Jump to content
Customer Service 866.965.0400

FAQ - "How do I remove water spots?"


Recommended Posts

The next in my series of FAQ threads, addressing our most common questions and concerns with aspects of detailing.

 

Next to maybe swirl marks, water spots are probably the most annoying thing to deal with when detailing. They can run a range of severity and require various approaches to remove depending on where they are on the vehicle.

 

The goal of this writeup is to help you better understand water spots and more importantly how to remove them.

 

c0c0306d.jpg

 

WHAT ARE WATER SPOTS?

Simply put, a water spot is the stuff that was suspended in the droplet before the water dried/evaporated. Depending on the source of the water and where it had been before drying you can see any number of things cause the actual spot.

 

Ground water is the most common culprit. The water from a mis-aimed sprinkler or the water used from your hose is full of minerals. The type of mineral and concentration varies from region to region and based on how 'hard' your water is you may see more severe spotting. Rain water typically carries a different type of contamination. As that little droplet fell thru the air it picked up airborne pollution as well as dust or dirt, plus if the water ran off of a tree or nearby roof before landing on your car it took some of the contamination from those surfaces as well. Road water would be the very dirty water that is splashed up behind your wheels or all over the lower regions of your car when driving in wet conditions. Its almost impossible to know what is suspended in that water, but for sure it contains all manner of very nasty dirt, chemicals, and other road grime.

 

WHAT IS BONDED MINERAL CONTAMINATION?

Bonded minerals are just a more severe form of water spot. When mineral concentrations are higher, or a car is subjected to lots of ground water drying on the surface (sprinklers hit a car every morning) water spots can become bonded minerals. These are a little more difficult to deal with as they form hard bonds with the clear coat that make them harder to remove. Once removed bonded mineral contamination can sometimes leave the area where it was looking dull or even pitted.

WHAT IS ETCHING?

Etching is the worst case scenario in the progression of water spots. Etching is typically seen from water thats baked on in direct sunlight or high heat. It is also prevalent with acid rain or ground water with high levels of chlorine. Etching can be minor to severe, with the most severe kind requiring very aggressive means of correction - potentially wet sanding in extreme cases. Etching is a circumstance where the water spot has physically 'eaten' its way into the clear coat so that it sits at a lower level than the surrounding surface.

 

 

REMOVAL METHODS:

These processes are listed in order from least to most aggressive.

 

  1. Start simple! For lighter spots something as simple as a complete wash or wipe down with Waterless Wash or Detail Spray and a microfiber towel may be enough to remedy the problem. As with any detailing process, always try the least aggressive/simplest method first.
     
  2. White vinegar can be used for spots that are a little more stubborn and more mineral based. Soak a small area of a plush microfiber towel with the vinegar and wipe the problem area (after the area has been properly cleaned and dust removed) Perform this task out of direct sunlight to avoid complications. Be sure to reapply your preferred wax/sealant to the area as the vinegar will have degraded/removed any protection.
     
  3. Claying can be very effective at removing water spots. The process remains unchanged from the usual claying process. Adequately lubricate the surface and move the clay back and forth over the area. Be sure to spend extra time working the spots from multiple angles to give the clay the best opportunity to grab the contamination. Repeat uses may be needed in some cases.
     
  4. If the prior step fails to completely remove the spot then you may be dealing with etching. In this case physical abrasion of the surface becomes necessary to 'level' the clear coat back to the same as the surrounding areas. Follow the same guidelines as when polishing to remove swirls, be sure to use the least aggressive polish to get the job done and always test your process in a 2'x2' area before completing the entire car.

 

WHAT ABOUT ON GLASS?

The exact same rules apply for glass, but with one exception - glass is far harder than clear coat so it allows for more aggressive options when finer options fail. After attempting the above steps on glass, if you have not seen improvement or complete removal there is 1 more step to attempt.

 

  1. If auto polishes fail, a more aggressive household abrasive cleanser can be used on glass. Bonami is available at most any store and is very abrasive.
     
  2. When gritty cleansers won't do the job try using 0000 steel wool and liberal spraying of glass cleaner. Spray a good amount of Adam's Glass Cleaner into the steel wool pad, then spray a few pumps onto the glass. With light pressure scrub the affected areas of the glass. As with anything aggressive be sure to mask off adjacent trim and paint to avoid accidental damage and test an area to make sure the desired results are achieved.

