How to nip water spots in the bud?

S

SF Space Grey

New member
Hi everyone,



I know water spots are a well-covered topic here, but I'm having trouble finding an answer to a specific question and was hoping to get your help. I see a lot of discussion about which LSPs do the best job of preventing water spots and etching (Collinite 845 seems to be a safe bet), and a ton of discussion about removing stubborn water spots (using vinegar, polishing, etc.). Here's my question: once you've chosen your protectant, what is the best thing to do the day after your car gets doused (with a sprinkler, rainstorm, etc.) to eliminate the water spots before they set in?



I definitely don't have time to do a full hand wash every time my car gets wet. I'm looking for something to spray on to fresh water spots and wipe with a plush MF towel that is aggressive enough to remove the minerals before they etch, but gentle enough for regular use without compromising my sealant.



Any recommendations? ONR seems like it might be a little too gentle. What about a QD like Optimum Instant Detailer? Can Poorboy's Spray & Wipe reliably dissolve this stuff as long as it hasn't been more than a day? I assume I shouldn't be using something like isopropyl or Chemical Guys water spot remover regularly to treat day-old spots, right? I don't want to wear through my sealant.



Thanks!
 
How about a quick waterless wash like HD Free?? Would that work?? Am also interested in this question.
 
I can ONR my car almost faster than I can take a shower (excluding wheel wells/wheels/door jams). If you just want to clean the glass/paint real quick you can't go wrong.
 
350f said:
I can ONR my car almost faster than I can take a shower (excluding wheel wells/wheels/door jams). If you just want to clean the glass/paint real quick you can't go wrong.
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ONR is quick--just one of the reasons I love it and use it for my maintenance washes... but I'm looking for something I can do even faster. I'm hoping there's a solution that takes less than 5 minutes and requires nothing more than a spray bottle and a MF towel (both of which I can keep in my trunk). A full ONR wash and dry isn't really an option after getting home from the office at 8pm or on a weekend trip out of town, etc.



Assuming people agree that vinegar, isopropyl, and strong spot removers are too harsh to be used regularly without eating sealant(?), I guess I'm just asking whether people have liked any particular waterless washes for eliminating day-old water spots.
 
Where do you live at? Is the rain that acidic there that your LSP isn't keeping your car protected?
 
maybe the poorboy s#it remover is the ticket?



or dilute the ONR for clay lube use and see how that goes before placing an order
 
Rule #1 is don't park near grass. Grass gets watered and usually by sprinkler systems that aren't properly adjusted and come on when they aren't supposed to.



You can mix up a 32 oz bottle of ONR and water (32:1 dilution works fine) which makes a very effective, good cleaning QD. It might not be quite as strong as a true waterless wash, but it works and you don't have to buy anything else.
 
SF Space Grey said:
ONR is quick--just one of the reasons I love it and use it for my maintenance washes... but I'm looking for something I can do even faster..
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No way I'd want to do anything less than a proper ONR wash, at least nothing that involves touching the paint.



Only thing I can think of would be rinsing/pressure washing with deionized water, something I'll do if an otherwise nicely detailed vehicle had to be driven (briefly) in nasty conditions. I blow it dry with the AirWand/compressor rather than trust the DI water to truly drip-dry with no problems. But it takes me a good bit longer than 5 minutes to do this, or at least to do it to my satisfaction. But then, heh heh, plenty of people can ONR a whole vehicle in the time it takes me to ONR the wheels!
 
Accumulator said:
No way I'd want to do anything less than a proper ONR wash, at least nothing that involves touching the paint.



Only thing I can think of would be rinsing/pressure washing with deionized water, something I'll do if an otherwise nicely detailed vehicle had to be driven (briefly) in nasty conditions. I blow it dry with the AirWand/compressor rather than trust the DI water to truly drip-dry with no problems. But it takes me a good bit longer than 5 minutes to do this, or at least to do it to my satisfaction. But then, heh heh, plenty of people can ONR a whole vehicle in the time it takes me to ONR the wheels!
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Yeah I hear ya. Ideally I'd prefer to do a full ONR wash whenever I need to. Unfortunately, I work long hours and live in a big city, so I only get to do a full hand wash once or twice a month. I live in an apt. building so can't easily do a DI rinse or anything like that either. Life in the city is hard on paint. Despite any precautions I take, my care occasionally gets hit with bird bombs or hard water from sidewalk washing etc. Seems to my like these things need to be taken care of sooner than the week or two it takes until my next full wash right? I know I will probably create some light marring using a spray product with a plush MF towel, but isn't that better than allowing something harmful to etch the paint over days? Assuming I'm thinking of this the right way, what are people's favorite products for this purpose?



I don't want protection or gloss... just need lubrication to minimize marring along with the right level of cleaning ability: enough to completely dissolve water spots and bird bombs without hurting underlying sealant.



Sounds like PB's Spray and Wipe or Bird Sh#t Remover might be the way to go. Is S&W strong enough to cut through new water spots? Is Sh#t Remover lubricating enough to minimize marring?



By the way, this is seriously the most helpful forum I've used. Thanks for the advice so far!
 
Accumulator said:
No way I'd want to do anything less than a proper ONR wash, at least nothing that involves touching the paint.



Only thing I can think of would be rinsing/pressure washing with deionized water, something I'll do if an otherwise nicely detailed vehicle had to be driven (briefly) in nasty conditions. I blow it dry with the AirWand/compressor rather than trust the DI water to truly drip-dry with no problems. But it takes me a good bit longer than 5 minutes to do this, or at least to do it to my satisfaction. But then, heh heh, plenty of people can ONR a whole vehicle in the time it takes me to ONR the wheels!
Click to expand...



We're totally on the same page here. There are no quick fixes for getting a car clean. Even with a great waterless wash, you are going to take 20 minutes to clean the car. Perhaps with more experience I'd be faster, but I actually am quicker with ONR than waterless. Much like Accumulator can't get a marring free ONR wash, I seem to have the issue with Waterless, unless I spent an hour and used a couple dozen towels and a gallon of waterless, I don't think I could do it.



What really keeps water spots from causing any damage for me is a quality carnauba wax applied monthly. After a month, it really loses its waterspot protection ability for me.
 
Dan- Heh heh, good for our images when we fully agree on stuff :chuckle: See folks, it *does* happen now and then!



S F Space Grey- Thanks for explaining about your situation, yeah...that *is* a toughie :think:



I think that I'd a) use a durable-as-all-get-out LSP. Maybe FK1000P if you're not gonna OptiCoat it, and then b) accept that yeah, better a bit of marring than some serious etching, and c) use the best rinseless/waterless stuff you can get (no idea what that'd be as I'm just not up on the subject :nixweiss ).



If I had to take a while guess regarding what to use, I guess I'd go with Garry Dean's Infinite Use Detail Juice, mixed pretty strong. I haven't tried mine yet, but people I consider reliable say it's the [stuff].



Glad you're finding this place helpful.
 
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