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Will rubbing alcohol damage car paint?

I accidentally smeared grease on my front bumper when I was taking a peek under the hood. I tried wiping it off with a dry rag, but it didn’t budge. Is rubbing alcohol bad for car paint?

avatar
Natalie Todoroff · Updated on
Reviewed by Shannon Martin, Licensed Insurance Agent.
Using a ratio of 10%-15% rubbing alcohol to 85%-90% water mixture will not damage car paint, and is highly effective in removing grease, oil, and other stubborn
stains
from your car’s exterior paint coat. With that in mind, you should never use full strength rubbing alcohol on the paint coat—doing so will dissolve the protective clear coat.
Before using it to clean your vehicle, you should always dilute rubbing alcohol with water. To find out exactly how much you’ll need, you may have to do a little mental math.
Once you’ve got your ratio right, you can dip a soft towel in your mixture. Apply it to the stain and let it sit for about ten minutes. After that, whatever stain that’s mucking up your ride should come right off when you wipe.
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