Water spots?

How frustrating is it to wash your car on a beautiful sunny day only to have it dry with MILLIONS of water spots?  You think to yourself, this doesn’t seem to happen when I take it for a car wash at the gas station.  Most people think its an issue with the soap they used or how dirty the car may have been to start with.  GUESS AGAIN: It’s the water, yes that’s right, the water.

Water has minerals in it and these minerals are responsible for the spotting we see when our car dries in the hot sun.  When you go through a car wash, you drive past the blower at the end, the purpose is to blow the water away from the clean surface so that there is no water left to dry and show spotting.  Shammys are used with the same intention, to remove the water from the vehicle before the water dries.

Depending on where you live, your tap water produces water with a range of minerals mixed into the water source and this range is measured by parts per million.  For me, my tap water is roughly 200 parts per million.  To be able to clean your car and have it dry spot free, you would need to filter the tap water and remove the minerals to a calculation of 10 parts per million or less. 

If you enjoy washing your car at home on a Sunday afternoon, make sure to remove the water with a shammy or other lint free towel before the water dries and use any soap recommended for cars.  If you can park in area that receives shade, it will give you more time to dry the car without the spotting.