As more and more people get involved in custom paint jobs for their cars or trying to take on more of the maintenance tasks for their cars to save money, we have noticed a spike in the number of questions that we see people asking about when it comes to maintaining their car paint. With Goo Gone being such a popular product that has a wide range of use cases, it comes as no surprise that we see so many people asking if Goo Gone is safe to use on car paint or not.
Now, you have to factor in that there are multiple Goo Gone formulas on the market these days and when it comes to using Goo Gone on your car paint, you really should be trying to use their Goo Gone Automotive formula if possible. It has been specifically designed and optimised for use with cars so has the highest chance of delivering a great result while also reducing the chances of causing potential issues.
Our goal with this article is to try and help you understand the advantages and disadvantages of using Goo Gone on your car paint to try and help you make the best decision possible when moving forward. Although most people should be fine and not have any serious problems, we have noticed a number of commonly made mistakes that people make time and time again that are very easy to avoid so we will be covering them in more detail as we work our way through our article.
Is Goo Gone Safe On Car Paint?
The Goo Gone Automotive formula is perfectly safe for use on car paint and can offer you a quick, easy, and cheap way to wash your car yourself and get a professional-looking finish with minimal effort. It is essential that you wash your car paint down with warm soapy water after washing it with Goo Gone though and this final step is commonly overlooked.
Although a huge number of people do use the Goo Gone Automotive formula on their car paint without issue confirming that it is perfectly safe, a small number of people do not follow the instructions on the label for using Goo Gone correctly. This is why you do sometimes see people complaining that they have used Goo Gone on their car paint when cleaning their car and ended up having problems.
The two main issues that we see time and time again is that people mix additional chemicals in with their Goo Gone before washing their car with it often changing the strength of it and causing problems. The second and more common issue that we see is that people will not rinse the Goo Gone off their car paint after using it and this is clearly instructed on the label of Goo Gone.
Can You Use Regular Goo Gone On Car Paint?
Although you can use regular Goo Gone on car paint, the end result does not seem to be as good as if you choose to use the Goo Gone Automotive formula on your car paint instead. As both products are the same price, we would highly recommend that you try to use the Goo Gone Automotive formula rather than the regular Goo Gone formula on your car paint.
That said though, we have noticed a number of people that do use the regular Goo Gone formula on their car paint without having any problems at all. Although the end result can be a little worse off than the potential end result if they had used the Goo Gone Automotive formula, they tend not to have any problems with their car paint when using the regular Goo Gone formula.
Keep in mind though, the people that we have seen reporting that they use the regular Goo Gone formula on their cars do tend to be rinsing their car paint after using Goo Gone on it. This is the main area where we see people go wrong when using Goo Gone on their car paint and this does increase the chances of your car paint having a potential reaction. It doesn’t matter if you are using the regular Goo Gone formula or the automotive Goo Gone formula, both should be rinsed off your car paint after use as clearly recommended on the label.
How Should You Use Goo Gone On Your Car Paint?
Goo Gone is very easy and straight forward to use on your car paint and it is very beginner friendly. You can easily follow the instructions on the side of the Goo Gone container to get yourself excellent results when using Goo Gone on your car paint. Follow the steps exactly and be sure to remember the final step of rinsing the area of your car paint that you have used your Goo Gone with once the process is complete.
It is always a good idea to test your Goo Gone on an area of your car paint that is less visible prior to applying it to a larger area too. Although very rare provided that you follow the instructions on the label of Goo Gone, there may be some situations where Goo Gone can cause color fade in your car paint or other issues so having a small test area on your car and then waiting 24 hours prior to painting the rest of your car is probably a good idea.
As we always recommend to our readers, it is better to be safe than sorry when it comes to an expensive item such as your car and although most of our readers will probably skip this short test phase for using Goo Gone on their car paint, we would highly recommend it. Prevention is better than cure and even though the chances of Goo Gone causing you problems with your car paint are minimal, a quick and easy test is still highly recommended.
Will Goo Gone Damage Car Paint?
There are some rare situations where Goo Gone has resulted in damage to car paint but these situations are often down to user error rather than a problem with Goo Gone. Following the instructions on how to actually use Goo Gone drastically reduces the chances of it damaging your car paint with the two main points being not to mix any other chemical with your Goo Gone and to rinse the car paint with warm water after having used Goo Gone on it.
We would also highly recommend that you use the Goo Gone Automotive formula if possible rather than the standard Goo Gone formula. Although you are technically able to use either, the automotive formula has been specifically designed to work well with car paint and offer you the best possible finish after use.
We have noticed some people trying to make their own homemade Goo Gone recipes by trying to mimic the ingredients listed on Goo Gone. We would not recommend this at all as getting the ratios perfect can be a paint and this will increase the chances of you having issues with your car paint. Just go with the actual Goo Gone formula that has been optimised over the years to offer you the best possible performance with minimal damage to your car.
How Do You Get Goo Gone Off Car Paint?
The recommended way to get Goo Gone off your car paint is to rinse the area with warm water after you are done using your Goo Gone. Not only will with wash away any left over reside but it also neutralises the pH of the area on your car paint to prevent any issues from taking hold. This is clearly recommended on the label of Goo Gone but so many people overlook it and skip this important part.
