Why is there a whitish streaked residue on our newly painted black door with semi-gloss black paint?

by Maria Mladenoff
(Richmond, VA)

The house was painted two weeks ago with varying temperatures ranging from upper 30s to 70s. I cannot remember the exact temperature of the day it was painted. When I tried to clean it there was a soapy residue. The painter tried to clean the windows above the front door and maybe didn't wait long enough?

I am trying to determine was it a bad application problem, a cold weather/warm weather problem or a harsh detergent with paint not being fully dry problem.

The residue did not appear right after washing. It just appeared today and no one has washed anything since the painter was here. I personally don't think it was a soapy residue from detergent problem since that would have shown up right after he washed the windows and the door dried.

Answer

Probably what you are seeing is surfactant bleed. All latex and acrylic paints have surfactants and are a necessary part of the paints formula. Fluctuating temperatures and the presence of moisture (dew, rain or water droplets from washing the windows) are the primary cause of this problem to freshly applied paint.

Repainting the doors shouldn’t be necessary, but you will need to wipe the affected area with warm water and a soft cloth. Do this 2-3 times. If the white streak(s) reappear wash the area with a mild soap and rinse well. Rinsing the affected area(s) could slightly alter their color as compared to the rest of the door. If this occurs wipe down the entire door.

If wiping down the door doesn’t remove all of the surfactant bleed, the door must be primed and repainted. Wiping with water and a soft cloth usually takes care of the problem.