Possible to avoid water spots

[subjectzero]

Now I'm confused. I saw a post about water spots. My question warrants a new thread I think. I never new water spots where capable of messing with the paint and actually doing as much damage (if not more) than rock chips. I thought of water spots as mineral deposits left from tap water, or soap residue and you could just wipe them off with a towel. I had always believed that if you immediately dry the vehicle you're good to go. Is this not true? Today I washed my car for the first time without a spot free rinse. I decided to be cheap and not go to the coin place and wash my car at home. My drying method is a chami in one hand and a microfiber plush drying towel in the other (karate kid wax on, wax off style). When I was finished I didn't have any water spots. Is this still an ok practice or am I setting myself up for trouble down the road?

[Murr1525]

Re: Possible to avoid water spots

It is the minerals, or acids, etc in the water/rain that cause the damage, not the water itself.

But you can get some pretty strong minerals/acids in there, that etch in pretty deep.

So it sounds like you did fine, esp if you have pretty soft water at home. My parents have soft water when I wash there, so a little water drying isnt a problem.

Similarly, if I drive under a bridge dripping water, and see a spot, I will QD it off right away, same as bird droppings.

[subjectzero]

Re: Possible to avoid water spots

Actually we have the hardest water on the planet. I believe the scale is like 1-11 and ours is like a 14. We have spring water. Should I only be using spot-free then? I had see where there was a osmosis system for like $70-80 called Spot gone or Spot free for home use. I had thought about investing it in. One filter is like $24 but lasts for like 50 washes. that's still cheaper that the $5+ at the car wash. Should I use this to prevent water spots, or is my drying method sufficient enough?

[Murr1525]

Re: Possible to avoid water spots

Well... depends how safe you want to be I guess.

Wouldnt even need to wash with the spot free perhaps, just rinse with it.

[akimel]

Re: Possible to avoid water spots

If you are concerned about possible water spotting after you have washed your car, you might consider wiping down the car with Ultimate Quik Detailer after you have dried it. This will also give the paint finish an extra touch of gloss.

[J. A. Michaels]

Re: Possible to avoid water spots

Or you could get one of those in line water softeners. I believe you can use the rv type available from Wal-mart.

[l SIC l]

Re: Possible to avoid water spots

How do you judge how hard water is?

[Michael Stoops]

Re: Possible to avoid water spots

If you washed your car with this very hard water but fully dried it so that you left no water sitting on the surface, then you're fine. You won't have water spotting issues if you don't let water dry on the surface, it's as simple as that.

What you described as simple mineral deposits that are left behind and should be easily wiped off is accurate - as long as you wipe them off right away. We have very hard water here too but no spotting issues. From personal experience, one of my cars has a few places where it likes to hold water and not release it until after it's been pulled back in the garage and I've gone in the house. But as long as I go over the little dribbled trails the next day with just some UQD and a microfiber, it's never been a problem.

When water spotting does become an issue is when you wash your car, rinse it, and walk away. And you would be amazed at how many people do that, and then wonder why they have water spots. Worse yet, let the car get sprayed by sprinklers fed by recycled water and then let it dry in the sun. Now you've got a serious problem.

But wash it and dry it properly? You shouldn't have any issues at all.

Speaking of which, we'd rather see you put away the chamois and use a pair of Water Magnets or similar waffle weave drying towels. Use a sheeting rinse first to get the majority of water off the car and then use the waffle weaves to get the rest of it off the car. Have a look at Meguiar's Quik Tips Video Series - Washing for some tips on doing this correctly.

[Murr1525]

Re: Possible to avoid water spots

Or you could get one of those in line water softeners. I believe you can use the rv type available from Wal-mart.

Yeah, can even put a little diverter on it so it is only for car washing, not watering flowers.

[Murr1525]

Re: Possible to avoid water spots

How do you judge how hard water is?

An easy indicator is if you get a lot of white buildup on faucets, shower heads, etc.

They sell test strips, meters, etc as well.

[subjectzero]

Re: Possible to avoid water spots

If you want to know your water hardness, just contact your water company. They have that on file and its public information. Just like you can call to find out if your water has fluoride in it or not. I'm not at all surprised by the wash it and leave it mentality. When I was going to the bay to wash my car, some many would hose it down and go. There wasn't even a dryer available to run through so I ignored the sign that said no hand-washing, drying, or waxing in the bay. I'd be there for hours. :P I just got tired of crazies not knowing how to use the soap gun and spraying over the way as I'm drying to dry the car.