Watermarks on a car that you just washed; that is a whole other level of pain. I know the feeling.
The main issue a buyer who does the detail work himself is the presence of these spots that make it look as if the car is still dirty and the paint is worn out, making the efforts go in vain.
Contrasted with other issues of your vehicle’s paint like overspray, tar, crushed bugs, or debris and other stuff, water spots sound pretty manageable.
You’ve heard this a million times, and it is true, water spots can harm your paint just as much the same number of other problematic toxins. They sound easy to get rid of but can be quite stubborn at times.
For the most part, the water interacts with your vehicle in one of three different ways, including overspray (sprinklers), rain, or washing your car. Whatever the case is, watermarks still end up on the surface.
Do you ever think
Why does this happen?
After washing and drying the car, you might feel satisfied with the look, but a closer look will show you how the hard watermarks are ruining it all.
Water contains differing measures of minerals and infinitesimal trash, or molecule toxins, which can dull your vehicle’s completion as well as can do real damage to your vehicle’s paint.
These spots are a severe disturbance, despite being tough, they can be easily avoided by following a couple of straightforward tips.
How to keep water spots off a car after washing?
If you are using the correct way to wash your ride, you can easily avoid the hard water stains. This article has some quick and practical techniques for you.
The way you wash your car also contributes to the water spots problem and not just the water quality.
Let jump in the first method I called it.
The two-bucket method
The correct way to wash your car is to do it with two buckets. One bucket is the wash bucket, and the other one is the rinse bucket.
Fill up on one with soap water; use good quality soap. Instead of using your hands to rub off the dirt, choose sponges and microfiber towels.
They do not only thoroughly clean the surface but also prevent the swirls.
It is crucial, yet most of us overlook it is applying soap water on a dirty car. Never do that! Rinse the dust/mud off and then go for the washing part. It is another way to keep water spots off a car when washing.
Water Quality
The quality of water is hard to avoid most of the time and to use distilled water like a lot of the internet rookies suggest is not that easy or cost-effective, let’s be honest here.
Before getting into how to prevent hard water spots when washing a car?
Let’s talk about hard and soft water; Hard Water has a high number of minerals and a large amount of calcium and magnesium. In contrast, on the other side, soft water has a higher concentration of sodium and salat.
Hard water leaves marks. After the vehicle dries up, the water evaporates, leaving behind minerals that causes the nasty white blemishes.
Therefore, a simple technique to fix this problem is NOT letting the water dry on the car surface. After washing, keep the car body wet by rinsing it every couple of minutes.
I know it sounds like a waste of water but trusts me that even a couple of water cups will do the job. Just before you are about to dry the car, use a spray bottle to mist the surface. It will prevent the big droplets, and the evaporation will not leave blotches of hard watermarks.
Wait – there’s more
This method is my favourite one.
Spray Wax Method
Spray wax is probably the most effective way to deal with water spots, after cleaning the vehicle use a spray wax for detailing. It will not just protect the paint but also help eliminate water spots when washing a car.
However, most people mistake it for an alternative to wax paste. It is not how it works. A good quality wax is essential to maintain the looks of your car. Therefore use the spray detailer only for the watermarks and not for basic detailing.
Good News!!!
Some Bonus Tips to Avoid Watermarks
Although the techniques mentioned above will solve the problem all in all, here are some extra tips to make sure you don’t get watermarks on your car ever and keep the paint looking glossy and good as new.
Get a pressure washer if you drive rugged landscapes and often end up with tough mud on your vehicle. Never use a brush. It damages the paint and won’t help with the watermarks at all.
Use microfiber mitts for the drying purpose. Once you have cleansed the car, fill up the mitt with clean water to force the dirt out of the fibres. The mitten would be moist and would help eliminate the watermarks effectively.
Coatings like the nano-resin and ceramic prevent water beads from accumulating on the surface by creating a hydrophobic topcoat.
Recommendation for Water Spot Remover
Dual Polymer Waterless Car Wash
Wax sprays with dual polymer formulas often work the best to keep the water spots off the car surface, which is why the one by Waterless would be your BFF when it comes to fixing watermarks.
In the busy life of today, bad boys will help you save tons of time on detailing. Just wash, wax and do some spritz and all is done.
An acrylic-resin based formula is a lot better than a regular carnauba or silicone one. It will give far better protection to the paint without any extra efforts of buffing.
