plasticisers and solvents into paint when left in contact, especially in heat. You’re left with ghosting, soft patches or shiny outlines. Sometimes a light polish saves it; deep migration can require refinishing. Avoid long-term contact against painted panels.

  • Industrial Fallout / Rail Dust - Tiny ferrous particles land, embed and rust into orange specks that bleed into the clear coat. Use an iron fallout remover and clay before polishing. If they’ve etched, you’ll need correction to remove the pitted look and restore a clean reflection.

  • Acid Rain & Atmospheric Pollution - Polluted rain concentrates as it dries on hot paint, leaving etched water spots and dull rings. Regular washing, quick drying and a decent ceramic coating or sealant make a big difference. If the marks don’t shift with cleaners, polishing will. Serious acid rain is rare in the UK, but once in a while, a Scandinavian volcano will spew out millions of tons of ash - the last big one was Grímsvötn in 2011. 

  • Firework & Fire Fallout - Hot debris from fireworks can land on paint and leave sooty scorch marks or even tiny melted pits in the clear coat. We also see cars covered in a fine film of soot and tar after nearby fires — especially from workshop or showroom fires, where burnt plastics and rubbers go airborne. This fallout clings to the paint, stains, and can burn in under heat. 

Ceramic coatings can help minimize damage from all of these substances.

Written by . Last updated 12/09/2025 17:06