Concrete runoff
Posted by Joyce on October 27, 2006
Bruce,
This might seem like and unusual question…
I parked my car in a lot, under an overpass that is under construction. When I returned to the car it was covered in what I’m being told is runoff from the concrete. How do I get this off my car? I’ve taken it to the car wash, and tried scrubbing at home but it’s still stained.
Thanks for you help!
Joyce
Dear Joyce,
It seems some cement slurry from the concrete had leaked through the formwork and fallen on your car. In the construction industry, workers use stain removers which are generally based on dilute form of hydrochloric acid, to remove stains of concrete from tools and equipment. But I am not very sure if that can be used to remove stains from cars without damaging the paint of your car. If you wish, you can try by applying the stain remover on a small area, scrub with a cloth and see for yourself. You can also try a citric acid based cleaning product. These can be obtained from a construction products distributor. A small test area is still recommended. You can also try if the stains go using your laundry or dish cleaning detergent.
Otherwise, your best bet would be to ask a local auto shop if they can suggest you something for this problem or there are companies which specialize in stain removing products, you can either contact them or get their product from a local distributor.
Good luck.