GolfGTIforum.co.uk
General => Detailing => Topic started by: Roldy on 15 June 2020, 15:29
-
Hi,
New water spots on my car, any advice on how I can get rid of them?
Obviously no valet shops are open.
I've tried re-cleaning but to no avail.
-
Hi Woldy :smiley:
Waterspots are a pain, there are cleaners available, cleanyourcar.com will have a few options. I used to find my QD would get rid of a few marks left after a wash. I'd try the cleaners first but it's likely any sealent you have will need replacing afterwards, but ultimately you may need to polish the car to get rid of them.
-
@Watts and @ Roldy; I agree, water spots are a pain, and living in a hard water area as I do, there’s a fairly good chance of getting them on the car’s paintwork - especially at this time of year when the strength of the sun can dry the washing and rinsing water on the car very quickly, leaving those annoying water spots.
I’ve found there are a few things that can be done to minimise water spots;
- whenever possible, I try and restrict washing my car to days when there’s good cloud cover and the sun’s not shining. If that’s not possible, then I either get up early before the sun’s too high in the sky, or I wait until the evening when the sun’s lower in the sky so it’s not at full strength and the car doesn’t get too hot. That way, I can usually dry my car before the sun does it for me! :grin:
- After washing, rinse off the car with an open ended hose to ‘sheet’ the water off the car. If the paintwork’s well protected with a wax or sealant, then sheeting the water off leaves very few water droplets behind that can become water spots. Dry any panels exposed to direct sunshine (the warmest panels) first.
- If you keep your car in a garage, consider washing and drying the paintwork before tackling the wheels. That way, you’re starting with cold bodywork, so the washing and rinsing water won’t dry on contact with the car as readily as it does on panels warmed up by the sun, and washing the wheels first will leave the car’s bodywork at risk of heating up in the sunshine.
As @Watts has said, if a QD doesn’t work, consider getting a dedicated water spot removal product. Bear in mind that these tend to be mildly acid based, hence why they may strip off any protection you have on your paintwork. Alternatively, if you have a pressure washer you could consider getting an in-line water filter cartridge. They’re not cheap, and it has been suggested that even when a filter is used, a degree of water spotting might still happen