How to prevent water spots after car wash?

[BloodUSMC]

I started washing my car, and Im having a problem with water spots on my black camaro.

I try to dry it as fast as possible but I always have water spots.

Will a blower help with this problem?

[eric@thompson]

Water quality is a big key to spotless paint. I recommend a CR Spotless system, if possible.

Also, try to wash your car in a cool, shady location. Sun will cause the water to dry quickly. If you have to leave the car wet, Adam's Car Shampoo is pH7, so it is most likely better than the tap water you're using. Let the soap dry on the car.

Washing the wheels first is a good technique to decrease the time water is on your paint.

When you are ready for your final rinse, use the pooling technique to remove as much water as possible before drying. A good coat of wax really helps the pooling technique.

Also, the Blaster Sidekick and AirForce Master Blaster are great tools which heat the air, improving drying capabilities.

Use a quality drying towel, like Adam's Great White Drying towel along with Detail Spray, to acheive a streak free, spot free finish!

[Weezerj]

I agree with Eric..

I wash early in the morning, then using pooling technique to rinse. If you don't know what this is, you need to watch junkmans videos. (you can search youtube for them).

I then pull the car into my garage and use a leaf blower to get rid of the water. This is the desired method for me for two reasons:

1. I do not touch my paint with a towel. With a black car, you can/will get scratches in the clearcoat if you use a towel to dry

2. I am able to remove all the water from seams, mirrors, etc. This means I don't get a water run down my door panel after I'm all done.

Give this a try....watch junkman's videos and you will be good to go.

[Juiced1]

Originally Posted by eric@thompson

Water quality is a big key to spotless paint. I recommend a CR Spotless system, if possible.

Also, try to wash your car in a cool, shady location. Sun will cause the water to dry quickly. If you have to leave the car wet, Adam's Car Shampoo is pH7, so it is most likely better than the tap water you're using. Let the soap dry on the car.

Washing the wheels first is a good technique to decrease the time water is on your paint.

When you are ready for your final rinse, use the pooling technique to remove as much water as possible before drying. A good coat of wax really helps the pooling technique.

Also, the Blaster Sidekick and AirForce Master Blaster are great tools which heat the air, improving drying capabilities.

Use a quality drying towel, like Adam's Great White Drying towel along with Detail Spray, to acheive a streak free, spot free finish!

+1. Keep a good coat of wax and avoid the sun while drying helps a ton.

[BloodUSMC]

Thanks guys. I do know about the pooling technique but I just remove the hose head and lower the water a little. it helps. but I havent used the leaf blower. will buy one today.

thanks.

I agree with Eric..

I wash early in the morning, then using pooling technique to rinse. If you don't know what this is, you need to watch junkmans videos. (you can search youtube for them).

I then pull the car into my garage and use a leaf blower to get rid of the water. This is the desired method for me for two reasons:

1. I do not touch my paint with a towel. With a black car, you can/will get scratches in the clearcoat if you use a towel to dry

2. I am able to remove all the water from seams, mirrors, etc. This means I don't get a water run down my door panel after I'm all done.

Give this a try....watch junkman's videos and you will be good to go.

[Adam's Polishes]

This is from a writeup I did on our forums, it might be helpful.

My next in a series of FAQ threads where I'll open up a discussion on a common concern or problem people face when detailing.

The last few weeks there has been a lot of emails, PM's, and calls regarding wash techniques probably due in large to the fact we're starting to get nice warm weather in many parts of the world and people are getting their rides ready for shows, cruises, or just driving around and looking good!

So the common concern usually comes to me something like this.

"I washed my car today and the soap dried on the paint. Its about 89* out and my black paint was very hot. When I went to dry the car the soap didn't come off easily.
I did it exactly like the video, why is it hard to remove the soap? Is this normal?"

The first thing to understand is that this is very much a case of "Just becasue you can, doesn't mean you should". The soap is designed the way it is as a measure of insurance, not an excuse to be careless. Ideally you never want anything to dry on your finish, but if its completely unavoidable or happens by accident the soap drying is far safer than the alternative. The soap serves to keep the minerals suspended and being pH neutral it will not etch the paint or introduce any damage.

