dodgerblue

It has been raining for several days this week in Southern California, and because I neglected to dry off the car after parking it in the garage, it now has tons of water spots all over the car after it dried off overnight - it's especially noticeable on the paint.

Can anyone give me some advice on how to remove these water spots and what products to use? I've tried Meguiar's Quik Detailer, Cleaner Wax, and NXT Wax, and none of them seem to work...

whatwasthat

hm.... if that was me, i would try washing it as usual first ( i'm assuming you already tried this..)and dry it w/ a microfiber towel or something made to dry cars and if that doesn't work, then wash your car w/ dawn or some other dishwashing soap to strip the wax and then rewax it. i'm guessing if its strong enough to strip wax, it should be strong enough to get the water marks out. also, try to get as much foam as possible, thats what really washes the car + your brush. hope it helps. dont forget to dry the car.

whatwasthat

just want to make sure - did you wash the car first before applying the products??

Hawhyen51

I've used this product with great success MX7 Water Spot Remover. I believe a clay bar will help. You can also run a search on water spots and see what others are using to remove them.

Repecat

If those things don't work, try a clay bar.

Roleez

I've been detailing cars on the side since I was 14. You really shouldn't have to worry about water spots from a raindown if you recently waxed the car. It's water spots from the HOSE that are allowed to dry that cause the REAL problems. Why? Water from a hose has tons of impurities where rainwater doesn't have much (unless it happens to be acid rain).

It's been raining nonstop for 5 days in NorCal and I haven't washed the CL yet. Been through this tons of times. Even after 5 days, I know that the car will be spotless after I wash it. You just need the right stuff:

1) Meguiar's Car Wash gel/soap (gold/clear color)
2) Wash mitten
3) Wash car when body is COLD and out of direct sunlight so that the water won't spot
4) Use the "California" water blade (squeegee) to remove all/most of the rinse water
5) Drive car around the block to blow off excess water
6) Use the "Absorber" to wipe off any water left
7) If time: re-wax the car with a quality paste/liquid wax

UnsanePyro

Is it spots, or etched into the paint? If it's etched in, you need to step up into something abrassive most likely, it's what I'm doing to remove swirls.

exceldetail

Several ? I dont remember the last time we saw sun ! For you to have spot overnight, out of the sun, tells me you may have some dirt etched in the paint. Sounds like your surface hasnt been protected in recent time, and particles have taken hold! Cleaner/wax is the most aggressive you have from your products, and its EXTREMELY mild. Try a little vinegar and water 1:1 in a spraybottle, mist the area, let sit for several minutes, and wipe with a microfiber. Re polish and wax the area. The acids in the vinegar will dissolve the mineral content, and you'll be good to go. Just make sure you reprotect the area.
As for using the water blade, use with discretion, and for driving around the block, good idea, but it attracts dirt.

dodgerblue

Thanks guys for all your advice on this one. I haven't washed the car yet as I thought I could get the spots off using some interim procedures as the weather forecast calls for more downpour over the entire next week.

However, it sounds like a wash is in order and tomorrow is supposed to be a dry day here, so I'll try that and then re-apply the stuff that I have. Hopefully that'll do the trick.

I'll let you all know what happens tomorrow...wish me luck. Happy New Year y'all!!!