Water Spot Removal From Paint

I have hard water spots on my car and would like to eliminate or reduce them. What products and steps are the preferred method. Meguiars and 3M are readily available at the NAPA. I have a DA buffer.

Nice chariot. I have a bit of your problem. I deal with it by drying the car thoroughly with an "absorber" then follow it up with a chamois. I use Meguiar carnauba wax, my car is single pack GR. Their new NXT wax (I use it on my other 2 cars) might be right for you given the 2 pack paint of your car. One absolute must: apply in the shade!!! If your problem is vey bad, you can install a water filter in your garage water outlet. I recall someone describing a DIY here on RL.

My buddy is a detailer for a local dealership and he told me the one trick that will remove these water spots is vinegar and water. I have not tried it myself, but a little water and vinegar won't hurt anything it's worth a try Hope this helps

John - Sandblasting would definitely work, but that could be overkill this early in the process! Start with the least aggressive method (so move the sandblasting idea down a notch or two) and gradually move to more aggressive options as needed. The suggestion of diluting vinegar with water would probably be my first option. If that doesn't work, then option 2 would be 3M Fineness-It II with a polishing pad. Option 3 would be Meguiars Scratch X or 3M Swirl Mark Remover for Dark Paints using a mild cutting pad. If you have to go to option 3, once you get the water spots off, then follow up with Option 2 to polish the surface prior to applying your preferred wax or sealant. After you have removed the water spots, a softener on your hose bib is a good idea. Also when you wash the car and are ready to do the final rinse take the spray nozzle off the hose and rinse the car with the "stream" of water. Or, if you have a multi-spray pattern nozzle, use the �bubbler� or �soaker� pattern for the final rinse. The water will tend to �sheet� more and leave fewer water droplets. If none of this helps, go back to the top and reconsider my first suggestion!

This may be obvious. The best way to eliminate water spots is to use a towel to dry your car after every washing. Nothing special, just the cotton kind that your wife put away because the color went out of date. In my opinion the best area in the country to keep paint nice is Portland. Maybe Seattle, too. Probably Bellingham to Eugene. Because it rains a lot the paint does not get naturally scratched do to dry dust particles. I learned this from actual experience. I lived in PDX, Beaverton, Lake Oswego for the first 31 years of my life. Washed my cars every week and waxed them 4-5 times a year. I moved to the Sunny Central High Desert and I cannot keep the paint finish as good over time because the natural dry dust here scratches the paint. This in spite of improved paint finishes and improved waxes, polishes, etcetera.

Stan, My experience has been when I get a minor scratch or abrasion that if I wax my car now and wax it again in a couple of weeks or so that the defect goes away aftera couple of wax jobs. Same thing for water spots I very occasionally get from defensive parking next to a median strip when the sprinklers come on unexpectedly. Gotta Go, gonna wax the Pcar and the Avalon this AM before the weekend gets busy.

Luckily my car won't fit in my beadblaster. I used the scratch X when trying to remove the infamous bikini line on the hood. That's when looking real close I saw the H2O spots still there. This leads me to believe that I could be a tad more agressive. I have a good mind to replace the hood and front bumper(sarcasm), I'll talk to "she who must be obeyed" about the mods.

The solution to water spotting isn't easy. I have light water spots on my daily driver BMW, and I think they're actually burn marks resulting from the rain drops acting like magnifying glasses on the finish after the sun comes out. This weekend, I used clay bar, then paint cleaner, then Menzerna Final Polish II, then Rejex, and you can still see a few water spots if you look carefully. A car detailing shop had told me that he could get them out with either Meguiar's Fine Cut or possibly Medium Cut if that didn't do it. Both have to be applied with a circular (not orbital) buffer. This is also what Meguiar's told me. I did this on another car of mine that had the same problem and it worked. You can call Megiuar's and get their free advice by calling [phone removed].

try clay bar-ing it. it has helped me get rid of road grime and water spots. to prevent it you can use the mr.clean car autodry wash system. not sure if the detergent works but the water is filtered and should help prevent water spots. there are also water de-ionizing wash systems. around 230 bucks. http://www.crspotless.com/ . haven't used either so YMMV. check out this THREAD

All depends on how particular you are about your paint and wash job. For some, lexpilot's method will satisfy their personal needs. Those more concerned with the ultimate shine and paint condition would probably cringe at the "old towel" method- you'll inevitably put fine swirls and/or scratches in your paint unless using a qualified microfiber. There's a ton of information that could potentially help you out, but a lot of factors come into play: what will satisfy you, how much time and effort you want to put into it, DIY or pro, etc. My suggestion is to do one of two things- hire a professional detailer or research your possible remedies at autopia.org. Be forewarned, though... if you think that the mod's here are addictive and time consuming, just wait until you start devoting yourself to achieving the perfect finish and shine.

