Are you concerned about hard water spots when washing and drying your vehicle?

[jonezzz]

my number 1 enemy...........

[Slick]

Originally posted by jonezzz
my number 1 enemy...........

... mine too. Especially living in the high desert (I'm sure Mike Phillips can relate) with HARD water and very low humidity. I have a BIG problem getting the car dried off fast enough. It just evaporates off SO quickly & spots like crazy (and that's in complete shade). I've checked into the Rayne water conditioning system, but for the time being, my procedure is to use the Mr. Clean Autodry to final rinse the cars. Then I use a California water blade to squegee as much water off as possible. Then I go over the entire vehicle to get any spots & the rest of the water drops. This is probably why it takes me 2-3 hours (each) to wash the vehicles.

[del_badboy]

I own and operate a mobile bussines and water spots are a big issue especially when your out in the sun all day.especially when the water dries on the windows. i found that a good car wash soap is the key and ive also added a water filter on my tanks in every truck.

[Scottwax]

Absolutely. Black cars in the summer are tough to get competely dry before they dry on their own.

[RWayne]

Water Spots are a major concern for me. I got quite a few on my car right now and I am hoping I can get them off with scratch X or something. Waiting for the weather to get above 65 degrees here in Virginia

I really encourage Megs to make a water filtration hose attachment that could reduce the occurrences of water spots.

[iroc2fm]

Water spots were such an issue with me that I actually bought a Ionics Water machine. The one that most dealerships in Southern California use.

It's not the cheapest, but I can wash my cars and not have to worry about drying them.

[F-150]

Originally posted by iroc2fm
Water spots were such an issue with me that I actually bought a Ionics Water machine. The one that most dealerships in Southern California use.

It's not the cheapest, but I can wash my cars and not have to worry about drying them.

You should do a review on that. Details on how it works, is it worth it, where'd you get it, good quality?, and what kind is it?

[F-150]

Originally posted by RamAirV1
Hard water spots are one of the most difficult things to remove from paint. It is best to avoid them, rather than remove them.

I also go out of my way to avoid sprinkers that recklessly spray water into the street and onto cars. This is one thing that really makes me mad!

RamAirV1

It's even worse if you just got done detailing your car and have to go to work and stop at a light and on your right is a golf course and a sprinkler is headed your way, and you can't avoid it cuz people are behind you and to the left and you can only make a right turn but still get hit with the water. So you just sitting there hoping it'll turn green when, the water sprays all over your windshield and hood and the rest of the right side of your truck. And you can't go back home quickly cuz you gotta go to work. Yeah when I got off work, my windshield, hood, roof, and whole right side of the truck had water spots. But a quick wash when I got home got rid of them.

[Cadude]

This thread is fascinating reading. I found it through a search I did to learn more about water conditioning.

I don't really have a problem with water spots but I was wondering what impact impurities in water have on waxes and sealants. I would think high PH levels would be more likely to reduce the life of waxes and sealants. How about chlorine and other items added to municipal water systems?

[xebola]

I live in a condominium that has a small car wash area behind the physical plant. The water is extremely hard, and non-potable.

Here is what I have been doing:

I clean and rain-x all the glass before I start washing. Based on my experience and stuff that I have read here, I believe that the glass on newer Toyotas is unusually susceptible to water spots. This step has made a huge difference.

After washing the car, and using the soak method to remove most of the water, I rinse the whole car with a 2-gallon pump sprayer that contains a gallon of distilled water ($1.50 - $2.00.)

I then dry the car using a combination of towels, and an 18volt leaf blower (without the extension tubes.)

I leave the pump sprayer charged and ready to go in a shaded area. On really hot days I add a tray of ice cubes made from distilled water to the pump sprayer. By the time I am ready to use it the ice has melted but the water is still slightly cool.

I also like to use this as a rinse after claying.

I have been pleased with the results and I figure at $1.50 - $2.00 per car it is still cheaper than anything else I can think of.

Any thoughts/criticisms about this method are more than welcome.

Regards

[rascal]

Nope...water here is pretty soft. I keep the cars I detail out of the sun before I wash and while polish and wax. Makes the job go so much easier.

[CathyG]

Water spots are what got me to do some research about detailing. As other people have said the water in AZ *****. I wet, wash, and rinse one panel at a time because if I hose the whole car down by the time I`m done I have spots everywhere. It doesn`t help that my car is black and can`t be put in the garage.

[RamAirV1]

Originally posted by CathyG
Water spots are what got me to do some research about detailing. As other people have said the water in AZ *****. I wet, wash, and rinse one panel at a time because if I hose the whole car down by the time I`m done I have spots everywhere. It doesn`t help that my car is black and can`t be put in the garage.

Ahhh, so I'm not the only one who does that! It takes longer to do a car wash that way, but it really helps cut down on the water spots. So total time is saved because it can take a lonnnnng time to remove hard water spots.

RamAirV1

[hammer55]

Re: Are you concerned about hard water spots when washing and drying your vehicle?

I HAVE A BLACK CAR ALSO, I TRY TO KEEP IT WET TILL I AM READY TO DRY, THEN TOWEL DRY AND THEN HAVE A TOWEL IN MY HAND AND USE A LEAF BLOWER TO BLOW ALL THE NOOKS AND CRANNYS OUT AND TOWEL AS I GO, HELPS

[Lydia]

Re: Are you concerned about hard water spots when washing and drying your vehicle?

Hard water spots are a major problem for me. In fact, I know when the sprinklers come on on the road I come home from work on, and if it's past 10 o'clock when I get off work, I drive on the other side of the road to avoid the water (obviously only when there isn't a car on the other side, lol).

I should just use the faucet that is hooked up to the water softener when I wash my truck, but I usually forget to.

Thank goodness we live around soft water.

I've studied water quality a little due to my aquarium hobby.

I think I remember reading that (Absolutely) pure water would kill you if you drank it.......Something about it corroding the iron in your body.

Interesting thread, BTW.

Totally off topic here, but what kind of tank do you have? I, too, have an "aquarium hobby".