California Water- Can no longer wash my car without severe etching- HELP!!!

[Nopstnz8]

Having a serious issue lately with the horrible water we have here in lovely California. As many of you are probably aware, California has a severe water crisis at hand and is making every attempt possible to limit water usage across the state. Unfortunately this is horrible for us detailing fanatics as hose water from the spigot has now been redirected to a different plant that my friend claims is pure "acid" now.

My friend and I both have busy lives and drive our cars how they are meant to be driven, typically only having the time to clean them once a month or so, pending contamination. We both have swirl free corrected paint, but each have our wash methods down to where no marring or swirls are induced during the monthly cleaning using the two bucket method, lowes grout sponges, griots soap and grit guards using a traditional wash in a top down fashion for the panels.

Unfortunately, with the water reclamation, washing our cars the way we always have no longer is working because the water coming out of our hoses is so horrible that it instantly etches the paint, requiring compounding to remove the etchings. Clearly not a sustainable method after each wash. I started noticing this a few months ago when my friend began to complain how the city water was destroying his paint.

I on the other hand have had water issues at my residence for the last few years, and up until I acquired my M3 two years ago, I was strictly doing ONR washes. Once I acquired the M3, my free time also began to disappear drastically, not allowing me to do ONR washes anymore since the car was too dirty in my eyes.

I went back to the traditional wash method, but also purchased a CR Spotless unit to alleviate issues from the past. As crazy as it sounds, our water has been so bad that I resorted to using the CR Spotless as the only way to let water touch my car. I still fill the buckets with regular hose water, but I spray down and rinse the car with the CRS unit. I have a foam lance with a pressure washer as well, and resorted to using that strictly though the CRS in-line.

The above method has served me well for the past two years with zero issues, and I wash my car in sections similar to a waterless method by doing a section at a time, top to bottom, but I leave blow panels to prevent cross contamination by wiping. Up until the last month or so, I never had an issue with spotting, but now with the reclaimed water, I am getting etching that last time required compounding with a wool pad and HD Uno on my DA just to remove them.

I am debating going back to ONR using distilled water only or a tap water filter to fill the buckets and presoaking the panels with a sprayer because I refuse to put up with etchings, and even more importantly have to level my paint each time to remove them (only done it once so far, but I see it being a pattern if i don`t change my method).

I really would like to find a solution that will allow me to continue to be able to traditionally wash my car if anyone can help, maybe some of the detailers in the California area can chime in?

How are you guys cleaning dirty cars in California without etchings?

I believe the bucket water is causing the etchings, so I am curious if you all think that I should fill my wash bucket with either distilled water, or filtered tap water from the house, then use the CR Spotless as the only hose water that touches the car (this sucks as I only get two car washes per resin, but it`s worth it to me to prevent spotting) and leaf blow the car dry as I normally do.

Anyone know of any water softeners that are affordable that can be used to make the cr spotless even more effective and also eliminate my issues? I know that`s asking a lot, but I`d like to hear what you all have to say. Thanks!

[Stokdgs]

I just wash my Black Jeep with hose water using Carpro Reset soap, in the shade,and never have any issues..

I dont see how CA can put out a lower grade of water and direct it to your outside hose spigot.. I think this is impossible, since all homes have 1 water main coming from the street to the Utility water meter and then to the house..

The only places that use reclaimed water are the car wash places, and I would never go there anyway..

I have never heard or seen water that instantly etches your paintwork - are you doing this on a black vehicle that is in the sun and temps in the 100`s or something ?

Ive lived in Norcal since the late 60`s, even before we had water meters... No water issues ever...
Dan F

[RPPM]

Try a waterless wash product, Meguiars Ultimate Wash & Wax anywhere is designed for that. D115 is the Detail line`s version.

[Nopstnz8]

I just wash my Black Jeep with hose water using Carpro Reset soap, in the shade,and never have any issues..

I dont see how CA can put out a lower grade of water and direct it to your outside hose spigot.. I think this is impossible, since all homes have 1 water main coming from the street to the Utility water meter and then to the house..

The only places that use reclaimed water are the car wash places, and I would never go there anyway..

I have never heard or seen water that instantly etches your paintwork - are you doing this on a black vehicle that is in the sun and temps in the 100`s or something ?

Ive lived in Norcal since the late 60`s, even before we had water meters... No water issues ever...
Dan F

Sorry for the confusion, I believe it is "well water" not necessarily reclaimed water. I wash my car in the garage after the sun goes down, never on a hot day. When I was referring the the tap water from the house, I meant that I have a brita filter attached to one of my faucets and was going to try filling buckets with that. My car is silver, so it should be easy right? If only that were the case.

I use griots car wash and use a measuring cup to put the correct amount so it gets adequately flushed from the surface. I have been using Klasse sealant glaze for years due to its durability, but am debating applying cquartz to the entire car to maybe help the water sheet even faster.

