Hard water spots

[Finklejag]

I moved into a condo 3 months ago. I can wash my car in front of my garage. The only problem is. The complex has hard water. I dry my car the best I can. The next day, I still get hard water spots in certain areas. My car drips water for days. I tried blowing air into the different spots. It worked some, but still had water spots the next day.

I was thinking about buying something like this for the final rinse. Would this do the trick?

Maybe a RV drinking water filter?

 

[Phishin]

No filter is going to remove the calcium and magnesium ions that causes water to be "hard".

It requires an ion exchange resin...like in a water softner. I seen a "spot-free rinse" machine on one of the auto/car shows recently. Forgot who made it. But it was made specifically for this reason.

Let me look......

 

[JayhawkRoy]

RV filter, no. From Camco's description: "Greatly reduces bad taste, odors, chlorine and sediment in drinking water."

This does not have a water softening capability.

Read the spa filter's capabilities carefully, and I suspect you will find that it doesn't soften water much, either.

 

[Phishin]

From a quick google search, I found Magic Rinse and Clear Rinse....they run about $120-$150. Not sure how long a cartridge will last....I'm sure they need to be "recharged", like your water softer when it uses the brine tank (sodium chloride) to displace all the magnesium and calcium from the polymer beads with a huge amount of sodium.

The polymer resin beads "prefer" magnesium and calcium (they bond these metal ions very tightly), but once all the "space" on the beads is occupied by magnesium and calcium....no more can bind the resin and be pulled out of the water. Making the resin useless.

But if you run a VERY salty solution of sodium chloride over the resin, the high concentration of the sodium will displace the magnesium and calcium...washing it down the drain. Once the resin "sees" your hard water again, the resin easily exhanges the sodium for a calcium or magnesium...thus, softening your water.

 

[Finklejag]

I just bought one from Camping World. On the package is shows it filters these metals. Aluminum, Cadmium, Iron, Lead, Mercury. I know Calcium is the problem in hard water. I will try it. If it doesn't do anything. It didn't break the bank.

Thanks for the input.

 

[Jeffs2006EvoIX]

Well there are a couple things you can try. First use a quality car soap that helps with Ph balance of the water Meguiars California Gold Class, and Eagle One Nano Wash are 2 you can buy at the store. This will "sheet" water on the car instead of "bead" when you dry and my help some. 2nd, there are filters you can buy specifically for this application through detail sites, but they are pricey and are usually only good for 150-300 gallons water. Then the filters have to be changed. 3, dry the vehicle the best you can, then drive it immediately after to a "do it yourself" car wash and just rinse the car with their "spot free rinse" with the wand sprayer. Then dry the car again there.

If the water spots are alkalies they should come off easily with an instant detailer, but if they are acidic then you are in trouble. Water spots in some areas can actually etch into the paint and ruin it.

Either way I would recommend a sealant that helps fight both types like Duragloss 105. Its affordable and will help not cure water spots, but just protect the car from them etching into the clear.

Thats about all you can do. If it was your own home, I would say invest in a water softener, but since its a rental (I am assuming) then not much else you can do.

Good Luck Fellow GTI Owner

Jeff

 

[Finklejag]

I don't like to drive around the block after I dry off the car. Yes, most of the extra water flies off. Then you have a light coat of dust, especially on the hatch. Then when you get the last of the water. You grind the dust into your paint.

The water spots are only in a few places. They door sills, rear hatch sill, inside the mirror housing. The water drips down from the rubber window sills and pools on the paint also.

 

[Turk]

I use my Backpack Leaf Blower to dry offf the cars, gets the crevaces real well.

 

[GMBoy]

Groit's garage has a nice water spot prevention system but it is expensive.

 

[KitaCam]

Had the same problem....only solution was to move....well moved the parking space to one where it wouldn't get splashed...and had to petition the state government to do it!

 

[gofast182]

Originally Posted By: Turk
I use my Backpack Leaf Blower to dry offf the cars, gets the crevaces real well.

Me, too! It's loud and my neighbors probably look at me funny but it works.

 

[Vikas]

I have not tried this myself but few people here have suggested using spray waxes while you dry the car. I usually drive around the block to get rid of as much water as possible and call it quits.

I have no idea why but every single time when I touch the finish either for washing or for drying, the water beading stops. The last experiment was done three days ago. I used Wet Paint Glaze on a section, waxed it and next days washed the whole car and soaped it using microfiber mitten. The water was beading before using the mitten and it was no longer beading during the final rinse :-(

 

[gofast182]

Misting with a spray wax when drying does indeed work but it sounds like that might not be the OP's problem in and of itself. It sounds like he doesn't like water dripping out of cracks and also getting splashed on the car. The leaf blower does a great job with the stuff in the cracks.
There's another trick when washing if you're forced to be in the sun, while washing you can let the soap dry on the car, it will neutralize any hard water that would otherwise show up if you wash and rinse a panel at a time. Then you rinse the whole car in one shot and all the soap will re-dilute and wash away without a trace during your rinse, just be ready to dry immediately (starting with the glass).

 

[Finklejag]

I don't have a problem with water spots on the body panels. After I dry off the body. I open the hood, doors, hatch, fuel door. I wipe all those parts well. The hard water spots don't show up until the next day. The car holds water in different spots. The moonroof drain, side mirrors, behind the window moldings. I guess I will have to live with it. I will just have to keep after it the next day, and don't let the hard water permanently etch the clear coat.

 

[Flyin_V]

Ran across this but haven't tried it as yet.

http://www.mnmazda.com/forum/showthread.php?2019-How-to-Add-water-filter-to-your-garden-hose-(no-more-water-spots!)

Lary