# Holy smokes. Watering my car during Reno



## Slingblade_847 (Apr 13, 2020)

Fellas -

Having a rather significant issue with the water from sprinklers hitting my car during my Reno. I've tried manual scrubbing with zero impact. I've tried various compounds, and again, zero impact. I took it to a car detail shop, and they essentially told me it required an acid bath, and then buffed. Looking to charge me $120 for 4 hours of work. Picture below isn't close to showing the significance of issue, but it's something.

@Babameca including you, as I saw you were a car guy in your journal I've read more than once.

I'm assuming I can't be the only guy to experience this during a reno.

Any suggestions or recommended products welcomed.


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## Bybcous (Aug 29, 2020)

Get a clay bar for autozone


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## Di3soft (Jun 13, 2020)

Just ordered, has good reviews



Here's my truck for reference during my reno


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## Babameca (Jul 29, 2019)

@Slingblade_847 Tap water has minerals. They deposit on the surface and if left for long enough, will etch the paint. You can try using vinegar on a sponge in a very small area. Don't rub! Just keep it on for 1 min. Rince off, evaluate. Acid will remove the deposit but if damage is further in the clear coat, a polishing will be needed. Clay may help, but WILL scratch the paint. it is a mild abrasive. So do so, only if you plan for a full polishing cycle after.
NEVER leave your car under tap water exposure. If it happens in the future, dry immediately. I use leaf blower in the summer in order to avoid scratching with drying towels. If using a towel, make sure it comes off the washing machine and don't scrub but slightly drag it over the paint. Waffle and the 'new' super absorbent drying towels from Cquartz and Gyeon are very good:
https://gyeonquartz.com/product/silkdryer/


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## Babameca (Jul 29, 2019)

@Di3soft 
This works way better, but you have to know what you are doing. It is 10% HYDROCHLORIC ACID:
https://www.lysol.com/products/bathroom-cleaners/lysol-power-toilet-bowl-cleaner/
It perfectly cleans motorcycles exhausts as well with no scrubbing


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## ABC123 (Jul 14, 2017)

Honestly 120 isn't too bad.


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## Slingblade_847 (Apr 13, 2020)

@Babameca you essentially recited the process exactly how the detail guy told me, and nice to hear it from a trusted source. I don't have the polishing tools so I'm leaving it to the pros to handle. Perhaps when I get a ride like yours, I'll invest!

Anyway, thanks for tips. It's reassurance I'm not getting hosed on the detail job. @ABC123 , agreed $120 seems very reasonable. Small independent place.


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## Babameca (Jul 29, 2019)

ABC123 said:


> Honestly 120 isn't too bad.


Agree! It is a lot of work.


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## Babameca (Jul 29, 2019)

Slingblade_847 said:


> @Babameca you essentially recited the process exactly how the detail guy told me, and nice to hear it from a trusted source. I don't have the polishing tools so I'm leaving it to the pros to handle. Perhaps when I get a ride like yours, I'll invest!
> 
> Anyway, thanks for tips. It's reassurance I'm not getting hosed on the detail job. @ABC123 , agreed $120 seems very reasonable. Small independent place.


120$ is a good price. Just keep in mind, you can't get off with polishing countless times. It reduces the clear coat thickness by a little every time...


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## Di3soft (Jun 13, 2020)

Babameca said:


> @Di3soft
> This works way better, but you have to know what you are doing. It is 10% HYDROCHLORIC ACID:
> https://www.lysol.com/products/bathroom-cleaners/lysol-power-toilet-bowl-cleaner/
> It perfectly cleans motorcycles exhausts as well with no scrubbing


Haha well considering I don't know what I'm doing and the instructions on the bottle I bought is simple I'll try that first


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## Chris1 (Apr 22, 2020)

Minerals from the water . You can do a decon wash. There are products to remove water spotting / minerals, somewhat expensive but the acid the detailer referred to is found in wheel cleaner. I use McGuiars wheel brightener or Eagle (diluted 4/5 to 1 ). Pull car into shade decon wash . Leave acid for 5 minutes , rinse. other option is vinegar


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## Babameca (Jul 29, 2019)

@Di3soft There is a solution for every pocket.


