Ok this is something that has been haunting my mind for months now and well it's time to get it straightned out. I need some help here, please. I know you can't wash a veichle with straight kerosene and it can remove tree sap, tar, and maybe everything else that's bad and I also that know it smells like stink on $h!t

1. Does Kerosene make your paint shiny and keep it that way for a long time?

2. The oils that kerosene has in it, do you have to wax 1 or 2 times a yr to help prevent rust, oxidation etc...

3. Will Kerosene strip wax???

4. Will Kerosene damage a clearcoat finish?

Don't get me wrong, I love to wash, polish and wax a veichle, this is something that has been stuck in my mind for a long time. Tks guys



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Hi,
Kerosene is a pretty good solvent….That's why it removes tar.
Let me put it this way. No offence though…
A lot of engine degreasers use it. Will you wash your car with an engine degreaser?
Alex.

 

It may be correct that engine degreasers use kerosene in their product; however, it would seem like the benefit of kerosene is that it has great cleaning power AND it contains oils which help put a nice finish on the paint (not sure if it offers any protection though).

It's my impression that the main element that causes Meguiar's products to leave such a great shine is the oils that are present in the products.

What do you think?

 

Kero does not "Contain" oil.....It is oil, kerosene is crude oil refined to #2 oil.

 

Hi,
Chemically speaking the kerosene is a fraction of the crude oil. If I remember it correctly form the school J the evaporation temperature is lower than benzene (gas).
So it does NOT contain any oils it's just "oily" by itself. My guess would be that it will remove tar; it will remove wax; the clear coat will sustain the treatment if you don't do it on regular basis, otherwise it'll haze sort of thing; it will remove oxidation (rust) to some degree but because it would not leave any protection coat the place will start rusting even faster afterwards.
I would go for something else you could find on a market that is not that harsh on the paint…

 

First, I've never used Kerosene on my paint, nor do I ever plan on doing it. There are too many good products out there that are MADE for paint and not for heating purposes. At last check, I don't remember hearing about anyone squirting TURTLE WAX or MEGUIARS into their fuel oil fired boiler or furnace.

Secondly, gas is not straight benzene. It is a combination of refined oil, (refining removes impurities and other components from the crude to ensure that the fuel burns efficiently), benzene, ethylbenzene, xylene, and toluene (BTEX). Further, the aformentioned constiuients are precisely what the majority of the states in the US require to be tested for if and when an underground storage tank is removed. Being a geologist in the environmental business, I can affirm that testing for BTEX by US EPA Method 8020 is very very prevalent. Also, I should note that when Kerosene tanks are removed, the typical analytical requirements mimick those of gasoline tanks including BTEX and TPH (total peteroleum hydrocarbons -- i.e.-Refined oil).

Benzene is a carcinogen (known cancer causing agent).

Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) for Benzene

Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) for Kerosene (Word Document)

Kerosene is a less dense petroleum based constituient that is more refined that regular unleaded gasoline with contains a variance of combinations of petroleum (almost always 97+%) and trimethylbenzene, toluene, xylene, etc.

I realize that this is a tad off the 'paint' path but, I feel it's necessary to point out that if Kerosene was offering the same protection as a good wax, don't you think we'd be able to buy it in small quantities from Wal-Mart right next to the Meguiars and Eagle One? There's a reason that lighter fluid isn't sold beside the Armor All.

I don't think there's a benefit and, based upon my prior experience with petroleum and petroleum distillates, I don't think that there could possibly be a benefit from whiping your truck down with Kerosene -- not to mention the human health and risks to the environment (air & groundwater supplies).

Simply put -- Don't light a match.

RP

 

Years ago, prior to clear coating, old timers used kerosene mixed into a bucket of water to wash their cars and trucks. It actually kept the paint looking good without ever having to wax the paint.

 

that removes tar,bugs,tree sap with out threat of burning down the back part of your house....rud it ,in let it set and wash it off

 

for the record... WD40 has kerosene in it for those that use it to remove bugs and tar.

Same *****, different stink.

 

I held a job at a local company in the early 80's as a car washer/detailer. We used kerosene to remove bugs/tar from finish and to clean door jambs. Always waxed after use except for the jambs. After cleaning with kero we buffed all the jambs with a clean rag. This made a nice clean shine, never noticed any negative effects.

 

I am with J-150 here. WD40 works awesome for removing tar and deceased bugs

I had some kind of tar on my truck once and couldn't get it off. A friend told me to try WD40 and I about sh*t. It came right off.

However, my truck now has Zaino on it and nothing sticks to Zaino not even dried up bird waste (you know how some of these birds practice that supersonic waste managment while in flight, looking for freshly washed and/or shinny trucks), it comes off pretty easy. Sometimes I think some of the bugs are not yet deceased because the polish is so slick. Don't you animal rights people freak out I make sure they are deceased prior to removal.

Another good use for WD40, at least for those that live where it gets damn cold and frezzes is to use it on the door seals. I WD40 them prior to each winter and the doors never stick and the seals never rip apart due to sticking. Just spray the WD-40 onto a rag and rub it into the rubber seals of the door.

 

Just for a little info on kerosene. Their are a multitude of grades of Kerosene produced by manufacturers from some that is close to diesel #2 to as highly refined as mineral spirits. What designates a kerosene is it's distillation range. Some of the highly refine kero actually doesn't have to bad of odor and is water white. We get our kerosene from Shell Canada and it is some of the purest available today. This product, and ones similar to it, are often found in car care products. Look at the labels and when you see the words petroleum distillate, it is often either mineral spirits or highly refined kerosene. It is used as an inexpensive carrier for the other products that are blended to formulate a wax, polish or cleaner. Car washes use it to formulate some of their products also. It works as an excelent cleaner, but it would be advisable to wax afterwards, as it can strip the wax off.

 

wow lots of responses!!!!!!! I have heard that kerosene does work well when mixing it in with some car wash. However RP your right about the stuff being very flammable, don't smoke a ciggy near the $h!t and you make a good point about all kinds off good polish and wax products out there specifically for automotive paint. Maybe it's just best to stick with with automotive wax for shine and protection. Thanks guys for all the information. Keep em comin if you wish.




91

 

Kerosene isn't really all that flammable. Typically it has a flash point of around 150 to 160 f. Mineral spirits is usually in the low 100 f range. It takes a pretty hot flame to ignite it. Not that I'm advocating it, but if you want to test it, pour a small amount of kero in a can and toss a match on it. Chances are it will go out, or if it does ignite, it will burn very slow and have a low flame. Unlike gasoline that will ignite instantly and flare up. I work for a chemical company that carries products to ones that are very flammable (acetone) to some that are very low in flammability (kerosene). We buy the majority of products by rail car.

 

I'm one of those "old timers" who used kero on their vehicles. I still do sometimes, but not like years past. Used to go to Canada with the family years ago. The fishing lodge was beautifully nestled in the tall pines. The owner's vehicle was constantly being dotted by pine sap. All the roads were a wonderfully fine powdery dirt, too -- just like flour. The weekly ritual was to wash their car (a gargantuan '67 yellow Dodge Polara) with kero. They used exactly ONE cuup kero in a standard sized pail of water. Sponge on. Rinse off. Dry with terry towels. That car sparkled!! Sap was never an obstacle using that method, and I copied it for many years. (I used to have to park under about 7 mature maple trees). I saw that car every summer for five years and it always looked good (and they wintered in Cleveland). They'd wax twice a year. Once when they got back from the lodge. Once before going up in the spring.