hard water

[sassygirl]

Like most of you that have Skys I am sure your washing it all the time....myself included. My problem. I have hard water where I live. I dry it off with a shammy (spelling???) and still have water spots. This drives me crazy! Anyone have any great ideas?

[cielo]

Have you considered trying the spot-free car wash system that is available at all auto parts stores? Or, you could do what I did and install a whole-house water softener.

[Skyflare]

Sassygirl you should post this on the Car Care and Detailing section or do a search on water spots. You can send Turbomangt a pm about your problem, (He is a professional detailer and suporting vendor). Here is one thread about your question which might help. Hard water spots & trunk closing scratches

[gffct2]

There is a water softener that you can hook up to your garden hose that claims to "reduce" spots. It is very expensive, but probably better than ruining your paint! Ask me privately for the name of the website out of respect for forum rules (non-supporting vendor).

[JohnD]

Originally Posted by sassygirl

Like most of you that have Skys I am sure your washing it all the time....myself included. My problem. I have hard water where I live. I dry it off with a shammy (spelling???) and still have water spots. This drives me crazy! Anyone have any great ideas?

This should probably be moved to the Car Care and Detailing forum, but you asked it here so I will answer it here...

I have heard good things about the Mr. Clean system. I bought one, but haven't tried it yet. There is a filter to take the impurities out of the water and thus allow for a spot-free rinse, in theory at least.

In the past I have used Eagle 1's "Wax as you Dry" product. It works really great, even on a black car. And it smells nice while you are doing it, too!

[cerberus]

Oops. Looks like we got this question in a couple places, so I put em together here in the detailing section. Simple answer really is get your car fully dry before the last water evaporates. A big microweave towel and some microfiber towels really help this out. If you can't find them at your local auto store, check in the detailing section for offerings from Gary, (turbomangt). Ok, let's get this over to the detailing section so we don't loose track.

[ku4zs]

I bought the $26 leaf blower at Walmart and I can dry the entire car with it only. Just in a few places do you need a microfiber towel.

[HappyAmI]

Originally Posted by JohnD

This should probably be moved to the Car Care and Detailing forum, but you asked it here so I will answer it here...

I have heard good things about the Mr. Clean system. I bought one, but haven't tried it yet. There is a filter to take the impurities out of the water and thus allow for a spot-free rinse, in theory at least.

In the past I have used Eagle 1's "Wax as you Dry" product. It works really great, even on a black car. And it smells nice while you are doing it, too!

I, too, bought the Mr. Clean system and love it. I also use a squeege to wisk the water off and then use the microfibre towel. Works for me.
I LOVE MY SKY!!!!

[turbomangt]

Sassy, I filmed a professional DVD exactly for the reason you posted, many people have a ton of questions on car care. one disc will give you all the info you need, like everyone said here already, if you have hard water, try the Mr Clean system, the reveiws on it are great.......gary

[JRinKY]

I use the Mr Clean device. We have really hard water here. It is not perfect, I still have to dry the horizontal surfaces. But it helps enough to make it worth using. And having the soap dispenser is really convenient.

[Ohio Sky]

I decided to wash my Sky on Sunday under my husband's tutelage (he normally takes care of this for me). He has been using the Mr. Clean system for a couple of years and really likes the spot-free rinse option. So, I pick up the sprayer and hit the lever that lets the water come through - right into my face! I was holding it backward and didn't realize it.

But, it did a great job on the car. You have to hold the sprayer about 8-12 inches from the car, and move it slowly back and forth until you see the water running off in a sheet rather than large drops. It's hard to describe, but once you see it you'll understand.

I then used a synthetic chamois to wipe off the water. After letting it sit in the sun to dry the top, I checked for water spots -- usually around the mirrors, top buttresses and spoiler. A quick rub with a damp microfiber cloth followed by a dry cloth takes out the stray water spot. You could probably use a quick detail spray, too.

[V8 SKY]

I am on a well at my house, and the outside faucets are not on the softener system. I learned the hard way on my last car that the water leaves terrible mineral deposits when it evaporates.

I take my SKY to local do-it-youself wash, and bring my own bucket, soap, and washing mitt. I only use the water, and NEVER use the brush, or even the soap from the wash system.

Then I dry and detail it right there. The only problem is with the grille, which holds lots of water, so I drive home via the freeway for a few miles to get the water out of there.

The results are worth it.

[mriley61@earthlink.n]

I have black cars which show the water spots the most. I also used to live in FL where you have no time to dry. An old car lot trick is to use a little vinegar on your chamois. You don't want to soak it but a little will disolve the water spots. It works great and I have done it for years with no ill effects whatsoever. This is the cheapest way I have found.