Darn SoCal "hard" water!!

mykcheng · 03-22-2010, 08:39 PM

I got my car just last week and I decided to wash it yesterday underneath an overcast day. I completely forgot how bad the water spots are due to the hard water in So Cal. What should've been a quick wash and detail became an all afternoon event as I worked my butt off getting off the water spots. I clayed most of it out, but I ran out of time to clay the entire car. Any suggestions on how to beat this next time? My neighbor recommended this Mr. Clean attachment to the hose. Any other ideas?

OMID INC · 03-22-2010, 08:53 PM

ive tried the mr clean thing.. its a hassle for me getting the new filters since i use up one whole filter for every wash and no where near my home sells the filters.

just get good at drying the car well and washing when its not warm at all.

also, never wait to wash when the sun starts to go down, its harder to tell what areas are left wet and dry.

M3_LIN · 03-23-2010, 01:50 AM

always wash in the shade.

Dry off the car asap.

Try getting a leaf blower it may help

Ed Lin

ooowowizstev · 03-23-2010, 02:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OMID INC

ive tried the mr clean thing.. its a hassle for me getting the new filters since i use up one whole filter for every wash and no where near my home sells the filters.

just get good at drying the car well and washing when its not warm at all.

also, never wait to wash when the sun starts to go down, its harder to tell what areas are left wet and dry.

Lol, I use to use that mr clean thing too...

OP: Wash in the shade and dry asap!

GOLFFRR · 03-23-2010, 10:10 AM

i started using waterless car wash 3 cars ago and it has worked great for me. I have always had black cars and never had any swirls or spots and now that i have a white car its even easier.

Dark3 · 03-23-2010, 10:57 AM

hey golffrr , you told me to contact you if i havent bought my e92 yet, watsup?

McKenna BMW · 03-24-2010, 02:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mykcheng

I got my car just last week and I decided to wash it yesterday underneath an overcast day. I completely forgot how bad the water spots are due to the hard water in So Cal. What should've been a quick wash and detail became an all afternoon event as I worked my butt off getting off the water spots. I clayed most of it out, but I ran out of time to clay the entire car. Any suggestions on how to beat this next time? My neighbor recommended this Mr. Clean attachment to the hose. Any other ideas?

You ever try using scratch-x or the ultimate compound? I used that stuff to remove water marks on my car. I got them out but it looks like I have acid etching in my clear. Been looking for a good detailer to get that stuff out

You can also try a 50/50 mix of vinegar and water. Spray it on and let sit for about 2 mins, then wipe away. Repeat as many times as necessary to get it out. Don't leave it sitting too long tho.

GOLFFRR · 03-24-2010, 06:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dark3

hey golffrr , you told me to contact you if i havent bought my e92 yet, watsup?

whats up man. if you havn't i can hook you up. Family friends own Steve Thomas BMW. i have hooked up a couple guys on here with cars. Shoot me a PM if your interested.

Bluesummer · 03-24-2010, 06:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GOLFFRR

i started using waterless car wash 3 cars ago and it has worked great for me. I have always had black cars and never had any swirls or spots and now that i have a white car its even easier.

which waterless car wash are you referring to?

GOLFFRR · 03-24-2010, 06:21 PM

i use OPT No Rinse Wash & shine. Works great.

Bluesummer · 03-24-2010, 06:25 PM

^ thanks. I will give it a shot

Definitive · 03-24-2010, 06:27 PM

The waters the worst out here in Camarillo too. I have a soft water filter for my house, but its not attached to where the outside hose is. I may have to go to Home depot and get one of those inline filters. People have them for boats a lot. For filling the boat with water to use for cooking and drinking.

This kind of thing. Link
I know places like West Marnie carry them to.

D

GOLFFRR · 03-24-2010, 06:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bluesummer

^ thanks. I will give it a shot

yea i use 2 buckets. one with the solution and one for rinse and use only microfiber towels. works great. the place where i live doesn't let us wash cars in the garages so that was the reason i tried this in the first place.

constantin · 03-25-2010, 12:11 AM

After you are done washing and your car is still wet, spray detailer on it. It will keep the water from drying rather quickly on the car. Plus it will give your car a nice shine for in between details.

BobsM3Coupe · 03-25-2010, 01:40 AM

I was wondering. Is there any place in the USA that has naturally soft groundwater?

Socale92 · 03-25-2010, 01:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by M3_LIN

Try getting a leaf blower it may help

seriously?

McKenna BMW · 03-25-2010, 06:27 PM

Anyone have any good detailers that can remove acid etching?