Avoid allowing the soap to dry in the first place and you'll make life much easier on yourself, but what if it does get baked on? How should you proceed?? In many cases just the act of rinsing the area one more time with water right before you start your drying routine with a Great White Drying Towel and Detail Spray will be enough to 'reactivate' the soap and make removing it easy as you dry.

In the event you still have some soap residue that won't come cleanly from the surface try taking a small amount of soapy water, either from your soap bucket via a clean wash pad, or a foam gun if you're working with one. Essentially you will "re-wash" that panel to remove the soap.

Keep in mind that dried soap on your finish is MUCH better than the alternative which is dried water that could lead to stubborn water spots and etching. 2 conditions that will require claying and/or polishing to remove.

SOME TIPS FOR AVOIDING DRIED SOAP:

• Wash in the early morning or around dusk when the sun is low in the sky and much less harsh. The less direct sunlight leads to much lower surface temps and lower likelihood anything will dry on the paint.
  
• Work indoors or in shade whenever possible. A kin to the first tip, reducing how much direct sunlight is on the paint while you're working is key to preventing drying and in turn makes everything easier. In the event you don't have a garage or cover to work under look into purchasing a pop up shelter. Many can be found for $150-$300 and collapse down for easy storage when not in use. Your entire care doesn't have to fit under it... position the shelter so it gives you shade in the areas you need.
  
• Avoid wetting/soaping the sides of the vehicle that are in the sun until last. Nothing says you can't wash the vehicle in 2 stages. Rinse and soap the areas that are on the shad side of the vehicle first then move to the areas in the sun. Keeping the 'sun exposed' areas of the car dry until absolutely necessary buys you significantly more time before anything drying becomes a concern.
  
• Spend more time on your initial rinse. 2 things cause drying - the direct heat of the sun and the indirect heat of the panel temperatures. You can reduce the surface temps of the paint by a large amount by spending more time in the initial rinsing of the panels. Soaking panels for more time with water drops the overall temps and buys you more time before the soap (once its introduced) will start drying.
  
• Most of all common sense! As stated in the beginning this is a case of 'Just because you can, doesn't mean you should'. If you absolutely must work in the worst possible conditions adjust your technique to compensate, work quickly, and understand that you are creating more work for yourself by working in unforgiving circumstances. Also, DON'T PANIC! The initial response is to grab a towel and start scrubbing aggressively... understand that dried soap is a surface problem that can be corrected with the gentle approaches given above. Scrubbing at them can potentially introduce bigger problems.
  
• Lastly HAVE FUN! Caring for your car is something that can be a joy or a real pain in the rear... by choosing when and how you approach your wash you dictate how it will go... so choose wisely!!

[midlife]

I have a black Camaro. Here is my method:
I wash with two mitts, one for the high parts one for the low parts.
I use a soap gun & grit guard bucket.
Once risked, I wipe the car with a Gel blade to remove the heavy water.
Next is a waffle tower with spray detail to car.
Finial wipe is with micofiber towers & more spray detail.

Black is very hard the less you touch the better.

The finish to me is more important that performance as my car is not an everyday driver, so when I go to shows & meets I want my finish to be a ten.

I really like the Cal. Duster it really helps to prevent swirls & scratches on black cars.

Also the Adams swirl removers work very well, however you must follow their instructions. For most removals the PC does well. On the hard spots if you do not have a Flex the 4’ Pads on a drill work very well and you will be hard pressed to burn paint.

Lastly for the full package:
Wash
Swirl remove where needed
Adams machine polish PC 7424
Adams machine wax PC 7424
Adams Glaze by hand

It sounds like a lot but once done you need only to do the last two steps to keep your finish a ten.

[KickToTheJunk]

Pretty much agree with the person above me, sans the gel blade.... those things do more damage to clear coat than a drive-thru whip wash.

WAX WAX WAX - keep that wax coat fresh
POOL POOL POOL - pool them water beads off the car after you rinse it
Detail Spray or WaterlessWash after - Spritz the area you're drying only - not the whole car at once
Have a helper (discuss your method first) - have a squeegee for the glass - (then clean with Adam's GC when done)
Pull it in the shade
After I'm done, I use a blower/air compressor to blow out the cracks, getting the excess as I go. It helps on the Grilles and rear diffuser/license plate area the most.