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Soap residue, water spots, and stains on your car paint after a car wash are at best, frustrating. At worst, these contaminants require a lot of time, money, and elbow grease to resolve.
To avoid running into these problems is worth learning the proper detailing techniques and picking up the tools necessary to get the job done right the first time.
After they’ve happened, there are several methods that can be used to remove water spots and soap stains. Depending on the type of spot or stain you’re dealing with, these could be easy to remove, or they could be a serious headache.
Let’s dive into the details you need to know.
Residue On Car After Washing
Residue after a car wash is usually the result of dried soap that wasn’t completely removed or water spots due to mineral deposits in hard water.
Both dried soap and mineral deposits are the result of not properly drying your vehicle or washing your car or truck in direct sunlight which will not give you enough time to dry your car by hand before the water evaporates, leaving soap and water spots on the surface.
Water Spots
Water spots from hard water minerals can be extremely difficult to remove, but not always. The amount of effort required to remove these water marks from your finish depends largely on the type and amount of minerals in the tap water in your area.
How To Remove
Water Spots
Some water spots can be simply wiped away with a wet microfiber towel. You can even try rewashing your car, being sure to dry the car’s surface before the sun evaporates the the droplets.
Some more stubborn water marks can be removed with vinegar or some other sort of acidic cleaner. Often, water isn’t enough to rehydrate the minerals and loosen them so they can be wiped away. The acidity of vinegar is often enough to dissolve the minerals and allow them to be either wiped away or removed with a little elbow grease.
Another method for dealing with more difficult water spots is to use a clay bar. Clay bars are very effective at pulling bonded contaminants from the surface of your car’s paint. It can’t remove the most strongly bonded minerals and contaminants but it is very effective against the majority of difficult water spots.
The most difficult to remove water spots will require polishing with an abrasive to remove the bonded contaminants from your clear coat. Some minerals just won’t come off your paintwork without mechanical removal. This is why taking a few simple precautions is worthwhile.
How To Avoid
Water Spots
Avoid washing your car or truck in direct sunlight. The heat of the sun will cause water beads on your clear coat to rapidly evaporate and leave spots behind. The water evaporates but the minerals in the water droplets remain.
Always dry your car’s exterior after car washes. By removing the water droplets sitting on the on the glass and paint will remove the water and minerals in the water which will prevent water spots from forming.
A tip that you can use to avoid water spots is to rinse your vehicle off with distilled water. It’s not practical to wash your car or truck with distilled water, but you can purchase a few gallons for rinsing your exterior.
Distilled water has no minerals or other contaminants. Even if you don’t get a chance to dry your car before the sun evaporates the distilled water, there will be no water spots left behind because there are no contaminants in the water.
If you have particularly hard water you may want to solve the problem by getting a deionizing water filter to make soft water that won’t produce water spots during the car washing process.
Soap Residue
If you are using a proper pH neutral car shampoo you shouldn’t experience any damage or serious problems from soap residue. If soap remains on your finish too long, the water will evaporate and leave the soap behind. Water evaporates but soap ingredients will not.
If you experience soap residue after a car wash that you are unable to remove, you’re probably dealing with water spots due to hard water instead of simply soap residue.
How To Remove Soap Stains From Car Paint
Soap residue is significantly easier to deal with than that water spots. Soap residue can usually be easily wiped away with a wet microfiber towel.
If you have a lot of soap spots and residue over the entire exterior of your vehicle you probably should probably wash the car again and be sure to rinse it off thoroughly to ensure no soap remains on the car’s paint.
How To Prevent Soap Spots On Car Paint
Washing car windows and paint should be done in shade to prevent water from evaporating before you getting a chance of properly drying the car’s exterior. Car washes can be a long process and the sun can quickly dry the water.
Not all car owners have access to a shaded area to do a car wash out of the sun. If this is you, consider trying to wash the car early in the morning or late in the evening when the sun isn’t directly overhead and the temperature outside is lower.
Be sure to keep your car wet if your washing your car and it begins to dry before you finish. Misting it with water from a pressure washer or garden hose will prevent water from leaving soap spots before you get a chance to dry it.
