What method(s) have you used in the past to combat hard water spots?

[Mike Phillips]

We would appreciate your feedback, comments and suggestions on the topic or washing your car.

Thank you for participating in our poll! :xyxthumbs


Question 2

You can select more than one answer in this poll

What method(s) have you used in the past to combat hard water spots when washing and drying your vehicle? (select all that apply)

[Totoland Mach]

Gee Mike: kinda make use of all the techniques you listed LOL you should have "all of the above"

[RamAirV1]

Washing one's car in direct sun is begging for water spots.

Another thing I do is wash, rinse, and dry the car in sections and this really cuts down on water spots.

RamAirV1

[Rick]

Does using compressed air to blow water out of the cracks count too?

[RamAirV1]

That counts, and it's a great idea. I'll bet it really helps avoiding that drip, drip, drip.................

RamAirV1

[Aurora40]

To add to my vote opinion, I personally don't like the idea of using chemicals that "sheet" water off. The Mr Clean thing is something I like for trips, but I'd never use it at home. What the heck is that stuff that it leaves behind on my paint? It weirds me out.

Plus, I want car wash to do one thing really well: remove dirt from my car in the safest possible way, and minimize the impact on wax. That's why I like #00 so much, and why I step up to stronger stuff like Gold Class on the dirtier cars. :)

I still sometimes use the garden sprayer with distilled water, but usually I just QD the car after a wash to remove any residual spotting. Plus, this adds some extra gloss to the car. :xyxthumbs

[RDVT4ME]

Mike

I have soft water in my house. It also goes to the water outlet where I wash the cars.....so I always have soft water to avoid water spots.

[TOGWT]

I use a hose type water filter

12" In-line filter (0 TDS)(Reference #30)

12" in-line De-ioniser purifies tap water to zero parts per million. Water at this level of purity will give super spot free results when washing vehicles. The blue coloured mixed bed resin media inside the cartridge changes colour to brown to signal when the media is exhausted. In hard water areas it will be necessary to run a green in-line filter prior to the blue filter in order to prolong filter life. Caution if you use this filter on its own in a hard water area you may get as few as 5 washes before the filter becomes exhausted, if used in combination with a 30tds green filter up to 30 washes can be expected in hard water areas and up to 90 washes in softer water areas.


http://shop.ionicsystems.com/htdocs/acatalog/Ionic_Catalogue_Spot_Free_Filter_Systems_53.html

[Superior Shine]

I us a company that supplies me with tanks/filters that turns my tap water into "ultra-pure" water. The service cost me about $66 a month.

Here is something I just bought to top off my holding tank while on the road - www.spotfreewash.com

It works pretty good.

[macdude]

Hey Mike,
I use a double filtration water system in my detailing setup. It filters minerals to a purity level of 0.01 microns. The cars here are always done indoors so that helps a great deal :D

[macdude]

SS,

Mannnn... I just love your sig! :xyxthumbs

[Carrera]

After I dry my car with cotton towels, I use a leaf blower on the car. All the water in the nicks and cranies is blown away. I am able to avoid water spots with this technique.

[Jeff Burrows]

I use DI water that is heated and that is the anwerser to a lot of water spots. I use a vinegar water solution for chrome and windows. I use the #9 or #80 with the rotary if the water spots are bad and ont he paint, otherwise I will use the water vinegar soution and put a goo wax like #20. I use the Auqa dry to dry the car.

[Superior Shine]

Originally posted by macdude
SS,

Mannnn... I just love your sig! :xyxthumbs


Thanks!

[2000]

all of the above and a couple I'm ashamed to admit to.:rolleyes:

[DFTowel]

Here's my solution, if you want the car air dries itself with NO water spots, this is the same principle the Mr. Clean thingy works on but these are MUCH better.

http://www.pwgazette.com/gardenhosefilters.htm

[Bill D]

Leo,

I recently purchased one of those but I didn't really get a chance to experiment with it yet but soon will as a brand new CLK straight off the port will be joining the family.

I received excellent customer service from that company. When there was an issue with the cap of the filter I first received it was corrected right away.

[Buellwinkle]

At about 4.5 euros ($5.65) per wash (based on neededing both filters for 30 washes), that's extremely pricey. Also, I tried resin bead based filtration that promised lower TDS and it didn't help at all on my 415ppm TDS water.


