hard water stains

[mykim72]

i got these hard waters stains over the summer on my hood. Ive tried clay barring and waxing and nothing will working, i was thinking of getting some rubbing compound but im wondering if its already too late. its been a long time since i got these stains, its not a huge deal since ive got a dent on my hood that ive been wanting to fix, but my fender is perfect. is it too late to fix this?

 

[jps05roush]

If you have access to a polisher (Porter Cable 7424 or a rotary) that may take them out, you will need to try a couple of pad and polish combo's as a test. If not you can try to wet sand them then polish. I've had pretty good success with my Makita rotary using a white polishing pad and Menzerna super intensive polish. Occasionally I will have to wet sand them and once in a while there will still be some visible damage that only a re-paint will solve. If you're not good with or have never machine polished try finding a reputable detailer in your area and bring it there and show them what the problem is.

Good luck with it.

 

[SteveP]

The steps I use all involve a buffer. Any type will do.

I cheaper way of doing it is:

1. Meguiars Clay bar
2. Meguiars Cleaner wax
3. Meguiars #7 Polish
4. Meguiars NXT wax
5. Meguiars #26 yellow wax

All of these I use with the buffer. The polish you have to do segments at a time and wipe off quickly.

I use this set up all the time and it works great. Takes awhile but well worth it in the end.

 

[mykim72]

thanks for the info guys, im going to try out the meguiars line of products since i already have the clay bar and was planning on getting the nxt. does nxt has carnauba in it?

 

[Bingo]

You'll probably need something stronger than polish or wax...try some ScratchX or something of the sort.

What color is the car?

 

[Steedman07]

+1 on the meguiars stuff..I wont use anything else..

 

[mykim72]

white

 

[SteveP]

I forgot about the scratch X, I would use that after the clay bar.

 

[stangz4lyf]

What you need to do is use a product call wheel acid. Its made to clean rims. It is a very caustic material, but if you dilute it 50:50 with water you can spray it on the paint without a problem. It will get rid of the water spots without using compound or sanding. Just spray it on the hood wait like 30 seconds and wipe it off. And then be sure to wax the hood after youre done. I've been a professional detailer for over 10 years, and thats how we do it. Theres a company called Ardex that makes it, and their name for it is ATTACK. Im sure if you google it you can find out where to get it online.

 

[cekim]

I've used a VERY VERY mild vinegar and water solution on my black car...

Had HORRIBLE water spots all over the car that unfortunately, due to weather sat for quite a while...

Started down the clay bar path and it wasn't working. I didn't want to "buff" the whole car with some sort of rubbing compound, so I went with some "fun with chemistry"...

I started with about a gallon of water and a teaspoon of vinegar and a test spot... Unfortunately, I don't recall if I had to add more vinegar, but they came right off using this process... It's been a while, the plan was to start small and add vinegar until the spots came off... I honestly don't recall how much vinegar I added Should have written that down...

I then used the clay bar and a fresh coat of "wax"...

 

[mykim72]

just regular cooking vinegar? i was about to buy the wheel acid...hmmm i might try out the vinegar first. you just pour the water over and leave it for a little while? rub it?

 

[cekim]

just regular cooking vinegar? i was about to buy the wheel acid...hmmm i might try out the vinegar first. you just pour the water over and leave it for a little while? rub it?

White vinegar... As acidic as you need it for this task...

I really wish I kept track of the exact concentration, but I started small to minimize the acidity. Just enough to get the spots off a test patch.

I washed the same way I always wash the black car - ~3sqft sections with 2 microfiber towels and 3rd microfiber "drying towel"...

So, moisten the first microfiber towel, wipe (not rub) over the area. The wipe over the same area with 2nd towel then go over it with the 3rd "drying" towel (the drying towel is a softer more absorbent towel, but still microfiber) to get the last of the water off...

I added vinegar to the water until most spots turned into empty circles with one or two wipes with light pressure and disappeared with 2 or so more wipes and a wipe of the "drying cloth"...

I always try to avoid "rubbing" with black paint...

After that, I clay-bar'd and re-waxed... Took for !@#$ing ever, but the spots were gone.

 

[psumustang]

if you know how to use a buffer, that will deff do the trick

 

[tached_out]

the acid bath works great just make sure you put a nice coat of wax on it after

 

[2k05gt]

CEKIM is Correct, the 50/50 White vinegar treatment works wonders, it's the right Ph Level to remove the stain. Works great when cleaning your car towels as well, 2 cups in the washing machine will cut the wax and other stuff left on the towels.

or try
Duragloss Duragloss WSR (Water Spot Remover)


Removing surface water spots from paint film surface-

· Wash Car with Dawn Dish Soap (Removes WAX and Oils) do not do
this alot can damage clear coat over time...
· Use detailing clay to remove any `hard' surface granules
· To dissolve the alkaline-based, surface/etched mineral water deposits
Equal parts water/distilled white vinegar/Isopropyl alcohol.
· Use a clean spray bottle and 100% cotton micro fibre cloth to apply the
solution to the paint surface
· Wipe off any residue from the paint surface and dry with a damp waffle
weave towel
· If any `water spots' remain apply distilled white vinegar or Isopropyl
alcohol un-diluted to a 100% cotton micro fibre towel, using a
medium/heavy pressure on glass surface, for stubborn spots use an
abrasive polish.

Apply a Clear coat Cleaner and Apply your Favorite Car Polish or synthetic Wax... Do Not use Organic Wax on clear coat paints (Like Carnuba) Meguires has a great line of synthetic Waxes that do not contain organic compounds.

 

[mykim72]

i tried it but didnt work too well...so next car wash im going to add a lot more...i just eyed it but kind of added a lot...going to use half and half or something...my girl just got some rubbing compound so ill throw some of that on too