Reducing Waterspots Instructions..
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Racer
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 381
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From: Cypress Texas
Reducing Waterspots Instructions..
Here is also a method in reducing and getting rid of those horrible waterspots. Hope some of you find this helpful,
Sean
Water spots are caused by the minerals dissolved in the water. If allowed to completely dry on your vehicle, you end up with nasty little rings of minerals that adhere to your paint, or the finish on your paint. They show through whatever finish you put over them and can be difficult to remove. Worse yet, they can be acidic or basic and that will actually etch the paint leaving a semi to permanent mark in the paint.
First defence it a complete polish job to cut off what water spots exist and to correct or minimize the damage thay have caused.
Second, a GOOD finish. As a lot of you know, I use Klasse AIO and SG as a primary finish. This is an acrylic system that has proven itself to be effective as paint protectant and beautifier for near on 40 years. Maximum protection and beautification can be had using 1 layer of AIO followed by 3 or more layers of SG
Third, a good carnuba wax on top of the Klasse twins will act as a sacrificial layer. In the Houston environment, a good wax may last a week. Wax wil be burned off by sunlight and heat somewhere around 130 degrees F. BTW, the Klasse twins won't melt until somewhere around 340 degrees F.
Now that your paint is PROTECTED the water spot problem remains. When you wash your vehicle always in shade if you can manage it, wash a section at a time the rinse the whole vehicle, wash another section and rinse th whole vehicle. The rinses will wash away those water drops that are partially evaporated and contain concentrated mineralization. After the final rinse, take the nozzle off the hose and slow down the water flow to about 1/3 of wide open and do a flooding rinse (see the washing your car sticky). With Klasse on the paint, 90% or more of the water will just sheet off.
Dry off what water remains the MICROFIBER drying towels as quickly as you can. Next, using a cheapo electric leaf blower, blow the water out of all the nooks and crannies (door latches, body panel seams, gaps between body panels, outside rear view mirrors, wheels and tires, head and tail light assemblies and front grilles, and all windows - you get the picture - EVERYWHERE where water drops can lurk). This will leave further water on the paint, so wipe those off as well.
Here is what I have found that helps with those pesky water spots that remain - and there WILL be some. Using a damp (wring out if sopping) MF from the first drying, wipe off the spots you can see using a little elbow grease. Don't rub too hard or you will put scratches back into the paint or finish. Those lingering spots WILL come off because they haven't had a chance yet to be cooked in the sun until they turn into stone.
AND you will still find water spots. This is one reason why a complete polishing every 6 months is necessary to maintain optimal appearance of your ride.
Some people have tried the Mr. Clean car wash system, but I have no experience with it.
I DO have a filter on my garden hose to remove particulate matter from the wash water and that does seem to help in keeping washing swirls down a little. So does the 2 bucket wash. And a slick shampoo like Meguiar's NXT.
Lastly there is the option of using de-ionized water, but this can get very expensive very quickly.
When all else fails, get some distilled white vinegar and heat it up until you can just keep your hand in it. Dampen a corner of a MF towel with the hot vinegar and use it to wipe away the residual minerals of the dried water spot. RINSE well and dry as outlined above.
Hope this helps.
Sean
Water spots are caused by the minerals dissolved in the water. If allowed to completely dry on your vehicle, you end up with nasty little rings of minerals that adhere to your paint, or the finish on your paint. They show through whatever finish you put over them and can be difficult to remove. Worse yet, they can be acidic or basic and that will actually etch the paint leaving a semi to permanent mark in the paint.
First defence it a complete polish job to cut off what water spots exist and to correct or minimize the damage thay have caused.
Second, a GOOD finish. As a lot of you know, I use Klasse AIO and SG as a primary finish. This is an acrylic system that has proven itself to be effective as paint protectant and beautifier for near on 40 years. Maximum protection and beautification can be had using 1 layer of AIO followed by 3 or more layers of SG
Third, a good carnuba wax on top of the Klasse twins will act as a sacrificial layer. In the Houston environment, a good wax may last a week. Wax wil be burned off by sunlight and heat somewhere around 130 degrees F. BTW, the Klasse twins won't melt until somewhere around 340 degrees F.
Now that your paint is PROTECTED the water spot problem remains. When you wash your vehicle always in shade if you can manage it, wash a section at a time the rinse the whole vehicle, wash another section and rinse th whole vehicle. The rinses will wash away those water drops that are partially evaporated and contain concentrated mineralization. After the final rinse, take the nozzle off the hose and slow down the water flow to about 1/3 of wide open and do a flooding rinse (see the washing your car sticky). With Klasse on the paint, 90% or more of the water will just sheet off.
Dry off what water remains the MICROFIBER drying towels as quickly as you can. Next, using a cheapo electric leaf blower, blow the water out of all the nooks and crannies (door latches, body panel seams, gaps between body panels, outside rear view mirrors, wheels and tires, head and tail light assemblies and front grilles, and all windows - you get the picture - EVERYWHERE where water drops can lurk). This will leave further water on the paint, so wipe those off as well.
Here is what I have found that helps with those pesky water spots that remain - and there WILL be some. Using a damp (wring out if sopping) MF from the first drying, wipe off the spots you can see using a little elbow grease. Don't rub too hard or you will put scratches back into the paint or finish. Those lingering spots WILL come off because they haven't had a chance yet to be cooked in the sun until they turn into stone.
AND you will still find water spots. This is one reason why a complete polishing every 6 months is necessary to maintain optimal appearance of your ride.
Some people have tried the Mr. Clean car wash system, but I have no experience with it.
I DO have a filter on my garden hose to remove particulate matter from the wash water and that does seem to help in keeping washing swirls down a little. So does the 2 bucket wash. And a slick shampoo like Meguiar's NXT.
Lastly there is the option of using de-ionized water, but this can get very expensive very quickly.
When all else fails, get some distilled white vinegar and heat it up until you can just keep your hand in it. Dampen a corner of a MF towel with the hot vinegar and use it to wipe away the residual minerals of the dried water spot. RINSE well and dry as outlined above.
Hope this helps.
