Water spot removal from glass

[Impureclient]

Originally Posted by Howaitoguru

So I’ve been looking for a way to get the water spots off my windows and to get the swirl marks off my entire car including windows could you possibly walk me through everything you used and the tools needed? I’m new to this detailing stuff but the swirls and water spots drive me crazy in the sun. I tried vinegar, and I tried the orange looking water spot remover from the chemical guys and none of it worked.


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He basically said everything he tried didn't work except for polishing it off with a dual action polisher. It really could have been said in a sentence and without unneeded pictures.
Water stains are akali and need acid to remove them. If you used vinegar and spot remover and it didn't work, take it further. CLR would be my next option and then at the far end of of "be careful with this stuff",
I would then use very thinned down muriatic acid. You can only get it on the glass or painted surface because it will attack and stain metal and possibly etch paint. It will also burn skin and clothing, so again, be careful.
Most likely CLR will do it but most people jump from using vinegar/spot removers, which are very low on the acidity scale, and jump to physically removing water stains by "grinding" it off with a polisher.

[Howaitoguru]

Originally Posted by Impureclient

He basically said everything he tried didn't work except for polishing it off with a dual action polisher. It really could have been said in a sentence and without unneeded pictures.

Water stains are akali and need acid to remove them. If you used vinegar and spot remover and it didn't work, take it further. CLR would be my next option and then at the far end of of "be careful with this stuff",

I would then use very thinned down muriatic acid. You can only get it on the glass or painted surface because it will attack and stain metal and possibly etch paint. It will also burn skin and clothing, so again, be careful.

Most likely CLR will do it but most people jump from using vinegar/spot removers, which are very low on the acidity scale, and jump to physically removing water stains by "grinding" it off with a polisher.

Thanks for the helpful explanation. I’ll try the CLR this weekend. I’ve heard of people bidding it with 0000 SS pad but that sounds like it will scratch the hell out of it. How would I remove the swirl marks also? Do I need to buy a buffer and rub it down with clay or something?


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[Impureclient]

Originally Posted by Howaitoguru

Thanks for the helpful explanation. I’ll try the CLR this weekend. I’ve heard of people bidding it with 0000 SS pad but that sounds like it will scratch the hell out of it. How would I remove the swirl marks also? Do I need to buy a buffer and rub it down with clay or something?
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You're still talking glass here, right?
For glass, I would start with weak and move along to stronger liquid removal. So vinegar and spot remover are out then CLR and the thinned muriatic. I never have and never would try steel wool on glass.
Another option is a razor blade which seems crazy unless you've seen it work. This is also risky if you aren't careful. Taping the ends of the blade will make sure you don't scratch the glass but if it's kept at a angle
and you don't take it too fast, it's pretty good at cleaning glass. Probably better than the DA polisher. If you don't trust yourself on the car window, test on a house window to get a feel for it.

A buffer is better for after liquid removal doesn't work on the paint since buffing is essentially slowly removing clear coat. If you're talking about scratches on glass then it is possible to remove that too
if they aren't too deep but, on paint scratches are only coming out with the polishing which is essentially slowly removing clear coat so that's why I would use polishing as the last resort.

Also, since the clay bar came up, clay bars or clay sponges just pick off embedded contaminants from the surface before you buff it so you don't rub those contaminants around as you buff it scratching the surface even more.
You also didn't mention it but if those water spots are left too long on the paint, they will eventually etch the clear coat and are only coming off with that polishing. Actually not coming off but being technically grinded out
of the clear since it is not on the paint but into the paint.

[Howaitoguru]

Originally Posted by Impureclient

You're still talking glass here, right?
For glass, I would start with weak and move along to stronger liquid removal. So vinegar and spot remover are out then CLR and the thinned muriatic. I never have and never would try steel wool on glass.
Another option is a razor blade which seems crazy unless you've seen it work. This is also risky if you aren't careful. Taping the ends of the blade will make sure you don't scratch the glass but if it's kept at a angle
and you don't take it too fast, it's pretty good at cleaning glass. Probably better than the DA polisher. If you don't trust yourself on the car window, test on a house window to get a feel for it.

A buffer is better for after liquid removal doesn't work on the paint since buffing is essentially slowly removing clear coat. If you're talking about scratches on glass then it is possible to remove that too
if they aren't too deep but, on paint scratches are only coming out with the polishing which is essentially slowly removing clear coat so that's why I would use polishing as the last resort.

Yeah I was referring to the swirl marks on the glass. So just to confirm I could use a buffer on the glass to remove the swirl marks? Do they have some kind of filler for the glass or anything? Sorry I’m asking so many questions I appreciate the help.


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[Impureclient]

Originally Posted by Howaitoguru

Yeah I was referring to the swirl marks on the glass. So just to confirm I could use a buffer on the glass to remove the swirl marks? Do they have some kind of filler for the glass or anything? Sorry I’m asking so many questions I appreciate the help.


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Buffing out scratches in glass is hardcore stuff. There are no window scratch fillers that I've heard of. I have one on my rear window and I haven't even tackled that since it's heavy duty buffing. Here is a video doing it the correct way: [ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uKIwHrCtpHs[/ame]

Honestly, if the whole windshield has scratches, Id have a pro come out and do it since you can see in that video, it is not for the faint of heart.
You're basically taking the scratch out by sanding the scratch out with finer and finer polishing. You might even be better off just replacing the whole thing depending on the cost to have a whole windshield professionally buffed properly.

[humfrz]

16 N hydrochloric acid will take those watermarks right off -


humfrz