I am already overtly or overly **** and totally compulsive; I double cut my grass (1.25 acres) with a reel for that baseball field look. I am scared of the wash/wax compulsion. I might have to reign myself to looking at the car without my glasses. As with the majority of the people on this board; I would not hesitate eating off my engine, interior or exterior. To the casual observer my car is spotless; save for some tiny ggrass clippings on the floor mats. I don't use a catcher since I cut every 3rd day. I am also aware that each time I use an abrasive to remove imperfections I am eating away the clear coat; everything has a price.

Damn John, after reading your last message I had to look at your Sig twice to convince myself that "I didn't write that!" The part about the double cut on the lawn convinced me that someone other than me wrote it, 'cuz I don't double cut my lawn. Other than that, I could have written it. I guess it's a good thing you are on the "left side" of the country and I am on the "right side" 'cuz if we were both on the same side there would be an imbalance in the ****/perfectionist world.

The things I do in my detailing business to remove water spots... YMMV! - vinegar and water (sometimes you need to let it sit for about 5 minutes) - clay bar - various levels of compound such as Menzerna followed by polishing Also what some people don't realize is that over time the calcium deposits actually etch the paint and nothing you do can remove the spots. You would need to repaint the panel. PLEASE do not use a cotton towels on your paint. Use Microfiber only if you don't want to develop fine scratches. I use my water balde followed up with a big-blue microfiber drying towel.

I am going to ALL microfiber towels. How are they on your body after a shower? They are the miracle cloth of the world; great on glass, painted surfaces, wax on/wax off, drying, everything.

Yeah, if I was on your side I could come over and show you how to double cut your lawn.

Stan, what't the best mail-order source for microfiber towels? I've heard Costco has good prices, but I think you have to have a membership to shop there, and I don't.

Try PakShak off of autopia- his towels are first class, have the tags pre-stripped, and will not mar finishes. Shipping is very fast, too. Be careful when selecting microfiber- not all of them are scratch-free. To test, take a blank or old CD and rub the back with medium pressure. If you see scratches or swirls, move on to something else. Also, be careful to either remove the outside stitching and tags or to not let them touch your finish. Both are very prone to marring finishes. IMHO, get a PC and quality products to condition and repair your paint first, seal it correctly, and then keep it maintained with the microfibers (and products) to minimize imperfections. Properautocare.com (Classic Motoring Accessories) is a great place to pick up products- except for Zaino.

Costco towels are pretty good; although I haven't done the CD test. They com in bundles of 15 for $9. They also have that Mr.Clean Spot Free Rinse thingy. I absolutely abhor Costco. I go in like a crazed maniac smashing fat ladies carts as they graze on the free samples. They see free food and they are drawn to it as a moth to a flame; leaving their cart wherever it stops rolling. I smash them outa the way or take them and push them down another aisle. Do not taunt happy fun ball. Don't even get me started on the checkout lines..........Well, one thing. I hate waiting in line to give somebody my money, I am the customer. Sorry I'm a little warped; repeatedly dropped or thrown as a small child.

You can use it to wax on also?

John - I know you said your were dropped a few times as a child, but... this is a revelation... you were THROWN? (Wait, Time OUT!... I'm laughing so hard... tears in my eyes... I can't see the keyboard... wife thinks I'm crazy... you know, she's RIGHT!... OK, Time IN! I'm back) BTW, how many "Drops" equals one "Throw"?

I was thrown from dad to mom; she was in charge of dropping. I got a Porter Cable 7336; how fast do I run that sucker? Full Blast? My other 10" polisher only went to 2800 rpm, this baby goes to 11, I mean 6K.

Stan- there are some great PC instructional videos on autopia. Also somewhat depends on what products you are using and which pads you're using with them.

John - (Damn, it really WAS more fun calling you STAN!) For must products and pads half way between 3 and the 4 will work and still be in the very safe zone. Autopia has a very good set of "how to" instructions (link below). http://www.autopia-carcare.com/inf-pc7424.html

My bikini line has almost disappeared; my dash will probably crack since the car has been out "tanning" daily. Call me Stan if you would like, makes me no never mind. I'll tell what my wife calls me in another thread; and it ain't Stan.

Microfiber Towels ? We bought 3 packages of them from Costco when they first started carrying them a couple of years ago. We use them to wash windows in the house,in the RV, in the boat, and the car windows. But, I have no evidence that leads me to believe that they scratch paint less than regular cotton. Do any of you detailing freaks believe that microfiber scratches less based on your real world experience ? I'm a detailing freak, also. And I cut my own grass with a catcher on the diagonal to get that putting green look, too. See Avatar. Bright green, baby !.

And I cut my own grass with a catcher on the diagonal to get that putting green look, too. See Avatar. Bright green, baby !. I knew I liked you. The weather has warmed up a bit so I am at 1.25"; but we have some drizzle today. I put somIronite down 2 days ago; I will be really green in a few days. I don't know weather the mirofiber scratches any more or less but they are all yellow so my wife knows they are mine. Can't beat them for glass.