OMID INC · 03-25-2010, 07:38 PM

i sometimes use a spray can for dusting computer keyboards to get water out of the tail light areas and inside the side mirrors .. it works pretty well actually and helps against leaving streaks of white crust lol

eclipsisNA · 03-25-2010, 07:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mykcheng

I got my car just last week and I decided to wash it yesterday underneath an overcast day. I completely forgot how bad the water spots are due to the hard water in So Cal. What should've been a quick wash and detail became an all afternoon event as I worked my butt off getting off the water spots. I clayed most of it out, but I ran out of time to clay the entire car. Any suggestions on how to beat this next time? My neighbor recommended this Mr. Clean attachment to the hose. Any other ideas?

The Mr. Clean attachment is rubbish. If you have a spare $370 burning a hole in your pocket, you need to buy one of these: CR Spotless. That's the best water de-ionizer on the market.

Quote:

Originally Posted by GOLFFRR

i use OPT No Rinse Wash & shine. Works great.

If it were my car, I would never use OPT, especially if you're in a warm place like SoCal. The chances of inducing swirls is incredibly high, especially in the hands of someone lacking the proper tools to use it properly. The force of high pressure water is key in removing the majority of dirt on a car. Without that force, you're pulling dirt along your paint when using something like ONR.

Quote:

Originally Posted by BobsM3Coupe

I was wondering. Is there any place in the USA that has naturally soft groundwater?

The purple areas are close to having 100% soft water:

GOLFFRR · 03-25-2010, 07:59 PM

^^^ hmm maybe i have had a couple black bmers a jet black and a sapphire black and use the OPT waterless carwash on them and never had any issues with swirls but thats just me. all i can say is it works for me.

eclipsisNA · 03-25-2010, 08:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GOLFFRR

^^^ hmm maybe i have had a couple black bmers a jet black and a sapphire black and use the OPT waterless carwash on them and never had any issues with swirls but thats just me. all i can say is it works for me.

I'm not trying to put you down in what I'm about to say, so don't take it the wrong way. With black cars, especially BMWs and their incredibly soft paint, ONR will induce scratches eventually. Maybe you've never seen your cars under the proper lighting (e.g. metal halide) to see what I'm talking about. BMW's powder-based paint system is environmentally friendly, but is rubbish in terms of performance.

GOLFFRR · 03-25-2010, 08:32 PM

^^^ right on no worries haha. To each there own right! its all good. thanks for the heads up though. I have a white car now seems to work great.

03-22-2010, 08:39 PM	#1
mykcheng Enlisted Member Drives: 2010 E90 M3 6MT Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Camarillo, CA Posts: 39 iTrader: (0)	Darn SoCal "hard" water!! I got my car just last week and I decided to wash it yesterday underneath an overcast day. I completely forgot how bad the water spots are due to the hard water in So Cal. What should've been a quick wash and detail became an all afternoon event as I worked my butt off getting off the water spots. I clayed most of it out, but I ran out of time to clay the entire car. Any suggestions on how to beat this next time? My neighbor recommended this Mr. Clean attachment to the hose. Any other ideas? __________________ 2010 E90 M3/6MT/Space Gray
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03-23-2010, 01:50 AM	#3
M3_LIN LM-R Whore. Drives: 2009 White M3 Sedan Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: LA Posts: 847 iTrader: (1)	always wash in the shade. Dry off the car asap. Try getting a leaf blower it may help Ed Lin __________________ 09AWE90M: Light headlight tint, Full front end clear bra wrap(Harris@InstyleGraphics), Ceramic tint(40%), Piaa GTX H3 bulb, HID 8k AE, 6k Low, INT Luxer1 lights, RD springs, LMR 20X9 +8, 20X10 +18 (Dave @ Status), Vertice CF hood Ducts(Dat @ VertexUSA), Tecnocraft FULL Envy Intake system+plenum(KEVLAR)+cabin filter covers, Meister GTC exhaust, Arkym F LIP.

03-23-2010, 10:10 AM	#5
GOLFFRR BimmerPost Supporting Vendor Drives: Golf Cart Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Solvang, CA/Camarillo, CA Posts: 10,966 iTrader: (4)	i started using waterless car wash 3 cars ago and it has worked great for me. I have always had black cars and never had any swirls or spots and now that i have a white car its even easier. __________________ BEFORE YOU BUY YOUR NEXT BMW, PM ME FIRST I CAN HOOK YOU UP! We are Performance Center\|Euro Delivery\|BMW Individual Specialist Need a quote?..Ryan /Checa Email link \| T.805.482.8878 ask for Francesca www.stevethomasbmw.com \| OUR PARTS STORE \| Facebook-STBMW \| Twitter-STBMW