Stokdgs... do you have issues if you let the soap dry on the surface, even if the car is in cool shade? I want to say the soap drying caused my issue, but it`s hard to say. I went to rinse it with the CR Spotless and was left with etchings on a freshly compounded surface that were for sure removed prior.

[tom p.]

I`ve been experiencing the same on our cars this year. Worse than ever. We have town water but I don`t have any way to gage the quality. I`ve got serious water spotting on the vehicles including the glass. It seems like the water spotting would be relieved by sitting in the rain, but we haven`t had much in the past few months.

[boxingfan30]

Ahh, welcome to my world

[pheerix]

Spray it down with your filtered water then do a rinseless or waterless. It`s only going to get worse, this drought isn`t going anywhere.

[Accumulator]

Spray it down with your [deionized] water then do a rinseless or waterless..

That`s what I`d do if you don`t mind going the rinseless route.

[boxingfan30]

It`s not just the drought there, town water in most places is pretty well awful, I was hoping to get a whole house filtration system, as it turns out we couldn`t get the loan for a very good rate and so I`ll be stuck having to take the car to places with a bit better water

[The Driver]

1. CR spotless - least water effective
2. ONR Bucket + Gary Dean method
3. Car-pro reset + Shade + Gary Dean method most water effective

4. Buy mineral free water and get a nomad pressure washer, they work great for situations with little water. Very compact too.

[Accumulator]

It`s not just the drought there, town water in most places is pretty well awful, I was hoping to get a whole house filtration system..

I run one of those even with our *good* quality water. Pretty surprising what the filters catch, my friends who said "oh, you don`t need that!" now just say they`re not gonna worry about that [stuff] in their drinking/cooking/bathing water.

Once you pay for the installation, the whole-house filters are cheap enough, at least if you shop around.

[Stokdgs]

Nopstnz8 --

Ok, this makes more sense now...

Well if you want a quicker solution until you can find a more permanent one, and you are going to utilize rinseless type washes, etc.,
then I would go over to the Safeway store and pick up 5-Gallons of Crystal Geyser Water for $5, sometimes less, and use that in a bucket..
Its bottled from the source close to Mt Shasta, and its some of the best tasting drinking water I have ever found... And $1 a gallon...

I would again suggest you perhaps change out your soap to another and see what happens.. I use CarPro Reset because I have a coating, and it really works great, very slippery, doesnt dry hard and spots my black vehicle one bit... But I dont have well water either... Good luck....

As far as getting a whole house filtration system, they have to be able to tap into your copper pipe that comes from the water main meter in your front yard, and then modify it to take a big filter cartridge Im guessing, that will then have to be changed regularly..

These things do work - I remember putting a couple under the kitchen sink to improve the taste of the water, a few decades ago..
These filters are mostly carbon fines, and boy, they really do make the water very smooth to swallow and taste great, after you dump the 1st gallon or so to get rid of any loose carbon fines from the water..

Sounds like the water quality in the well, is getting worse as the water table gets lower... never a good thing.. sorry this has had to happen to you..

Well, we are still shipping a crapload of fresh, pure Northern California Water through the California Aqueduct system, that I drive over on my way to the Costco store, in Rancho Cordova CA., so hopefully we dont run out either... And this has been going on over the 40 years that I know of...
Dan F

[Nopstnz8]

Spray it down with your filtered water then do a rinseless or waterless. It`s only going to get worse, this drought isn`t going anywhere.

That`s what I`d do if you don`t mind going the rinseless route.

1. CR spotless - least water effective
2. ONR Bucket + Gary Dean method
3. Car-pro reset + Shade + Gary Dean method most water effective

4. Buy mineral free water and get a nomad pressure washer, they work great for situations with little water. Very compact too.

So it looks like the nomad pressure washer with di water and no rinse would be very effective for a presoak and then I can use no rinse via the 2bm to clean the car.

I was looking on amazon and it seems the nomad pressure washer isn`t available new anymore, so I was curious if any of you guys have any recommendations for other units that are just as powerful, if not even better? I wouldn`t mind one that plugs into the wall as it`s not leaving the garage.

Thanks everyone so far!

[Accumulator]

Nopstnz8- I got a *really* cheap/under-powered/crappy pressure washer for Christmas and it`s working out *great*. I`d always had much bette/more powerful ones in the past (which always died...) and thought I`d need more power, but nope...this little thing is perfectly sufficient. I gather it cost less than $100.

And since it doesn`t use as much water as "better" pressure washers, it doesn`t go through CRS/deionized water very fast. With a good LSP I can often just pressure rinse the car with DI water and leave it at that. Not Auopian-good results perhaps, but usually plenty good enough for a driver as long as it wasn`t too dirty to start with, and it`s quick and easy.

[Nopstnz8]

Most likely buying the nomad unit today. Curious what your guy`s mileage has been on them? Are they generally pretty reliable? I only ask because I know they have been discontinued, but the reviews seem relatively good. Just want to make sure this thing is going to hopefully last a few years.

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