Removing water spots - Help!!!

[Anita]

My truck took a good spray with a neighbor's sprinklers and the spots are not readily removable with just a rag, water and some effort. I dont think there was any direct sun and burning, but I might be wrong.

I did wax the truck maybe 2 months prior to this.

Before I go out and buy a clay bar, are their any helpful suggestions from the membership?

[VX KAT]

My truck took a good spray with a neighbor's sprinklers and the spots are not readily removable with just a rag, water and some effort. I dont think there was any direct sun and burning, but I might be wrong.

I did wax the truck maybe 2 months prior to this.

Before I go out and buy a clay bar, are their any helpful suggestions from the membership?

I had that happen many years ago and I never ever could get them out...but that was way before clay bars and other advances in paint care. I'd like to hear what might work too.

[tom4bren]

Another wash/wax should take care of that. Most paste wax products have a release agent that should get those water spots out.

[sloop]

My truck took a good spray with a neighbor's sprinklers and the spots are not readily removable with just a rag, water and some effort. I dont think there was any direct sun and burning, but I might be wrong.

I did wax the truck maybe 2 months prior to this.

Before I go out and buy a clay bar, are their any helpful suggestions from the membership?

Anita

ready for this! The easiest way and I mean EASY they will come right off use white Vinegar on a rag I usually mix 50/50 with water in a spray bottle but if they are coming of hard use 100% Vinegar. Those are hard water spots and the vinegar dissolves the lime try it you will be amazed

[Bob Barker]

I always used turtle wax mild rubbing compound. It applies like a wax but takes a lot of effore to remove. It's like a buffing compound, but I wouldn't use it with an acutal buffer, just by hand. It removes just about any imperfection in pain that I could think of from water spots to tar to soot on exhaust to swirl marks from dirty rags and drive through car washes

[RickOKC]

I second what Sloop said: 50/50 mix of distilled water & white vinegar. My other car has very soft paint and the neighborhood has very hard water so I've had to use this solution MANY times. I gently rub it into the spots with a rag and wipe off the spots with a rag about 15-30 seconds later. Repeat if necessary. Final coat is fresh wax.

[circmand]

Dry with a chamois.

[Mile High VX]

I get those too with our CO water if I can't get the chamois quick enough. I have found that the vinegar/water solution is a great start.

If they still won't come off then I use Meguiars Ultimate Compound and that takes care of it. I've used the Swirl X product with equally good results as well.

[circmand]

I get those too with our CO water if I can't get the chamois quick enough. I have found that the vinegar/water solution is a great start.

If they still won't come off then I use Meguiars Ultimate Compound and that takes care of it. I've used the Swirl X product with equally good results as well.

I am in the Mohave Desert on hot days water doesnt come out of the hose steam does. That being said steam cleaning is excellent.

Serious all I do is wash as usual then when done hose 1 section and dry it with the chamois, move on to the next section repeat. Als doing it in the sahde helps. I am going to try white vinegar next time

[vt_maverick]

So did you try to wash it yet? Makes sense that water and a rag wouldn't take off hard water spots, but I've never seen spots that good quality car wash (Meguiar's Gold Class or NXT Generation) wouldn't remove.

I agree with vinegar as option #1, but you might also considering trying Meguiar's Liquid Cleaner Wax. Not expensive (maybe $7?), super-easy to apply, and eliminates water spots with no problem. Just wash the VX first and then apply it.

[VXR]

you might also considering trying Meguiar's Liquid Cleaner Wax. Not expensive (maybe $7?), super-easy to apply, and eliminates water spots with no problem. Just wash the VX first and then apply it.

X2 liquid cleaner wax:yesb:

(it also works great for fixing scratched CDs and DVDs):yesb:

[Anita]

Thank you to all who chimed in on my question!!

I first tried vinegar with absolutely no luck whatsoever. :(

A long time ago, I had a conversation with Rickshaw (the one with the opulent Green Dragon) about my faded, stained hood insert. He told me to buy a bottle of Meghiars Cleaner Wax and with a lot of elbow grease work it into the insert. I doubted that it could help but he was right. It looks beautiful now.

So when you all mentioned cleaner wax, I found the bottle i used on the insert and gave it a try. I had to work very small sections at a time but the spots dissolved and disappeared. No ghost rings - no nuthin'.

A big thanks to you all for your help! :yesb: Thanks VXR for the tip on CD's and DVDs!

[tom4bren]

The easiest way and I mean EASY they will come right off use white Vinegar on a rag I usually mix 50/50 with water in a spray bottle but if they are coming of hard use 100% Vinegar. Those are hard water spots and the vinegar dissolves the lime try it you will be amazed

Remember tho that the vinegar will also remove the wax. You must re-apply wax after you use vinegar.

[JAMAS]

my solution was always "Mr clean auto dry", but now that has gone away :(:(...

P&G jerks.....BRING BACK MY CARWASHING SOLUTION!!!!


I would think a good water filtration system for the final rinse would help prevent the spots.

[vt_maverick]

Makes me sad too. You can still pick the filters up on eBay, but sadly they're almost all for the starter filters (3 washes vs. 10) only. :(

[JAMAS]

I was thinking about something like this...

http://www.autogeek.net/waterfilterkit2.html

[vt_maverick]

Interesting but looks complicated... plus it's hard to tell how long these products will stick around. I was really surprised when P&G pulled the Mr. Clean stuff, it was so easy to use and very popular. Maybe they just wanted to shift their market focus back to household stuff only? :confused:

[JAMAS]

Interesting but looks complicated... plus it's hard to tell how long these products will stick around. I was really surprised when P&G pulled the Mr. Clean stuff, it was so easy to use and very popular. Maybe they just wanted to shift their market focus back to household stuff only? :confused:


Perhaps. This also might encourage more traffic to the "mr clean auto dry car wash" locations.

[tom4bren]

I was thinking about something like this...

http://www.autogeek.net/waterfilterkit2.html

"The Clean Water Filter Kit includes everything you need for a one-step, in-line filtration system. Unfiltered water from an outdoor spigot can contain a number of things you wouldn’t knowingly put on your vehicle. Yet, without any type of filtration system, you are washing your vehicle in unclean water."

ROFL - you can drink it but you can't wash your car with it.

Actually that's just an under-the-sink unit that has been adapted with garden hose fittings. They've been around for years.

[JAMAS]

"The Clean Water Filter Kit includes everything you need for a one-step, in-line filtration system. Unfiltered water from an outdoor spigot can contain a number of things you wouldn’t knowingly put on your vehicle. Yet, without any type of filtration system, you are washing your vehicle in unclean water."

ROFL - you can drink it but you can't wash your car with it.

Actually that's just an under-the-sink unit that has been adapted with garden hose fittings. They've been around for years.

Sooooooo....... is it a good idea or bad idea?

I washed my VX for the first time without the Mr. Clean last summer and it was very Water Spotty.

[tom4bren]

It should be just as good as the Mr. Clean.

You might want to check out PetSmart though. They have one out now for washing yer aminals. Maybe it has the filtration in that one too and it'll do double duty. IIRC it's about 1/2 the cost of the one in the URL.

[vt_maverick]

In case you don't want your dog to spot? :confused: :p Hey if it stops/slows shedding I'll pick it up on the way home!

[tom4bren]

That's what the Furminator is for!!!

[vt_maverick]

Got that already, she's a freakin' fur-growing machine I tell you!

[tom4bren]

It really does work though.

As soon as I get it out, the dogs all recognize it & run outside & shed all over the VX & cover all those ooogly water spots with their purdy shededed fur.