Have water spots? Here's where to start (and what to do if they're REALLY bad)

Water spots can be such a visual blight on your vehicle's paint. The questions is...where do you start? Do you just polish them off? Or spray Water Spot Remover on? Or some combination?
It's important to know what's happening with water spots -- how they form, and how the wrong choice of product (or order of using products) can impact your paint. So press play and get ready to learn!
PRODUCTS USED:
DECON TOWEL: bit.ly/FineGradeClayTowel
GOLD STANDARD POLISH: bit.ly/GoldStandardPolish
GOLD STANDARD WAFFLE PAD: bit.ly/GoldStandardWafflePad
LEGACY SPONGE: bit.ly/LegacySponge
PAD WASHER: bit.ly/PadWasher
RINSELESS WASH: bit.ly/RinselessWash
WATER SPOT REMOVER: bit.ly/WaterSpotRemoverDIY
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Podcast:bit.ly/DIYDetailPodcast
#autodetailing #diydetail #yvanlacroix #carwash #claytowel #detailing #detalingtip #howtodetailacar #detailing101

[@matthewwingle4637]

I’m switching to this iron remover once I’m out of what I have. What a great decon system. I have the rag company clay towel. Lubricating with iron remover is genius, my friends.

[@diydetailofficial]

Thanks! Enjoy😊

[@greghaefs4677]

So much information happens in the small talk while doing the process. Love the full/uncut videos of process and small talk. Keep it up!

[@diydetailofficial]

Glad it was helpful!

[@ninokwim7700]

30 years up in Edmonton here. first channel I've found where I'm learning something thank you. sure be fun to do a car with you guys. mostly I do meatball surgery = make a 5 hour job look decent in 2 know what I mean. I love when I can do cars on the side and take the proper time. peace

[@diydetailofficial]

Thank you, hopefully we will be touring in Alberta next year.

[@GoGreenBx]

Another great video. I learn something every time and it reinforces the steps, increasing my confidence with each video.

[@diydetailofficial]

Excellent

[@benmoulson]

Another fantastic video guys, thanks so much for sharing your little nuggets of wisdom along the way. I’ve heard your products are making their way to New Zealand. I absolutely cannot wait to get my hands on EVERYTHING. 🇳🇿🇳🇿🇳🇿

[@diydetailofficial]

Great to hear!

[@GoGreenBx]

Got water spot remover today finally! Did my first true complete rinseless wash then water spot remover. Worked like a charm! Can’t believe how quickly was able to complete my task! Great stuff!

[@diydetailofficial]

Thanks for sharing!!

[@tjbooger2508]

Cant thank you guys enough for sharing all the techniques and knowledge! Ive been detailing for about 7 years and i never stop learning. I have my garage set up at home so i can detail our personal vehicles and occasionally a friend who wants to pay for a good solid detail. Going to order basically your entire line of products. I live on Guam and its hot (31C) and humid 365 days a year. Looking foward to seeing how your products hold up in our extreme environment here. Im sure theyll be solid performers! Cheers from Guam 🇬🇺 -TJ-

[@diydetailofficial]

Excellent! Please let us know how they perform

[@tjbooger2508]

@diydetailofficial for sure! Tropical climates make detailing interesting. Ill be doing a light paint correction on my new 2023 Honda Civic Type R , it's Black and was washed at the dealer so it's all marred up. Will use DIY Gold waffle pads and DIY Gold Standard Polish 😎

[@diydetailofficial]

Perfect

[@steveclark2426]

Great video as always. I love using your water spot for revitalizing coatings. I find that living on dirt roads the coating on our vehicles get clogged all the time. I wish I could get the water spot remover in gallon size.

[@diydetailofficial]

Thank you, gallons are on the way

[@stevenv9224]

Great video guys 💪🏼💪🏼💪🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼

[@diydetailofficial]

Thanks 👍

[@loic4691]

Can't wait to watch it😊

[@diydetailofficial]

Thank you

[@jlb3675]

Timely video, going to do my truck tomorrow, taking advantage of a 60 degree day here in Connecticut. Just put your 8 year ceramic coating on it though so I won't be using the decon towel and hopefully won't need to polish. Just remove a few water spots (from rain) and some light dirt.