Meguiar’s Water Spot Remover
Meguiar’s is a big name in the car wax and polish industry. Regardless of whatever is a bigger problem for your vehicle, watermarks or scratches, it will do a pretty great job.
The formula is safe for a clear coat and the paint so you can get rid of tough water stains without worrying about that at all.
It will remove scratches, water spots, and swirls and give that lasting thick glossy finish to detail a notch.
To apply a detailer in paste form, you can use a microfiber towel or a spongy puff and thoroughly massage it. Let the formula sit and wipe off.
Voila! All the “white polka dots”, scratches and the dull look is gone.
Now Check this out:
How to Prevent Sprinkler Water Spots on a Car?
Sprinklers water, another reason behind the severe watermarks on your car. To avoid such a situation, here are some tips. In this way, you can prevent a water sprinkler, either its lawn sprinkler or a street sprinkler.
The simplest way to avoid it is to use a cover. Waterproof covers prevent watermarks and protect from rust and other things that can damage the paint.
If you do not have a car cover or the car cover doesn’t immensely help because of the place you park, you can use the coating method.
Vinyl coating is prone to scratches and blemishes so if you are getting a coat done, make sure you get a water-shedding ceramic coating preferably with matt finish. It will keep the water from leaving hard marks on the surface and maintaining the paint’s good-as-new condition.
This problem is a common one, and this also happens to me.
How to Prevent Water Spots on a Car After Rain?
Rainwater does not usually leave watermarks. That has been my experience so far, but it can be different for you as rain water’s nature differs from area to area.
If your vehicle’s paint is hazier on shading, for example, dark, red, or blue– it’s considerably more noticeable than white or silver.
Be that as it may, even on lighter tones, and even on the windshield glass, those water spots meddle with light reflection, and your vehicle doesn’t look that good, even if you just washed it yesterday.
What’s more troublesome is that depending on rainwater’s acidity, those spots can scratch your paint’s finish when they dry up. Therefore it’s essential to get rid of them at the earliest opportunity or forestall their arrangement.
Another reason why rainwater can leave spots is the minerals. As the water evaporates, the minerals are left behind(the stubborn white blemish).
Rainwater is not as bad as the hard water, so you do not need to wash your car soon after it came from a heavy natural shower. Here you can use a quick spray detailer to fix it. It is far more effective and will save you loads of time and effort.
See Price of Quick Detailer Spray
Spray detailers often trouble people regarding the sealants and polishes of the vehicle’s surface. Nothing to worry here as the formula for detailer sprays is developed to work with other coating compounds.
Or as mentioned earlier, going for a good quality water-shedding coat in the first place can prevent it from happening at all.
Best Car Wax to Prevent Water Spots
303 (30217-6PK) Automotive Spray Wax and Quick Detailer
A carnauba wax-based formula works well for both, wet as well as dry surfaces. Therefore, you can use this wax spray right after washing your car or later for the detailing.
It does not harm the paint or the clear coat and keeps the damaging contaminants away for up to 3 months.
The bottle has a trigger spray which is easy to handle and use. As it is an American product, it guarantees effective results.
SHINE ARMOR Fortify Quick Coat
Hydrophobic sprays are the best for preventing water spots as they do not let the droplets sit on the surface.
This spray detailer has a 3 in 1 formula that provides a durable ceramic coating and a water-shedding coat to protect the car body.
It protects the paint and keeps the top clear coat from etching and going dull.
Also Read : How to Remove Scratches from a Car Window
How to Apply Wax
Applying regular paste waxes is a tedious process with buffering a rubbing, but a quick spray detailer takes far less time and effort. Here is how you can quickly detail your car using one to keep all kinds of spots off the car body.
Start by cleaning and drying the car thoroughly. Some waxes work well with wet and dry surfaces, so make sure to read the label for whichever one you have.
Spray on the quick detailer evenly on the surface and let it sit for a couple of minutes. Once the wax looks firm, and the texture has changed, it is time to rub.
Take a microfiber towel and rub in the wax in gentle circular motions; take your time and work each section thoroughly to achieve the desired glossy finish.
If the watermarks are thicker and more challenging in some areas, do not go with a thick wax layer. Instead, work in layers. With each layer, the mark will fade out, and the surface will become shinier.
Now take a fresh towel and give the car a final wipe, and that’s all. Yes, that simple.