Need some help guys. I have a black car and everytime I wash it I'm left with water spots all over the vehicle. I even bought one of those CR Spotless filters but my water is so hard that I barely even get one full car wash out of it. Unfortunately I have no option for a shaded area but I washed the car in the morning and the high temperature for the day didn't even make it to 70 so I don't think hot temperatures were my problem (well, everytime I wash the car I have water spot issues, whether it's sunny or not). I tried to clean off the water spots with DP Waterless Wash but they weren't coming off, luckily they came off with Meguiar's Ultimate Quick Detailers and a little passion behind the towel (I borrowed that phrase from Mike Phillips, thanks Mike!). It's getting tiresome to have to QD my car after every wash, is there a step I'm missing so that I'm not left with so many water spots? Unfortunately I don't have anyone that can help me dry the car (or at least anyone I feel comfortable with around my car). Any ideas? Thanks.
Losing the battle against water spots
- Thread starter mcpp66
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Setec Astronomy
Well-known member
- Aug 31, 2010
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I'm sure Mike will have an answer for you but a QD after wash to clean up random water spots is kind of a fact of life, even if you do a CRSpotless rinse (because nothing is perfect, and there will be some residue that will come out of some nook or cranny).
The best advice I can give for this kind of thing, if you have problems with your wash/rinse water drying too fast because of environment/car color, or water hardness, is to do a rinseless wash like ONR or the DP product, that way you can do a panel at a time and dry before any spots form. For extra security you can mix with distilled water from the supermarket, since you will only use a couple of gallons per wash.
The best advice I can give for this kind of thing, if you have problems with your wash/rinse water drying too fast because of environment/car color, or water hardness, is to do a rinseless wash like ONR or the DP product, that way you can do a panel at a time and dry before any spots form. For extra security you can mix with distilled water from the supermarket, since you will only use a couple of gallons per wash.
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- #3
A rinseless wash with ONR and distilled water after my regular wash isn't a bad idea at all, I think I'm going to try that.
I don't mind using a QD after a wash, but because I have to look for each and every spot and then use a little passion behind the towel to get rid of them it's a little time consuming. I'd like to reduce the amount of time I'm spending on doing this.
One other question, I've seen people type that they spray the car with QD before drying. Before I dry the car I use the flooding method to get rid of most of the water. So would the appropriate step be to flood the car and then spray the car with a QD?
I don't mind using a QD after a wash, but because I have to look for each and every spot and then use a little passion behind the towel to get rid of them it's a little time consuming. I'd like to reduce the amount of time I'm spending on doing this.
One other question, I've seen people type that they spray the car with QD before drying. Before I dry the car I use the flooding method to get rid of most of the water. So would the appropriate step be to flood the car and then spray the car with a QD?
Setec Astronomy
Well-known member
- Aug 31, 2010
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I was suggesting you replace your traditional wash with the ONR wash, that way you should be able to eliminate your problem, rather than trying to remediate it after the fact.
Like you, I kind of hate the idea of routinely having to QD the entire car after a wash...I don't have a black car though. Aquawax and OCW are labeled to be used while drying...and there are a hundred ways that people dry their cars with variations of leaf blowing, toweling, QD, etc. etc. etc.
Like you, I kind of hate the idea of routinely having to QD the entire car after a wash...I don't have a black car though. Aquawax and OCW are labeled to be used while drying...and there are a hundred ways that people dry their cars with variations of leaf blowing, toweling, QD, etc. etc. etc.
CEE DOG
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- Jul 12, 2009
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If there is no way to procure shade then you should wash in the am so you are done before the sun rises above the horizon.
When done washing use flood the paint with the open hose nozzle starting at the top and staying just ahead of the sheet of water on its way down to force the water to sheet off.
Then as you are drying use a QD as your drying aid. Spray a panel a few times and dry and move forward.
Another idea: it would negate the flooding the paint I mentioned earlier but you could do your final rinse with 1 or 2 gallons of distilled water from the store. Just walk around the car pouring it out slowly. Then move forward with the step of drying with WW and QD.
