Help plz ASAP, think I ruined my boss’ BMW! (Windshield)

Residential
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Last week my boss asked me to refill his car with windshield washer fluid. So I did.
Today, he tells me that his windshield fluid has been soapy and now the glass had weird white film from it and to please windex it.
I went to do so and windex did zero to clean it. I noticed that the entire car had little white spots: all the windows, moonroof glass, back window, and the entire surface on the paint.
I went to go look at the label of the windshield wash fluid… to discover it was Power Washing Fluid. So that is what had been coming out of the Windshield washing fluid tank, and gotten sprayed while the vehicle was in motion, spewing it all over everything.

Now, there are windshield wiper track marks, making semicircle markings into the glass. And also a dripping pattern; like a water droplet drip stain pattern. Its white and hazy.

Does not remove with my fingernail or any degreaser, window cleaner, goo gone, goof off!, glass cooktop cleaner, or razor blade I tried today. Using regular towel, newspaper, microfiber towel, toothbrush, cooktop scrubbie (a scouring pad, type of Brillo designed to scrub off stove cooktop markings, so is course).

After a car wash, and multiple goings over with as much pressure as my arm could supply— it was lifting off of the paint and most of the glass. (Whew!)
But as for the windshield… nothing has helped to lift any of it.

It seems to be a chemical “etching” into the glass where the power washer fluid dried, bonding it into the glass in these patterns.

I’ve been reading on several forums and there are lots of opinions and products listed by various people but no consensus in general.

I did buy from Home Depot today, an adapter for a power drill and “metal/plastic” buffing pads… but after doing more research I don’t think those things would help me much.

He does not want to file a glass claim.
Stated the windshield (for his BMV suv) is a $1500 windshield.

I contacted the company of the liquid… no suggestions and will get back to me. “Splash” is the brand.

I would VERY much appreciate any help or advice to lift this “staining” from the windshield. Any help or advice at all.

Someone said focus on how to remove sodium silicate.

I don’t know which direction to head down first.

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@Henry
This looks like one for you.

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https://glass-smart.blogspot.com/ That’s Henry’s blog, he might have something in the archives that you can read about that may help you.

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The very first thing to do is find out the ingredients of what’s in the chemical you used, you can do more damage to the glass by panicking and using anything and everything you can get your hands on, doesn’t help you now but will in the future.you should be able to polish the stains from the surface depending on how deep the etching is, if it’s too deep then it’s very hard to keep the windscreen optically correct, very easy to polish flat spots into the glass, I wouldn’t attempt it yourself if you have no experience and not knowing what you’re removing.nit sure how your laws work but is he making you responsible for this IE saying he doesn’t want to claim insurance and hinting you will have to pay yourself? Here in Australia if I mess something up in my day job I can be reprimanded for it but I’m not financially liable to fix it from my own money

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Ok, first off, unless your job is being his personal assistant, or a 1099 personal assistant if that is even legal, it likely wasn’t your job to do this in the first place. I seriously hope your boss is paying for all the chemicals and paying you for your time to fix your mistake. I’m not sure what your laws are where you live, but I think in the US it’s illegal to make your employees pay for their mistakes like that. When you take on an employee, you not only take on the responsibility to pay them for work done correctly, you also take on the responsibility to pay for their mistakes. Best of luck. I would think using painters tape to tape off the trim and then jeweler’s rough buff with one of the non scratch white pads sold on here buffed off by hand. Hopefully Henry will chime in soon to confirm.

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I think Charging and Oz are on target. Look at the product SDS to see is it is based on a sodiummetasilicate or and sodium carbonate. Products based on these two chems together can leave deposits on clear glass that only come off with diamond compound. Been there. It was a powerwash product. To prep for paint.

Email me if you want.

[email protected]

1 Like
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Don’t worry about !! Just throw a rock at it
I’m sure he has glass coverage. It’s his fault for being lazy. :joy:
Glass coverage is 100% covered if it’s a non commercial vehicle

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Ok I have to ask, what is ‘Power Washing Fluid’?

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There are machines called Power Sprayers or pressure washers. It hooks up to a hose, and has a handle shaped kind of like a little rifle. An enormous amount of energy and the water shoots out from all of the pressure.

It can strip paint easily, it is useful to clean dirty cars, driveways, aluminum siding on your house, garage doors, strip paint from an old swing set. Etc.

and there is a compartment that holds the “soap”, the washing fluid… ideally you wet the surface with the pressurized water, then go over it with the soapy mix, then rinse it again with the plain water.

It came in the exact same color fluid and shape bottle as the ‘bug off’, the regular window washing fluid. I saw the brand, the bottle and color… and overlooked anything else in that moment. Because “I knew” what I had. Honest mistake. Costly and stressful mistake as well.

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Yes, I know what a pressure washer is, it’s the other half of my company. I’ve just never heard if the stuff.

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1 Like
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Looks like a nice trailer setup. :+1:t2:

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I would hire the best car detailer in town

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Oh sorry!! :sheep:

It’s this:

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image1.png360×640 205 KB

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Do you have a picture of the damaged ?