I have some pretty serious water spots and of course they really show up on the black stripes. I understand that using distilled white vinegar is a easy way to remove them. Has anyone done this before I try it on my car and ruin the Paint?

 

Geeez, Rich!!! You are always in a mess, huh?Must be the Calif. acid rain???

 

Just a thought, but have you tried a claybar?

Just visited the Zaino site. A claybar will help remove hardwater spots. Good luck!

 

I normally just use a clay bar and detailing spray. Works great at removing water spots.

 

I have the same problem. man, my water is bad here! I need to step up one of these days and get a softener installed. Not to state the obvious, but you just really have to TRY to keep them from happening in the first place. I try to never wash my car if it's over 70 degrees, (might be hard for you in Ca.), I keep the windows Rain-xed so the water doesn't sit on them and spot up. Never use a spray nozzle, I have a ball valve on the end of the hose to just turn it on or off and "sheet" it on to the car. And don't let any part you've already washed start to dry on it's own. Either keep it wet till you're done, or dry it and move on. I work as fast as I can and get it dry quick. Then go back and do touch-up where needed. I've been pretty successful so far, but I inevitably get a few light spots which I take out with a spot cleaner product I get from a friend who details cars. It's simular to a light rubbing compound. If you catch em early they come right out. good Luck, I feel your pain.

 

Vinegar works great...

 

Just remember that vinegar is very dilute Acetic acid. So rinse it off well. I've never used it to remove hard water spots on cars. We have very hard water here in Phoenix. After washing my car, I have to make sure that it is throughly toweled dried or I get alot of water spots. Basically, if the car starts to dry on a hot summer day here before I finish wiping it dry, I slightly dampen a clean soft towel and that removes the fresh water spots before they become a problem. Have had the car two years and no problems. Here's a pic.

 

Yup, if you have hard(and I mean HARD) water marks from a sprinkler-particularly commercial in-ground setups, you can use all the cleaner wax/alcohol/quick detailer/rubbing compound you want for hours, or take 10 seconds to completely remove it with distilled vinegar. You should do it right away or the spots will etch the paint with some time in the sun, requiring cutting the clear coat later to get rid of them. You will have to rinse/wash it and re-wax the area though, it takes off everything. Its one thing to control spots when washing(or even most rain spotting isn't nearly as bad), but sprinklers or other very dirty hard water is a nightmare using anything else to take it off. Typically normal hard water spots from washing comes off as long as you keep water from standing and your chamois will also break it down having the minerals in it from drying the car. Then when its all dry, trace staining comes out with quick detailer as its diluted versus sprinkler water sitting on the car all night.

First time I had it happen in my condo parking lot getting stuck in a lame spot I spent hours washing the car multiple times, quick detailer and cleaner wax and they still didn't come off completely. Now if it happens I simply spray on vinegar, wipe it(spots are completely gone immediately) and then wash/wax the front again. Windex didn't have a chance cleaning it off the windows either. It gets it of all paint, glass, and plastics, just rinse it off completely, and its about .90 per liter. Just wear gloves and bag any rags used so you don't smell like a pickle(or certain hygiene products). If you use rain-x, dont use vinegar on the windshield, a quick hit with more rain-x takes it off without having to get every single inch of the windshield again. It also works good if you get a splotchy/cloudy wax job from doing it in the sun, on a car that was too hot, or putting it on too thick(especially on metallic paints where you can really see it). Just use vinegar and wash/wax it again.

Using the right thing for the job is always like magic. You can use stronger cleaners to you heart's content only to find something else doesn't even take any noticeable effort. For instance, The lower window trim on our cars gets very badly spotted versus the rest of the trim and car from just about any rain storm, almost getting blue grey with spots. I tried everything trying to avoid back to black to keep it 'natural'. Finally found Stoner glass cleaner takes it RIGHT off in two seconds, just on those particular pieces of trim. Its a tint-safe mild window cleaner that for some reason works wonders on them, but doesn't hurt wax or any adjacent trim using it.

 

Drying the car immediately after washing with a Meguair's Drying Towel should eliminate water spots.

 

Sprinkler spots, not drying a washed car...My car gets completely dried with a chamois and compressed air and its washed indoors at work.

 

Something that helps a LOT is a water filter on your hose. They're sold for RV's, and just thread right on. It removes most of the minerals, so the water doesn't spot as easily.

 

I'm also **** about water spots.
Here is what I've been doing:
Buy some distilled water in one gallon jugs, 64 cents at Wally Mart.
Put in a bucket with the auto soap, not quite as much soap as recommended.
Put some in another bucket, no soap.
Put a gallon in a pump up sprayer.
Hose car down with tap water.
Wash with soap.
Rinse with pump up sprayer and distilled water.
Wipe dry, use a squeege and absorber wipe ( also from Wally Mart).
I don't feel near as rushed to get the water off before it drys.
I also wash REAL early in the morning, it was barely day light when I started this morning.
Hope this helps.
Ron

 

Tried the vinager trick with no luck, didn't even phase the water spots on my car. I used some Scratch X real quick on a couple of water spots and it seemed to work. As soon as it cools off here in AZ I'll spend a little more time on it.

 

What kind of vinegar did you use?

 

That's what I use too. A small dab of Scratch X

 

Scratch-X works. Two applications sometimes...but it works. Also, Turtle Wax Polishing Compound (the white stuff in the Green container). You can still get it at Kragen and the like.

You MUST re-wax if you use the compound though (and after the Scratch-X preferrably).

 

please dont use vinegar on your paint, do it properly with a paint cleaner like Meguiars M80 or 83. Vinegar is good for on the glass. And for crying out loud a clay bar will NOT remove water spot etchings, if it does then you are just drying your car poorly and the paint fortunately has not yet been etched. If they have set in long enough to etch the paint then a clay bar will not remove them, a clay bar will only remove ABOVE SURFACE CONTAMINANTS. For etched spots you actually have to start removing clear coat with a paint cleaner.

 

Use vinegar; wax afterwards...

 

I've found vinegar works on hard water spots but not "acid rain." Do small sections, allow the vinegar to sit for a minute or two and rinse. As mentioned it will strip all polish/wax/sealant so recoating is necessary.

I can only remove industrial fallout-type spots by levelling the paint.

 

Is there a recommended mix? like half vinegar & half water?