How Water Can Damage Your Car

Did you know that pouring tap water onto your car can damage its paint? Yes, it is true, and it makes washing cars in the sun difficult. When you put water on your paint and let it dry, all the minerals in the water are left on the paint while the water evaporates. These minerals are harsh and etch into the clearcoat over time, creating water spots on the paint, ruining the finish. These water spots are difficult and costly to remove, as it creates spots in the clearcoat that may require polishing or sanding to remove.

Water allows us to wash cars, but it is also a ticking time bomb that has to be removed from the paint as fast as possible. When washing a car, if you do not keep the panel cool or work fast enough, the sun can cause the water to evaporate. This leaves water spots on the paint that look bad when the vehicle is dry. In order to combat this on hot summer days, we have to work fast, do sections of the car at a time, constantly cool down the panels with more water, and work in the shade if possible.

Water spots are not forgiving on hot summer days. Water can dry on a perfectly cool panel in less than a minute, and even faster on darker paints. This creates a challenge when washing cars, as we have to work harder in order to prevent water spotting. Since water will leave spots if it is left to dry in the sun, we always have to dry every panel of the vehicle and blow out all the water hiding in tight areas.

Since water leaves spots on the paint when you let it dry in the sun, you should never use tap water on the paint unless you fully wash, then dry the vehicle. It is a bad idea anyways to try to clean a car with only water because it does not actually clean the car. Water and soap alone cannot remove all the dirt on the car so it requires physical agitation. Without using proper techniques to wash your car, you can scratch up the paint or leaves damaging water spots on the vehicle, ruining the finish.

The only way to fully prevent water spotting is by properly drying the vehicle or by using Distilled or Deionized water, which contain no minerals and are pure water. Here at Wheelhouse Detailing, we use all the proper techniques to prevent water spotting on your vehicle, leaving it in pristine condition. If you aren’t up for the challenge of water spots, leave the work up to us.