Cement dust lying on your car’s surface won’t cause direct damage to the vehicle but if it stays and hardens on the paint, then when you try to remove it, there is a possibility of damage. That’s why you need to know how to remove the cement dust safely from the surface of your vehicle.
How to Clean Cement Dust off Car?
You can easily get rid of cement dust from your car if it hasn’t been on it for a long time. It is just like any dust that needs to be cleaned off your car before it makes a mess.
However, when it sets or hardens on the car, soften it with a mild acid first.
Note: The below steps include vacuuming up or blowing away the cement dust initially. While doing this cement dust will be spread in the immediate surrounding air. You might breathe this dust which causes many problems in the lungs a well as stomach and colon. So using a nose mask or a respirator is highly advisable.
Method 1: Using Vinegar
You’ll Need
1- Vacuum
2- Vinegar
3- Water
4- Sprayer with hose
5- Towel
STEPS
STEP 1- Once you notice cement dust on your car, don’t let it set. Get a car vacuum or blower and vacuum the cement dust up from your car until all of it is sucked up or blown away by the machine.
STEP 2- Now the cement dust is gone but you need to deal with the residue. If you don’t, the next time you wash your car or rain falls on it, white films are going to appear.
Mix 1 part vinegar with 1 part water in a bowl and pour it into a spray bottle. Spray all the areas you vacuumed cement dust from or spray the whole car if you want. Spray the windows and windshield if necessary too.
The vinegar will break down the cement residue and ensure it can be easily cleaned off your car.
STEP 3- Wait for about 5 minutes. The solution shouldn’t dry on your car but it should be given enough time to work too.
STEP 4- Rinse the car with a lot of water using a hose and dry it with a soft towel.
Method 2: Using Acetic acid
Acetic acid in vinegar is only about 4-6%. If the cement dust has spent a while on your car and has started drying up or setting, then you need acetic acid undiluted (concentrated form).
You’ll Need
1- Vacuum cleaner
2- Acetic acid
3- Water
4- Snow foam
5- Sprayer with hose
6- Microfiber cloth
STEPS
STEP 1- Get as much cement dust off your car by using a car vacuum or blower as possible. Ensure the car doesn’t get wet when doing this. If it does, the cement might become hard to remove, especially after it dries.
STEP 2- Mix 1 part acetic acid with 1 part water in a bowl. Wear rubber gloves and use a sponge to apply the solution all over your car or the areas where cement dust is sitting. This will loosen the cement up and help in getting it off your car faster.
STEP 3- Allow the solution to sit on your car for about 3 minutes. If it stays too long, it can damage your paint. Afterward, Rinse the car with water using a garden hose.
STEP 4- To get rid of acetic acid residue on your car, you will need a bottle of snow foam. This snow foam will also break down any leftover residue that the acid is unable to take off.
Mix 1 part snow foam with 5 parts water in a spray bottle. Spray your car until it is entirely coated with foam, or you may just stick with the affected areas.
STEP 5- Let the foam sit on the car’s surface for about 5 minutes. After the time has elapsed, rinse the car thoroughly with a hose.
You can use a soft sponge to gently scrub the car before rinsing, but this isn’t an absolute necessity.
STEP 6- Use a microfiber cloth to dry your car quickly (before it dries naturally).
Method 3: Using a Toilet Cleaner
An acidic toilet cleaner (such as Zep) is however very effective in breaking down lime in cement and making it easier to be removed. If you have thick cement dust on your car that has dried and looks more like cement splatter, then this method should be used.
You’ll Need
1- Acidic Toilet Cleaner
2- Water
3- Car Shampoo
4- Towel
STEPS
STEP 1- Clear away the surface cement dust by using a vacuum (such as a shop vac) on the car’s surface. Ignore the stubborn splatters that refuse to be dislodged as we’ll take care of them later.
STEP 2- Apply the toilet cleaner to the stuck-on ones and let the cleaner sit for about 2 minutes. If the cleaner stays longer than that, it may damage your car paint.
STEP 3- Use a microfiber cloth to dab at the spot repeatedly. This will get the loosened cement off of your car’s surface.
Caution: Do not rub the cloth on the loosened cement while trying to get it off as that can scratch your car paint.
STEP 4- After getting as much cement as you can with the microfiber cloth, rinse the affected spots (with a hose). This will get rid of the remaining cement particles.
STEP 5- Now that you have removed all traces of cement dust from your car, you need to wash it because Cement dust residues that you can’t see with your eyes may still be on the car. This will prevent white films from appearing on your car when it gets wet and dries.
In a bucket, mix some car shampoo with water. Then use a soft towel to apply this shampoo solution to your car, while rubbing and washing it at the same time.
STEP 6- The soapy solution should be allowed to sit on the car for about 3 minutes. Finally, rinse the surface thoroughly with water. Dry your car with a soft towel in the end.
Method 4: Using a Clay bar
Claying your car generally removes contaminants like dust, and dirt that make it dull and unattractive. It is also great at removing cement dust and its residues from cars.
You’ll Need
1- Clay bar
2- Clay lubricant
3- Car shampoo/soap
4- Water
5- Microfiber cloths
6- Vacuum
7- Nose mask
STEPS
STEP 1- Wear a nose mask or a respirator and use a blower or vacuum to remove the surface cement dust from your car.
STEP 2- Washing the car is a very important step before claying. Simply apply a solution of car shampoo and some water to the car’s surface using a sponge.
STEP 3- Dry the car using a soft microfiber towel as we don’t want the moisture to come in the way and affect the work of the lubricant.
STEP 4- When using a new clay bar, you need to squeeze it in your palms and create a disc-like shape of it. This helps to soften the clay bar and make it easier for you to use.
STEP 5- Spray some clay lubricant on your car and clay it section by section. Spray one section, clay it, then move to the next section.
As you rub the clay bar on your car, it will pick up any cement residue that can damage your car later on. Rub back and forth or side to side instead of circular motions.
To avoid scratches on your car, don’t clay any section you haven’t first lubricated.
STEP 6- using a microfiber cloth, clean the car to remove excess lubricant.
Conclusion!
Cement dust can be removed from the paint, windshield, windows, and all other parts of the car using simple things like vinegar, or toilet cleaner, or a even clay bar. Just make sure to be gentle while handling cement dust on easily scratchable surfaces like that of a car. Also, don’t let the dust get into you by using some protective covering over your nose and even eyes.
