Here is a DIY guide on how to remove water spots from car windows, using a variety of cleaning products to make the cleaning task quick and simple.
You are supposed to use vinegar, lemon, glass cleaner, clay bar, steel wool, baking soda, toothpaste, WD-40, or essential oils of lemon or orange.
Please read on for more detailed information.
How to Remove Water Spots from Car Windows?
You likely came to this page to learn how to remove water stains from your car’s windows or mirrors. If it’s truly bugging you, like it does me, give these methods a try:
Vinegar
Now, if you’re as frugal as I am, you’ll likely try everything in or under the kitchen sink before you go to the Google machine to make a purchase. Vinegar is a very useful household cleaner that is available in almost every household, so I advise you to start there.
- First, take some vinegar and mix it in equal parts with water. This is a good place to start, but you can always strengthen the solution with more vinegar should you need to.
- Next, take your new solution and either pour it into a spray bottle (if that’s how you roll), or pour it into a microfiber or regular dish towel. For starters, if you want to spray, spray the towel rather than the glass.
- Next, take the towel that has been soaked in liquid and rub the spots out of your window. No matter how small, the towel will provide that surface with some much-needed abrasion to break up those mineral deposits.
- When you’re satisfied that you’ve done your best to cover the area, use a clean, dry towel (or paper towel) to remove the water/vinegar mixture. By doing this, you can rid the surface of any liquid particles that might cause new smudges.
I should note that baking soda can be used in this situation in addition to or instead of vinegar. Although I fail to understand the purpose, it appears to be effective. Just watch out for silly things like combining an alkali like baking soda with an acid like vinegar. They will cancel each other out and nothing will happen.
Try directly spraying 100% pure vinegar on stubborn spots and letting it sit for 30 minutes to work its magic. Then try wiping it off.
Lemon
Cut a lemon in half and apply the juice to the area as it sounds! Allow the acid to work for a few minutes. In the end, rub it off as though you were using vinegar!
It’s worth a try, especially if you have some leftover lemons or limes in your refrigerator. Make sure you make a nice mojito afterwards for your friendly writer, Al.
Glass Cleaner
Find a dependable glass or window cleaner by doing some research. Scrub the water spot or stain away with a microfiber cloth. Since you won’t unintentionally wear down the glass material, this method typically works best with the typical spots. Because it doesn’t leave behind pieces of fabric and won’t scratch the glass, we suggest using a microfiber cloth.
Clay Bar
You should try using a clay bar if the methods mentioned above don’t work for you. This is a tried-and-true technique for getting rid of rubber, oil, sap, tar, sand, and, you guessed it, water spots!
Chemical Guys makes a great clay bar kit to help you with this water spots issue, and they even provide the helpful video below.
Mothers also makes a clay bar kit, and they smell nice so you could try that as well. I also trust Mothers’ products because the company has been around for a long time.
Steel Wool
Another method for removing water spots from your glass is to use #0000 (super fine) type steel wool to scuff up the surface. The hardest water spots to remove should be taken on after wetting the steel wool pad and applying small circular motions.
This is very important: don’t press too hard, and be careful. You won’t like it if too much pressure causes your glass to scratch. This ought to do the trick for you, and if it doesn’t after you’ve tried every other suggestion in this article, the water spot probably isn’t what you’d expect.
It might be a strong solvent, some oil or acid, or someone has been slowly painting tiny circles on your windows; that would be a clever practical joke.
Baking Soda
Mix some water and baking soda to create a paste. Apply this paste to a microfiber cloth and vigorously scrub the water spot. The baking soda paste contains abrasive granules that can wear away the water spot’s minerals and limescale-like buildup.
After scrubbing the spot to the best of your ability, thoroughly rinse the glass with water. We advise you to use this method only for outside windows due to the possibility of debris or paste strewing throughout the interior of your car. We advise using a common glass cleaner and newspaper to get rid of residue and streaks on your window glass.
Toothpaste
Here, you can also use a tooth paste and water mixture. Apply this paste to your windows, let it sit for a short while, and then rinse with water. You should use a typical glass cleaner to clean and completely dry the glass on your car after using this technique.
Wd-40
Are water stains removed by WD-40? Everything I can find on Ye ‘Old internet says that WD-40 will work great for removing water spots on pretty much any type of glass surface. Simply use the same procedure we described above for the vinegar on your WD-40.
- WD-40 should be sprayed onto a towel.
- Then vigorously rub that portion of the glass with the water spots.
