What is watermark/water spot on your car body?

Water spots take many different forms across the various surfaces on your vehicle. The two most common (and frustrating) are the spots left behind on your paint and glass.

What causes water spots?

Water spots are most frequently created when hard water is left on a surface – paint or glass – to dry (technically, evaporate). This can be due to not drying your car after a wash, parking your car a little too close to a sprinkler, or even from rain water that is left on the surface too long. In a best case scenario, the minerals and dirt in the water are simply left on the surface of the paint after the water has evaporated off. Things get worse if the water contains something corrosive that etches the surface as it sits, creating a “crater”. If not addressed, these craters can actually get worse over time, as water will pool in them and continue to etch the same spot.

How do I remove water spots?

Depending on the severity, there are a few solutions to removing water spots. As always, you’ll want to begin with the least aggressive product necessary to get the job done. So, start with the basic things. Clean the surface; this can be with Car Wash, Speed Shine, Window Cleaner, or whatever product is appropriate for the level of dirt on the surface. Often a simple cleaning will remove some of those basic water spots caused by dirt or minerals sitting on the surface.

If a basic cleaning doesn’t cure the problem, clay is your next level of attack. These will still attack dirt and minerals, and they’ll be more effective at pulling things off the surface that have been around for awhile and bonded to it. Give a light mist of Speed Shine and gently rub the clay across the surface to pull the contaminants from the paint. This is a non-abrasive process, so extra applications are not going to hurt.

Okay, so cleaning and claying haven’t removed your water spots; you’re most likely dealing with spots that have etched into the surface. Don’t stress! A little polishing should take care of the problem. 

How do I prevent water spots?
Simply not getting our cars wet is not an option for most of us, so let’s talk about realistic ways to reduce the likelihood of water spots forming.

First, a good coat of wax or sealant on your paint is the first line of defense. Not only will this prevent most spots from occurring in the first place, it will create a barrier between the hard water and the paint. So, if a water spot does form, it will most likely be on the wax/sealant layer instead of the paint making it much, much easier to remove.

Second, keep your car clean. No matter how hard we try to avoid it, rain will fall, our cars will get hit by a poorly aimed sprinkler, and unwanted water is going to end up on our vehicles. As we talked about earlier, it’s not the water that causes spotting; it’s allowing what’s in the water to sit on the surface. Keep don’t delay washing your car.