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## kdn (Aug 26, 2020)

The best water spot remover I've used is CarPro Spotless. If that doesn't work a fine clay bar with plenty of quick detailer or clay lube.


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## Green (Dec 24, 2017)

Great thread, but not a great thing to have to deal with the water spots. I always try to move my car before watering an area near it, because it causes spots on the windshield that I couldn't get off, and then I can't see properly, and it probably ruins the wipers when they skip off the buildup, etc. I don't think my water is as bad as yours, though. And the glass is supposed to be easier to deal with than the painted surfaces...


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## Slingblade_847 (Apr 13, 2020)

Well to make matters worse, I was apparently hitting my neighbors car in high wind. Luckily, he bought a bunch of shit that worked to his liking. We tried a spot on mine with no avail. I gave him $20 for his troubles and for the product he had to buy. Now I'm trying to figure out the best way to get my perimeter closest to his house without continuing to hit his car on the occasional breeze. .....The stress continues.


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## bernstem (Jan 16, 2018)

@Babameca has given you perfect advice. $120 for an exterior polish and wax is a good deal. You may want to ask how many stages the detailer plans to do for $120. Depending on how much the clear coat is affected, you may need two polish steps to get it all off. My typical process for this if you don't get it where you want with vinegar or water spot remover would be clay bar, then intermediate polish to remove any etching, and follow up with a final polish to remove fine marring from the intermediate polish. After that you want a wax or sealant. I prefer sealants as they last longer and shine better.

Black is tough to work on as it shows any imperfection.

If your neighbor parks on the street, some water spotting is inevitable. I would also help my neighbor out like you did, but the easy solution is for him to park farther away.


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## Slingblade_847 (Apr 13, 2020)

@bernstem , yep, going with what @Babameca laid out, just letting the detailer do it. But thanks for the questions, and I'll be sure to ask.

As far as the neighbor, he is actually parking in his driveway, so not much I can expect him to do. Our side yards are rather narrow. It's really just when the wind picks up, and moves the oscillating spray 15ft (easy to do and unpredictable). He was real nice about it, and told me not to worry, but my own piece of mind tells me to try and find a solution and do the neighborly thing. Luckily another neighbor is allowing me to park on their side of the street until I'm done with this. Spent so long calibrating perfect placement. Impossible with oscillating sprinklers given the variance with the slightest of breezes. .


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## sam (Mar 10, 2018)

In case it helps anyone, below is a write up on various levels of treatment to fix water spots

(even if you don't DIY it, it might help to understand the processes the detailers will do)

https://adamspolishes.com/pages/how-to-remove-water-spots

Adams polishes is good


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## Babameca (Jul 29, 2019)

@bernstem Time for you to move to ceramic coatings . Did my wife 6 years old Grand Caravan with 150k a triple polish (spot 5000 grid for deep scratches, Sonax Cutmax, then Sonax 04-06) and Cquartz (2 layers). 40h worth of work.
@sam Adam's good yes. For polishing I tried a lot and go back to Sonax over and over again. Adam's is my shampoo and iron remover.
One year later:


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## bernstem (Jan 16, 2018)

@Babameca I ceramic coat everything now, but that is a bit much for someone new to paint care (though it isn't as hard as it used to be). Before ceramics, I would do a light final polish every 6-12 months. My current car hasn't seen a random orbital in three years. I don't have a pretty picture of my car, though...

I also like CQuartz and it is currently on my cars and boat. For polishes, I usually use Menzerna. I have never used Sonax, but it has a good reputation.


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## bernstem (Jan 16, 2018)

Slingblade_847 said:


> @bernstem , yep, going with what @Babameca laid out, just letting the detailer do it. But thanks for the questions, and I'll be sure to ask.


You might want to ask how much the detailer wants to ceramic coat the car after the pain correction. Ceramic coatings make paint care much easier. The one issue they don't fix well, though, is... you guessed it... water spots. If the detailer does a coating, the paint prep may be more expensive since any imperfections will get sealed in and the only way to remove them is to polish off the coating. It is worth talking to them about it, though.


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## Babameca (Jul 29, 2019)

@bernstem Nice! Same here, I only top up every 6 months with Tacsystem Moonlight.


