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What is a Water Spot?

Water spots are incredibly common due to a variety of reasons. Rain, washing in direct sunlight, having poor quality, high TDS water, etc. Believe it or not, it takes water to make a water spot!


So, what is a water spot?


The water spot itself is actually not water. It is mineral and chemical deposits left behind after the water dries. You see, most water has minerals like calcium and chemicals like chlorine in it. This is what actually causes the water spotting. When the water dries, it leaves behind only the minerals and chemicals left over. These deposits then get baked by the sun and become ugly dots all over your car!

How can we stop them from happening? The simple answer is, with rain water, you can’t. Water spots will always be an ongoing battle and will require regular maintenance to keep them in hell where they belong! We can, however, reduce the occurrence of water spots using these methods:

  • Only Wash your vehicle indoors or in a shady area

  • If you're an enthusiast and wash your vehicle often, get a water deionizer

  • Keep your vehicle wet! Do not allow the water to dry until you're ready!

  • Ensure you are drying your vehicle thoroughly after each wash

  • You also want to ensure you’re doing regular, routine washes

This will dramatically reduce how difficult it is to remove water spots as they develop.


The bigger concern is with leaving the water spots or ignoring them. This will cause etching. Etching happens when we leave minerals and deposits on the vehicle’s windows and paint. These deposits heat cycle with the sun and begin to etch into the clear coat and windows. This makes them considerably harder to remove. Sometimes, water spots can even etch through your clear coat. This means a repaint is the only fix in that scenario.


Moral of the story? Keep up with your maintenance as best as possible, do not let water dry on your vehicle’s surfaces and use PH-neutral soaps when washing your vehicle. This will dramatically decrease the appearance of water spots. The absolute best way for a DIY person to maintain their vehicle is with a rinse-less wash using distilled water. Distilled water contains no mineral deposits. Therefore, distilled water will not cause water spotting.


Best Wishes,

GreenTree Auto Styling


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