Water Spots!!!

[PT3]

So last night I drove home in rain/wet snow on the highway... then over wet leaves on the roads going to my neighborhood.  

 

So I thought I should hose it off real quick to make sure I got the leaves and filth from highway spray off so it wasn't totally nasty today.

 

Well, now i've got water spots.... and they didn't come off with Waterless Wash... or detail spray!!!

 

I'm so pissed at myself as the car is pretty new and the finish is/was still quite nice. 

 

How do I get these spots off?

[BoomerSooner]

Try claying and if that doesn't work you could use revive if you don't have a polisher.

[Chris@Adams]

Yea Revive will take them off especially since they are fresh......

[SYMAWD]

As much as you might want to, don't rinse dirt off your car unless it is currently raining so that the rain rinses off your hard hose water.

[Rich]

Agreed. REVIVE! 

[Dan@Adams]

Everyone seems to have this covered with recommending Revive Hand Polish, but just in case you don't have that product yet, you could try going over it again with the Detail Spray, but using a Clay Bar with it this time.  I'm not sure of your detailing level, so if you've never clayed a vehicle before, be sure to check out the instructional videos for proper technique.

 

Using a machine polisher with Paint Correcting Polish and/or Paint Finishing Polish will make quick work of them if the Revive or Clay Bar don't get them all out, but since they are so fresh you hopefully won't have any issues   As always, when using a clay bar or machine polisher, you will want to reapply your preferred protection layer(s) - mine are Liquid Paint Sealant, Brilliant Glaze, and then Americana - since any protection layers you had on the car will be removed in the process of eliminating the water spots.

[Ricky Bobby]

As much as you might want to, don't rinse dirt off your car unless it is currently raining so that the rain rinses off your hard hose water.

 

 

This.  As much as it pains you, unless you're parked outside in the pouring rain, never rinse it off and park in the garage for the hard water to dry on your finish.

 

 

Did you try doing a rinseless wash by chance?  I wouldn't just do a wipedown, that won't do much for you in regards to spots.  2 oz of Rinseless in the bucket and pre-soaking with Waterless should do the trick.  Then you can see if you need clay and/or Revive.

 

"A few days of looking at dirty paint is worth more than a few days trying to correct it"

[PT3]

Thanks guys... The worst part... I know not to hose off my car. But I had a lapse in memory. I have a lot going on currently.

 

So, my level of detailing is purely maintenance as I am a stickler for a clean car. I've never waxed or polished... I'm inpatient... And the one experience I had with trying to polish was a horrible mess and never tried again.

 

I'd rather pay someone to 'fix' it and then just maintain it. But I'm concerned I won't be able to find a good Detailer in quick order. The only Detailer I've ever used was not much for the 'details'. Even after giving him a 2nd chance to prove himself.

 

I do have a Adams clay bar and and plenty of DS so I will give that a try tomorrow.

 

Thanks all.

[Dan@Adams]

I love your car by the way, very nice!  Just curious, where are you located?  We might be able to point you in the right direction for some good detailers

 

A few pointers with the clay bar if you haven't used it yet.  Tear off a smaller piece from the large block of clay, that way if you drop it on the ground you aren't throwing away the whole block of clay...if it hits the ground, you essentially have to discard that piece because it will pick up too many pieces of debris. 

 

I always spray a small spot on a side window or the rear glass with DS, then flatten out the piece of clay on the glass on that spot so that it's a little smaller than my palm.  Use plenty of DS as a lubricant so that the clay glides across the surface, and work in a small area to start out to get the hang of it.  You will feel how rough the surface is as you gently rub the clay over the surface, and then it will get much more smooth as you begin to pull the contaminants out of the clear coat.  Remember to fold the clay over on itself often to have a clean portion to work with and to put any small particles that could possibly scratch your paint inside of the clay and not gliding on the paint! 

 

Once you are done with an area, say the roof for example, you can spray a little more DS and wipe it clean with a single soft or double soft microfiber towel.  You will want to get some type of wax protection on the car afterward though, as the clay bar is going to remove anything you had on there, so it will essentially be bare clear coat.

 

Feel free to clay your exterior glass too if you're bored and have the time.  You will be surprised how much gunk can be pulled off of the windshield and other windows!

Edited November 15, 2014 by psu goat

[PT3]

I love your car by the way, very nice!  Just curious, where are you located?  We might be able to point you in the right direction for some good detailers

 

A few pointers with the clay bar if you haven't used it yet.  Tear off a smaller piece from the large block of clay, that way if you drop it on the ground you aren't throwing away the whole block of clay...if it hits the ground, you essentially have to discard that piece because it will pick up too many pieces of debris. 

 

I always spray a small spot on a side window or the rear glass with DS, then flatten out the piece of clay on the glass on that spot so that it's a little smaller than my palm.  Use plenty of DS as a lubricant so that the clay glides across the surface, and work in a small area to start out to get the hang of it.  You will feel how rough the surface is as you gently rub the clay over the surface, and then it will get much more smooth as you begin to pull the contaminants out of the clear coat.  Remember to fold the clay over on itself often to have a clean portion to work with and to put any small particles that could possibly scratch your paint inside of the clay and not gliding on the paint! 

 

Once you are done with an area, say the roof for example, you can spray a little more DS and wipe it clean with a single soft or double soft microfiber towel.  You will want to get some type of wax protection on the car afterward though, as the clay bar is going to remove anything you had on there, so it will essentially be bare clear coat.

 

Feel free to clay your exterior glass too if you're bored and have the time.  You will be surprised how much gunk can be pulled off of the windshield and other windows!

Thanks bud. I am about an hour west of Philly.

 

I tried the clay this AM. Can I use diluted Rinseless Wash? I have it diluted down about 12 parts water to 1 part Rinseless.

[Ricky Bobby]

You sure can.  Diluted rinseless wash should actually be safer since its slicker than Detail Spray, go for it!  I'd give your M5 a polish myself if you were an hour north of Philly (I'm about 90 mins from Philly, in Jersey)

[PT3]

You sure can.  Diluted rinseless wash should actually be safer since its slicker than Detail Spray, go for it!  I'd give your M5 a polish myself if you were an hour north of Philly (I'm about 90 mins from Philly, in Jersey)

Thanks Ricky! I'd love to have someone as knowledgeable and detail-oriented as you seem to be.

[PT3]

Well, the clay bar with waterless wash worked well. I then used Quick Sealer... Though not ideal to use outside! What a PITA! The slightest wind takes the spray!

Edited November 15, 2014 by PhilT3 2014 BMW M5

[Dan@Adams]

Glad to hear you got them taken care of!  I'm sure that was tricky with the Quick Sealant.  My neighborhood is always super windy being right down from the mountains, so I rarely use any type of spray or aerosol outside for the same reasons!

Edited November 15, 2014 by psu goat

[Beemer]

Well, the clay bar with waterless wash worked well. I then used Quick Sealer... Though not ideal to use outside! What a PITA! The slightest wind takes the spray!

 

Just spray the applicator and rub it on.  Much less "fogging" that way.

[PT3]

Just spray the applicator and rub it on.  Much less "fogging" that way.

Oh... Didn't think that would be as effective... But thanks for the pointer!