Have you ever wondered, what are those mysterious white spots that appear on cars sometimes? They look like white-edged ovals or circles, as if water itself decided to create some art using the car as a canvas. They are actually water stains, particularly found on the windshield of cars. Usually, stains on your car’s body and glass are remnants of water – hard water especially – that has been allowed to dry on it’s own.
Scientifically speaking, all water contains some amount of chemicals and minerals. Hard water has slightly more. When hard water evaporates, it leaves behind traces of minerals such as calcium and magnesium. Many times, water comes in contact with the cars parked in the society’s parking lot. There are chances that due to some or the other issue with the plumbing pipes on the parking lot’s roof, They might leak straight on to your car leaving those spots behind. It’s likely that such leakages might occur more in monsoon. Sadly, the longer these mineral deposits are allowed to remain on your car, the harder they will stick. If they are allowed to remain the same way, they may etch on to the surface requiring complicated methods such as wet sanding or an entirely new paint job to get rid of them.
(And let’s be honest, no one has the time or resources to get these things done in our busy schedules).
Therefore, let us first address the things that clearly do not work at removing these spots so you can save yourself the trouble. You may have already tried using the following methods before and then arrived at this blog looking for an answer. So lets actually get those things out of the way.
What doesn’t work?
Before you do anything else, you can try washing your car with regular soap and water. This eliminates particles that can scratch the surface when you attempt to remove the stains.
However, you’ll notice that washing your car alone may not scrub off the stains away, no matter how hard you try. That’s because, they’re lodged tight into the microscopic surface of the clear coat and must be dissolved again to remove.
There’s a high chance that your car servicing centre may charge you an extravagantly to remove the spots, so that is out of question. Stressing or panicking over those stains sitting on your beloved vehicle won’t work either 😛
Here are some things that might work!
- Vinegar
Vinegar is one of the most effective solutions for hard water stains and mineral deposits stains. White Vinegar is mildly acidic, making it effective opponent to alkaline deposits. Mix equal quantities of water and white vinegar. You can either put it in a spray bottle and wet the glass, or soak a towel in it and apply it ti the surface. Allow vinegar to sit on the spot for at least five minutes so that the acidity in the vinegar can counteract the mineral deposits. Then wipe it off with a clean towel until the spots vanish. Repeat as necessary and increase the concentration of vinegar if the stains are stubborn.
2. Lemon Juice
Like vinegar, lemon juice is acidic and may work at removing the spots. You can squeeze the juice from the lemon into a spray bottle or apply with a towel. You can even rub the lemon directly on to the glass
3. Detailing Clay
Much like a soft artist’s clay, detailing clay comes in small bars that can be kneaded and shaped and used much like an eraser. Detailing clay is used with a lubricant that is included with the product. This is best for smaller, localized section of water spots. It also works effectively on stubborn water stains since it essentially shears of the mineral residue by force.
4. Toothpaste
Simply make a solution of toothpaste and plenty of water to help remove the hard water spots. Apply the pasty solution to the glass, let it sit and rinse with water. Follow this up with an automotive glass cleaner.
5. Essential Oils
Mix a few drops of orange or lemon essential oil with water, apply to the glass with a towel or a sponge and allow it to soak in for 10 minutes. You can follow this up with an automotive glass cleaner. Essential oils protect your windshield from water spots developing in the first place. Try it once in a week to prevent hard water spots from forming on their own.
How do you prevent the spots from appearing?
- First and foremost, watch where you park. This isn’t much of a problem for Gated Communities since these properties have their own parking lots assigned to the residents. However, in case of a villa community, avoid parking your vehicle near sprinklers or overhead sprays.
- If leaking/damaged plumbing pipes on your society parking shed’s roof is the problem, then its best to speak to your MC and get this fixed so that you can save other resident’s vehicles from facing this ordeal.
- Wash your car regularly, especially after it rains. This way, there will be less time for acids and contaminants to latch on to your car’s paint job or glass. Equal importance must be given to drying. Simply drying or buffing your car with a towel each time it gets wet or washed will remove any minerals, acids and other contaminants while they are still dissolved in water.
The next time you see those spots appearing on yours or someone else’s car, you know what to do! For more Apartment Management tips, contact us.
