Does white vinegar remove dried concrete from cars?

White vinegar can be used to remove concrete from cars, but there is a danger here. It will dissolve the concrete because it is an acid, but it is such a mild acid with a pH of around 2.5, that it is unlikely to be very effective on anything but the lightest contamination, but under the right conditions could still damage your car clear-coat. This leads to the temptation that you will become impatient and try to help it along with some prodding and poking, and eventually trying to scrape the concrete off.

The most severe scratch damage we see on cars, with dried concrete splatter, is from precisely this.

But all means, give it a try, but a purpose-made concrete remover, made for cars, is likely to be more effective. And remember, this is just the beginning of the process. The acid then needs to be neutralized, and any etching or scratching to the paintwork needs to be machine polished out, possibly involving wet sanding.

Written by Danny Argent. Last updated 27/01/2024 12:52