[@diydetailofficial]

Enjoy the process.

[@DetailingMadeSimple]

Awesome video!! 💪

[@diydetailofficial]

Thank you

[@thesamsquatch5224]

Excellent!!!

[@diydetailofficial]

Many thanks!

[@kawh8719]

what a beautiful truck

[@diydetailofficial]

It sure is!

[@indelibledotink]

just getting started, mahalo!

[@diydetailofficial]

Thank you.

[@greghaefs4677]

Love the comment during video, only need to rinse off the rinseless if going muddling. I have always rinsed the rinseless wash, when washing weekly. Maybe an extra process that isn’t helping. Leave that rinseless do its thing. More efficient not taking garden hose to rinse off before sponge bath?

[@diydetailofficial]

Rinsing before the contact wash is a good thing

[@mikeeonfiya]

Thanks for the education on this subject. Good thing I got over my trypophobia back then….but every now and then, I hate seeing the water spot etches with the brighter white crescent around it. 😑

[@diydetailofficial]

Don’t we all.

[@chabaneouali1955]

Awesome videos ! Thank you guys. Do you recommend towel drying over Air drying (dedicated blower) ? Or both are similar ?

[@diydetailofficial]

Towel drying leaves a cleaner surface.

[@VictorHernandez-nt3tw]

Yvan welcome to orlando and hope the Supreme detail event came ok good. Sorry for the not so Sunshine state the last few days. I wish I could have made it but I'm leaving to Europe. 😢

[@diydetailofficial]

Thank you, we had a good day. Have a fun trip to the EU.

[@ang2202]

What speed is the palm sander on?? Appreciate the videos. Got my wishlist ready

[@diydetailofficial]

Full speed with the small orbit

[@macallanvintage]

Hard watermark stains (HWS) re-appear after a detailing job because the machine work was insufficiently aggresive and thus leaving behind remnants of those etched-in stains that were subsequently covered up by polishing and/or compound oils. After completing the machine work, always soak the panel with a strong APC solution for a few minutes, agitate gently, flush and inspect. You might be shocked that your supposedly honest polish and/compound were hiding many gremlins. Certain types of waxes and coatings significantly worsen hard watermark issues by creating more stains (eg: higher-end Japanese synthetic waxes with immense beading such as Soft99 Fusso Coat products) In my shop, when facing serious HWS issues, we wet the panel (mostly upwards facing) with watermark remover and lay MF cloths on top of panel (also dampened by watermark remover) to lengthen the “wet dwell time”. 15mins wet dwell time with Meguiars Wheel Brightener diluted 1:3 has been fantastic on the most serious cases of HWS since 2008.

[@diydetailofficial]

Thanks, here’s our process kzbin.info/www/bejne/nHyrn6luh9OZn7Msi=WDyanYfkwq-nUZGC

[@spirobouloukos511]

As always great content guy's! In your opinion from what year would you say a vehicle's got 'modern ' paint?

[@diydetailofficial]

1985

[@spirobouloukos511]

@@diydetailofficial many thanks!

[@67Jeff]

FYI Tint Kegs at sundistributing I use mine for detailing and tinting.

[@diydetailofficial]

Nice

[@neilwalker5041]

I drove a red Silverado for 15 years and loved that truck. Is the red bumper a different shade of red because the bumper material is different than the material in the body. The owner is going to be styling driving around town with the red paint popping. Ceramic gloss or a ceramic coating will have this truck dripping gloss.

[@diydetailofficial]

The bumpers are different colours on most cars because normally they are not painted in the same factory as the car.

[@johng753]

Would like to see how you remove water spots on Paint Protection film on the hood.

[@diydetailofficial]

Same as on paint

[@danf.8787]

For light waterspots, Instead of spraying all over, can we do a few sprays in the panel, agitate then let it sit for some time before hosing off?

