How To Remove Water Spots From Car

What are the most common issues suffered by car paint? Scratches, swirls, and the most annoying water stains. As a car owner, you must know how to remove water spots from car to keep the painting shiny and smooth.

What Are Water Spots?

The spots are the marks created when water droplets dry or evaporate on a surface. These could be harmful to the car paint depending on the water source. Water from a natural source is full of minerals and their concentration can vary from one area to another. The mineral density determines how hard the stain will be.

Groundwater that can get onto your car from a sprinkler or water hose is full of minerals. Rainwater is full of air pollutants and sometimes carries tree sap that sticks to the paint surface and cuts through it. Road water carries dirt, mud, and road grime.

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These types of water spots on car can set in and ruin the paint if you don’t take prompt cleaning action.

How To Remove Water Spots From Car?

Depending on the damage level of water spots to your car, we will go from the least aggressive method to the most aggressive to take care of things. Here are some common tricks for how to get water spots off car paint:

1. Detailing Spray

If you catch the marks early, a simple detailing spray will be enough for their removal. Using a detailing spray solution is the effortless way to remove soft water stains and keep the car’s exterior clean and glossy. There are many types of water spots  washing spray in the market. You can choose one. At the early stages of water spot penetration, a spray is enough for your car paint. It is the easiest way of how remove water spots from car.

 Spray it on the car paint, then use a microfiber towel to clean. Saturate the area, then wipe the dirt away in one direction, and roll to a fresh edge as you go if you do not want to grind the dirt in. You also can go into the grille as well. After that, go ahead and flip your towel to dry side and buff off the leftover wax. 

water spots on car
Using a detailing spray solution is the effortless way to remove soft water stains and keep the car’s exterior clean and glossy.

You will see if it works or not. But for sure, if the water spot is new, it will be cleaned 100% out of your car paint. You can use distilled water for the final rinse to make sure there is no mineral on the surface. In some cases, the large spots are removed but the small and the sport at the certain angles still left. That makes us wonder how to remove hard water stains from car deeply. Let’s jump into the second method of how to remove water spots from car

2. Using Clay Bar

What we tried to do is wash the car to remove the big spots on the surface. For the large water spots if not get rid of water spots on black car, it makes the car look old and out of date. But since the spray is not strong enough, so now, we try the next method, which is clay bar.

The function of a clay bar is to get rid of the embedded dirt, pollution and contaminants that get stuck on the paint. When you drive your car under rain but do not wash it for a long time, the water spot will get stuck on the paint. You may remove it with a clay bar.  But not everyone is familiar with the clay bar, so you can check on the internet to see how to use it correctly. 

Here is the recommended video on how to clay bar your car!

Important note: remember to use a high quality clay bar and lubricant if you do not want to induce any fine marring or scratches.

3. Apply Paint Cleaner

A strong industrial cleaning agent like a good-quality paint cleaner is great water spot removal for cars. The cleaner is more suitable for old spots that have cut through the exterior surface. The old spots tend to be alkaline, they are all minerals left over after a water droplet evaporates. 

Use a foam applicator to apply the cleaner in the affected area. Wait for a few minutes before wiping off. Several rounds of cleaning might be necessary to remove all spots. One important thing to remember is you should not leave the paint cleaner for too long on the surface of the paint layer.

The paint cleaner can remove water spot from car well. But if the spot still maintains on the car, it means that the spots have corroded and burned into the paint. Nothing else you put on top will get rid of it. 

4. Use A High-Power Polisher

The final method that we introduce to you is using high power polisher. What we try to do on this method is remove the paint to get the spot to go away. This is how to remove water spots from car if the stains are too stubborn. The high power polisher can remove the toughest of stains and deep scratches. The polisher is good for spots that have reached the lower layer of paint. 

Apply the polisher with a foam applicator. Firstly, use the slow setting to spread the compound evenly over the surface. Then turn it up to cut away some paint. After that, the water spots are ready to be removed.  Ater buffing the residue, you can clearly see that all of the spots are completely gone. 

After removing the water spots, it’s time to protect the paint. You can use the high power polisher, change the pad then apply the sealants and cream waxes over your car. Leave the car for 15 – 20 minutes to let it dry. Last thing to do is using a microfiber towel to buff off the residue to reveal the beautiful shine and protection.

However, it is an intense work and if you do not know what you are doing, you can damage your car. So take your car to the trustful garage, and the specialist will know what to do with your car. 

Alternative Material For Detailing Spray

White vinegar has been a household solution for ages for removing stains. The liquid dissolves magnesium and calcium deposits and has long been used by painters and plasterers to rub off dried off paint and other residues.

Mix equal portions of white vinegar and distilled water and soak a sponge into the solution. Push the sponge onto the water spots but don’t wipe. Let the vinegar set on the spots for a few minutes. After that, wash the car body thoroughly with clean water. You may have to repeat the process for a few times depending on how deep and stubborn the spots are.

The Lesson After All

The lesson is, if you do not remove water spots away from your car as soon as possible by spray, clay bar, paint cleaner, what next is you have to use high power polisher. 

The spot water, it will appear in your car by all means. But the level of the water spot depends on a lot of factors: if your car is sitting in the sun, it can bake the minerals in. Then it depends on what minerals are in the water, so it;s best to take care of them before they cause damage. 

Sum Up

We just introduced to you 4 main methods of how to remove water spots from car and an alternative method for detailing spray. You can try at home but if the spot penetrates deep into the paint layer, it better to take your car to the mechanic. Removing it without knowledge about how to remove water spots from car can lead to many serious results. 

Check out other maintenance tips to fix your car when there is any problem with your car.