Product Suggestions to Avoid Water Spots

**expdetailing** · 09-29-2021, 12:32 PM

Hello All,

Outside of a water filtration system, what are some good options for avoiding water spots when getting caught washing in the sun, or working on large vehicles that cannot be dried quick enough to avoid evaporation resulting in spotting?

Currently, I am using sealants and waxes as a protectant, but haven't had any experience with ceramics, rinse aides, or any hydro washes.

There are times when working on other's car/trucks when the paint isn't protected, or I cannot control washing in the sun or not as much as I would like to, or the water dries faster than I can move. So, I generally get spots when working on others' vehicles. I use Optimum's water spot remover, and it's great at doing so, but it seems there's got to be a product(s) that would help me from having to use it. Any advice is appreciated. Thank you.

**dgage** · 09-29-2021, 01:08 PM

What about incorporating rinseless washing into you repertoire where you wash and dry each section as you go? Rinseless washes are safe when done right though maybe not on the dirtiest of vehicles. But if you have a dirty vehicle, you could use Frothe or just copy Frothe’s rolling of a towel to clean a dirty section such that a side of a towel touches the panel minimally. This is one of the reasons I like rinseless washing as a windy or hot day will not leave spots as often happens with a normal wash.

**Rsurfer** · 09-29-2021, 01:38 PM

Originally Posted by dgage

What about incorporating rinseless washing into you repertoire where you wash and dry each section as you go? Rinseless washes are safe when done right though maybe not on the dirtiest of vehicles. But if you have a dirty vehicle, you could use Frothe or just copy Frothe’s rolling of a towel to clean a dirty section such that a side of a towel touches the panel minimally. This is one of the reasons I like rinseless washing is a windy or hot day will not leave spots as often happens with a normal wash.

^^^^Short of a water filtration system, nothing will stop water spotting if left in the sun to dry.

**Desertnate** · 09-29-2021, 01:41 PM

Rinseless or waterless would be about the only way to totally avoid spotting while doing a wash.

I don't have any shade and often forced to wash in bright sun due to life happening. I've done a couple things to help with the spotting.

1. I only wash a panel at a time and try to control how much water sprays over areas I've not yet washed. I'll also start on the shaded side of the vehicle and end on the side/area with the most sun so it spends the least time with water droplets evaporating in the sun.

2. A post-drying wipe down with a good QD spray or Waterless Wash. No matter how hard I try, or how fast I move, there will always be a few water spots after I'm done drying the vehicle. I'll give it a quick wipe down with a QD spray or a waterless wash diluted to a QD ratio. This knocks out the water spots and with the right product give it a nice gloss. When I used sealants, I'd wipe down with Kenotek Showroom Shine. Now that I use coatings as my LSP, I wipe down with CarPro's ECH2O.

**PaulMys** · 09-29-2021, 05:10 PM

Another thing you can do (if possible) is to work early in the morning, or late in the evening to avoid the direct sun.

**ducksfan** · 09-29-2021, 06:50 PM

You need to get one of those new $1000 droids Amazon just came out with. Mod it to follow a path around the vehicle, continuously spraying water on the vehicle while you wash. Keep it moving ahead of you and dry as you go.

Otherwise, rinseless and dry as you go.

Something to remember though. The car dries extra fast in the sun because it's extra hot when you start. Cooling down the panel ahead of you as you move around the vehicle might help.

**expdetailing** · 09-30-2021, 09:00 AM

Originally Posted by dgage

What about incorporating rinseless washing into you repertoire where you wash and dry each section as you go? Rinseless washes are safe when done right though maybe not on the dirtiest of vehicles. But if you have a dirty vehicle, you could use Frothe or just copy Frothe’s rolling of a towel to clean a dirty section such that a side of a towel touches the panel minimally. This is one of the reasons I like rinseless washing as a windy or hot day will not leave spots as often happens with a normal wash.

I do try to get away with rinseless or waterless washes when I can, but there's those times when it NEEDS a good scrubbing. Some people don't wash as nearly as they could. I'm also becomeing more prone to washing using the traditional method because I've experienced numerous times during rinseless washes where I think I've cleaned the surface, but later notice I didn't when going back over a, "Clean" area once again for a separate reason.

I've been away from the forum for awhile and thought there might be a new wiz bang product I haven't heard of yet, or one that's existed that I've never used. One product keeps me thinking and searching; it was sold elsewhere and it was a rinse solution that attached to your hose, and was designed to aide in rinsing, after a wash, to help eliminate water spots and dry quicker. It more than sort-of worked. I figured AG has to have something similar?

**expdetailing** · 09-30-2021, 09:02 AM

How does ECH20 work as a drying aide?

**expdetailing** · 09-30-2021, 09:10 AM

My most recent adventure, and what's fueling me to ask, was my bro in law's black 4 door F-150, which gets neglected. He let me borrow it on a Friday to take it to NY from Ohio for the weekend, and when I returned it Monday, I wanted it looking much better than when I found it. On a side note, I found my near-full 32 oz bottle of Pinnacle Glass Cleaner under his passenger seat that I accidentally left on a former detail! Excellent product. Anyways, it was caked in dust, fallout, sap, etc, so I just went to town under the sun thinking any spots wouldn't be too hard with a QD, but I was wrong and spent more time with Optimum's water spot remover than on any other step, except vacuuming.
I'd bet there's got to be a product one can use to rinse with that makes spotting much less likely even out in the sun. Like, something that makes most of the water quickly fall from the paint, making it similar to rinsing a freshly coated car but on a non-LSP'ed car.

**Desertnate** · 09-30-2021, 09:23 AM

Originally Posted by expdetailing

I'd bet there's got to be a product one can use to rinse with that makes spotting much less likely even out in the sun. Like, something that makes most of the water quickly fall from the paint, making it similar to rinsing a freshly coated car but on a non-LSP'ed car.

Unfortunately its the LSP's, like a coating, that have the properties which create a hydrophobic surface. It's all about the surface conditions. I can't imagine any soap/wash product that would alter the surface conditions as you're describing on the fly. Maybe some wash/wax product, but probably still not to the level you need.