how to get rid of water spots on car

Water usually comes in contact with your car in one of three ways including overspray (sprinklers, etc.), rain, or washing your car. So how can a little bit of water hurt your car's finish?

Water contains varying amounts of minerals and microscopic debris, or particle pollutants, which can not only dull your car's finish but have the potential to do real harm to your vehicle's paint.

Types of Water Spots

1. Regular Water Spot

Regular old tap water can cause a buildup of total dissolved solids (TDS) on your car's paint. Naturally occurring minerals are found in water. Hard water is rich in dissolved minerals, especially magnesium and calcium. These minerals lead to water spots, or limescale, hard chalk-like deposits that can prove difficult to remove.

2. Bonded Mineral

Particle pollutants include microscopic particles from sources such as forest fires, smoke from wood stoves, emissions from industrial plants and vehicles, and dust from construction sites. These tiny particles can either fall on your car in the form of dust or mix with rainwater to plague your paint's finish.

Rainwater is always acidic to some degree. Acid rain, as we know it, is rain with higher amounts of nitric and sulfuric acids absorbed from the atmosphere. These contaminants combine to create water spots and leave behind hard deposits after the water evaporates. These deposits can bond to your car's paint and even erode the clear coat If not removed properly.

3. Etching

Etching is typically seen when water spots are baked into the finish as a result of high heat or direct sunlight. Severe etching can require the use of an abrasive means to correct the situation including wet sanding for severe cases. A qualified professional is recommended in this scenario as improper handling and application can lead to irreparable damage to the car body.