If washing in the semi-sun keep rinsing the areas that are done being washed every 60 seconds or so to not allow them to dry while you are washing the rest of the car.
Also Setec has good advice on the rinseless wash.
Also I would say the sun is still an issue regardless of temperature outside. The sun on the car will still heat the car surface up pretty quick.
When done washing use flood the paint with the open hose nozzle starting at the top and staying just ahead of the sheet of water on its way down to force the water to sheet off.
Then as you are drying use a QD as your drying aid. Spray a panel a few times and dry and move forward.
Another idea: it would negate the flooding the paint I mentioned earlier but you could do your final rinse with 1 or 2 gallons of distilled water from the store. Just walk around the car pouring it out slowly. Then move forward with the step of drying with WW and QD.
If washing in the semi-sun keep rinsing the areas that are done being washed every 60 seconds or so to not allow them to dry while you are washing the rest of the car.
Also Setec has good advice on the rinseless wash.
Also I would say the sun is still an issue regardless of temperature outside. The sun on the car will still heat the car surface up pretty quick.
- Thread starter
- #8
Well, I don't want to replace a traditional wash with a rinseless wash, especially when my car's too dirty. I could always use a California Duster before the rinseless wash I guess. But I think doing a rinseless after the traditional wash may help with that......certainly no harm in trying it.
SupraTurbo94
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- Aug 27, 2010
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If sun is an issue why don't you invest in a Canopy? They are fairly cheap 89 bucks at Walmart or other places them have them cheaper like Sports Authority. It's 10x10 so there is plenty of room to park a car and high enough to park a truck under it. It takes less then two min to set it up and the same for storing. It works really well I have used it several times to detail my car and I bring it to the beach as well :dblthumb2:
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- #10
M
Mike Phillips
Guest
You're in a tough spot... no pun intended 
I had this same problem with our black Honda Pilot in the Mojave Desert, the only time I could was the Pilot was in the wee early hours of the day when the wind had stopped and the temperatures were as low as they would get usually...
The problem was the Pilot is large enough that you have to hustle to remove all the water so it wouldn't dry on the paint.
Here's a close-up picture I took of the mineral deposits left on the paint if you didn't get the water off ASAP
These are water drops that dried using city water...
Type I Water Spots - Mineral deposits sitting on top of the paint
So it's important to remove any standing water to avoid water spotting, either Type I, Type II or Type III
As for tips and techniques.... sounds like you're find out the best way to make the paint spot-free is to wash and dry carefully and as best and fast as you can and then re-wipe the paint down with a spray detailer or possibly a spray-on wax...
Could be different types of waxes or paint sealants might work better for your water and your process... the only way to know would be to do some testing with some controls in place...
Sorry there's no simple, quick and easy way to washing and drying a black car in warm weather and leaving a show car finish without having to "do something" after the wiping dry step.
I had this same problem with our black Honda Pilot in the Mojave Desert, the only time I could was the Pilot was in the wee early hours of the day when the wind had stopped and the temperatures were as low as they would get usually...
The problem was the Pilot is large enough that you have to hustle to remove all the water so it wouldn't dry on the paint.
Here's a close-up picture I took of the mineral deposits left on the paint if you didn't get the water off ASAP
These are water drops that dried using city water...
Type I Water Spots - Mineral deposits sitting on top of the paint
So it's important to remove any standing water to avoid water spotting, either Type I, Type II or Type III
As for tips and techniques.... sounds like you're find out the best way to make the paint spot-free is to wash and dry carefully and as best and fast as you can and then re-wipe the paint down with a spray detailer or possibly a spray-on wax...
Could be different types of waxes or paint sealants might work better for your water and your process... the only way to know would be to do some testing with some controls in place...
Sorry there's no simple, quick and easy way to washing and drying a black car in warm weather and leaving a show car finish without having to "do something" after the wiping dry step.
