Last week my car went a few days between a wash and Friday's light rainfall. There was a minor buildup of dust etc over those few days. The rain Friday was less than expected, and the sun came out shortly after rainfall. I cringed, knowing what damage was being done to my black paint, but tried to take solace that it is pretty well protected by LPS and H2O G&G.
The weekend was clear but cold and more rain forecast for Monday, so I didn't try to find the time to clean the car. I felt it was too dirty for a waterless or rinseless wash without a good rinse. I didn't think the result would be this bad.
Last night I washed the car, and noticed that oddly the water didn't sheet much, where normally it really does (thanks to the LSPs). I now realize that water was clinging/"beading" in the same spots where damage was done on Friday. As I dried the car with detail spray and my gwdt, this became frighteningly obvious. The water spots were still very much there in the streaky haze before all the water was gone. Once completely dry, the paint buffed to its typical shine and there isn't any evidence of the water spots, but I know they're there.
I'm just glad that I have not yet done my spring cleaning decon & polish, but now I'm afraid I'll be even more obsessive (didn't think possible) when it comes to water spots. If this happened after polishing for the summer, I would be pretty devastated. I'm wondering what my options would be if that were the case - scrub the paint a little harder with my wash pad? Buff a little harder with detail spray? Something like Revive? I guess this is what I get for neglecting to wash after rain.
Photo taken while drying, immediately after that initial wet first pass with the towel.
Question
butters
Last week my car went a few days between a wash and Friday's light rainfall. There was a minor buildup of dust etc over those few days. The rain Friday was less than expected, and the sun came out shortly after rainfall. I cringed, knowing what damage was being done to my black paint, but tried to take solace that it is pretty well protected by LPS and H2O G&G.
The weekend was clear but cold and more rain forecast for Monday, so I didn't try to find the time to clean the car. I felt it was too dirty for a waterless or rinseless wash without a good rinse. I didn't think the result would be this bad.
Last night I washed the car, and noticed that oddly the water didn't sheet much, where normally it really does (thanks to the LSPs). I now realize that water was clinging/"beading" in the same spots where damage was done on Friday. As I dried the car with detail spray and my gwdt, this became frighteningly obvious. The water spots were still very much there in the streaky haze before all the water was gone. Once completely dry, the paint buffed to its typical shine and there isn't any evidence of the water spots, but I know they're there.
I'm just glad that I have not yet done my spring cleaning decon & polish, but now I'm afraid I'll be even more obsessive (didn't think possible) when it comes to water spots. If this happened after polishing for the summer, I would be pretty devastated. I'm wondering what my options would be if that were the case - scrub the paint a little harder with my wash pad? Buff a little harder with detail spray? Something like Revive? I guess this is what I get for neglecting to wash after rain.
Photo taken while drying, immediately after that initial wet first pass with the towel.
Oh, the horror!
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