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The term for white or cloudy marks is blush, caused by some type of moisture in the finish. Alcohol damage is more severe than water rings.

General Finishes tests all our topcoats against both isopropyl and denatured alcohol with results showing recovery within an hour.

In most cases, the white mark will fade if the spill is cleaned up in a timely manner. If the alcohol had been sitting on the surface for an extended period then it might not be able to bounce back.

This is very common in pigment coatings and paints. It is called metal marking and it is a characteristic that is very difficult to eliminate.

You can even see it in dinnerware like white plates. We usually test with wedding rings and forks. It a constant focus and improvement project for General Finishes, especially the whites. The difference with tinted clear is that the amount of pigment varies from color to color, so sometime it will occur with the lighter paints.

You can remove the permanent marking using one of the following methods:

1. General Finishes Orange Oil or WD-40 and #0000 steel wool.
2. A very small amount of denatured alcohol on a cotton swab
3. Mr. Clean Magic Eraser

Arm-R-Seal can be sprayed successfully, but we prefer hand application methods because it is very easy to spray too much in one area. If you choose to spray, use very thin coats and watch for runs (large drips that run down the side of your project).

If you notice a run, immediately wipe or brush it out. If you correct a run promptly, you will not see a mark. However, dried runs can be difficult to remove.