How to Remove Greasy Fingerprints from Car Paint – 5 Simple Ways

Struggling to remove greasy fingerprints from your car paint? Check out these 5 simple yet effective ways to get your car looking clean and shiny again.

Remove Greasy Fingerprints from Car Paint

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Fingerprints are unsightly, and they take time to remove. The worst part is that if you don’t clean them up right away, they will set there for weeks or months until someone else notices the grease smudge on your door handle and asks about it.

However, with a few simple steps, you can have it looking like new in no time. This blog article will discuss the best way to remove greasy fingerprints and other marks from your car’s paint.

We will also provide some helpful tips on preventing them from occurring in the first place. So read on to learn more!

How to Remove Greasy Fingerprints from Car Paint

Greasy fingerprints on your car paint can be a pain to remove. You have to scrub hard, and even then, you may not get them all off.

In this section, we’ll explore how to quickly and easily remove fingerprints from car paint without damaging the surface of your car paintwork.

1. Degreaser Spray

There is a wide range of degreaser sprays available on the market. These products are specially made to remove grease and other sticky substances such as tar, sap, and bird droppings.

How to Use: –

  • The process of using a degreaser to remove greasy fingerprints is pretty straightforward.
  • All you need to do is spray the degreaser on the stained area, allow it to sit for about 2 minutes, and remove it with a microfiber towel or any non-abrasive tool such as a soft brush.
  • Rinse of with clean water to remove the degrease completely from your paintwork.
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Spray Nine 22732 Grez-Off Heavy Duty Degreaser, 32 oz., Pack of 1
  • Professional strength heavy-duty degreaser that quickly blasts through tough grease and grime

We always use the Spray Nine Grez-Off Degreaser, as its specifically formulated to penetrate and remove tough grease & grime stains quickly.

Its nonflammable, non-acidic, biodegradable formulation, contains no harsh petroleum solvents, fumes or unpleasant odors that may be harmful to your car paintwork.

You can use the product as is, without diluting. Just spay it on the grease stain, let it settle and wipe clean.

2. Melamine Foam

A melamine foam does wonders when it comes to removing greasy fingerprints on car paints. It’s a cheap and effective method as well.

How to use:-

  • Apply some water on the melamine sponge and gently rub it on the stained area.
  • Repeat if necessary until the stain fully dissolves.
  • Rinse with water, and dry with a clean cloth.
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YeahWhee Magic Cleaning Sponges Eraser, 100 Pack Premium Melamine Sponge Foam Cleaning Pads, Dish…
  • 🧽【Just Add Water to Eraser Sponge】– No more abrasive or corrosive cleaners are needed with…

With YeahWhee 100 Pack Multi-Functional Melamine Sponge Foam Pads, you’ll be able to remove every fingerprint stain on the car, even the stubborn ones, and remain with plenty of form pads to spare.

Besides, this sponge is aggressive and effective on grease and grime stains, so you don’t have to scrub hard. It’s also very safe to use, and it won’t scratch or damage the paintwork.

3. Clay Bar System

One of the main foolproof ways of removing greasy fingerprints from car paint is using clay bars. Since clay bars are recommended for use in small surface areas, they work perfectly for greasy fingerprints.

All the dirt and grease will get trapped in the clay bar as you rub it against the surface. For a clay bar to work efficiently, you’ll need to use it with a clay bar lubricant.

After successfully removing all the greasy fingerprints, ensure that you wax the paintwork so it won’t be exposed to outside elements.

Mothers 07240-6 California Gold Clay Bar System, (Pack of 6)
  • Removes embedded grains of metal, tree sap, airborne environmental deposits and paint overspray

We always opt for the Mothers California Gold Clay Bar System, as it comes with two 100 gram Clay Bars, 16 oz. Mothers California Gold Instant Detailer for lubrication and a free high quality 16″ x 16″ microfiber cloth.

Mothers Brand is known worldwide for its premium-grade polishes, waxes and cleaners and offers a broad array of finish care products, so rest assured that quality is guaranteed.

4. Car Washing Shampoo

This method is much cheaper and easier compared with using clay bar system as described above. When used with water, Car washing shampoo is very effective at removing grease.

