Fluffy question

[Bandit3]

My 06 coupe has water spots, any suggestions on how to remove them? I've tried the turtle wax "ice" and washing over and over but still they remain. Thanks in advance. John

[Rick530]

sandpaper??

a good washing usually took em off mine. not sure what to tell ya.

[Fast Too]

A good cleaner wax first, and if that fails a Clay bar, and then use Mr Clean auto dry system going forward to wash your car if you have a lot of minerals in your water. I also spray mist the car with a good detail spray while the car is still wet when drying to prevent them. Works well.

[CaptainDavid]

Get some Zaino, then wash with Dawn, ( only once to remove old wax). put on at least 4 coats of Zaino ( showcar polish Z-2) . and yes the Mr Clean wash system is great for keeping spots off. but I still dry the car. Wait til you see White Lightning.
calling you tomorrow am.

[Bandit3]

Thanks all. John

[Viper X]

There are a couple of good options to remove water spots, which can be very hard to remove from dark paint.

I'd suggest that you first wash the car with a professional grade car wash. Use both a wash bucket with soap and a rinse bucket for your microfiber wash towel. Rinse the wash towel frequently and keep it clean. I believe most people do more damage to their car's finish while washing and drying than at any other time. Dry with a clean, quality microfiber towel.

Buy a clay bar system, Griots is good through mail order or you can buy Mothers at most automotive stores. Follow the directions on the package. This will get many water spots but not all of them.

Next, pick up some Meguiars Scratch X or Griots Fine hand polish. Use a clean applicator pad and follow the directions on the container. Be gentle on your paint and take your time. Wipe with a mircrofiber towel after polishing.

When the water spots are gone, wax with Meguiars or Griots or your choice of waxes. I use Griots paint sealant on my black SRT-10 and remove was with a microfiber towel. I use Meguiars Quick detailer in between washes. Paint looks very deep and wet when clean.

I also use Griots random orbital polisher and their polishes pretty regularly. Very good products though not inexpensive.

Go to: www.griotsgarage.com

Good outfit to do business with.

Good luck,

Dan

[plumcrazy]

id bet a claybar would do it and dont use zaino

[Nader]

Any cleaner wax should remove the water spots, especially if they are new and havent been baked in. Try to keep a decent coat of wax on the car at all times, especially if you let rain water dry on your car. Also after each wash when the car is dry use a spray detailer. It usually helps protect the paint.

[mad0953]

+1 on the claybar. I bought 2 of the new "Blockhead" clay bars from Jorgen Waxes (jorgensgarage.com I belive) and they are great and so easy to use a semi conscious Texan (Dave6666) could use them. They are a clay layer on a foam pad and I've done 3 cars so far and they look great and removed all of the water spots.

[Newport Viper]

You will find lots of help here....

Car Care Forums: Meguiar's Online - Powered by vBulletin

[ViperTony]

Claybar. Griot's has an inline water softener that does work. We have terrible water here and I've been their filter during car washes and it make a noticeable difference with water spots.

[kcobean]

Do you drive your car in the rain?

Water spots can be two things:

1. Etching in the clear-coat from acid rain and other pollutants . The only way to fix this is to polish the car and effectively remove the damaged layer of clear coat.

2. They are mineral deposits...effectively the same thing that ruins a coffee maker or a clothing iron if you don't use distilled water in it. It's calcium and lime-scale that's deposited when you wash the car and don't get it dried before the water evaporates.

So how do you clean a coffee pot that's starting to cycle slow?....you put vinegar through it?

Try this...first wash the car with dawn. Next get a cotton ball and find a place on your car where the water spots are easily observable. Put vinegar on the cotton ball and rub the area where the water spots are. If they go away, then you have the latter of the two forms of water spots, which is a good thing.

Wash the car liberally in a 1:1 solution of water/vinegar, allowing it to stand on the paint as much as possible and working your wash mit/towel/sponge in straight lines. Do a panel at a time and rinse with fresh water and dry behind you on each panel. Do this in the shade or on a cool day. It may take a couple of applications, depending on how you do it.

The vinegar is safe for your paint, and while it stinks, it's an excellent mineral solvent.

I learned this when trying to get a stubborn water stain off of my old RX-7. After I washed, the water would pool inside the mirror cowls and run down after I was done drying. Over time, I started getting these 'streams' of mineral deposits down my doors. Vinegar took it right off with a little patience and careful elbow-grease.

[angleiron]

Originally Posted by plumcrazy

id bet a claybar would do it and dont use zaino

Why not use the Zaino?

[Dom426h]

Bean has the idea.
The only way i would use: any abrasive, cleanerwax, or clay to remove waterspots is if warm water&dawn Didnt do the trick.

from my experience, lathering up the paint with dawn will remove all traces of waterspots as well as any old wax, leaving a clear pallet for fresh wax.

ive heard good things about the vinegar method too, but havent tried it as dawn has never failed me

[ViperTony]

I'd rather save the vinegar for my salads but I think its a great tip nonetheless. If you're going to go through the bother of washing the area in question with dawn you might as well go the claybar route. If there are water spots then chances are there are other contaminants in the surrounding paint. With a claybar and a slippery solution (SpeedShine) you'll be able to work the area clean of water spots and other crap without creating swirls by dragging the crap around the paint with a cotton ball. At this point, the area is completely devoid of wax. You can choose to polish the area, if needed, or go to the waxing step. Someday I will try to vinegar routine but I'd rather not be reminded of Summer's Eve when driving the car.