Brake discs and brake pads eject iron filings which unfortunately embed themselves in the vehicles clear coat and then they rust. They can be identified as small, microscopic yellow spots.
They are unsightly and detract from the shine of the car. They’re most visible on white and silver cars although they are actually on all cars.
De-ironising
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What is de-ironising?
De-ironising a car refers to the process of removing iron deposits from the vehicle’s exterior, especially paintwork and wheels. These deposits, often microscopic and appearing as yellow or orange spots, are primarily caused by environmental contaminants like industrial fallout, rail dust, and brake dust. De-ironising helps to remove these contaminants, improve the appearance of the car, and ensure that wax, polymers, or coatings bond properly to the paint.
Iron deposits, also known as “fallout” or “ferrous oxide,” are commonly found on car surfaces due to various environmental factors.
What benefits does de-ironising the car provide?
- Shinier #Removing contaminants: All contaminants detract from the reflection of the vehicle.
- Feels smoother #Smoother to the touch: By removing the iron filings, the car will feel as smooth as a baby’s bottom
What do iron spots look like?
They’re small microscopic spots.
Glitz Detailing process for de-ironising
Our industry leading processes will get the most value out of your investment.
Our process is:
- Thorough Clean #Snow foam: we’ll firstly snow foam and pressure wash the car to remove physical debris
- Chemical decontamination #De-ironisation: we chemically decontaminate the car to ensure a safer subsequent clay bar process by removing iron fallout from brake discs and brake pads
- Mechanical decontamination #Clay bar: we then thoroughly clay bar the exterior to ensure that the panels are completely decontaminated and ready to be detailed
Why is de-ironising so important prior to clay barring?
De-ironising is so important to perform prior to clay barring as it melts and removes the physical iron deposits prior to clay barring. If the de-ironisation step is skipped, the clay bar will pick up the iron deposits and they will act as fine iron filings scratching the clear coat whilst the clay bar process is underway.
How do you know if the de-ironising is effective?
The manufacturers include a chemical within the compound which is an “indicator” which turns purple when the product comes into contact with iron particles. Please see the gallery above where the cars (particularly white cars) have purple running down them.
Therefore, each time we de-ironise the car in the one process, the purple colour becomes non-existent when we spray it on.
Are the iron filings damaging the car?
Even though they’re rusting, they’re not damaging the car, we simply remove them for aesthetic value and in preparation of clay barring.
How often should Glitz De-ironise the car?
Typically, we suggest de-ironising the car at least once every 6 months as this will not only make the car look better, but the cleaning process between de-ironising services will be safer.
Post installation maintenance
It is highly recommended that you have the Glitz team minimise the opportunity of iron filings settling on the car and rusting by us regularly washing the vehicle.
