Washing painted body

[m408]

I've a body which has been painted and foiled. It's kind of grungey and I want to wash it before clear coating.

What do you guys recommend? and... how will washing effect the foil?

[Brendan]

I usually just wash it in warm water and then set it aside to air dry in a box so dust doesn't get on it. If I have a lot of finger marks, I will use a mild soap. But the only way I handle my bodies before the kit is finished is with latex gloves. The water should not affect the foil at all if it's set well.

[Olle F]

I do the same thing as Brendan, but I would like to add that you want to be careful with what kind of soap you use. Some soap contains oils that can affect the adhesion, or even cause "fisheyes" in the paint. I learned this many years ago when I was working in a car manufacturing plant. They started having big problems with the paint adhesion and after a thorough investigation, they tracked it down to a new kind of soap they were using in the restrooms. It obviously contained a skin conditioner that affected the paint, and after changing the soap they had no problems at all. So whether it's 1:1 or 1:25, you need to use the right soap. Cheap hand soap or dish detergent works for me.

[Brendan]

I do the same thing as Brendan, but I would like to add that you want to be careful with what kind of soap you use. Some soap contains oils that can affect the adhesion, or even cause "fisheyes" in the paint. I learned this many years ago when I was working in a car manufacturing plant. They started having big problems with the paint adhesion and after a thorough investigation, they tracked it down to a new kind of soap they were using in the restrooms. It obviously contained a skin conditioner that affected the paint, and after changing the soap they had no problems at all. So whether it's 1:1 or 1:25, you need to use the right soap. Cheap hand soap or dish detergent works for me.

GM had the same problem, but it was with people using spray deodorant which was getting on the surface of the cars before they were painted.