03-24-2010, 06:21 PM	#10
GOLFFRR BimmerPost Supporting Vendor Drives: Golf Cart Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Solvang, CA/Camarillo, CA Posts: 10,966 iTrader: (4)	i use OPT No Rinse Wash & shine. Works great. __________________ BEFORE YOU BUY YOUR NEXT BMW, PM ME FIRST I CAN HOOK YOU UP! We are Performance Center\|Euro Delivery\|BMW Individual Specialist Need a quote?..Ryan /Checa Email link \| T.805.482.8878 ask for Francesca www.stevethomasbmw.com \| OUR PARTS STORE \| Facebook-STBMW \| Twitter-STBMW

03-24-2010, 06:25 PM	#11
Bluesummer Lieutenant General Drives: slower than Ayrton Senna Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Nürburgring, be there once, your heart, your soul will stay there. Posts: 15,310 iTrader: (13) Garage List 2011 E82 135 [0.00] 2011 M3 [0.00] 2007 335 [0.00]	^ thanks. I will give it a shot __________________ R.I.P. Steve Noh

03-22-2010, 08:53 PM	#2
OMID INC Lieutenant Colonel Drives: E70 X5 Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Chicago Posts: 1,566 iTrader: (6)	ive tried the mr clean thing.. its a hassle for me getting the new filters since i use up one whole filter for every wash and no where near my home sells the filters. just get good at drying the car well and washing when its not warm at all. also, never wait to wash when the sun starts to go down, its harder to tell what areas are left wet and dry.

03-23-2010, 10:57 AM	#6
Dark3 New Member Drives: E92 M3 Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: so cal Posts: 12 iTrader: (0)	hey golffrr , you told me to contact you if i havent bought my e92 yet, watsup?

03-24-2010, 06:27 PM	#12
Definitive definitivecars.com Drives: 2011 E90 M3 - AW/FR Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: So Cal Posts: 3,411 iTrader: (3) Garage List 2011 E90 M3 [3.75] 2009 (Lease up Sept ... [0.00] 2007 (Lease up 6/19 ... [0.00] 2007 (Lease up Octo ... [0.00]	The waters the worst out here in Camarillo too. I have a soft water filter for my house, but its not attached to where the outside hose is. I may have to go to Home depot and get one of those inline filters. People have them for boats a lot. For filling the boat with water to use for cooking and drinking. This kind of thing. Link I know places like West Marnie carry them to. D __________________ CCC - Camarillo Cars & Coffee - Weekly Ventura County Meet - 8pm - Coffee Bean on Arniell

03-25-2010, 12:11 AM	#14
constantin Lieutenant Drives: 4wheels Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: at home Posts: 405 iTrader: (4)	After you are done washing and your car is still wet, spray detailer on it. It will keep the water from drying rather quickly on the car. Plus it will give your car a nice shine for in between details.

03-25-2010, 01:40 AM	#15
BobsM3Coupe Captain Drives: M3 Coupe Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: California Posts: 863 iTrader: (4)	I was wondering. Is there any place in the USA that has naturally soft groundwater?

03-25-2010, 06:27 PM	#17
McKenna BMW Enlisted Member Drives: BMW Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Norwalk, Ca Posts: 33 iTrader: (0)	Anyone have any good detailers that can remove acid etching?

03-25-2010, 07:38 PM	#18
OMID INC Lieutenant Colonel Drives: E70 X5 Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Chicago Posts: 1,566 iTrader: (6)	i sometimes use a spray can for dusting computer keyboards to get water out of the tail light areas and inside the side mirrors .. it works pretty well actually and helps against leaving streaks of white crust lol

03-25-2010, 07:59 PM	#20
GOLFFRR BimmerPost Supporting Vendor Drives: Golf Cart Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Solvang, CA/Camarillo, CA Posts: 10,966 iTrader: (4)	^^^ hmm maybe i have had a couple black bmers a jet black and a sapphire black and use the OPT waterless carwash on them and never had any issues with swirls but thats just me. all i can say is it works for me. __________________ BEFORE YOU BUY YOUR NEXT BMW, PM ME FIRST I CAN HOOK YOU UP! We are Performance Center\|Euro Delivery\|BMW Individual Specialist Need a quote?..Ryan /Checa Email link \| T.805.482.8878 ask for Francesca www.stevethomasbmw.com \| OUR PARTS STORE \| Facebook-STBMW \| Twitter-STBMW

03-25-2010, 08:32 PM	#22
GOLFFRR BimmerPost Supporting Vendor Drives: Golf Cart Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Solvang, CA/Camarillo, CA Posts: 10,966 iTrader: (4)	^^^ right on no worries haha. To each there own right! its all good. thanks for the heads up though. I have a white car now seems to work great. __________________ BEFORE YOU BUY YOUR NEXT BMW, PM ME FIRST I CAN HOOK YOU UP! We are Performance Center\|Euro Delivery\|BMW Individual Specialist Need a quote?..Ryan /Checa Email link \| T.805.482.8878 ask for Francesca www.stevethomasbmw.com \| OUR PARTS STORE \| Facebook-STBMW \| Twitter-STBMW

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