‘My OCD cannot take this.’
Desert drives are scenic and accompanied by wide landscapes. But they will leave marks on your vehicle.
Hannah Chang (@hcpepper) recently got her car dirty from a desert drive and discovered an express car wash won’t fully remove the spots. So she turned to TikTok to ask for help from men and car enthusiasts.
The post captions, “My OCD cannot take this. My car looks like it has spots.” So far, the TikTok has generated over 63,800 views.
“Can a boy who understands cars help a girl out?” Chang begins.
She showcases the dirt and dust stains she acquired. The light brown stains cover the black exterior paint.
“Once I got back, I decided to hose it down. The problem is that I have these water marks and I really can’t get them out,” she shares.
After the hose didn’t work, she decided to try an express car wash. However, nothing changed, and the exterior is still dirty with the water marks.
“Someone told me I should spray some distilled vinegar and water on here. Others were saying I should buy a specific mineral deposit remover,” she says.
Chang demonstrates that the spots do come off with a good amount of force, but the method is certainly not ideal, given how many there are.
“What is the best way for me to get rid of them?” she concludes.
Chang asked a question, and the viewers had answers for her in the comments section.
“You need chemical water spot removal,” one TikTok commenter shared.
“Clay bar wax,” another added.
“Just get it detailed, should be around $200, if you want better protection in the future and your car to look brand new, get a paint correction and ceramic coat, will fix most if not all the scratches in your paint,” one added.
While other viewers took time to explain how water spots end up on your vehicle.
“Enthusiast detailer here. These are water spots caused by minerals in your local water. When you rinse and don’t dry it immediately water droplets dry up and leave behind the minerals. They embed themselves into the clear coat and are particularly visible on darker colors (like your black car). If left they etch into the clear coat and will require a manual paint correction to remove fully (expensive polishing). The easiest way to remove them is to use a dedicated acidic water spot remover working in small sections 2-3ft,” one explained.
“These happen from the water supply being ‘hard water’. If you’re taking it through a car wash, I recommend bringing a microfiber towel and hand drying what’s left on your car as soon as you exit the car wash to prevent these hard water spots from forming,” another commented.
While getting a car wash may seem like that’s the simple solution here, that’s not always the case, as Chang found. Additionally, express car washes haven’t earned the best reputation for cleaning, as they can malfunction and damage your car.
So when removing harsh water marks, more attention to detail is needed. Water spots are created from minerals bonding against the paint and glass, Chemical Guys reports.
Groundwater coming from a hose or sprinkler is the most common source for water marks, Adam’s Polishes shares. When removing these water marks, multiple different approaches can be taken. Adam Polishes shares different methods, from the least intensive to the most aggressive.
The first approach is grabbing a microfiber towel and washing it down with a detail spray or waterless wash. Sometimes, a simple wipe down is all that’s needed to remove the water marks.
The next solution can be done by using white vinegar to break down the minerals. To do this, soak the towel in white vinegar and spread it throughout the problem area.
If neither of these approaches does the trick, claying can be done to remove the water marks. This involves a clay bar that is applied to the car exterior to remove any minerals and bonded contaminants.
If claying doesn’t work, a water spot remover product can be used to ensure the water spots come off. Water spot remover typically is a strong acidic chemical formula that incorporates acids to neutralize minerals on the surface and chemically clear away the water spots.
Which method works the best depends on how ingrained the water spots are.
One TikTok commenter shared these tips when going about removing the water spots.
“The easiest way to remove them is to use a dedicated acidic water spot remover working in small sections 2-3ft. Acids break down minerals and will make the process far less labor intensive and are safe so long as you follow the directions (recommend wearing some gloves). However it is extremely important you rinse it off after a few minutes because if left to dry it absolutely will ruin your paint. Just rinse it with your hose after doing a section and wipe dry with a soft towel to prevent water spots again. Also work in the shade if possible, it prevents water/cleaners from drying up as fast.”
To prevent water spots in the future, sealants or ceramic-style protection can be applied to reduce future mineral bonding, Chemical Guys shares.
Motor1 has contacted Chang via Instagram and TikTok direct messages. We’ll update the story if she replies.
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