Water Spots On The windows

**Beemerboy** · 05-20-2003, 09:04 PM

I live in an area that has ral hard water, great wine but hard water...LOL

What are you folks using t o get the spots off the windows. I use a paste window cleaner but, its a lot of work.

Any better ways that are easier than pasting every windoe down

Thanks

**Beemerboy** · 05-20-2003, 09:05 PM

Oh and one last thing

One of these days I plan on working on my spelling, typing and grammar...

Well at aleast I can get a car clean...LOL

**Dirty_South** · 05-20-2003, 10:11 PM

Check out the Diamondite system here at the online store. I got some and used it for the first time the other day. GREAT stuff...easy on and off...the sealant portion helps to hide the etching too.

**TheCompleteLook** · 05-21-2003, 02:00 PM

Diamondite is my first choice. I got mine from Dwayne. It does work, but it is costly. If you have a client that won`t pay for it, you should do ok with Autoglym window polish with a drill setup. I have also heard of 0000 grade steel wool, but haven`t tried it myself, so be careful if you use it and don`t blame me if it Fs it all up.

**Tassadar** · 05-22-2003, 12:36 AM

http://www.shadeusa.com/misters.htm

They sell misting products, but they also sell an inline water filter thats designed to hookup to the faucet or anywhere you need it to.

Perhaps give it a try?

**blkZ28Conv** · 05-22-2003, 06:31 PM

Diamondite works very well for water spots. They have a "foam" clay that is used with a scrubbie that comes with the system. Really fine product that works. Using once a year on one vehicle the kit should last for 3 applications ( 3 years ).

**John Sharp** · 05-22-2003, 07:56 PM

I havent used the system the other guys are talking about but I hear good reviews for it. For water spots there are a few cheaper solution that might work.

Vinegar and a clean towel. Wipe it on and clean the spots off. The vinegar can disolve the mineral deposits off that are making the spot.

Another trick is to use a mild compound or better yet chrome polish and 0000 grade steel wool. The danger here is not to use the steel wool on plastic OR some coated windows. I haven had any trouble on windshields BUT I did goof up a side mirror with the steel woll trick due to its not being real glass. If your carefull though it is a good way to clean real glass and its an old timers trick for cleaning and polishing glass.

My only other idea is using regualr clay on the glass. Go at it just like you do the paint. It takes water spots off paint and it does it for galss too. At least it usually does. lol

One time in an EXTREME situation I cleaned a window with some stuff called CLR. The car sat in a parking lot for 3 weeks and a lawn sprinkler soaked the drivers window daily with well water. The glass was AWFULL. I took a little CLR on a rag just like the vinegar and it took the spots right off. Be carefull here though, dont let it touch the paint EVER! It was an extreme situation or I wouldnt have used such a strong cleaner.

Best regards,
John

**Dirty_South** · 05-22-2003, 08:31 PM

I use the 0000 steel wool all the time also. If you just use something with it for lubrication (I just use glass cleaner) then you should`nt have a problem. Sap, bugs OVERSPRAY...it all comes off really easy.

Back to the acid rain....I can get the glass smooth, but does anyone have any tricks for removing the etching or at least covering it up?

**John Sharp** · 05-25-2003, 11:07 PM

To Remove the etching really means you have to polish the glass. Its like a scratch in the paint, you would have to level the surface to make the scratch go away.

This is something that I havent done with a machine but I have used a glass polish by hand. It was One Grand glass polish. It didnt remove real deep flaws but it refined the smaller ones real well but I didnt try it on etching. It did ok but some systems are more intense where you use a machine to buff the glass.

John

**biff** · 06-25-2003, 11:13 AM

Originally posted by John Sharp
... or better yet chrome polish and 0000 grade steel wool. The danger here is not to use the steel wool on plastic OR some coated windows. I haven had any trouble on windshields BUT I did goof up a side mirror with the steel woll trick due to its not being real glass. If your carefull though it is a good way to clean real glass and its an old timers trick for cleaning and polishing glass.

Wish I would have found this post 10 minutes ago. I tried 0000 steel wool on glass. Being the ever-prudent detailer I decided to test on a small out of the way area first. What could be better than the driver side mirror? You know where this is going.... on first inspection it looks pretty good, but go in close and ... hey where did these scratches come from? So I quit and muttered to myself "what fool would ever use steel wool on glass, I`ve learned my lesson"

Then I read this. D`oh! Not real glass on the mirror! I think a little DACP will buff out the scratches, but I`m not sure I want to even bother trying 0000 on the windows now.

Lessons learned:

1. Always test somewhere inconspicuous first (can you imagine if I tried this on a window that was some sort of plastic glass)

2. If the little voice in your head says "this doesn`t sound like a good idea; steel wool?" You might want to listen to that voice.

3. If you`re going to try something new, make sure you do your homework and now exactly what you`re doing.

**John Sharp** · 06-28-2003, 10:01 PM

Ohh Biff I know what your going through! lol

I did the same thing. Fortunately I wasnt doing a customers car but a lousy fleet vehicle at the shop my father owns. The thing was an old beater van and so I was not in trouble experimenting on it.

It seems the side mirrors are not really hard glass but more like a plastic. I dont know what there made of but its not as hard as a windsheild.

Best regards,
John

**pommer2005** · 06-28-2003, 10:35 PM

wow...I still can`t get how much smarter you guys are then me....lol....

I`ve heard of some people using cheap wax to take care of windows and remove water spots....has anyone esle heard that/done that????

**John Sharp** · 06-29-2003, 01:21 AM

Hi Pommer,

I am NOT the smartest guy around here by ANT standard! lol

That being said I would say that waxing the glass is overrated. If a wax would have any cleaing ability to remove water spots it would probably be a cleaner wax. I suppose you could get away with it but I personally dont allow any wax on the glass of the cars I do. Ill tell you why.

Wax is a substance that when its warm its kinda melts and evaporates. I have heard of shops doing this on windsheilds and then being sued when a crash occured due to poor visibilty. It also effects the wipers and can smear. The only thing like that I have used on glass that I like is Klasse.

If you want to clean simple water spots off the glas why not try my suggestions above or the systems designed for glass? Then following with a glass dressing like Rain-x or Aquapell. That would be my suggestion over the wax on the glass.

Best regards,
John

Buy the new Jayhawks album!

**Cujo31** · 06-29-2003, 01:44 AM

As John says, I use Klasse on windows, well I should actually say used to. I tried Poorboy`s Polish and it did wonders. Also, Rain-x or the Diamond stuff from here works great. I would never use a wax because like John said, it can and will break down giving I would imagine terrible visibility.