Removing Water Spots from Glass.

N

Neofate

New member
Lets take my Sunroof for example. I have cleaned this car numerous times,.. polished it, waxed it, sealed it clayed it, and so on.



The glass has gotten Windex, Rain-x, Scratch-x, Amorall glass wipes, water, and they've been waxed and wiped.



The previous owner obviously let water stand on the sunroof , and there are water markings (etching?) in the glass. It will not come off by washing, waxing, or with scratch-x by hand.



So a simple question -- It is glass, so I'm sure it can be removed, it isn't a physical defect (its smooth and same thickness as brand new) --



What product do I use to remove these , possibly 10 yr old, water spots? Also would using my UDM with this product speed it up, and/or be more effective.



If so, what pad and speed combination would be recommended. I'm not entirely sure how sensitive glass is to buffing. It is either really stout and I am not going to mess it up, or it is very sensitive and could put major scratches all over it.



Thanks!
 
Generally speaking, glass is very "stout". Unless this glass has some exterior coating or tint on it, I would hit it with the coarsest paint polish that you have.



They say that mineral deposits will permanently etch the glass over time, so it's possible they won't come out. In addition, there are acids which will dissolve the minerals, so if the polishing doesn't help you might try those dedicated water-spot removers or decon products.
 
Neofate said:
Lets take my Sunroof for example. I have cleaned this car numerous times,.. polished it, waxed it, sealed it clayed it, and so on.



The glass has gotten Windex, Rain-x, Scratch-x, Amorall glass wipes, water, and they've been waxed and wiped.



The previous owner obviously let water stand on the sunroof , and there are water markings (etching?) in the glass. It will not come off by washing, waxing, or with scratch-x by hand.



So a simple question -- It is glass, so I'm sure it can be removed, it isn't a physical defect (its smooth and same thickness as brand new) --



What product do I use to remove these , possibly 10 yr old, water spots? Also would using my UDM with this product speed it up, and/or be more effective.



If so, what pad and speed combination would be recommended. I'm not entirely sure how sensitive glass is to buffing. It is either really stout and I am not going to mess it up, or it is very sensitive and could put major scratches all over it.



Thanks!
Click to expand...





Try soaking in vinegar then scrubbing with toothpaste !



It works 99% of the time and on the few that won't come out you can get them out

with wheel acid. If you use acid make sure to neutralize it with wd40.



Spray the acid then scrub with gloves on then wipe off. Do this in less than 10 seconds. Within seconds after wiping spray wd40 on the area the acid was on and the spots will be gone.
 
I had this problem with my glass. Tried swirl removers, some compounds etc., nothing worked. I know you guys hate TurtleWax, but I've bought TW ClearVue Glass Polish, and it took out the water etchings at first try. However, you need to rub it real hard for some time, and maybe to repeat the process to make the glass completely etching free.

Try that, it might work ;)



P.S. that product also cleans chrome contamination very very well.
 
I honestly do not know how old the spots are -- But,.. I've made some arrangements on the way to use some serious rotary power on them -- I plan on getting them as best as possible.



Here is my plan:



DP High Performance Glass Restorer



This cleans and has a restorer polish to remove these etchings,.. designed for hand use, and works better with machine use.



It is recommended to use 4" or smaller pads with this, so I have also on the way:



CCS Spot Buffs 4 Inch Foam Pad Kit



Which has 4x1.25 Pads --



2-Orange

2-White

1-Black

1-Blue



All LLC



Also comes with 2 microfiber towels,.



Also with two adaptors , one for a cordless (or corded) drill (not going to be using it) -- and the other for a 2.25 or so Backing plate for my UDM. This plate should be perfect (well its designed for these 4" pads) for this application.



I was going to just use my 6.5" pads, but thats would be somewhat difficult to work with being so large.. so just went with the 4" kit, as Accumulator recommend the 4" for some stubborn spots on the paint in the future.



I will let you know how this works -- Sounds like a fairly good plan to me.



I think any compound would have done some good, but I figured I'd get an official glass rejuvenator and polish if I was going to do it right. This will be a one time major job, which will go pretty fast with a machine -- Then maybe some touch ups in the future.



I think I can get the bulk off,.. if some are left behind, so be it. Can only do what you can do. =)



It isn't like you notice it looking at the car, you have to get up about an inch away and get at the right angle to see them.
 
I use vinegar, soak a MF towel and let it sit for 4-5 minutes, then scrub with 0000 steel wool (Lowes has it) - it won't hurt glass. Wash normally to get the pickle smell off and you're done.
 
I actually use Klasse AIO on light water spots, but it does take some scrubbing. Just a couple of comments on the other posts--I don't see how WD-40 is going to neutralize wheel acid, baking soda would be a better choice, but you need a special product (calcium gluconate) to neutralize HF or ABF wheel cleaners. And with all due respect to JuneBug...I'd not use steel wool on the glass; it may be fine but if you scratch it you'll never get the scratches out.
 
walnuts said:
I have had good results with Duragloss Nu-glass on a 4" green cyclo pad on a PC.
Click to expand...



+1 on that. Did that on 3 cars with a PC, Orange pad and nuglass at speed 6. All the glass came out perfect. I would try this method.
 
I agree with “SETEC� – do not use steel wool of any grade on glass, nor do I understand the chemistry of using WD-40 to neutralize vinegar & toothpaste. I can’t see you getting into the corners of the glass with buffers and not burn the paint edge along the frame of the SR hole at some point – especially on a car that must be at least a decade old and how they were made back then. .



But my solution is going to make some regulars here shiver and I’m going to get a lot of guff for this one ... but here goes:

You said it’s on the sunroof ... so ... mask off the areas around the metal frame of the sunroof. Get “Lysol Toilet Bowl GEL�, apply it to a sponge and wipe it across the glass ONLY! Agitate the area slowly so as not to spatter. You will see the water spot rings turn white as they dissolve. You’ll also be able to see when they’re gone. Wipe up with care as not to splatter. Get the entire product off including a glass cleaner wipe-down. The spots will be gone. Wash thoroughly, and wax/seal/protect that sunroof.

I would NEVER recommend this for vertical glass where drips and run-off would make this disastrous on painted surfaces.



Good luck.
 
Definately do not use steel wool or grit sand paper either (leaves hologram like scratches)

In my experience, if any paint polish doesn't get it out, it's time for DP glass restorer or Driven Extreme duty glass compound



yes it is an acid based gel and gotta rinse it off well but it's worked great so far

drivenextreme.jpg
 
Einszett (1Z) Glas Polish worked for me on the first try for a water spotted windshield that had been driving me crazy.
 
I stick by what I said, 0000 steel wool and vinagar - and I've had to deal with some old trucks that sat out in the weather all the time. Like Scott says,"find something you like and use it".
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top