How to Get Rid of Water Spots on Car: 5 Quick and Easy Fixes

If you want to get rid of water spots on car and give it a shine, this guide is for you. Water spots on a car look very bad, especially when you do not wash the car regularly. The water spots appear on the car when the water droplets fall on the car’s surface and dry up with air. Luckily, with a few simple methods, you can easily get rid of water spots in a few seconds. Thoroughly reading this article will help you know how to get rid of car water spots without hassle.

Table of contents

• Understanding Water Spots: Causes and Consequences
• What Causes Water Spots on Car Paint?
• The risks of ignoring water spots
• Get Rid of Water Spots on Car: Preparation is Key
• 5 Ways to Get Rid of Water Spots on Car
• Additional Precautions to Get Rid of Water Spots on Car
• Conclusion
• FAQs

Understanding Water Spots: Causes and Consequences

Before exploring the simple ways to remove water spots, let’s discuss their main causes and harmful consequences.

What Causes Water Spots on Car Paint?

The three most common causes of water spots on cars are hard water, environmental factors, and human error.

Hard water

Using hard water on a car produces water spots because it has a high mineral content. When the hard water dries up, it quickly leaves hard-to-remove spots. It produces visible white or grey spots. In this case, it is difficult to get rid of water spots on car because of the minerals like calcium and magnesium.

Environmental factors (rain, snow, and humidity)

If the raindrops or snow stay on the car surface for a long duration, it leaves marks on it. Humidity also plays a role in car spot production. It slows down the drying process, which results in more permanent spots.

Human errors

Sometimes, humans spill drinks on car surfaces and forget to wash them. When the water or other drinks stay uncleaned on the car surface, it dries up and is converted into spots. The extent or hardness of spots increases if you spill drinks with high sugar or salt minerals.

The risks of ignoring water spots

Ignoring the water spots on a car seems harmless, but it has many disadvantages, which are listed below:

Paint damage

Over time, the water spots start getting permanent on the car’s surface, which affects the car’s paint. Removing these permanent hard water marks can produce scratches or scuff marks on cars. If scuff marks appear on your car’s paint and you want to remove them, read our guide on how to remove scuffs from a car.

Loss of shine and protection

The water spots affect the clear coat on the car’s surface, which results in a loss of shine and protection. The clear coat on your car is a protective layer that gives the paint its shine. Water spots slowly break down the protective paint layer, making your car less protected and look dull.

Resale value

The shiny and smooth car’s surface increases the sale value of your car. Water spots damage the paint and reduce the visual appeal of the car. So, the question is, Can you trade in a damaged car? The answer is yes, but if the paint is damaged with water spots, the price will be low.

Get Rid of Water Spots on Car: Preparation is Key

Are you ready to learn how to get rid of water spots on cars? Start with preparation because it is the key to perfect removal.

Inspect and clean

First, inspect the car surface and identify the position of all spots. Then, clean the car surface to remove any dirt because the dirt will cause scratches during spot removal.

Gather the required tools and materials

Before starting the process to get rid of water spots on car, gather the required tools and materials. These might include a soft microfiber cloth, a clay bar, vinegar, baking soda, or a water spot remover.

5 Ways to Get Rid of Water Spots on Car

Now that you have prepared the car and gathered supplies, here are the five simple and quick water spot removal solutions:

Method 1: Dry and Buff

• Wash the car with a good cleaning shampoo and immediately dry your car with a microfiber cloth. Quick drying will prevent the water from staying on the surface and producing new spots.
• After drying up the surface, buff the surface in a circular motion with a soft cloth. This cleaning process will remove the leftover water spots and produce a smooth and shiny look.

Method 2: Vinegar and Water Solution

• Another method to get rid of water spots on a car is using vinegar and water solution. Mix an equal quantity of vinegar and water in a spray bottle.
• Spray the vinegar solution on the water spots and let it sit for a few minutes. This solution will break down the minerals in water spots. So, when you wipe spots with a soft cloth, they will fade away quickly. The vinegar and water solution is also an effective method to remove car tint glue.

Method 3: Baking Soda and Water Paste

• You might be wondering how to get rid of car water spots. The process is very simple and quick, and you only require baking soda and water. To create the paste, just mix a small portion of baking soda with water.
• Then, apply the paste to the area affected by water spots, let it sit for some time, and rub the surface with a soft cloth. Baking soda is a mild abrasive that can remove the spots easily without causing scratches.

Method 4: Water Spot Removers

Another option is to utilize the commercial water spot removers that are available at various offline and online stores. However, make sure that you buy the right remover based on the extent of spots and type of body paint. You must follow the instructions on the spot removers to avoid any paint damage.

Method 5: Clay Bar and Polish to Get Rid of Water Spots on Car

• Have you tried the above methods, but still some hard-to-remove spots left? Try the clay bar and polish method. First, use the clay bar on the hard water spots to remove them completely from the surface.
• The clay bar will make the surface less shiny, but you can shine it with polish. Although this method works very well on hard-to-remove spots, you must be very careful when applying it.

Additional Precautions to Get Rid of Water Spots on Car

Now that you have learned how to get rid of car water spots, let’s discuss some precautions to avoid water spots in the future:

Frequent washing and drying

Whenever you wash the car, make sure that you dry and wipe it quickly. Otherwise, the minerals in the water drops will start drying and will convert into spots.

Applying a water-repellant coating

If you want to protect your car from water spots produced through rain, tree sap, or snow, apply a water-repellent coating. This helps prevent water from sticking and eliminates the chances of water spots. Is the tree sap stuck in your car? Read our guide on how to remove tree sap from a car without damaging paint.

Parking in shaded regions

After washing the cars, do not park them under sunlight quickly. Parking the wet car in sunlight will dry up the drops and leave the spots on the car.

Avoid using harsh chemicals

Do not use strong chemicals that can damage the paint. Stick to gentle solutions like vinegar or baking soda when cleaning.

Scrub the car gently

When scrubbing the car with any cleaning solution, scrub it gently to avoid paint damage. Scrubbing too hard can scratch the paint, damage the wax on the car, and affect the car window tint shades.

Never ignore underlying issues

Finally, if you find any paint issue or other damage under dirt and water spots, fix it instantly. Removing the water spot on the damaged surface will make it worse, so avoid it.

Conclusion

In short, these five methods almost guarantee the 100 percent removal of water spots. If you want to get rid of water spots on a car, you can buff the surface, use vinegar or baking soda solution, apply commercial spot removal, or follow the clay bar technique. With these five easy methods, you can effectively get rid of water spots on your car.