Ask a Professional

Early this morning a cat-caused stain bomb exploded in my garage, effectively, I thought, ruining the finish on my Toyota Tacoma (see photo). Fortunately I know a professional auto body man who recommended a product for dealing with the mess. Not only did it easily clean the splotches of stain from my truck’s hood, fenders, and passenger door, it also removed numerous stubborn sap and tar spots.

Over the past week I have applied a stain finish to several wood projects: a card shelf, a DVD hutch, and a small bookcase. Rather than put everything away between coats, I have been temporarily storing the cans of stain, brushes, and thinner on my workbench in the garage. Had I made sure all container tops were securely fastened I might have gotten away with this laziness.

Pi, aka the Mud Cat, likes to go out on patrol at dawn. If it’s still dark when he wakes me up, like it was this morning, I put him in the garage until first light. To show his displeasure he apparently decided to rearrange the objects on my workbench. This included knocking several cans of MinWax wood finish off the workbench to the floor—sadly one had a loosely fitting top. I’m not trained in forensics and cannot completely account for the spatter pattern that occurred, but I could see that it was a major spill. My hope of an easy cleanup job disappeared when I realized the MinWax product is oil-based.

After wondering if my insurance would cover this “accident,” I decided to consult with Jim S., who owns Long’s Auto Rebuild on National Avenue. Jim lives close by, across Mud Bay on Marine Drive. I drove to his house and luckily caught him at home. He recommended using an enamel reducer, specifically DT-860 available at Westbay Auto Parts. “It will remove the stain and won’t hurt the paint,” he said. “Be sure to wash the truck after using it.”

He was correct. The stain was easy to remove and the truck looks great after its first washing in months. Always ask a professional if you can.