A protective water reversible clear coating composition for the protection of substrates comprised of water, a volatile base, a film-forming acrylic polymer in a water dispersion form, a second film-forming polymer, specifically poly (2-ethyl-2-oxazoline) that is miscible with the first dispersed acrylic polymer, a poly acidic material (pH specific in terms of its solubility properties), and an alkaline swellable thickener that also can be water soluble as a function of pH and wherein said coating is both water applied and water reversible or re-soluble under specific pH conditions.