 

 

PREVENTION:

As with anything prevention is the best medicine.

 

  • On paint maintaining a coat of sealant and/or wax will prevent minor spotting and lessen the impact of more severe conditions. Glass should be sealed as well to give maximum protection.
     
  • Remove standing water from the paint, especially on days where the sun is out and don't allow water spots to go untreated for extended periods of time. The longer they sit the higher the chances of a bigger issue arising.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

:bow:Thanks Dylan

As always, a great write up and helpful info.

Reminded me back when I worked in a service station (decades ago), The owner had us apply Bonami to a wet rag - wipe it on the glass - wait for it to dry - then wipe it off with a clean cloth. Customers would always comment on how clean / clear their glass was. might be worth going back to but I would avoid apply it to tinted glass.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...
  • 2 months later...
  • 2 months later...

I like the Bonami trick on the glass...my dad actually told me about that when I was a kid. He used it all the time, and still does on glass. It's abrasive but scratch free...aparantly so is Comet now, but I would stick with Bonami on glass.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

PREVENTION:

 

 

  • Remove standing water from the paint, especially on days where the sun is out and don't allow water spots to go untreated for extended periods of time. The longer they sit the higher the chances of a bigger issue arising.

 

 

Can you clarify this point? For example: Thurs day...it rained here in San Antonio. That typical nasty, dirty rain we get when it grabs up all the flith West of us and dumps it on the city.

 

Well ALSO in typical SA fashion...right after it rained....the sun came out and CRANKED the temp to 98 degrees. I was able to wash the truck Friday evening....but too late. my hood is covered in water spots a simple Adam's wash wouldn't get out.

 

Now...i gotta get the clay bar out.

 

Would the sealant have kept this issue away?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hard to say for sure what your end result would have been, but it certainly would have bought you a lot more time and minimized any damage that did happen.

 

We also get days like that here, where it will dump rain for a little bit, then the clouds blow out and the sun cranks the volume up to 11 and bakes them on before you can blink.

 

Having SOMETHING there (wax or sealant) will buy you time. Sealants will be the better option b/c they're less likely to be softened/degraded by harsh, intense, heat and sun.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hard to say for sure what your end result would have been, but it certainly would have bought you a lot more time and minimized any damage that did happen.

 

We also get days like that here, where it will dump rain for a little bit, then the clouds blow out and the sun cranks the volume up to 11 and bakes them on before you can blink.

 

Having SOMETHING there (wax or sealant) will buy you time. Sealants will be the better option b/c they're less likely to be softened/degraded by harsh, intense, heat and sun.

 

it had butter on it...but the texas sun didn't care. i guess we just decided the next investment, didn't we?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Dylan, last weekend I detailed my car, I had some nasty water spots on it. I tried removing them like u suggest, but the only way I could remove them was by polishing them out.

 

I swear, my car was been parked in the garage for most of the week, I took it out for 1 day and it didn't really rain. A few rain drops fell on my car(literally like 10 drops). I checked it the other day and there are water spots all over my hood!

 

I just put a fresh coat of mss and americana on my paint. How could this happen? Aren't they suppose to protect the paint?

 

I can't be washing/drying/polishing my hood every time it rains

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

I just put a fresh coat of mss and americana on my paint. How could this happen? Aren't they suppose to protect the paint?

 

Heat, acidicy, etc all contribute to issues like this... a sealant or wax isn't going to be able to stop everything. Think of them more as 'sacrificial layers'. Your water there could be highly acidic, the sun could have aided in accelerating the process, theres a number of variables that could contribute to it.

 

Its not that the products aren't protecting your paint, they're keeping a potentially larger problem by stopping or slowing the acidic water from reaching your clear coat.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I know the pain in this. I just buffed my hood to get rid of water spots used the big lights like I normally do. They looked 100% gone... Yep... still there today out in the sun. Getting really frustrated with my hood. Seems like ever since it was repainted I've had nothing but problems with water spots on it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 5 months later...

Ok. I was asking because I did a full correction on the trunk of my wife's car, to include MSS, BG, and Americana. The water spots are back after about 2 weeks so I was wondering what would be the next best way to try and remove them, after trying the WW. I just don't want to strip the protective layer I applied weeks ago.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'll play with that area and see what I can find out by this weekend. I'd hate to have to restrip that area and reapply every few weeks. I believe the spots are coming from my sprinklers and its pretty much hard to avoid them blowing water on the car.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...