You also will want to thoroughly rinse your car windows and finish after you have finished washing the dirt and road grime off with a wash mitt. A thorough rinse before drying will ensure that all of the soap is removed and you won’t run the risk of soap residue being left behind.
Other Sources Of Residue After A Car Wash
Dirty Water
When you are washing car dirt away, you will invariably end up with dirty water in your wash bucket. Using the two bucket method incorporates a rinse bucket that collects the dirt from your car in a different bucket to help prevent it from getting put right back onto your paint.
Car washes with one bucket are more likely to leave dirt and road grime on your finish and potentially cause scratches. Be sure to remove dirt safely with two buckets and add a grit guard to help keep the dirt off your wash mitt when you’re rinsing.
Not Using Microfiber Towels
Using a cotton cloth instead of microfiber can leave leftover lint, not get your car completely cleaned properly, and potentially cause swirls and fine scratches.
The microfibers in microfiber towels and wash mitts are amazing at removing dirt and protecting your finish. They capture particles that could otherwise be left behind and cause stains or residue spots.
Not Washing In A Shaded Area
Performing your car wash out of the sun and in a covered spot like a large garage or carport is important to prevent water spots or soap stains. When water evaporates, only the water actually evaporates. Any dirt, soap, minerals, or other contaminants will be left behind and leave spots and stains.
If you can’t find a shady spot for washing your car or truck, try washing your vehicle in the morning or evening when the sun isn’t beating down on your car’s exterior.
Not Removing Dirt Completely
You can’t rush washing your car. It’s important to be sure your entire vehicle exterior has been washed properly.
Using the proper detailing tools and methods will make sure that your car is washed properly and the dirt is completely removed. If dirt and road grime aren’t properly washed away, you could end up with water spots or stains.
If you only have a small area to correct, you can hand polish the spot or stain. If it’s a larger problem, I highly recommend using a dual action polisher. DA polishers are very safe to use and very beginner-friendly. They can make a large compounding and polishing job significantly easier.
How To Remove
Soap Residue
AndWater Spots
Here are some of the best methods for removing residue, stains, and spots from your paint:
Distilled Water
Always try using some distilled water that is free of mineral deposits and a microfiber towel to remove any residue. Microfiber is the safest cloth you can use on your paint. Using these two items may not resolve the problem, but you want to start with the safest methods and work your way up to more aggressive products and techniques.
Clay Bar
A clay bar is an excellent product for removing contaminants from the surface of your paint. To use it, you spray a clay lubricant on the surface of your paint and glide the clay bar across the lubricated area gently. Any contaminants protruding up from the surface of your finish will stick in the stiff clay and be pulled from the paintwork.
Vinegar, Degreaser, Adhesive Remover, Or Water Spot Remover
More aggressive chemical cleaners may be required to properly remove the blemish on your paint. Vinegar is a paint-safe acidic liquid that you may already have. Applying some to a microfiber cloth and wiping on the problem area may break down the stain or spot.
A degreaser or adhesive remover like our favorite Citrol 266 or Goo Gone are safe for breaking down more stubborn contaminants. Applying them to a microfiber cloth and wiping on the area may also break down the stubborn stain.
A dedicated water spot remover is particularly effective at dealing with mineral deposits. If you’re dealing with hard water, you should definitely give this product a try.
Compounding And Polishing
The most aggressive solution is to use an abrasive compound or polish to grind away the surface of your paint in the area where the spot or stain is located. Using an abrasive is definitely safe to perform but should be done as a last resort since the clear coat on your car or truck is only so thick and you want to keep it as intact as possible for as long as you can.
Helpful Links
Conclusion
Washing your car properly and using the right detailing tools and techniques is important to ensuring that you don’t end up with water spots or stains.
Water spots are usually the result of minerals in hard water. Drying your finish safely with a microfiber towel or a car dryer is the best way to avoid hard water spots etching into your clear coat.
Soap stains usually are the result of not rinsing and avoiding sun during your car wash session. Be sure to rinse thoroughly and avoid allowing your your car or truck to air dry.
Good luck and happy detailing.
