What does bleach do to car paint?
Bleach, pool chlorine and strong wheel or engine cleaners attack the clear coat. Bleach can leave dull or unevenly faded patches. The key detail is whether only the shine changed, or the colour too. If only the shine changed, the damage is in the clear coat.
What kind of repair does it need?
One of two things, and the patch tells you which. If the colour is untouched, a machine polish cuts back to fresh clear coat and it disappears. If the colour has changed or gone blotchy too, polishing cannot fix it and the panel is painted.
If only the shine changed, a machine polish takes it back to fresh clear coat. If the colour changed too, polishing cannot fix it and the panel is painted.
What to do next
Look at the patch in daylight. If the colour inside matches the colour outside, and only the shine changed, a detailer can fix it. If the colour has gone lighter or blotchy, it is a panel shop. See a detailer first either way. They will tell you quickly if they cannot fix it.
Sources
- PPG GBpaint maker
use of detergents on new surfaces
- Espresso Car Wash (NZ)car wash
Bleach can strip away the colour from your car's paint, leading to uneven fading or dull patches.
- Sherwin-Williams Automotivepaint maker
Sand and featheredge damaged areas to remove chips, then refinish
- Standoxpaint maker
Micro/Spot repair or complete refinishing is necessary for true rectification
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