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Egging cars are no longer just a Halloween prank.
Did you wake up to discover your car got egged overnight? Did you get pelted with eggs as you drove home from work with the neighbor’s kids laughing as you continued driving down the street? I always felt that the egging my car got was retaliation. I never told on my friend who egged the mean neighbor’s house one Halloween. I did not realize the damage that eggs actually cause to car paint until I got the sticker shock cost of repairs.
Do not panic if your car gets egged, whether you see it happen or discover it the next day. The important things to know related to the type of damage, and steps to take after discovering the eggs on your car. I wish I knew about possible damage and what to do when some kids egged my car.
The Discovery
You will likely agree with me that the best place for most eggs is in a skillet or an Easter basket. It is unfortunate that many people seem to think it is hilarious to throw eggs at cars. Some people look at egging their neighbor’s car or their ex’s car as the ultimate revenge.
The people who egg your car likely think about the look on your face when you smell the raw eggs or see the eggs splattered across the car.
Do Eggs Ruin Car Paint?
I did not realize for a long time that eggs damage or ruin car paint. The truth is that significant and costly damage often occurs because of eggs thrown at cars. A contributor to the Austin Statesman indicates that although some people think eggs on cars are harmless, they sometimes cause scratches that pierce the clear coat or chip away at the car paint.
Egg white and egg yolk have the capability of causing substantial damage to your car if you do not clean the egg away quickly after the egging incident. It does not matter that you take excellent care of your car once the egg starts eating away at the paint.
How does damage occur to car paint from eggs? Do egg shells, egg whites, or egg yolks cause the damage? These are common questions that some vehicle owners think have surprising answers.
The longer the egg sits on the car, the more likely that the car will have more serious damage. Eggshells scratch surfaces, including car paint. Both egg whites and egg yolks damage car paint. The egg shells also damage the paint on your car.
Dried egg white becomes impossible to remove sometimes, without taking your car’s paint off with it. The primary reason that both egg whites and egg yolks cause damage is because of the sulfur.
Torque Detail explains that sulfur is one of the two amino acids in both the egg white and egg yolk. The sulfur eats through the clearcoat and your paint. The longer the eggs sit on your car, the more time that the acids have to cause damage.
Related: Does WD40 Damage Car Paint?
Cleaning Your Car After an Egging
Is your first thought to quickly clean away the eggs? Do you think that getting a cleaner and sponges is the best step to stop any damage and save the paint? Not so fast there, car owner.
Several sources indicate that you can cause more damage to the paint on your car if you do not take care to remove the eggs and eggshells. Pick up the large pieces of eggshells and dispose of them.
What about the smaller pieces? Do you just wipe them off with a wet cleaning cloth?
Wiping away the small eggshells poses the risk of creating more damage to the paint on your car. Do not use rags, cleaning cloths, or sponges to wipe away the smaller bits of eggshells or the egg white and egg yolk.
Get out the garden hose. Using the garden hose to clean away the egg helps to prevent further damage. Use a waterless spray cleaner or just the water from the hose to clean the egg off your car.
Ignore the sources that claim that it is safe to use white vinegar and a soft cloth to clean eggs from your car. Some sites claim that using diluted vinegar is okay to clean the exterior of your car.
Think about it before you use it to clean eggs from your car. The eggs cause damage to the paint from the eggshell scratches and the sulfur in both the egg white and egg yolk. Do you really want to add an acidic cleaner, even a diluted one, to the eggs on your car?
Several sources, including the site Car Roar, reveal that using vinegar on a car damages the paint.
Use the garden hose to remove as much of the egg as you can in a safe way. Examine the surface of the car. Lightly spray the area again with the hose if you still see egg whites or yolks on the vehicle.
Can I Repair the Damage Myself?
Are you an expert at car detailing? Do you know the materials and procedures necessary to repair the damage caused by the egging of your car? If you answer “no” to these questions, it is better to leave the job to the experts.
Contact your mechanic or another expert to give you an assessment of the damage and the cost of repairing the paint damage to the vehicle. Contact your insurance agent to see if you have coverage that pays for the new paint or other repairs to the car caused by the egg damage.
Is the cost of repairing the damage to the paint less than the cost of your deductible? It does not make sense to file a claim if this is the case. Most insurance companies are likely to pay the cost of covering the paint damage repairs above the deductible. Do you have an estimate of $1,000, with a $500 insurance deductible? Your insurance probably covers the $500 over your deductible.
Questions about Eggs and Car Paint Damage
Is egging a car a criminal violation?
Egging falls under crimes of vehicle vandalism in most states. Motor Biscuit explains that the consequences vary by the different states. One interesting example that proves there are consequences is a question posed to attorneys on the Quora website.
A student asked, “Can I be arrested for egging a car?” The student stated that police went to a friend’s school and questioned her after the girl and the student asking the question egged a car. Every attorney responding answered that egging the car was an illegal act.
Should I contact the person who egged my car?
Do you have proof such as pictures or witness statements? Consider reporting it to the police rather than becoming involved in a neighbor dispute. Give your insurance agent a copy of the police report when you provide the repair estimates.
Can I use abrasive cleaners to clean the egg off my car?
Do not use any cleaners to clean the egg off your vehicle or to make repairs yourself. You risk causing more substantial damage. Let an expert assess the damage and make professional repairs.
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