Iron/'Hard' water spots on finish.....

[cadillac531]

Originally Posted by scottfab

Some of this is plagiarized but modified by my own experience.


Step 1

Wash the car thoroughly. This will remove road grime and dust on your car. It will also help eliminate some of the minerals responsible for the hard water spots. As always, wash in a shaded location - never in direct sunlight. While the products we are going to use are completely safe to use, heat from a hot surface or direct sunlight can turn something harmless like car soap into an amplified cleaner which can yield unknown results. So while vinegar is completely safe to use on your car's surface, using it in hot sun should be avoided. Now dry the car completely.

Step 2

Mix a 1:1 solution of regular white vinegar with distilled water. Regular tap water will work fine. Apply the vinegar/water solution with a spray bottle on to the affected paint finish. Allow mixture to work for up to 10 minutes. The acid in the vinegar will help loosen the hard water minerals embedded in the paint. This is similar to running your coffee maker with vinegar to remove the build up of hard water.
After allowing to work for 10 minutes, wash and dry the area again to remove the water/vinegar solution. The minerals from the hard water will be gone at this point but you may still notice the rings. If so, repeat. The key is to dry the car quickly.

Step 3

Wax several times. Nothing fights water spots better than some preventative measures (wax)

This is great information. Thanks, Scott.