The Ford Barn

shoe box Jack · 11-23-2022, 04:45 PM

hi guys I washed the 49 with well water and I can't remove the water spots I tried distilled water and mothers detailer no luck. need help. jack.

hotrodart · 11-23-2022, 04:52 PM

I use well water to wash all my vehicles (my sole source of water on my property.....other than rain)......no spots whatsoever.....seems like your well has a high concentration of minerals......if so, try vinegar (first on a small, non-obvious place!).

47topless · 11-23-2022, 05:02 PM

You may need to be a little more aggressive. Use a Meguiars polish then a wax job.

tubman · 11-23-2022, 07:40 PM

This can be a real problem. In 1987, I bought a pretty nice '67 Corvette coupe that was completely covered with water spots. I tried everything I could think of to try to remove them, to no avail. When I went to a pro, he said this is what can happen when a car sits with water spots out in the bright sun.

I ended up having it stripped and repainted. (I hated doing it, because for all intents and purposes, it was the original paint.)

RalphG · 11-23-2022, 08:36 PM

Claybar maybe? Although I'll admit I was not at all impressed with the results I got. I thought I had the hardest well water in the world as it is so full of minerals as to be undrinkable. Yet I have no doubt I could clean off any spots from it with a shammy and hot water. Turtle rubbing compound will also take out any imperfections or stains on the paint in my experience.

Krylon32 · 11-23-2022, 09:48 PM

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Several years ago I was attending the LARS and staying at the Kellogg Center. The first night I was there they ran the sprinkler system in the median and apparently they were using reclaimed waste water. My new red Silverado was covered with blemish spots. When we got back to Nebraska I tried several different methods of cleaning and finally ended up taking it to a really good detail shop and they got the surfaces cleaned and returned to a like new finish. The next year I was a little more where I parked.

51woodie · 11-24-2022, 09:36 AM

I live out in the country, on well water, and plumbed two hose bibs to the outside. One is fed with well water for gardening, and the other is fed from my water softener for washing my cars. I use a shammy to dry, and no water spots occur even if sun dried.

Pat/Ohio · 11-24-2022, 09:51 AM

You might try Imperial Hand Glaze by 3M. I used it for years to remove swirl marks and bird droppings from my car. It's very much like a polish. Had good success with it.

Good luck,
Pat

T Scott · 11-24-2022, 09:54 AM

What Hotrodart says. use a solution of water and vinegar.

51504bat · 11-24-2022, 09:58 AM

You might check with sound pilots at your local airport. Years ago there was a local company that produced a cleaner wax called Hanger 16 for use on airplanes. Don't know what it was but it was killer on water spots. Unfortunately its no longer available.

shoe box Jack · 11-24-2022, 04:31 PM

Thanks for the info so far I have used hot water and a shammy and I have removed 80 per sent looks a lot better jack.

3twinridges · 11-24-2022, 08:05 PM

Agree on the clay bar or a cleaner wax.

JB

TJ · 11-25-2022, 11:37 AM

It happened to me on my 88 GMC pickup. I was at as swap meet and sprinkler water soaked the truck. By the time i got back to the pickup the sun had dried the spots. It was ugly. As soon as I got home I used Meguiar's Cleaner Wax and all the spots came off.

11-23-2022, 04:45 PM	#1
shoe box Jack Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2012 Location: Kingston Ontario Canada Posts: 251	well water spots hi guys I washed the 49 with well water and I can't remove the water spots I tried distilled water and mothers detailer no luck. need help. jack.

11-23-2022, 04:52 PM	#2
hotrodart Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Shenandoah Valley Virginia Posts: 220	Re: well water spots I use well water to wash all my vehicles (my sole source of water on my property.....other than rain)......no spots whatsoever.....seems like your well has a high concentration of minerals......if so, try vinegar (first on a small, non-obvious place!).

11-23-2022, 05:02 PM	#3
47topless Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2022 Posts: 278	Re: well water spots You may need to be a little more aggressive. Use a Meguiars polish then a wax job.

11-23-2022, 07:40 PM	#4
tubman Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2013 Location: Minnesota, Florida Keys Posts: 10,312	Re: well water spots This can be a real problem. In 1987, I bought a pretty nice '67 Corvette coupe that was completely covered with water spots. I tried everything I could think of to try to remove them, to no avail. When I went to a pro, he said this is what can happen when a car sits with water spots out in the bright sun. I ended up having it stripped and repainted. (I hated doing it, because for all intents and purposes, it was the original paint.)

11-23-2022, 08:36 PM	#5
RalphG Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2014 Location: Sask. Canada Posts: 2,424	Re: well water spots Claybar maybe? Although I'll admit I was not at all impressed with the results I got. I thought I had the hardest well water in the world as it is so full of minerals as to be undrinkable. Yet I have no doubt I could clean off any spots from it with a shammy and hot water. Turtle rubbing compound will also take out any imperfections or stains on the paint in my experience. __________________ https://www.youtube.com/user/roosty6/videos

11-23-2022, 09:48 PM	#6
Krylon32 Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Posts: 4,482	Re: well water spots Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements) Several years ago I was attending the LARS and staying at the Kellogg Center. The first night I was there they ran the sprinkler system in the median and apparently they were using reclaimed waste water. My new red Silverado was covered with blemish spots. When we got back to Nebraska I tried several different methods of cleaning and finally ended up taking it to a really good detail shop and they got the surfaces cleaned and returned to a like new finish. The next year I was a little more where I parked.

11-24-2022, 09:36 AM	#7
51woodie Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2018 Location: Chelmsford, ON Canada Posts: 528	Re: well water spots I live out in the country, on well water, and plumbed two hose bibs to the outside. One is fed with well water for gardening, and the other is fed from my water softener for washing my cars. I use a shammy to dry, and no water spots occur even if sun dried.

11-24-2022, 09:51 AM	#8
Pat/Ohio Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Wilmington, OH/Lakeland, FL Posts: 951	Re: well water spots You might try Imperial Hand Glaze by 3M. I used it for years to remove swirl marks and bird droppings from my car. It's very much like a polish. Had good success with it. Good luck, Pat

11-24-2022, 09:54 AM	#9
T Scott Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: East Boothbay, Maine Posts: 279	Re: well water spots What Hotrodart says. use a solution of water and vinegar.

11-24-2022, 09:58 AM	#10
51504bat Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2013 Location: SoCal-Redlands Posts: 3,015	Re: well water spots You might check with sound pilots at your local airport. Years ago there was a local company that produced a cleaner wax called Hanger 16 for use on airplanes. Don't know what it was but it was killer on water spots. Unfortunately its no longer available. __________________ Making the simple complicated for over 30 years.

11-24-2022, 04:31 PM	#11
shoe box Jack Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2012 Location: Kingston Ontario Canada Posts: 251	Re: well water spots Thanks for the info so far I have used hot water and a shammy and I have removed 80 per sent looks a lot better jack.

11-24-2022, 08:05 PM	#12
3twinridges Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2015 Posts: 547	Re: well water spots Agree on the clay bar or a cleaner wax. JB

11-25-2022, 11:37 AM	#13
TJ Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Napa,California Posts: 6,035	Re: well water spots It happened to me on my 88 GMC pickup. I was at as swap meet and sprinkler water soaked the truck. By the time i got back to the pickup the sun had dried the spots. It was ugly. As soon as I got home I used Meguiar's Cleaner Wax and all the spots came off.