Iron fallout, or
ferrous fallout is something that, with modern high traffic volumes,
has become a greater issue to detailing. Although often referred to
as industrial fallout and very common around train lines, a majority
of the iron contamination comes from road user's brake pads; each
time the person in front of you brakes, microscopic pieces of iron
fly into the air and pelt your cars paint work. Of these particles, a
fraction can become embedded in the paint due to the sharp, jagged
edges (we're on a tiny scale here), especially if unprotected, and
can lead to body corrosion if not addressed. Especially prevalent in
the case of alloy wheels, where the iron particles, plus road salt
can lead to electrolysis, speeding up under-paint corrosion.
Semi-regular
treatment with a fallout remover safely dissolves the sharp edges of
these iron particles, loosening them from the paintwork surface
without affecting the surrounding area and enabling them to be safely
washed away. However using those too often CAN damage surfaces, and is
unnecessary as most iron fallout will be removed with simple regular
washing, hence why regular waxing as prevention is better than
remedy.
The downside is,
they smell rotten, largely due to the ammonic reaction with citric
acid, thioglycolic acid, and the iron itself, the combination of
which results in the purple/red colour change associated with the
products.
If your car, or
wheels seem clean, but upon closer inspection reveals tiny black
dots, sometimes with an orange halo, this is a good indication of iron
contamination and something we can help with removal of.
