lime residue.
the road in front of my office is having work done.
yesterday, came outside to find (along with everyone else who works in our building, 25 cars in all) lime dust covering our cars.
plus it was misting so we had this “wonderful” lime glue.
two in the same day, car washes later… still a residue.
my windows look as if they have been etched. the paint feels rough.
question is: is there any hope to remove this residue.
i have only owned this car for 1 month.
Aren’t you glad you have full coverage insurance, I would call them tell them exactly what happened, you’ll get your car fixed and they’ll go after the contractor doing the construction.
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2 words… Clay Bar. Is literally IS a lump of special clay that gets rubbed on the paint to remove stuff like this. Clay first, polish 2nd, wax 3rd. Any car detailing shop can do it. Drive around and get estimates. It may be cheaper than your deductible, if you have one, on your comprehensive coverage. Agree with @It_s_Me talk to your insurance company.
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While agreeing with the above. I wonder if straight white vinegar would dissolve the lime dust without hurting the finish… of course rinse with copious amount of water.
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The construction company is probably familiar with this complaint and might have a remedy.
Read this fact sheet, it describes how to remove it- https://www.lime.org/documents/lime_basics/fact-safety_precautions.pdf
Hopefully you caught it in time before it caused any damage. However, I suspect you have some etching just because it was watered down while on the paint/windows.
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Wow!! thank you
Before you try to remove it, contact your insurance company, as mentioned above. Also contact the municipality who hired this contractor to see what policies they have in place for this type of thing and to get your complaint on record with them.
gonna try vinegar also.
windex did nothing. and i am pretty sure there is etching
new car. really sad
Don’t guess that something, like vinegar, might work. Contact your insurer. They might pay for a detailing shop to remove the lime dust.
Yeah I guess that’s what I would try before my usual clay and polishing routine.
Now I haven’t tried it yet but “they” say a solution of blue Dawn and vinegar does wonders on the lime and scum on shower doors. I bout the Dawn but just haven’t gotten around to trying it yet. 1 part each, microwave for a minute or two to help mix it, put in a spray bottle and let sit for 10-15 and rub a little and spray it off. We have terrible hard water here and vinegar is usually what I use to dissolve the minerals.
I’m trying to figure out what kind of “Road Work” creates lime dust.
Are you sure it’s lime dust and not dust from cutting or grinding concrete?
i love dawn! good idea.
i usually use vinegar plus baking soda to clean in the kitchen and bathroom.
i will try dawn and vinegar.
do you think baking soda would hurt paint?
Yes , while I don’t know for sure but any thing that might be abrasive should not be used on clear coat finish .
You can do what you want but I would contact my insurance first and also talk to a detail shop. Why take a chance costing your self serious money on anew vehicle by guessing or taking suggestions from people who may have never done this.
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1… Thank you everyone who has responded.
2. as you probably can tell i dont have much experience with message boards so my answer is not in right place.
- i have contacted. the construction co. and the municipality will contact insurance next.
4 also will check into dawn plus vinegar
and then a good detail shop.
- my 2018 bug appreciates your advice
Do NOT use baking soda. That’s an abrasive often used to polish. That will damage the paint and glass if rubbed on it. Personally, I would follow the directions from the article. It’s unlikely to make it worse and if it cleans up, no need to do anything more. Getting it off sooner than later is also doing your best to mitigate damage. Good luck.
Just a note, if you use vinegar, I think that will strip the wax so after that at least wax again.
Lime is a base (chemically speaking) so something acid is the logical thing to try to dissolve it. Vinegar is an acid, so that makes sense from a scientific theory point of view anyway. If you try anything yourself, only try it on a small square (like one inch by one inch) in an inconspicuous spot on the paint, just in case that makes things worse instead of better. I wouldn’t expect lime by itself to stick to the surface so much it couldn’t be washed off w/plain water and a forceful spray, but if it has cement in it then it will stick pretty good.
yep. you are right! thats why i have insurance
that you for reminding
thank you!!! will do.