Now that we have a much newer vehicle in the fleet, I'm thinking I need to get back to washing them myself. (I'm also thinking I shouldn't have gotten away from it in the first place.)

In the past I've had water spots that were impossible to avoid/defeat, and I wonder if that's due to less-than-great water (or maybe poor hose innards, Idunno). So now I'm wondering, with all the car wash goods on the market, is there a product to help make the water better to begin with? Maybe it's chemical, maybe it's mechanical (post-spigot filtration)? Maybe a better "soap" is the cure? Or maybe I'm overthinking this altogether.

What do you know, masters of the hose-and-bucket?

This is the true answer if you are so inclined.
https://crspotless.com/

I can’t spend that much money. So I use this after a wash and it does away with the water spots.
https://www.griotsgarage.com/ceramic-speed-shine/

Use this one if I need some added wax protection

https://www.griotsgarage.com/ceramic-3-in-1-wax/

I use a portable water softener from On The Go. $200 on Amazon. It is super easy to use and maintain. No more water spots!

Keeping the vehicle waxed really helps prevent spotting, too. Use a clay bar before waxing.

This, CR Spotless, can wash my black car in direct sunlight and not get a spot.

quote:

Originally posted by Black92LX:
This is the true answer if you are so inclined.
https://crspotless.com/

I can’t spend that much money. So I use this after a wash and it does away with the water spots.
https://www.griotsgarage.com/ceramic-speed-shine/

Use this one if I need some added wax protection

https://www.griotsgarage.com/ceramic-3-in-1-wax/

After a wash, I dry it and then use a detailing spray. It's quick, it removes all water spots and it leaves a nice shine.

quote:

Originally posted by sigspecops:
After a wash, I dry it and then use a detailing spray. It's quick, it removes all water spots and it leaves a nice shine.

Same here. I use Lucas Slick Mist.

I've been a big fan of the CRSpotless system as well, the single canister one works fine for me. I use it just to rinse, so cartridges last a pretty long time. Advance user tip - if you have higher water pressure put a pressure reducer on that to bring into their spec, has a huge impact on cartridge life.

I have washed cars exclusively at home since mid80's. I mean cars/SUVs that have literally never been in a car wash after purchase. Of course you have to manage that at dealers, etc. but with clear instructions and a sign on dash that can be avoided there.

My methods have improved over time, and the advantage is not only do cars look better and more completely clean once done but you avoid the swirls, scratches, wax stripping, etc. from car washes. For most folks it's not worth it, but it does make a big difference. I'd personally rather have a car that has been dirty for a month than one that is clean but finish affected by weekly washes.

We can go into the weeds on details, and I'm sure there are others here as particular as I am, but something like the CRSpotless will help with water issues, or even if you don't have that help with the final result.

Oh - Chemical Guys Quick Detailer for after-wash for me between waxes!

I have been using a deionizer from https://dirinse.com for about 5 years. Same as the CRSpotless. The resin lasts about 3-4 years for me but we don't have terribly hard water where I live. Tap water is about 90-100 and when it comes out of the deionizer it will be 0.

The model I have has a handy bypass on it so I can leave it connected all year. They are pricey but worth it inho. Plus I have always hand-washed my vehicles and it saves time not having to dry them.

I hand wash my Ferrari and machine wash the Tacoma

quote:

Originally posted by nhtagmember:
I hand wash my Ferrari and machine wash the Tacoma

Hey don't all Ferrari owners have a "guy" that washes and details their cars for them?

I have a pressure washer, so may as well use it.

quote:

Originally posted by flesheatingvirus:
I have a pressure washer, so may as well use it.

See, now you're being silly. That doesn't count for purposes of the OP.

Some take it so far to use 0 PPM water. To me it’s unnecessary. I use tap. Wet the vehicle down. Wash with soap/mit, 2 bucket method. Then wash it off. Then my next step takes care of all the water. I fire up the Leaf Blower. I use it all over the vehicle, wheels, name it. Then it’s a 1 microfiber towel to dry and it’s super fast as there is almost no water left. So if you don’t have a leaf blower, you can buy a lower cost electric version. I use my 2 stroke Stihl, that I use for the yard after I mow.

My vehicles are ceramic coated so I just spray P&S bead maker after wash, and wash it off with another microfiber. I can do this whole process in less than an hour on a car. Truck takes longer because of size.

I hand was my weekend fun car and run my daily driver through the car wash. I have never seen a single person in my neighborhood was a car by hand though.

I used to have pretty hard water but I got the typical soft water setup that seems to work pretty good. I have a large garage that I pull the car into and dry it by hand out of the sun also.

quote:

Originally posted by 1s1k:
I have never seen a single person in my neighborhood was a car by hand though.

Which means you HAVE had a constant barrage of "hey, I'm next!" from every Tom, Dick and dick that walks or rides by.

I hand wash my cars with decent stuff, but I don't carried away. Unless you've got a Bugatti...or a Ferrari , you'll be fine. I recently acquired an older 911 and it came with some decent ceramic coating/finishes, so the water beads off pretty good. I just dry with a nice microfiber towel. All good.

quote:

Originally posted by Prefontaine:
I can do this whole process in less than an hour on a car. Truck takes longer because of size.

Helps that the GRC & electric tree appendage are both fairly compact

Thanks, all. I can't afford the water treatment system at this point, so better wash materials will be my next purchase.

I do like the idea of using the leaf blower to dry the vehicle -- I used to do that with motorcycles. Good grief, there's a lot of surface area to dry on such a relatively small vehicle!

I spent a while this afternoon looking at the Griot's Garage wash products. The foaming surface wash and Ceramic Speed Shine look like products I should get hold of. We have plenty of microfiber towels around, so that's taken care of.

I think I may splurge and get the Ryobi EZClean tool and its associated foam blaster gadget. We all like an excuse -- I mean, um, opportunity -- to buy new tools, right?

- - - - -

Prefontaine, you mentioned ceramic coating. I hear the term a lot, but don't yet know much about it. My boss was looking at having his truck done. The comment he got was, "you won't want to see it while it's in process, but you'll love it when it's done."

Is it tough to do? Is it expensive? Is it permanent? I'll probably have more questions as we go...

10 For light washes, I put a capfull of ONR in a bucket, add a half dozen microfiber towels, and point my wife at the car (she does not like working with a hose); goto 30
20 for heavy dirt, splattered mud, etc. I use a hose with a soft brush, rinse, let dry and goto 10
30 end

It has been many many years since I waxed a car, not that I've had a finish that warranted it.

My '88 RX-7 is heavily oxidized, but doesn't look too bad when it is wet, so I am looking at something that will de-ox the surface without trashing the underlying color, factory red if that makes a difference.

quote:

Originally posted by architect:
My '88 RX-7

With a statement like that, you'd better show some pics, mister!