Best way to get rid of water spots?

[jwalther]

I made the mistake of spraying off my car and letting the water dry. We have very hard water around here, and now I have spots covering the hood. Clay? Polish? Hopefully something cheap and easy!

[az3579]

Polish.

[smokinfastlegend]

There are many different types of water spot damages. Some water spots are just deposits of minerals that were suspended in the water and left. These are usually calcium deposits and quite possibly be removed with a chemical water spot remover. Just be careful with this method as the water spot remover does contain acid (some more than others.)

Other waterspots are the result of etching. While a water droplet can cause a focus point, you normally find the damage resulting around the edge of the droplet and what has happened is the water spot has etched around the edge of the spot. Some of these can be easily removed via polish, but depending, it can take some effort to polish those out. If left too long, the water spots cause very significant damage and will need to be wetsanded to remove enough paint to get to the bottom of the defect. This used only as a last resort as doing this without sanding knowledge you can easily go through the clear or down even to the metal.

[WOLFN8TR]

Vinegar/water mix or Ducky!

http://www.duckyproducts.com



Water spotting occurs when alkaline and calcium in the water combines to form a molecular bond which attaches to surfaces. Overtime these hard water spots begin a corrosive process, etching into these surfaces. There are several factors which determine how hard the water spots will be to remove, which conversely affects the strength that the water spot remover will have to be to remove them. Some of the affects are the hardness of water, heat, exposure to direct sunlight and amount of time left unattended. Due to these variables there is no “clear cut,” barometer to determine which product will immediately do the job of removing them. An example of water spot problems would be in Arizona, along the Colorado River, where water is extremely hard, air temperatures can fluctuate from +40˚ Fahrenheit in the winter to as high as +120˚ Fahrenheit in the summer. On a moderate day, the water spots you encounter can usually be removed using standard cleaners, provided you don’t leave them unattended for weeks. On a 90˚ or above day you may find they do not remove as easily. To combat this problem a line of Ducky Water Spot Removers were developed. Ducky Products currently offers four very different products for combating this problem: The Original Water Spot Remover (without wax), Water Spot Plus (with wax and Ultra Violet protection), Xtreme Water Spot Gel and Water Spot Remover for Glass.


DUCKY “ORIGINAL” WATER SPOT REMOVER: (http://www.duckyproducts.com/waterspot-remover.html) Our signature product was developed in 1989. with the intention of providing the strongest possible formulation for water spot removal, yet mild enough to not harm any surface or substrate. The result was a non-abrasive, bio-degradable, environmentally friendly product that effortlessly dissolves hard water spots. The spray-on, wipe-off application of this product is the easiest way to combat hard water spots at the stage prior to them etching into the surface. The “Original” Water Spot Remover may be used when no wax or Ultra Violet protection is desired.

[PKR]

A common problem here in FL where sprinklers use "hard" well water; I've had decent results using Klasse AIO.

[HokieZHP]

I've had good results with CarPro Spotless. Spray it on, spread it around with a sponge and let sit for 45-60 seconds then wipe off. Then spray off. It's removed most water spots I've encountered on various detailing jobs.

I like using it because it makes the compounding/polishing process a lot easier and means less compounding is needed.

http://www.autogeek.net/carpro-spotless-water-spot-remover.html

[jwalther]

Thanks for the suggestions guys. Ended up taking it to the detailer for a light polish. Looks great now.