gota911

Most of us live in areas that have hard water, some less and some more. Even if your water is not real hard, it still had mineral deposits that stay on the car if the water droplets are allowed to dry.

I have come up with a simple process change that eliminates water spots when washing my car. I have tried this process twice now and it really does work and only adds 3 - 4 minutes to the entire process.

1. Spray the car with water.

2. Wash the windshield, top, the side windows, side mirrors, the rear window and the rear deck lip.
 Use the "soaker" setting on your water nozzle and rinse the areas that you have washed. The "soaker" will allow a sheet of water to move across the car.
 Use your electric leaf blower to blow-dry the washed part of the car. Make sure you blow the water out of the panel seams.
 Use micro fiber towels to dry the car that has just been washed & rinsed.

3. Wash the hood, front fenders, front bumper and both wheels.

 Rinse the areas that you have just washed using "soaker" setting…
 Blow dry…. Stick the leaf blower into the air intakes in the front bumper to remove the leaves and pieces or trash that have collected near the radiators. Make sure you blow the water out of the panel seams and from the wheel lug nuts.
 Use micro fiber towels to dry

4. Wash the one side of the car, the read wheel and the rear bumper.

 Rinse…
 Blow dry….. Open the door and blow-dry the door edges, including the bottom of the door and the doorsill on the body of the car. Open the rear deck lid and blow-dry the engine compartment.
 Use micro fiber towels to dry

5. Wash the one side of the car and the read wheel.

 Rinse…
 Blow dry.….. Don’t forget the door edges and the doorsill.
 Use micro fiber towels to dry.

It is not rocket science, but I can’t believe I didn’t think of changing the process sooner. It does not really take much longer to do the entire car. Since the water is not allowed to sit on the car very long, it virtually eliminates water spots. Give it a try and let me know what you think.

JBRipps

Wow.....nice process. I just wash the entire car....let it dry almost all over. Then, I take an old t-shirt and wipe down the roof, which usually has the most beading left. Then, I wipe all the panels, hood, and rest of the car down. Not too much effort, but I can see the spots come right off as the t-shirt is a bit damp and lifts them right out.

Easy enough. Chamois will work well too, but wifey thru it out a while ago as she said it looked like garbage....I told her that I was trying to get it that worn in for years.....oh well.....haven't picked up another one yet. The key here is to wipe the car down once it's basically dried off with a damp cloth....not a soaked one....that will only create more mess once it dries.

Wellardmac

I use a process where I keep the car wet until I'm done washing all the parts (continuously hosing down the car to keep it wet).

Once the car is washed I towel dry the car - 2 towels - one for taking off the bulk of the water and one for a final drying step.

gota911

Thanks. Prior to this I was washing the entire car, rinsing it, blow drying it, and then towel drying it. Too many water spots remained, so I knew I had to do something different and hopefully better. Simple change, fantastic results!

CosmosC4S

I have a water softener, but it can still leave spots.
What I do is, I wash the whole car, spraying water over the areas that are drying up (as Wayne said)
and when I'm done, I squeegee the car dry, then towel dry.
If I have time, I'd blow dry with my Black & Decker LeafHog.

The most important thing to avoid waterspots is to NOT wash your car in the sun.

gota911

Agreed. I NEVER wash my car in direct sunlight. I always wash it in full shade.

redridge

wash the car and pull it into the garage... dry it there

Bob Rouleau

I like the Mr. Clean system which uses a filter to remove the minerals. NO water spots even on the glass and no need to wipe the car dry. Larger systems are also available for more money from a variety of suppliers.

Andial951

what about getting tough water spots off after they are already there..............they dont come off with normal washing..........

Paul Marangoni

You guys have all lost your minds. Just sayin...

AndyK

I find the hotter it is outside, the faster the water dries and causes spots. That's why you have to wash in the shade, or, keep the car wet as suggested.

This thread should be in the Concours forum - those guys are nuts about cleaning and getting the best shine!

caf

Remember that even if you have a water softener, the water that comes out of garage and outside spigots usually bypasses the softener. You don't want to use softened water to water plants, grass, etc.

When I built my current house I had them plumb one spigot with softened water for car washing which helps alot. I cost me virtually nothing as I had it built into the plumbing bid. Just a thought if you're building a house in the near future...

nick49

"I cost me virtually nothing as I had it built into the plumbing bid. Just a thought if you're building a house in the near future..."

What you really mean, is that it cost you X amount plus interest for the duration of your mortgage. LOL

ArneeA

+1... it REALLY ISN'T rocket science...

wross996tt

Use this:

Spotless