[@diydetailofficial]

Yes

[@timdt1792]

Hello DIY Detail, I am not sure where I should be adding the water spot remover (WSR) within my plan to be efficient and get my car ceramic coated. Please let me know where WSR should be added. Planned order: wheels/tires, foam w/ incredible suds, rinse, foam, contact wash, clay towel with iron remover, rinse, towel dry, 1-step GS polish w/ yellow waffle on DA, remove polish residue with rinseless towel/dry towel, panel prep (2 towels), 3 yr ceramic coat - level with 2 towels. dress tires. Thanks

[@diydetailofficial]

Iron remover, rinse, DIY Detail Water Spot Remover, rinse, dry

[@bertlang9934]

Good morning Yvan & Nick I wash my house windows this weekend with rinseless wash, this morning on direct sun light I notice lots of water spots in the glass, so I rewash them and put ceramic gloss to wipe. After all that I still have lots of spots. Do you have any suggestions to remove them on my windows. Thank you

[@diydetailofficial]

DIY Detail Water Spot Remover

[@ac7384]

When we polish. I know it’s important to know how thick the paint /clear coat is. How would Ike know this. Before polishing. Is it best to get a reader for this. Before polishing. If so will any do. Or is there certain ones. ?

[@diydetailofficial]

Definitely a paint thickness guage is useful.

[@jeffwenzel9942]

What palm sander is that,just wondering if comes with the Velcro Backing for my pads,thanks

[@diydetailofficial]

It’s from a local hardware store, yes it has a Velcro backing plate.

[@matthewkralik9426]

Can you do the iron remover step with any brand?

[@diydetailofficial]

No

[@originalguy4535]

Why you guys don't use two bucket method?

[@diydetailofficial]

Here’s our reasoning. kzbin.info/www/bejne/gHucdn2uZ7Gjbtksi=bm6AY6-q5ttyM5RU

[@danf.8787]

So to best prepare a car before coating, should the process (via rinselss instead of foam) be: 1. Rinseless wash 2. Mineral deposit remover 3. Rinse 4. Iron remover with PSD 5. Rinse 6. Dry If I have a dirty car, can I do the following priort number 1 above? A. dry pre-spray of APC B. Spray rinseless C. Rinse Thanks again in advance!

[@diydetailofficial]

Perfect

[@ohsnapsitzjustin]

Same process for the windshield? Or do I need a more aggressive pad and compound since glass is pores

[@diydetailofficial]

The wool pad on the glass

[@jeremya2871]

Here is a question: I have noticed on multiple vehicles over my many years of detailing that when the vehicles paint is wet water spots appear but once we dry it, there gone. Do you know what causes that, and is it something to be concerned about? Thanks guys😉

[@diydetailofficial]

There are a few embedded minerals that are holding the moisture.

[@donaldthomason4588]

What sander are you using for polishing?

[@diydetailofficial]

A standard 5 inch random orbital sander.

[@junhong8575]

can the water spot remover be used on ceramic coated vehicles?

[@diydetailofficial]

absolutely, it's actually great to restore water beading to coated vehicles

[@Twolves2005]

Is water spot remover the best product to revive a coating after a long winter, or something else?

[@diydetailofficial]

Yes, that’s a great application

[@ryeguy88]

so you guys prefer to use water spot remove before going to iron in most cases?

[@diydetailofficial]

Iron remover first

[@KingRockets]

Waterspot remover first or iron remover first?

[@diydetailofficial]

Iron Remover first

[@caseG80]

Why not use the decontamination towel?

[@matthewwingle4637]

They are.

[@diydetailofficial]

In what sense?

[@billbuss7542]

How much is your decon towel?

[@diydetailofficial]

diydetail.com/products/fine-grade-clay-towel

[@1stfrompuertorico568]

Ready to roll

[@diydetailofficial]

Thank you.

[@kjq4476]

So what your telling me rain water sitting on your car doesn't cause water spots. Ah. Not true. It does

[@diydetailofficial]

Rain water doesn’t, the minerals on your car from dust can in some areas. When they are fresh they should easily wash off the surface.

[@SkeezMaleez]

You’re a moron. This is basic, basic chemistry. There’s nothing in H20 itself that stays behind to leave a mark. It’s the minerals in the water/already on the surface. Dumb as fuck.