Water Spot Removers

Water spots are rings of minerals left when hard water or rain dries on paint and glass. Most removers are mildly acidic cleaners that dissolve the minerals so they wipe away. The range includes CarPro Spotless 2.0, Shiny Garage Spot Off and Infinity Wax WaterSpot Remover.

How to choose

• How old the spots are: fresh spots from a wash left to dry in the sun come off most easily; for marks left for weeks, the Chemical Guys remover is labelled heavy duty.
• Coated cars: beaded water dries as spots, so coated cars need a spot remover most often. Check it is labelled safe on coatings; Gyeon Q2M Waterspot belongs to Gyeon's coating maintenance range.

Good to know

• Work on a cool panel in the shade, a section at a time, and rinse or wipe off before it dries. Acidic cleaners can weaken wax, so re-protect afterwards.
• If a faint ring remains once the area is clean, the spot has etched in and needs polishing: Compounds & Polishes for paint, Glass Polishes for glass.
• To stop spots coming back, dry the car straight after rinsing, or do the final rinse with filtered water (see Water Filters & Resin).

What is the best way to remove water spots from a car?

Start with a water spot remover, which dissolves the minerals so they wipe away, working a small section at a time on a cool panel. If a faint ring is still there once the area is clean, the spot has etched in and only polishing will take it out.

Related: Decontamination, Tar & Glue Removers, Drying Towels. Popular brands here: CarPro, Shiny Garage, Gyeon.