Water Spot Finishing Spray - When Drying In Hot Weather?

[Ej1749]

It’s very hard water in East Anglia where I live so water spotting could be an issue in warm sunny weather.

In ‘normal’ years (no heatwave or drought), if my car’s dirty during the summer months and needs washing and it’s going to be a hot sunny day, I get up extra early so I can get it washed before the sun’s too high in the sky and at full strength so I can avoid water spotting issues. If for whatever reason I’m not able to work my car washing around the weather, then I’ll leave it dirty for a few more days.

Although we don’t currently have restrictions on water usage because of the drought conditions (I think there’s been just one or two short spells of light rain in the last last two months ), my car’s not getting washed as often as it would normally be - IMHO there are more important uses for water than car washing, so the car can wait.

I'm in East Anglia and you are so right about the hard water...

[Ej1749]

Water softener the house and innocently include the outside tap?

Tbf, now you have said that, I have just realised that whenever I am at my parents house and wash my car or their cars, it is so much easier to wipe down with just a drying towel and nowhere near as many water spots... My Mum has some kind of water softener and I remember as a kid, she put these big bags of what I assume is some kind of water softener thingy into again I assume a water softening machine thingy ha

[Ej1749]

As has been said if possible I try to avoid the conditions that will give me water spots but if I do get them I use Koch Chemie FSE to remove them and also gives a good shine as well.

I'll give this a try too, cheers!

[sjw]

I use ONR to wash, and I wash and then dry one panel at a time. Water then doesn't sit on the car. Might be an option for you, I don't know.

[Ej1749]

I use ONR to wash, and I wash and then dry one panel at a time. Water then doesn't sit on the car. Might be an option for you, I don't know.

I have thought about this before. Do you not get over spray onto the clean panels, or do you just touch up dry the clean panel that has been splashed as you are going round the car when doing the other panels? If that makes sense?

[sjw]

I just dry any overspray as I go. The routine I got in yesterday was quite good - spray a panel and let it soak, and then, while its soaking, dry the previous panel and any overspray.

[CookieMonsterGTi]

Try Autoglym Polar Seal. 

Spray via pressure washer after washing then quickly rinse off.  Use about once per month.

I hardly see water spots since using this and no effort.

[willni]

With the M3 that you're working on, surely the Finish Kare Ultra would minimise/eliminate 99% of the potential etching from the water spots, if done straight after the wash, maybe?? I have a few good etched water spots in that crappy area where the boot meets the rear bumper. Used a DA with Meguiars compound and I can't shake them haha. I'm no pro though!

It's been in the paint a long time and there's a few deep bird etches as well, it'll be safe once it's corrected and waxed NI isn't too bad for hard water.

[Ej1749]

With the M3 that you're working on, surely the Finish Kare Ultra would minimise/eliminate 99% of the potential etching from the water spots, if done straight after the wash, maybe?? I have a few good etched water spots in that crappy area where the boot meets the rear bumper. Used a DA with Meguiars compound and I can't shake them haha. I'm no pro though!

It's been in the paint a long time and there's a few deep bird etches as well, it'll be safe once it's corrected and waxed NI isn't too bad for hard water.

Do you detail cars for a living as I need a 2 stage paint correction badly ha? If so, do you have a site or something?

[willni]

With the M3 that you're working on, surely the Finish Kare Ultra would minimise/eliminate 99% of the potential etching from the water spots, if done straight after the wash, maybe?? I have a few good etched water spots in that crappy area where the boot meets the rear bumper. Used a DA with Meguiars compound and I can't shake them haha. I'm no pro though!

It's been in the paint a long time and there's a few deep bird etches as well, it'll be safe once it's corrected and waxed NI isn't too bad for hard water.

Do you detail cars for a living as I need a 2 stage paint correction badly ha? If so, do you have a site or something?

Only part-time as a hobby, more a passion than a job  I work in construction.