"Water Spots" - What is the best way to remove that is not abrasive?

[2ndAmend]

I have tiny water spots over the entire surface of the car, paint and glass. Washing and waxing does not remove them. I thought they may be calcium and tried vinegar but it does nothing. There is Chemical Guys Water Spot Remover but reviews say it sometimes makes things worse.

My well water is acidic and I add soda ash (sodium carbonate) to neutralize the acidity. I stopped using it a while back and suddenly I had copper pipes leaking. I ended up replacing a bunch of the copper with Pex. I continue to use the soda ash.

I worried the spots might be acid etching the surface but if I scrape the glass with a razor it all comes off meaning it is build-up on the surface and not etching.

So there are 2.5 problems:

1a: How to remove the spots without abrasives? Maybe clay? 1b: Does it hurt to just ignore them?

2: How do I prevent them in the future? Articles say wax, but I have been doing that. And they say ceramic doesn’t help stop it. And I'm not about to spend big $ to filter water for car washes! Remember, I'm cheap!

I would appreciate suggestions from those who have experienced this.

Thanks.

 

[Linda's Hell Cat]

I would try 50/50 White distilled vinegar and water. Gently try a test area.
It's what we use to get water spots off of everything else we house clean.

I'm sure there is some product, but that would be the cheapest way to try.

If it works then do your normal wash and wax.

 

[2ndAmend]

I would try 50/50 White distilled vinegar and water. Gently try a test area.
It's what we use to get water spots off of everything else we house clean.

I'm sure there is some product, but that would be the cheapest way to try.

If it works then do your normal wash and wax.

Thanks Linda. vinegar did absolutely nothing...

 

[Linda's Hell Cat]

I can't tell, are the spots on top of the paint or in the paint/wax?

 

[2ndAmend]

I can't tell, are the spots on top of the paint or in the paint/wax?

I know it is definitely build up on the glass because I can scrape it off. No idea if it is "on" the wax, or if it etched through. Washing, rubbing and re-waxing doesn't help.

 

[Linda's Hell Cat]

I know it is definitely build up on the glass because I can scrape it off. No idea if it is "on" the wax, or if it etched through. Washing, rubbing and re-waxing doesn't help.

I wonder what mr Clean Magic Eraser would do!
Or alcohol. I'm just thinking cheap and what you might have already.
I'm sure there is some product already good to use. But that is also an answer needed.

 

[Octanewide]

Might be time to get a pro involved. Just a thought 🤷

 

[jroyk]

If it's not going to keep repeating, a clear coat safe polishing compound won't hurt it.

 

[SilverBillet]

If it's not going to keep repeating, a clear coat safe polishing compound won't hurt it.

Or wet sanding. Talk to a custom paint shop

 

[MikeD1]

I've had this problem at my last 2 homes in FL. The only solution (long term) is to buy & use a DI filter system.
I have used this system for the last 25+ years & it works great (but not exactly 'cheap'). I do not buy their replacement resin cartridges as they are rather pricey. They unscrew so you can empty out the used up resin, rinse them out & refill with bulk resin.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B072FJTX8...=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9kZXRhaWxfdGhlbWF0aWM&th=1

Before you go all in you might want to give this a try:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/3890874239...CassiniEmbRecall&_trksid=p2332490.c101224.m-1

I started with one of these but the resin/charcoal cartridges are small (and pricey) & only last a few washes. Forget their soap, it sucks arse.

What I'd do is get one of these & use it to wet down a MF towel till it's soaking & then put it on the car & let it sit (in a cool shady area). Rinse & resoak every 20 min or so. Should be apparent fairly quickly if the DI water is 'absorbing/loosening' the mineral deposits.

Typically if you can scrape the spots off, that's mineral deposits. Acid etching actually eats into the clear coat & can only be removed by buffing and/or wet sanding. Mineral deposits can also eventually etch the clear if left for too long or in direct sun.

 

[2ndgen]

Chemicals Guys water spot remover works great. It takes some effort to use (you have to work a tiny area at a time, then rinse+wipe with distilled water as you go), but it works 100%.

 

[MikeD1]

I wonder what mr Clean Magic Eraser would do!
Or alcohol. I'm just thinking cheap and what you might have already.
I'm sure there is some product already good to use. But that is also an answer needed.

I would NOT use the magic eraser thing on paint (or plastic), it's actually fairly abrasive and I'd bet real $$ it would haze the crap out of the clear coat !!

 

[Air’d outSRT]

Use a good clay bar and chemical guys water spot remover

 

[OGTRIPLEOG]

Sorry for long winded answer, super passionate about detailing!
Was gonna say the same, I think clay bar should do the trick. You may want to chemical decontaminate first with an iron fall out remover though. Typically order soap wash then chemical decontamination (fallout out remover) then mechanical (clay or clay mitt) decontamination. Claying is straight forward, just need soapy water and the clay. The issue with clay bar is you will need to at least polish afterwards, and possibly compound and polish depending on what products you have. The clay bar will produce some marring in the clear coat. If you don’t have acesss to DA polisher etc, I would not clay.

I just purchased this couple weeks ago. No assembly required, came just like that.
https://a.co/d/3NVjUFb

It has by far the most impressive bypass hardware built in on the market.. Their proprietary cartridge system (white tubes filled with resin) inside those blue canisters aren’t great, but there are more standard options on Amazon for cheap that fit right in, as well as good priced replacement resin. I used to by jugs of DI water, dump into a bucket, then use a siphon based pressure gun to rinse the car off prior to drying. The wash and pre-wash can (and should be) done with regular water.. just need the final rinse with DI.

the waterdrop is a little pricey upfront, but I think compared to dealing with water spots and the price and effort that goes into removing those, it’s worth it. The waterdrop spotless setup doesn’t need a pressure washer, though they do compliment one another. But garden hose would be fine. In that case, I’d just buy a non-bypass version from any mfgr, then hook up hoses at the last step. I like having bypass because once I start washing with pressure washer, it’s a hassle to drain the water to depressurize the washer just to reconnect to the waterspot dropless (a must before disconnecting pressure washer hoses). You can mount it onto the garage wall, or get a small dolley for it. Happy to send pics of what I’ve done with mine.

agree, ceramic coating will not in of itself prevent water spots. And water spots that etch into the ceramic cannot be removed without polishing and re-applying the ceramic…

 

[BULL]

Magic Eraser and cars are NOT compatible!

They are essentially sandpaper sponges!

.02

 

[Air’d outSRT]

Magic Eraser and cars are NOT compatible!

They are essentially sandpaper sponges!

.02

They are if wrapped. Use soap and water with it.

 

[BULL]

They are if wrapped. Use soap and water with it.

I respectfully disagree, Magic Erasers are made from melamine in sponge form.

While they "work" to do many tasks, the reason they work is that they are abrading the surface away, effectively removing the offending blemish, along with the substrate.

.02

 

[Air’d outSRT]

I respectfully disagree, Magic Erasers are made from melamine in sponge form.

While they "work" to do many tasks, the reason they work is that they are abrading the surface away, effectively removing the offending blemish, along with the substrate.

.02

I know what a magic eraser is and how it works. You on the other hand don’t. A simple google search would have saved you from making a post. I literally do it all the time…

 

[BULL]

Ok, how about this...

I don't use Magic Erasers on MY vehicle surfaces because of degradation I have seen them do to other surfaces. .02

Peace, out. ; )

 

[Air’d outSRT]

Ok, how about this...

I don't use Magic Erasers on MY vehicle surfaces because of degradation I have seen them do to other surfaces. .02

Peace, out. ; )

Wrapped vehicles not paint. When used with soapy water it’s totally different