- Thread starter
- #12
Thanks Mike.........I got some good tips from this thread though. One thing's for sure, I have that small, mobile CR Spotless Deionizer from AG but I'm going to sell that one after I put my Camaro away for the winter and buy the bigger mobile CR Spotless device. I'm barely getting one wash out of that 100-gallon unit.
Comment on Supraturbo94 suggestion to get a cheap 10x10 canopy....be careful just how cheap you go, and from my experience a 10x10 is never big enough! The only cars I've ever done that fit under the canopy (totally in the shade) was a vw bug or a Toyota fj, maybe a jeep too! Cheap canopies are only for sun protection, not rain, just fyi!
As for the waterspots..I am assuming that when you do get rid of the spots, you are then sealing the paint with a good paint sealant? Maybe even a once over with a wax to top it off. I would think that you would get at least a little time with that protection.
Last thought pertains to in ground sprinkler systems. I don't know why, but in my area cars that get hit regularly with automatic sprinkler systems all have spotting on the side they get hit on. Something about that water seems to be more corrossive than the rain waterYour not getting hit with one of those, are you?
DVC61
As for the waterspots..I am assuming that when you do get rid of the spots, you are then sealing the paint with a good paint sealant? Maybe even a once over with a wax to top it off. I would think that you would get at least a little time with that protection.
Last thought pertains to in ground sprinkler systems. I don't know why, but in my area cars that get hit regularly with automatic sprinkler systems all have spotting on the side they get hit on. Something about that water seems to be more corrossive than the rain waterYour not getting hit with one of those, are you?
DVC61
malachi0420
New member
- Apr 2, 2010
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:iagree: I have been doing this for a few years now with great results!
Matt
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- Aug 25, 2008
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Pressure washers tend to use less water than a hose, maybe you could hook ur pressure washer up to the cr spotless system and use that to rinse your car instead of the hose. Also, a lot of pressure washers (I no most karcher ones can) can run of a bucket of water. You could try purchasing some distilled water from the supermarket or maybe find a bulk supplier and use this as your water source for rinsing instead of tap water.
akimel
New member
- Oct 1, 2008
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I own a black car and water spots are her bane. She's a small car, so one would think that I would not have problems getting her dry before the water spots form; but alas, that is not the case. Here's what I presently do:
1) I try to keep the car wet throughout the washing process. I wash one panel, rinse the panel, and then rinse the entire car. And then I repeat until the car has been completely washed. After doing the final hose flood, I blot the water on the horizontal panels with my Absorber, following up with a waffle-weave towel. I try to do this as quickly as possible. I have used Last Touch (diluted 50:50) in the past as a drying aid. This seems to work well; but for some reason I prefer instead to quick detail the car after she is dry. I know that many folks like to use Duragloss AquaWax as a drying aid.
2) When the car has been dried, I pull her into the garage and proceed to wipe her down with my favorite quick detailer. At the moment, my favorite QD is Finish Kare 425. It seems to get the job done, but in terms of removing water spots, I do not believe it is any better than any of the other quick detail sprays available. On occasion, I might use Ultimate Quik Wax instead.
Black is beautiful, but it sure does demand a lot more time and work than other colors.
1) I try to keep the car wet throughout the washing process. I wash one panel, rinse the panel, and then rinse the entire car. And then I repeat until the car has been completely washed. After doing the final hose flood, I blot the water on the horizontal panels with my Absorber, following up with a waffle-weave towel. I try to do this as quickly as possible. I have used Last Touch (diluted 50:50) in the past as a drying aid. This seems to work well; but for some reason I prefer instead to quick detail the car after she is dry. I know that many folks like to use Duragloss AquaWax as a drying aid.
2) When the car has been dried, I pull her into the garage and proceed to wipe her down with my favorite quick detailer. At the moment, my favorite QD is Finish Kare 425. It seems to get the job done, but in terms of removing water spots, I do not believe it is any better than any of the other quick detail sprays available. On occasion, I might use Ultimate Quik Wax instead.
Black is beautiful, but it sure does demand a lot more time and work than other colors.