Stopping water spots from washing?

Shadow · **Posted:** Sat Apr 03, 2010 9:43 pm

Well after preping for the Pensacola National, here is what I can report. No amount washing in the early dawn hours or fast drying seems able to stop water spots from appearing post washing out here on the shore. However, a once over with a bottle of the distilled water/vinegar mix, that Paul mentioned in a previous post, makes very quick work of the spots with no hard scrubbing required. The downside is that adding a de-spot step to the normal wash/wax job turns the whole process into a 5+ hour ordeal.
Adam Stark

Boss281 · **Posted:** Sun Apr 04, 2010 8:31 am

On my 2005, which has red and black paint, I've never been troubled by water spots. Don't know if it's the water, the procedure or both, but I simply:

wash normally
use a California squeegee to get the bulk water off
use the Absorber drying cloth
use a microfiber towel to pick up residual water
use Turtle Wax Ice to shine and protect

I have NEVER waxed this car with a conventional wax. When I first bought it new, I used Meguires quick detail sprays only, then the Ice product when it hit the market.

So, an hour to wash and dry the car (I may let it sit 30 mins to air dry some of the nooks and crannies) and an hour to Ice the entire car and buff it smooth with a bunch of microfiber towels.

I'm so psyched typing this I think I'll do the '97 GT convertible today!!! Thanks for the motivation.

John

haregtcs · **Posted:** Sat Mar 26, 2011 10:08 pm

Hey John, do you have a water filer/softener? I just had my car painted with some black stripes and have water spots terrible with my water, even after polishing it before waxing...they seem to be waxed in now and I have to redo the process to get the water spots out. I must have very hard water and wondered if you had a softener installed or something??/Let me know

Wayne

Boss281 · **Posted:** Sun Mar 27, 2011 7:21 am

WHITE KNIGHT · **Joined:** Fri Mar 28, 2008 10:45 am **Posts:** 90

I use an electric leaf blower to dry my car after getting the bulk off with a California blade. Griots garage has some nice products and can also help you with any questions you may have. They have a site, just google it. Good luck, I have not started to detail my black '86 since I got it, but I know water spots will be my biggest nemisis.

Red Baron · **Posted:** Sun Apr 10, 2011 3:31 pm

Now that I've retired I am starting my own auto detailing business and have invested quite a bit in products from Griot's Garage including 6" and 3" polishers.

Your right John in that Griot's offers a tremendous selection of auto detailing products. I'm very impressed with the products I have purchased from them. I've been using their machine polishes to remove scratches from my wife's Mercury Mariner. She was recently involved in a slight fender bender accident where the young man driving behind her hit her rear bumper. Fortunately for us he hit the trailer hitch but still managed to scratch and scrape the rear bumper. He also broke the cap on one of her back up sensors.

I was able to remove all of the scratches and scrapes from the rear bumper but will have to use some touch up paint that I ordered from Dr.Colorchip to fill in the two paint chips. We've also been able to source out a replacement cap for the broken sensor.

I could never have done this with my other hand applied scratch removers but it was a cinch with the Griot's polishes and polishers.

If you live in an area where the water is hard and full of minerals you won't be able to dry off your car before the water causes spotting. Griot's offers an In-Line Water Softener & Deionizer to reduce water spotting. The unit sells for $129.99 and is available through their website, www. griotsgarage.com.

It's worth a try to eliminate this problem.

Midnight Blue
MCOM Historian

Mustang Club of Maryland

Stopping water spots from washing?

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