What pranksters may not realize is that egging someone’s car could rack up expensive detailing and repainting costs.
If you’re reading this, then it is likely you’ve become the victim of an old fashioned egging. Now, the first thingyou need to do is to not panic. We’ll walk you through how to clean egg off a car and how you can get your car back in tip-top condition.
These types of drive-by eggings are common during the trick-or-treating season. While most will settle for a delicious piece of candy on Halloween, others may skip right to the “trick” part of trick-or-treating by scrambling some eggs atop your vehicle’s paint job. It might be fun for them, but it’s sure to be an unwelcome surprise for you the morning after Halloween.
The best thing you can do is to catch the egging early. If this means keeping watch on Halloween night, then so be it. If eggs are left to dry on your car’s exterior, they can damage the finish, and you don’t want that.
Tips for Cleaning an Egged Caron Halloween
- Remove egg shells: Start by removing any egg shells from the surface of the car, no matter how small. Washing the vehicle with egg shells on it can cause scratching.
- Suds up: With the egg shells removed, hose down the car and mix together some car-wash soap. Then use a car-wash mitt to gently wash the vehicle, removing as much egg as you can. You may have to soak the egg in some spots, but this is likely to be enough to remove what’s left of the egg residue. Some drivers have suggested using a mixture of white vinegar and water for egg residue that is particularly difficult to get off, butwe recommend using caution and first contacting an automotive expert before applying anything not officially designed for automotive use.
- Coping with stains: Cleaning the egg off your car is just one of the challenges. If not removed quickly enough, the egg can leave stains, which leave you having to cope with the agonizing sight of eggs stains running down your car. There are cleaners out there that you can try, but before you go out buying products and applying chemicals to your vehicle’s paint, we recommend letting us take a look to help you determine the next steps.
- Worst case scenario: If the egg has been on there for a long while, then it’s time to prepare you for the worst case scenario. Egg can eat through the paint if left alone, especially if it sits in the sun. Wash off what you can, and if you still notice staining or permanent paint damage, contact us or automotive professionals you trust. An automotive technician should be able to help you determine if detailing and repainting will be needed, or if a simpler (and less expensive) solution will suffice.
[Read more: How to clean pesky bugs off your car’s grille and windshield]
Don’t let your innocent car be the victim of a violent egging. You may now know how to clean egg off a car, but once experienced, you’ll never want to do it again. Keep your vehicle in the garage whenever possible, and if one of your vehicles needs to remain outside, choose the lighter colored option, as a white egg stain will be less noticeable on a white or silver vehicle. Lastly, don’t forget to contact your insurance company if permanent damage occursso that they can be made aware of the incident, and also be sure to contact the proper authorities should you deem it necessary in your particular situation.