- Let it sit for a minute or two
- Wipe it away with a dry microfiber, dish, or paper towel
If you’ve found this article by accident and plan to use the method on a glass cutting board, just be sure to wash the WD-40 off because it’s not food safe.
Essential Oils of Lemon Or Orange
The windows of your car can be cleaned of hard water stains using lemon or orange essential oils. They can also help to prevent hard water deposit buildup in the future. A few drops of essential oils and water should be combined, then the mixture should be applied to your window with a sponge or microfiber towel. Before removing it with a reputable glass cleaner, let it soak.
Read about:
Common Types of Stains Or Water Spots in Car Windows
Normal Water Spots Or Stain
Typical water spots form when hard water leaves a mineral residue on your vehicle’s windows. These minerals are typically magnesium, calcium, or something comparable.
Sadly, water from any source, including sprinkler water, rainwater, and even water from some car wash services, can result in these spots. Similar to how line scale builds up over time, these mineral deposits eventually result in a permanent water spot that cannot be removed without extensive treatment.
Stains With Etched Patterns
Etched water stains are not brought on by typical mineral deposits. Instead, these stains appear when puddles or small pools of water are exposed for an extended period of time to high temperatures or amounts of sunlight.
As the temperature of your car’s windows rises, water spots can eventually become “etched” into the glass. One of the reasons you must completely dry your car after washing it is because you cannot just leave it out in the sun to dry. Etched stains are among the hardest to get rid of and may require professional help or abrasive removal techniques like wet sanding.
Mineral Spots
When rainwater containing particularly corrosive or acidic elements strikes the glass or body of your car, it can cause mineral stains, also known as bonded mineral stains. Acid or toxic rain can be caused by a variety of factors, and you can even get these stains if you get rained on anywhere around smoke from vehicle exhaust pipes or manufacturing plants.
They leave mineral deposits on your car’s glass that are toxic or corrosive, similar to the stains that regular water leaves behind. Over time, these minerals may bond to the glass, making removal very challenging. Worse, the minerals can corrode the glass over time, making it fragile and prone to shattering or simply making it look bad.
What Causes Water Spots on Your Car’s Exterior Windows?
Car windows get water spots from condensation, mineral buildup, and dirt. On the car’s windows, the vapor in the air condenses, which then drips to the ground.
The particles that make up these deposits vary depending on the surface you have on your car’s windows. However, they are frequently made of sand, salt, and dried mud that have been blown around by the wind or rain.
Your car windows will gather more moisture in a humid climate than they would in a place with less frequent rain. Therefore, consider washing your windows more often to avoid water spots.
Other Things That Can Cause Water Spots on Your Car’s Window
You should also look out for certain situations that might leave unsightly water spots on your car windows:
- Windshield wipers that aren’t working correctly (or at all)
- Rainwater running down the windshield or acid rains
- Debris that has been left on the windshield or window
- Bird droppings
- Car washing under the hot sunlight
- Car wash service that is not thorough
Ways to Prevent Hard Water Spots on Car Windows
While removing water stains is the first step, protecting your glass from additional stains is the final step. To protect your car windows from water spots, you should:
- Keep buildup to a minimum and address water spots as soon as possible.
- Water that has accumulated on your windshield and windows should be removed.
- To prevent your windshield from getting wet, park your car under cover.
- You should spray water repellent on your windows and windshield.
Particularly if they cover the entire surface of your car windows, water stains can be very challenging to get rid of. The good news is that you do not need to spend money on pricey spot cleaning products or send your car to a full detailing service. Simply use one of the simple solutions listed above, and remember to pair it with a good glass cleaner and a glass coating.
FAQs
What If I Still Have Water Marks Residue?
Some water stains might etch further into the car’s surface. In this situation, polishing or wet sanding will be necessary for those areas. Both of these techniques can be performed on your own or entrusted to a professional or a car wash facility.
Are Water Stains Permanent on Car?
Over time, repeated exposure to hard water without cleaning the paint will make these spots hard or even impossible to remove. Water spots occasionally become so bad that sanding the paint is the only way to get them off is necessary.
Summary: How to Remove Water Spots from Car Windows?
In this article, we’ve provided a variety of solutions to your water spots problem. You can find many methods to solve the problem of water spots, ranging from very cheap and homemade solutions to a professional solution.
How to remove water spots from car windows? You are supposed to use vinegar, lemon, glass cleaner, clay bar, steel wool, baking soda, toothpaste, WD-40, or essential oils of lemon or orange.
Keep in mind that the easiest way to deal with water spots is preventing them from them occurring.
If you find the post helpful, please don’t forget to share the post. Thank you for reading.