Depending on exactly what you are doing, you may need to use a cloth to help you get rid of some of the residue left over after using Goo Gone but this does tend to be rare and regular warm water will often be enough. If you are planning to use another product such as a buffer for your car paint after using your Goo Gone then rising the area prior to using your buffer is essential.
One of the main problems that we see reported from people who are using Goo Gone is that they have either intentionally or unintentionally mixed other chemicals in with their Goo Gone. Rinsing the area of your car paint prior to using any other products will be able to prevent this with ease and drastically reduce the chances of you having problems.
Is Goo Gone Safe On Clear Coat?
Although Goo Gone is listed as sade for use with clear coat, the quality of your clear coat formula will come into play too. If you have used a reputable clear coat then you shouldn’t have any issues but some of the cheaper, imported clear coat formulas can have issues with a number of products due to their low quality ingredients in the formula.
In our opinion, the best clear coat formulas are made in the USA or Germany and should be the primary option for any body work with a car. The UK and Japan also have some excellent quality clear coat products with different brands listing them for sale under different brand names rather than just listing them as “clear coat”.
You can usually have a quick Google search for the specific brand of clear coat that you are thinking of using for your car paint and you will be able to find a bunch of reviews from people who have used that product on their cars and get some excellent feedback. If you are using a high quality clear coat formula then the chances of you having problems with using Goo Gone one it are minimal.
Should You Use A Goo Gone Alternative For Your Car Paint?
There are a number of Goo Gone alternatives on the market these days and some of them are excellent quality where as some of them do offer much to be desired when it comes to their actual performance and finish. We usually just recommend that our readers stick to Goo Gone due to it having the reputation that it does but some people are starting to switch over to alternative products.
Our thinking is, why would you use anything other than the Goo Gone Automotive formula on your car paint and take the risk. The majority of the alternative products are around the same price tag as Goo Gone anyway so its not as if you are able to save money by going with the alternative. If you are set on going with another product always be sure to have a quick Google search to check if it is a suitable alternative to Goo Gone prior to use though.
We have noticed three main Goo Gone alternatives mentioned time and time again so we have decided to include them in our article to try and help our readers make a more informed choice for what to use on their car paint. We have only stuck to the three main alternatives that we see people asking about though but in reality, there really are a huge number of different products on the market that are marketed as an alternative or replacement for Goo Gone.
Goo Gone Vs 3M Adhesive Remover!
The only real alternative to Goo Gone that offers similar levels of performance is the 3M Adhesive Remover. In some specific situations, it is actually a better option to use on your car paint than Goo Gone too and is rapidly growing its reputation for being one of the best products available with its market share getting close to being able to knock Goo Gone off the top spot.
The initial supply issues that 3M Adhesive Remover initially had seem to have been solved thankfully making it much easier to find in your local auto store or online. It is retailed at a very similar price point to Goo Gone so there is a minimal difference in the effect that it will have on your budget. In addition to this, there are less reports of 3M Adhesive Remover causing potential problems with car paint than Goo Gone due to the application and removal process being easier to follow.
Out side of Goo Gone, 3M Adhesive Remove is the only product that we would recommend that our readers actually consider for use with their cars. It offers just as much versatility as Goo Gone and can offer a finish that is actually better than Goo Gone in some situations while also being considered easier to use.
Goo Gone Vs Acetone!
Most adhesive residue can easily be removed by using Goo Gone or acetone but the strength of different acetone products on the market can vary wildly. Although this tends not to matter much if you are only using the acetone to remove adhesive residue from glass, it may end up causing problems if used on car paint.
Due to this, we would not recommend that our readers try to use acetone as an alternative to Goo Gone on their car paint as it is simply not worth the risk unless you know the strength of the acetone will not cause you any problems with your paint. If for whatever reason, you do have to use acetone on your car paint to remove adhesive residue then be sure to use a small test area on your care that is out of sight first.
This will give you a better indication of if the acetone will cause any unwanted effects with your car paint or not and give you a better idea of how the acetone will perform. Once you have used acetone on your car paint be sure to rinse the area of your car with warm water thoroughly to neutralise the pH of the area to reduce the chances of you having problems.
Goo Gone Automotive Vs Regular!
Although you are able to use regular Goo Gone on your car, we would highly recommend that you always try to go with their Goo Gone Automotive formula if possible. It tends to offer a better finish when used on a car with its formula being designed for use with the various surfaces on a car rather than as a general use product too.
The regular Goo Gone and the Goo Gone Automotive products tend to be listed at a very similar price point to each other so it usually is not a major issue to go with the Goo Gone Automotive formula instead. That said though, plenty of people do use the regular Goo Gone formula instead of the automotive formula and done have problems.
We have seen some people reporting that they have mixed other products into their regular Goo Gone in an attempt to improve its performance when used with their cars. We would never recommend this and just because it worked for someone else, does not mean that it will work for you as getting the exact ratios between the various chemicals can be a paint.
Conclusion
That brings our article going over if Goo Gone is safe for use on car paint to an end. As we have explained time and time again throughout the article, always follow the instructions on the Goo Gone product for the best possible performance. When used in this way, Goo Gone should not cause you any major problems with your car paint and should easily be able to remove any adhesive residue from the paint without you having isses.
