Hard Water Spots: Diluted Vinegar to Clean?

[ManiZ]

Hi all. Very upset right now. My car got blasted by a sprinkler yesterday at work and I didn`t even find out until the drops had fully dried up. This is some serious staining. I tried claying them out; no results. I then used Edge blue pad with IP and my PC; nothing. Moved it up to orange/IP and still nothing. These things will not budge.



Searching here, I found info on using 50:50 water:vinegar mix to remove water spots. I will try that today but these are extraordinarily hard spots. I have never some across a problem this bad. IP/FPII are the only polishes in my arsenal and I have to remove these today to prep for a 4-day trip to Telluride, CO tomorrow. Help!

[SuperBee364]

Even straight vinegar is ok to use. It will remove the minerals from the water spot, but if it still looks like there`s a spot after you`ve gone over it with the vinegar, the chances are very good that what you are seeing is etching caused by the water.



Since you have already hit it with an abrasive polish, you *have* already removed the minerals, and are now looking at the etching in the clear coat. You`ll probably end up needing something much more aggressive than IP on a blue with a PC, unfortunately. Etching caused by water spots is just nasty, and I`m sorry you got hit with it. :(



You might want to try 2.5" PFW pads and a *much* more aggressive polish. I`d recommend Megs M95.

[TortoiseAWD]

Just in case it`s not etching, something else you might try if you can find it OTC near you is Duragloss Water Spot Remover: Duragloss Duragloss WSR (Water Spot Remover) (http://www.duragloss.com/product.asp?pid=297)



I`ve never had a chance to try it, but it`s about the only thing I`ve ever seen suggested other than vinegar, and it`s only about $7.00.



I really hope it`s not etched, `cause Supe`s right; water spots can be truly evil.



Good luck,

Tort

[Bunky]

I have used DG water spot remover and it is about the same as vinegar. It is good for fresh spots. If IP will not get them you need to move up in aggressiveness (like SIP). Vinegar/DG SR/pre-wax cleaner etc will not likely work either.

[VroomVroom]

Supe nailed it, unfortunately - both in the description and the severity. Good luck with the polishing effort - the recommendations above should make your finish happy again.

[BigJimZ28]

just an F.Y.I.

as Supe said vinegar will remove the minerals from the water spot



but most of the time requires some dwell time

so soak a towel and let it rest on the area till it disolves the water spot



good luck

[RitcheyRch]

I`ve always had good luck with a vinegar water mix. Would hate to have spotting so bad that it didnt work.

[Scottwax]

I usually clay as I wash with ONR then hit the waterspots with a 50/50 mix of vinegar and water. Doesn`t always remove them completely, but it makes polishing them out easier.

[DigiDan]

Throwing in my $0.02...



The all time best solution that I`ve found for waterspots, ESPECIALLY when washing in sunlight, has been Griot`s Speedshine. Totally safe for paint, if you miss any spots it has mild cleaners to tackle dirt, and waterspots are gone. Plus it leaves behind a super-slick and clean surface.



My next purchase of Speedshine will be a gallon...and possibly a gallon of their Spray-On Wax as it has very similar qualities, with carnuba added.

[Ern]

I usually clay as I wash with ONR then hit the waterspots with a 50/50 mix of vinegar and water. Doesn`t always remove them completely, but it makes polishing them out easier.



How do you do that?

[Scottwax]

How do you do that?



After I wash and dry a section, I just wet the area again with the ONR wash solution and clay the paint. ONR makes the water slick enough that the clay doesn`t stick.

[ManiZ]

Hello all. SuperBee, Scott and all others; THANKS A BUNCH for all the suggestions. Here`s my update (and I know you will find the "fix" impossible to believe).



As fate would have it, the day I posted about the spots, my car got blasted YET AGAIN with a sprinkler; this time in an entirely different spot of the lot and one that I was assured gets watered late at night. Anyway, here goes.



This was once again a case of Autopia coming to the rescue of a desparate member. Even before reading Tortoise`s post above, my search yielded the DG WSR as an option. Quick call to the nearest CQ store resulted in a hit so I went and bought it.



WSR smells a lot like a water/vinegar mix. After washing the Z with ONR and drying, I scrubbed the hell out of the water spots with WSR and it removed all the fresher water spots I had received that same day (which too, had baked and hardened in the sun all day) but it did NOT remove the stains from the day before, the stubborn ones I created this thread for and that I had already tried all my polishes on.



Tired, disheartened, and out of time, I simply QD`d the Z and called it a night.



Left on my long road trip the next morning. It was sunny all three days and every time I walked back to the car over the next 3 days, the massive spots were staring me in the face.



On the 4th day while driving back to Denver, I got hit by a series of strong thunderstorms off and on for approx 5 hours or so. Got home and left the Z in the garage to dry off. Next day (Sunday morning), I went back to continue the battle. Once again, I used a light mix of ONR to clean off a spot (top of the spoiler) to assess the damage and.....SAW NOTHING. No water spots were there. Suprised, I washed off the entire hatch and again, saw no spots underneath! I pulled the car out into the sun and still no spots!



Needless to say, my Z was somehow cured!



So what gives? I am baffled by this. The only liquid that touched my car after leaving Denver 4 days earlier, was the rain from the previous day. Right up to the moment I sat in the car to begin my journey back to Denver on Saturday morning, all the old spots WERE there. By the time I got home, they somehow disappeared. It has to be the rain (I told you, you won`t believe the "fix"). May be it was the sheer length and intensity of it that forced the spots off. May be the residual WSR somehow got reactivated by the rain and nudged the spots off. May be there was a midget on rollerblades hanging onto the back off the car the entire way back, polishing them off. May be....?



It is unexplainable. All I know is that I couldn`t be happier! That day, after drying the car off, I washed wheels, tires, and wheel wells, did a simple AW job on the entire car, including wheels, dressed the tires, and came back into the house with a sense of utmost relief and jubilation.



As I said, I am still in awe. Would love to hear your thoughts.

[Ern]

After I wash and dry a section, I just wet the area again with the ONR wash solution and clay the paint. ONR makes the water slick enough that the clay doesn`t stick.



Oh ok makes sense. Ya Ive been waiting to run out of my current lube and use onr insteand. Do you find it shaves any time off your detail?

[kajii]

Hi all, just joined the site. Read this thread but still unclear on a few things.



To start things off I was on vacation for three weeks and I guess we had a rainstorm or two. Washed my car yesterday and noticed these spots not coming off, I don`t know if it matters but the car was a little dirty before I had left also so after the storm dirt was sitting on it as well. Anyway, going to try doing what I can this weekend but don`t know where to get this distilled vinegar. What is it called exactly and where can I find it? Do I have to order online?



This is the most horrible feeling I`ve had, completely ruined my day yesterday. All water spots are removable, right? :\

[BigJimZ28]

Anyway, going to try doing what I can this weekend but don`t know where to get this distilled vinegar. What is it called exactly and where can I find it? Do I have to order online?



it is called distilled vinegar

you prob. have some in your kitchen

if not every food store has it



:welcome