Originally posted by TOGWT
I use a hose type water filter

12" In-line filter (0 TDS)(Reference #30)

12" in-line De-ioniser purifies tap water to zero parts per million. Water at this level of purity will give super spot free results when washing vehicles. The blue coloured mixed bed resin media inside the cartridge changes colour to brown to signal when the media is exhausted. In hard water areas it will be necessary to run a green in-line filter prior to the blue filter in order to prolong filter life. Caution if you use this filter on its own in a hard water area you may get as few as 5 washes before the filter becomes exhausted, if used in combination with a 30tds green filter up to 30 washes can be expected in hard water areas and up to 90 washes in softer water areas.


http://shop.ionicsystems.com/htdocs/acatalog/Ionic_Catalogue_Spot_Free_Filter_Systems_53.html

[VanityYachtDetailing]

My marine results may be different, but on the docks, all we get is well water. And here in the capital of hard water, Jacksonville/St .Augustine, FL, my options are limited. I'll wash the boats as normal, chamois them off, and then hit the whole boat with #69 Aerosol Quick Wax. No water spots as of yet! Even if we do get them, the Quick Wax gets rid of them.


I can't emphasize enough how much I love that stuff.

http://www.westmarine.com/images/full/quicksprayf.jpg

[Bill D]

Originally posted by VanityYachtDetailing
. And here in the capital of hard water, Jacksonville/St .Augustine, FL......

I live close by and can relate. As for washing cars during the day time, if you try it, you will be very sorry. Seems like you'd have to do it at dawn or after sunset.

I purchased a de-ionizing cartridge and in line filter for my hose, will be trying that. If it does the job, ought to be less complicated and expensive than something like a CRSpotless set up.

QDing while drying, I still have the former Final Detail for it, is a routine part of my regimen.

[RamAirV1]

How long has the Quik Wax been on the market? I have never seen it locally. Is a liquid (like #50 or Flagship) required for a base before using this?

RamAirV1

[TKDDAD]

I don't see washing a car as troublesome as having it rain and then having the rain dry on your car....many times that happens and you just can't get out to dry it off....result?, ugly water spots !!...I find I get water spots that way and never from washing the car...if you can dry it off, you shouldn't get water spots from washing....so, now the question is what do you do after it rains ??? :confused:

[will20four]

i try to wash in the shade and dry as fast as i can. with the texas heat its hard to find a good time to wash when its not to warm/hot esp in the texas summers. for that reason shade works the best. i do try to wash in the mornings and evenings also.

[mh68]

I'm not exactly sure what to select. I have a water softener and use soft water to wash with. Even if it dries before I can dry it off the few spots left behind wipe right off.

Mike

[foxhound58]

A long time ago I bought a bottle of gold class wax, and it had a vidio packaged with it on car care. One little tip that I got from it is that when you are ready for the final rinse. Do not spray the car. Instead turn the water to a low stream, and starting at the top letting it flow creating a sheeting action. I do the top, then hood, then bumper, then working down one side until I get to the trunk, then back bumper, and down the final side. This rinse action doesn't let the water bead as much. So fewer spots, and takes less time, and fewer MF towels to dry.
If I do have any spots I will hit it with QD. That is why I voted other product to remove spots. Hope this helps.
The Fox

[93ZF6]

I've got a whole house softener with well water, the system still leaves plenty of minerals, so I usea all of the methods shown. Megs branf filter would be great.

[acsuppa]

My vote was: Wash car in the shade and dry it off quickly. I some times will park my car WAY in the back yard and connect my teo long hoses together just for shade. I then quickly knock off the bulk of the water with my Cali Blade then towel dry.

[captaincog]

I have used the other brands of water filters/soap in the dispenser and they always seemed to leave a film, along with the water spots.
I now use the 2 bucket system, grit guards, and NXT wash, followed by drying.
Last month I won a raffle with a different brand of car wash and decided to try it on my company car to see if there was a difference in the way I wash now or is the the car wash product itself.
I have been teaching my kids on how to detail, at least the little amount that I know, and we went through our normal routine: 2 buckets, early evening, no direct sunlight, dry off.
Worked on some other cleaning tasks and cam back to see....water spots all over!
I used to be convinced that it was the way I used to wash, which some was, and the hard water that I have.
It turned out to be the car wash.
We waited a couple of days and did the same test, same time and weather conditions. The NXT wash produced no spotting.
I will never use another product.....unless I don't like the person...