How to Use:-

  • Mix a scoop full of Car Wash Shampoo into a bucket if water.
  • Dip a sponge into the bucked and gently scrub off the stained area.
  • Rinse it off with clean water and dry thoroughly.
  • Repeat if necessary, until the greasy fingerprint stains are thoroughly cleaned.
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Adam’s Polishes Mega Foam Gallon – pH Best Car Wash Soap For Foam Cannon, Pressure Washer or Foam…
  • ✅ CREATES A HUGE AMOUNT OF THICK, LUBRICATING SUDS SUDS SUDS – Adam’s Mega Foam Shampoo is…

A great example of one of the leading Car Washing Shampoo in the market is the Adam’s Mega Foam Gallon Car Shampoo.

When mixed with water applied to the stained areas, it reacts with the grease stain and dissolves it completely from the paint surface. All you have to do is scrub it with a piece of cloth and rinse it off with clean water.

Another advantage of using Car Washing Shampoo over other cleaning solutions is that it doesn’t damage, discolor or corrode the paint. So, it gets the job done without interfering with the paintwork

5. WD-40 Spray

If  all the aforementioned methods fail to remove the greasy fingerprints in your car, try using the WD-40.

WD-40 is a great all-around cleaner and degreaser. So if your car has any spots of grease on the paint, give WD-40 a try. You may be surprised at how well it works!

How to use:-

  • Apply a small quality of WD-40 on the stained area, then rinse with water and gently wipe the area with a microfiber towel.
  • If the fingerprint stains are deeply embedded, a brush with soft bristles will help you scrub them off. It’s also a handy tool for cleaning hard-reach surfaces.
  • The WD-40 spray will remove the greasy fingerprints safely and not damage the painted exterior.
WD-40 Original Formula, Multi-Use Product with Smart Straw Sprays 2 Ways,12 OZs, 3-Pack, 12 OZ
  • DRIVES OUT MOISTURE: Drives out moisture and quickly dries out electrical systems to eliminate…

Check out the WD-40 Multi-Use Spray with Smart Straw on Amazon today!

Its great for cleaning not only greasy fingerprint stains, but also removes gunk, gum, tar, sap, super glue, sticker residue, and other sticky stuff from your car surfaces.

The WD-40 spray also acts as a Corrosion Inhibitor to shield against moisture and other corrosive elements from your paintwork, to prevent rust.

What’s more, WD-40 spray is also safe to use on you paintwork, weather its waxed or coated.

How Greasy Fingerprints Damages Car Paint

It is vital to clean those pesky greasy fingerprints from your car as soon as you spot them; failure to do this will further damage your paintwork.

1. Causes Scratches

One of the easiest ways to destroy your car’s paintwork is greasy fingerprints. They can scratch the surface of the paint and leave permanent blemishes.

You can also create more scratches on the car paint when trying to clean and remove the greasy fingerprints.

2. Changes the Original Color of the Paint

If the greasy fingerprints are left uncleaned for an extended period of time, they can change the car paint’s original color.

They trap impurities that start to corrode with the paintwork and eventually change the original color of the paint.

3. Removes the Paint

Cleaning greasy fingerprints can entirely remove the car paint altogether. This is particularly the case if the fingerprints were greatly embedded on the car paint.

You’ll have to do excessive rubbing to remove the fingerprints, and this can cause severe damage to the car paint or cause it to peel off.

4. Softens the Paint

If left long enough, greasy fingerprints can soften the car paint and makes it more susceptible to damages.

Your car’s paintwork will decrease in quality more quickly and you might end up doing a new paint if the effects are unrepairable.

It’s best to clean greasy fingerprints immediately to prevent severe damage.

Final Word

In this article, you learned how easy it is to get rid of those hard-to-remove greasy finger print stains the most effective products in the market.

The products mentioned above have been reviewed and recommended by our team. All the products mentioned are both gentle and non-abrasive to all vehicle painted surfaces,  both waxed and coated.

We hope that reading these tips has helped solve all of your cleaning concerns–for now at least.

If any questions are left unanswered, please don’t hesitate to reach out to our team via the Contact Form.

Last update on 2025-01-11 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

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