How can I get rid of milky grey
cloudiness on a car I just painted?

The cloudiness is known as blushing. Moisture condensing on a newly painted car surface causes it. You can eliminate it by applying car compounds or sanding down the surface and putting on a new finish.

In this article, I’ll answer common questions about how to prevent blushing and eliminate it when it happens.

• What is blushing?
• What causes blushing?
• How can I repair a surface with blushing?
• How do I prevent blushing?
  
  

What is blushing?

Blushing is milky gray cloudiness that appears on a vehicle’s surface immediately or shortly after it’s been painted.

What causes blushing?

When applying paint, moisture in the air condenses in or on the paint film. Painting a car in humid conditions can result in condensation. So can air from a spray gun or solvent evaporation.

How can I repair a surface with blushing?

If blushing occurs while painting, you can:

• Apply heat to the impacted area.
• Add retarder to your paint and apply additional coats.

If the newly painted finish has dried, minor blushing can be corrected by applying the compound according to manufacturer instructions or by polishing the surface. Severe blushing can be remedied by sanding the surface and refinishing it. Check out our tips on the best ways to apply the compound and polish your vehicle.

How do I prevent blushing?

There are four key things you can do to keep blushing from happening:

1. Use a good quality solvent and thin or reduce it following the manufacturer’s instructions.
2. Select the proper thinner or reducer based on weather conditions. Gleam has a range of thinners and reducers for all situations. Check them out!
3. Add the manufacturer’s recommended amount of retarder when spraying in humid conditions.
4. Evaporate moisture that forms on the surface while painting by applying heat.

Doing these things will help prevent unsightly blushing on your painted automotive surfaces.