Auto Detailing Questions | I can’t get rid of water spots on my car’s windshield. What should I do?

Just about a week ago I had a client call me saying she had a similar problem. She had been trying to take good care of her car & had purchased some concentrated product including something for the windshield. Unfortunately, after using it she says it developed spots across the entire windshield. Honestly, I’m not quite sure how this happened, since I never saw the windshield in question or the products that were used to clean the vehicle. However, since she said she had been cleaning her glass regularly & had not seen any spots previously, I was fairly certain this was not a really bad case.

Depending on where water spots are on a vehicle, you may have precautions, product types or environmental concerns you want to avoid, but this will be covered under a future topic. Here we will deal specifically with the front windshield. I suggested a couple of retail glass polishes, one from Walmart & another from City Mill. Suffice it to say, she picked up the polish available at City Mill (and a number of other locations) & it worked out great for her.

I recommend a glass polish for the front windshield because I have had detailers develop problems with a chemical or acid based water spot remover when the front glass has been etched by the grit from the windshield wipers.

The basic procedure with this type of product is as follows:

• make sure your glass surface is clean, removing any grit from the surface. Soap & water, glass cleaner or even a damp chamois will usually suffice. It’s probably also a good idea to perform this procedure out of direct sunlight, as most of them recommend not allowing the product to dry on the surface or inhaling fumes given off by the product. Chemical reactions tend to speed up with heat, so its a good idea to do this in the shade, & again, make sure the surface you will be working on is cool to the touch. Also, if your windshield is chipped, it would be a good idea to get the glass repaired first. I have heard of a crack spreading from a chip when a detailer perhaps applied a little too much pressure while polishing the glass.
• take a small, clean terri-cloth, fold it in half, then in half again. Ball up the majority of it in your fist with enough left over to cover your knuckles. (feel free to use alternate methods if this is not comfortable for you.) Place a small amount of the product on the terri & use your knuckles to rub the terri & product on the glass. As you rub in a circular motion, you should have a gritty feel at first which should smooth out as you continue to rub. If you are only using a small amount of product, you should be able to see the spots actually being removed.  Usually only about 4lbs of pressure is needed. Too much pressure with certain glass polishes could actually scratch the glass. Also, some products will suggest you use a damp terri to help lubricate the product.
• When you are done, wash the windshield with soap & water or a glass cleaner. If you are not done, but are being called away for a while, I suggest at least wiping over the area with a damp chamois (make sure to rinse out later).

If you should have any questions, please feel free to contact me directly at (808) 222-8000 or by email: gavin@autodetailaces.com.

Best wishes & happy detailing!