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## Slingblade_847 (Apr 13, 2020)

@Babameca @bernstem

Thanks for dabbling in other hobbies that can still tie back to what we do. Info much appreciated!!!


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## 7824 (Oct 23, 2019)

degrease wash
claybar
50/50 alcohol wipe down
2 passes with correction polish using ROB on high speed
1 pass with finish polish using ROB on high speed
1 coat of sealant with using on low speed

Should take you around 12-18 hours

ROB = random orbital buffer


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## Old Hickory (Aug 19, 2019)

ABC123 said:


> Honestly 120 isn't too bad.


This. Might be the best $120 you'll spend this year. And pick a professional detailer so if they ruin it they'll have to fix it.


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## Slingblade_847 (Apr 13, 2020)

@Babameca @bernstem

Just talked with the owner of the detail shop. This is what he told me.

Three step process.

1. Acid Bath (can't recall exactly the words he used, but similar to what babameca said earlier)

2. Polish

3. Wax. Dude talked quick. Said a few different types of wax, one being "Teflon".

He said that his shop does not dabble in ceramic, as he doesn't like to carry the liability that goes with it. According to him, a lot of risk goes with it if not done correctly.

This all seem accurate?


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## Slingblade_847 (Apr 13, 2020)

I also would like to see "pretty pictures of cars". Might as well given a lot of the context of this thread.


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## bernstem (Jan 16, 2018)

That sounds reasonable. I prefer synthetic "wax". @Slingblade_847 Now I need to wash and detail the car. :bandit:


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## Slingblade_847 (Apr 13, 2020)

@bernstem Ha! Sorry, buddy. I'll post a picture of mine tomorrow, and you and @Babameca can show how you've outdone the pros!


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## Babameca (Jul 29, 2019)

@Slingblade_847 Pros run against the clock. They have to stay profitable. DYI'ers can afford to spend hours on what they love to do. Pro's will often run rotary polishers that get to point B in few hours but may leave swirl marks and can get way too much off the clear coat, if not mastered. You wouldn't accept a 700-800$ job and that is what a full 2 stage detailing may cost. I can share with you some 'connaisseur' pros that do that type of jobs, but for the rich customer.
Esoteric is a detailing shop and sales point in OH. The machine you see is what I use. Rupes.


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## Slingblade_847 (Apr 13, 2020)

Holy smokes, @Babameca you are 100% accurate. I would opt out of a 7-8hundred detail job. Who would have known what can go into this kind of thing. I'm thinking probably what 99% of the population thinks about lawns..."it's just grass right?!". I'll be doing some research, and see if this is the next hobby....after all, you got a caravan lookin' like a million bucks!!


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## Babameca (Jul 29, 2019)

@Slingblade_847 . Agree. I just demonstrate the pinnacle of car detailing. And as with lawns there is 1....and 100. They are both hobbies for me. I put cars a bit behind this year in the name of lawn, but the caravan will get its 'spa' as it does every year. My RS3 is flawless after 60k miles and 4 Canadian winters. Full front PPF to stop those rock chips and 'good' full decontamination every spring with light ceramic coating keeps it pristine. A breeze...some 10-15h worth of work :lol:


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## Slingblade_847 (Apr 13, 2020)

@Babameca 
@bernstem 
@Di3soft

Well $140 dollars later ($20 tip)....

They washed, had to polish twice, and waxed. Stuck to their quote, even though they told me it took almost all day.

Came clean and told me couldn't get under the handles without removal, and they don't do that. Did the best they could, and hardly noticeable.

Given price and looks, I am satisfied.

Still has nothing on Baba's RS3.

The hoses and caution tape....lol. I'm in the middle of reno!!


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## bernstem (Jan 16, 2018)

Looking nice! That is a good deal especially on black. Black is the worst for showing any water spotting, swirls, dirt, etc. Now you need to keep it away from irrigation water.


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## Di3soft (Jun 13, 2020)

@Slingblade_847 looks great man

You can use the stuff I got to get under the handles it'll work well.


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## Babameca (Jul 29, 2019)

@Slingblade_847 It is a steal for that price. I know how much elbow work it needs...


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## SJ Lawn (May 7, 2018)

Got some DEEP pockets?

https://youtu.be/340C7SCNqxA


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