Early October I received this question, “Do you have any recommendations about removing Artillery Fungus spores from car paint and windows?”. I didn’t exactly know how to answer this question so I asked one of our AAP authors and professional detailer, James Melfi. But first I looked up exactly what “artillery fungus spores” were and where it comes from. Sphaerobolus stellatus, commonly referred to as artillery Fungus grows on well rotted wood such as the wood chips used in various mulches. The black/brown sticky spots that land on your house and car are mature spores expelled from the body of the fungus and these spores can be discharged up to 6 meters away!

These spores are easier to clean off of surfaces within the first few weeks of them sticking.

James Melfi

A combination of hot water and all-purpose cleaner like Optimum Power Clean may help remove if caught in the first few weeks. If it’s embedded into the clear coat, I would wash the car first, and hit the effected area with Tarminator and a microfiber towel. Follow this step with a mild polishing process with Rupes UNO and a Meguiar’s Microfiber Disc to remove any etching left over.

Like James said, if you can catch these spores on your paint quickly enough, you shouldn’t have a hard time removing them. An all purpose cleaner like Meguiar’s D101 or a degreaser like the Gtechniq W6 paired with a plastic razor blade should do the trick.