How to Remove Water Stains from Your Car

How to Use a Basic Wash and Dry Method

If you get stuck with water stains, the first thing you need to do is wash your car. This may sound counter intuitive since washing your car may have created the water stains in the first place. So why would you want to do this again? Won't the stains just return?

Not necessarily. Washing will eliminate particles that can scratch the paint surface when you attempt to remove the stains. Plus, a second wash, using the steps below, should help remove the stains left by the first wash.

1. Prepare to Wash

   Fill one bucket with warm, soapy water, and fill a second bucket with clean rinse water. Have a hose ready as well as a soft washing mitt and/or a sponge, and drying towels or microfiber towels.

   Tip

   Wash your car when the paint surface is cool. Water evaporates too quickly on a hot car, making it difficult to dry the entire surface with a towel before water droplets dry on their own, leaving more stains.

   
   

2. Wash with a Soft Mitt

   Use a two-bucket method of cleaning, where you soak the washing mitt in the soapy water and wash the spotty surface. Then, rinse out the mitt in the clean-water bucket. Re-soak the mitt in the soapy water, and continue washing.

3. Rinse

   Rinse the vehicle thoroughly with clean water from the hose, making sure no suds remain.
   

4. Speed Dry

   Start drying the vehicle immediately, wiping with towels or cloths from the top down. Enlist help from an assistant if possible to wipe the water before it evaporates.
   

How to Remove Water Stains With Vinegar

Vinegar is often touted as a miracle substance, capable of cleaning tiles, shampooing dogs, killing weeds, and extending the life of cut flowers. So, it should come as no surprise that vinegar can help clean water stains from car paint. White vinegar is mildly acidic, making it an effective opponent to alkaline mineral deposits.

1. Mix Vinegar and Water

   Pour equal amounts of distilled water and vinegar into the bottle and gently shake it.
   

2. Spray the Car

   Saturate the glass or car body by spraying the compound thoroughly across the surface.

3. Fill a Bucket with Vinegar Solution

   Pour the rest of the solution into a bucket, along with a towel. Add more 50/50 solution, as needed to immerse the towel.

4. Place Wet Towel Over Spots

   Lay the towel over the area on the car that needs to be cleaned. Let it rest for about two minutes, then use the same towel to scrub away the water stains.

5. Rinse and Dry

   Rinse the area thoroughly with clean water from a hose, then dry with a clean, dry towel.

How to Spot-Remove Water Stains

When you need to remove localized areas of water stains on your car, one of the best ways to do this is with a commercial water spot remover.

All spot removers have different ingredients, but there are some common elements. Clean, distilled water is the base, with mineral oil added as a lubricant. Additional ingredients may include solvents, absorbents, buffers, and conditioners.

Water spot removers work best on paint, glass, chrome, and metals. They're safest when used with glossy paint surfaces, and should not be used on flat or matte surface paint jobs.

1. Apply Product

   Apply water spot remover to the spotted areas with a foam applicator.
   

2. Rub and Dry

   Rub the product onto the paint with two or three passes. Finish by rubbing the compound away with a dry, clean cloth.

Additional Tips for Handling Water Stains

• For small areas of particularly stubborn water spots, use the professional detailers' secret tool: detailing clay. Much like soft artist's clay, detailing clay comes in small bars that can be kneaded and shaped and used much like an eraser.
• Detailing clay is used with a lubricant that is included with the product. This specialized clay is best for smaller, localized sections of water spots. It's also best for stubborn water stains since it essentially shears off the mineral residue by force.