What are these orange rust spots on my white paint?

Someone probably told you not to buy a white car because it would be sooo hard to keep clean, right? Don’t worry – we don’t listen either, and several of us at Vette Lab have gorgeous white cars we wouldn’t trade for any other color. But there is truth to the statement that white cars require more maintenance to look their best. One of the most frequent questions we get from white car owners regards small specks of rust that show up as tiny orange spots on the white paint. Not surprisingly, these rust specks concern owners who think their late-model white car is actually…well, rusting!

We have good news and bad news: The good news is your car body isn’t rusting. At least, that’s not what’s causing the orange spots in your white paint (if you have rust holes in the sheetmetal that’s a different article entirely). The bad news is that you have metallic particles embedded in your white car’s clearcoat, and THOSE are rusting. These metallic particles are extremely difficult to remove by conventional washing, and attempting to use a clay bar or other physical process risks dragging the metallic bits across the clearcoat, scratching your lovely white finish. Not the result we’re after!

How did you get metal embedded in your white paint anyway? These particles are also known as rail dust or industrial fallout, and they’re a byproduct of wear from iron-containing materials throughout our environment. The term ‘rail dust’ stems from the metal-on-metal contact between train wheels and rails, causing microscopic metallic bits to become airborne. Vehicle brake pads are another big source of industrial fallout: As semi-metallic brake pads wear, they send metal particles into the air. Factories and airplanes also contribute to the iron dust floating around, just waiting to embed itself in your shiny white paint.

Now that you know what those rust specks are, what can you do about them? That brings us to our next question:

How do I remove orange spots from my white car?

With White+Wash from Vette Lab! Our spray-on, wash-off formulation is the easy, safe and effective way to remove those orange rust specks from your white car or truck. Unlike some iron-removal products or professional industrial fallout removers, White+Wash is safe to use at home even if you’ve never had any experience with it.

Why do you need a special cleaner for these metal particles? Rail dust, industrial fallout, whatever you want to call it, actually sticks to the clearcoat on your white car. It’s not in the paint itself, but rather the thin layer of clear urethane that protects the color coat on your vehicle. Since regular car wash products won’t clean off these metal specs and the rust associated with them, a chemical iron remover like White+Wash white car cleaner is the easiest and best solution. It will remove the metal without causing additional damage by pulling it across the clearcoat.

White+Wash iron remover uses a special chemical to dissolve the metallic particles and associated rust, making them water-soluble. After White+Wash has had a chance to work, you simply rinse away the solution and the dissolved metal goes with it! That’s where a lot of professional iron remover products stop, and you’re left to deal with multiple successive rinses to clean off all the chemicals, along with finding an appropriate neutralizing car wash soap to ensure the iron remover has been fully rinsed away. And what about protecting your white car from recontamination? They don’t help there either. Those additional steps, along with some differences in our chemical formulation, make White+Wash the easiest and safest iron remover system AND comprehensive white car cleaning system on the market. Which brings us to the next question:

How is White+Wash different from so-called Iron Remover chemicals?

Although White+Wash uses the same active ingredient as some professional iron remover products, two key differences make White+Wash the right choice for home use:

• White+Wash is less concentrated than professional-use iron removers, making it virtually impossible to get any kind of staining or streaking, even in less-than-ideal weather conditions. Other products are recommended for use by detailing professionals in controlled environments. Home users can buy them, but the results can vary dramatically.
• White+Wash is not just an iron remover or fallout remover. It’s a white car cleaning system, and our special pH balanced post-spray wash concentrate, provided with each starter kit, deactivates the key ingredient in our spray and makes it far easier to wash off the car. Other products rely on you to supply a compatible wash detergent and often require multiple rinses to fully clear their streaky residues. White+Wash spray wax, available in our Deluxe kit, then delivers an easy, streak-free, durable protective coating that helps prevent further metal contamination for months.

So, which White+Wash white car cleaning kit is right for you?

If you want a complete white car cleaning and protecting kit in one box, order our White+Wash Deluxe kit (coming soon!), which contains the white car cleaner, our neutralizing car wash soap and our spray polymer wax to deliver the cleanest white car you’ve ever seen and help keep it that way for up to six months. The White+Wash Deluxe white car kit contains enough product for two applications; for most people that’s a full year of brilliant white paint.

Some of you may already have a wax product you know and love; we think you’ll like White+Wash polymer spray wax even better, but if you still want the deep white paint cleaning power of White+Wash without the polymer spray wax, order our White+Wash Basic white car cleaning kit. You get the same year’s supply of white car cleaner and our neutralizing car wash soap, after which you can apply the wax of your choice.

Finally, if you’ve previously purchased a White+Wash white car cleaning kit and you just need additional product, we have economically priced refill kits available too. Your original white car cleaner kit comes with a refillable bottle and a chemical-resistant sprayer that should last many years, so save money and reduce plastic waste by grabbing a White+Wash refill kit.

Buy the White+Wash Basic Cleaning Kit Here

What do I do when my white car gets dirty between White+Wash treatments?

It should only be necessary to do a full White+Wash white car cleaner application a maximum of once every six months. There’s a good chance your car will need a bath a lot more frequently than that, though! Between treatments, simply wash your car as usual with a good-quality car wash soap (we can help you there too with our White+Wash Anytime car wash soap). If you’ve used our polymer spray wax, the dirt and debris will be rinsed away leaving that bright white shine you’ve come to love!

Of course, even with the protection of White+Wash polymer spray wax, good car washing practices should always be followed:

• Never wash your car in direct sunlight — it causes the soap and water to dry on the paint too quickly, causing water spotting.
• Pre-rinse your white car to remove as much dirt as possible before using a wash mitt
• Use a clean bucket with clean, cool water and a clean, soft wash mitt or rag
• Work from the top down for your pre-rinse, washing and final rinse.
• Dry the car thoroughly with a clean terrycloth towel.

If you want the cleanest white car you’ve ever had, we hope we’ve convinced you that White+Wash white car cleaner is the perfect do-it-yourself solution! Our white car cleaning kits are safe for home use even by novices, and once you’ve priced out detail services, you’ll find White+Wash is remarkably economical too. Give White+Wash a try: You’ll fall in love with your white car all over again!