Need suggestions (dust and water spot problem)

[Xtremespeed]

First, my car is black. I did wash, clay, UC, UP, and ULW. My problem is mostly caused by where I work. There is a lot of dust in the air, and by the time I go home, there is a good layer covering the entire car. The problem is compounded when it rains. The water beads up, and by the time I go home, the minerals from the rain water and the dust have baked in the son and kind of etched into the paint. Nothing seems to remove the spots other than going back to a compound. My first thought was that the problem was caused by the water beading on the ULW because I have had black cars before and never this problem, but I also have never worked someplace that is this dusty. Should I be looking at a different wax that sheets water better? Is there anything I can do to help the problem? It's not uncommon to get rain at least once a week especially during this time of year, and at this rate I'm going to compound all the paint off by the end of the year.

[Murr1525]

Re: Need suggestions (dust and water spot problem)

You may need to look at some kind of rinseless wash, spray and wash type product to wash the car off a bit more often if possible.

[Detailing by M]

Re: Need suggestions (dust and water spot problem)

just keep the wax up on it and wash it when it's dirty.
This goes for all cars. You live/work in horrible conditions so your wash regiment needs to be a lot more then the average.

[Xtremespeed]

Re: Need suggestions (dust and water spot problem)

I am actually working on it every day. If it has much dust on it when I get home, I try to at least rinse it off, and I do a full wash once a week. The problem is, by the time I get home after it has rained it needs a full correction to get the water spots off. I need a new job I guess.

[Detailing by M]

Re: Need suggestions (dust and water spot problem)

I'd coat that thing asap

[Xtremespeed]

Re: Need suggestions (dust and water spot problem)

Coat?

[kiwiatlarge]

Re: Need suggestions (dust and water spot problem)

I share your pain... I came to the consensus a long time ago that it is impossible to keep a daily driver (or even a 'weekend' car which is stored outside) spotless... Dust, water-spots, pollen.. and then there is the stuff I can't fix with a microfibre mitt, like stone-chips.... The best I can do is weekly wash, the quickest type of wash for me being UWAW and water magnet... and keep the wax up 6-10 times a year...

[Xtremespeed]

Re: Need suggestions (dust and water spot problem)

I know what you mean. I'm not at all trying to keep it spotless, but the damage being done on a weekly basis is driving me crazy. It's almost like I don't have any protection on the paint. I'm considering trying a different wax, as I said, I have never had this much problem before.

[The Guz]

Re: Need suggestions (dust and water spot problem)

Coat?

He means use a coating like opti-coat or detailers pro to name a couple.

Sounds like you would have to immediately wash it after it rains to keep it from spotting up. I keep reading the collinite 845 is a durable wax. I have never used it. Have you tried putting a layer of carnauba (ie Megs #26 or Gold Class) on top of ultimate wax to see if that helps a little. I have used klasse sealant and it worked really well. I'm not sure if that would be able survive your environment. You could give it a try as well or go straight to a coating.

[Xtremespeed]

Re: Need suggestions (dust and water spot problem)

I don't really know much about these coatings. I guess I will have to research it. I haven't tried anything except the UW on this car so far. I was under the impression that as long as I didn't leave it dirty for long periods of time that the UW would provide plenty of protection. Thanks for the explanation. This gives me some things to look into. I'm pretty happy with the look I have when it's clean but was considering gold class or #26 for a darker look, so are these coatings something that would go over my UW or #26 or something that takes the place of them? Any info on these coatings would be a great help.

[Xtremespeed]

Re: Need suggestions (dust and water spot problem)

Kinda of answered my own questions with a little reading. It seems opti-coat would take the place of my UW. I'm really not sure what the benefits are though. People say that opti-coat is a hard, clear layer similar to clear coat, but still say that bird droppings and hard water will cause etching which would be expected if left on a vehicle for a long period of time, but I wouldn't expect that in one day. I don't think anyone is able to wash their daily driver 4 times a day, which at this point is what seems to be necessary to prevent the problems I'm having. One thing I did notice was it seems to sheet water very well and quickly which might help. I'm just finding it strange that the UW doesn't provide enough protection for the paint during a 10 hour shift to give me the chance to wash it when I get home and preserve the clear coat. The high this week when I experienced the problem the worst was only about 74 degrees. I would hate to see what happens when it's over 100 next summer. I don't expect a daily driver to look like a show car, but I'm kind of at a loss as to the best way to protect it. I don't mind doing some kind of maintenance every day when the dust is bad or the rain spots, but I need at least enough protection to make it through the work day so I can get home and rinse it off.

[Detail Werks]

What about a car cover

[Xtremespeed]

Re: Need suggestions (dust and water spot problem)

I wish. It would take an hour longer to get home, because by the time I remove the cover, I am fighting 4,000 people waiting in line to get out the gate. I work on a military installation.

[Detailing by M]

Re: Need suggestions (dust and water spot problem)

Plasti Dip it then.

and a car cover is horrible. They hold dirt under the cover and grind it into your paint.

[tguil]

Re: Need suggestions (dust and water spot problem)

Hate to say this....There is not a good solution to your problem. I drove black vehicles exclusively for thirty years. Never had to deal with your extreme situation but I still had problems with water spots and etching when my black vehicles were constantly exposed to harsh conditions. Had the same problem with dark metallic paint on a couple of my wife's vehicles. An expensive fix for you would be to trade your black vehicle for a light colored vehicle...white, tan, silver...whatever. I switched to white trucks ten years ago and have been smiling ever since. By the way I've been washing, waxing and detailing cars and trucks for over fifty years...Been there, done that many times more than once.