Keeping your car looking pristine can be difficult, especially when it comes to taking care of your car’s paint job since car paint can get stained, chipped, etc. by various factors, and ketchup could be one of them.
If you get ketchup on your car, you may be wondering if ketchup can ruin car paint. I did the research, and here is what I found!
Does Ketchup Ruin Car Paint?
Ketchup does not generally ruin car paint if you wipe the ketchup off quickly. However, if ketchup is left on car paint for an extended period, especially if the car has a lighter paint color and the temperatures are hot, ketchup can ruin car paint. Other food products that can damage car paint include soda and coffee.
Do you want to learn more about when ketchup ruins car paint, how to fix damaged car paint, how to remove ketchup from other parts of the car, and more? Keep reading!
Will Ketchup Ruin My Car’s Paint?
Ketchup ruining car paint will depend on the color of the car paint, how long the ketchup has been on the car, and how much ketchup was on the car.
Typically, if you get a bit of ketchup on your car paint but remove the ketchup immediately, your car paint may not change at all.
However, leaving ketchup on car paint for a longer period could potentially ruin the car paint, particularly in the area where the ketchup was.
Almost all types of ketchup are acidic because ketchup contains vinegar and tomatoes, and ketchup usually has a pH level of 3.9.
Ketchup is not so acidic that ketchup would immediately ruin paint, but ketchup’s acid can slowly make car paint deteriorate if the ketchup is left on the car paint.
Moreover, the acidity of the ketchup will degrade car paint faster if the car is under the sun or is hot because heat makes acid particles move faster, speeding up the deterioration process.
Additionally, lighter car paint colors like white, light blue, etc. may be more susceptible to getting stained from ketchup since ketchup is deep red.
Plus, ketchup has a higher likely hood of creating noticeable damage on car paint if you have a lot of ketchup on your car paint.
However, if the ketchup is only on your car paint for a few minutes, it is highly unlikely that ketchup will ruin your car paint.
What Foods Ruin Car Paint?
Other than foods, other food products that can ruin car paint are coffee and soda, and soda and coffee can ruin car paint the same way ketchup can ruin car paint.
If you spill coffee or soda on your car and wipe it off immediately, it is unlikely to cause any damage to car paint.
However, leaving soda or coffee on car paint for a long time can damage car paint because coffee and soda are acidic, which can eventually make the car’s paint degrade.
Generally, coffee has a pH level of 4.85 to 5.10 while soda has a pH level of 2.5 to 3.3 with coffee being slightly less acidic than soda.
Based on the acidity levels, soda is more acidic than ketchup and coffee are the least acidic of the three.
However, all three of these foods can damage car paint if you allow them to sit on the car paint for too long.
Moreover, soda will likely be the most damaging food product to car paint since soda is the most acidic, so soda will likely create noticeable damage in the fastest time.
How Do I Fix Damaged Car Paint?
There are multiple ways of fixing damaged car paint, and how you fix car paint will depend on the damage done.
If ketchup chipped your car paint, use soap and water to clean the paint chip then use a soft cotton cloth to dry the paint chip.
To soften ragged edges, gently rub a little automotive polishing compound on the paint chip but be sure to not rub the paint chip too much.
Afterward, put a little denatured alcohol on the paint chip’s surface to remove grime and wax then rub the alcohol with a soft cloth, making sure to not flood the area with alcohol.
Next, use something small like a match to add a little primer to the paint chip, filling the paint chip with primer then let the primer dry for 30-60 minutes.
Use touch-up paint to cover the paint chip, letting the paint fully dry. You may need to add a second coat of paint.
However, the best way to repair damaged car paint is by bringing your car to an auto shop to get the paint professionally fixed, especially if the ketchup has caused a lot of damage.
How Do I Get Ketchup Off My Car Seats?
First, use a tissue to blot excess ketchup off your car seats, being sure you are not rubbing the ketchup to prevent worsening the ketchup stain.
Next, use a cloth dipped in white vinegar to dab the white vinegar into the ketchup stain to saturate the ketchup stain in vinegar.
Take a clean cloth and sponge diluted liquid dishwashing soap into the stain, blotting until the stain gets fully absorbed, repeating the steps as necessary.
You can use another clean and dry cloth to blot the affected area until it is dry.
How Do I Remove Ketchup Stains From My Car’s Carpet?
Similar to car seats, you can dab white vinegar into the ketchup stain and allow the vinegar to sit in the stain for a few minutes.
Grab a cloth or a soft brush and use it to gently rub diluted liquid dishwashing soap into the ketchup stain.
Once the stain is gone, you can use a dry cloth to blot dry the carpet until the carpet is mostly dry.
How Do You Get Ketchup Out Of A Seatbelt?
Firstly, lay some towels down on the car seat to keep your car seats dry while you clean your seatbelt.
Mix mild laundry detergent with warm water and dab this mixture onto the stained seatbelt, using a scrub brush or cleaning cloth to scrub out the stain.
When the stain has faded, use another dry and clean cloth to wipe the seatbelt dry.
Check out our other articles to learn if ketchup comes out of clothes, if ketchup looks like blood, and the types of ketchup.
Conclusion
Ketchup will not immediately ruin car paint, but ketchup can remove car paint if you leave the ketchup on your car’s paint for an extended period.
Typically, most types of ketchup are fairly acidic since ketchup has a pH level of 3.9 since ketchup has tomatoes and vinegar, and the acidity can slowly make car paint disintegrate.
Moreover, hotter temperatures and sun can make ketchup ruin car paint faster since acid molecules move faster when the temperatures are hot.