Nothing compares to driving a black automobile in Australia. Unfortunately, there may be times when simply looking at it would guarantee the appearance of water stains.
But kidding aside, it is indeed a headache that car owners would usually experience.
After washing your paint, if it still resembles the lunar surface, you probably have hard water. This is very inconvenient to deal with and may negatively affect your vehicle’s paint.
In such a case, where you live will determine whether hard water and acid rain will eat through your paint.
You don’t want to have to clean the car again every 15 minutes, but you also don’t want the paint to last for a very long period. If you stick with us, you’ll be an expert at removing any type of water stain by the end of this write-up. That said, let us determine what water spots are and their variants.
First of All, What Are Water Spots, and How May I Identify Them?
Water spots are residues of minerals, salts, acids, or other contaminants that have been dissolved in water and then naturally dried and deposited onto the surface of your car. The thing is, water isn’t just always made up of the usual water components.
It’s among the greatest solvents available. It works well to dissolve metals from environmental contamination, CO2, acids from industrial emissions and volcanic activity, calcium and magnesium carbonates from the adjacent rock, lead, and other metals.
Unless the water is treated to eliminate them or evaporated, these will stay in the liquid water. They will eventually make their way onto your car after being washed with harsh water or acidic rain.
Off-white powdery patches will form if you leave your car out in the sun to dry; it’s best to act quickly to get rid of these before they have a chance to harm the paint.
The Different Types of Water Stains and Spots
There are two primary forms of water stains, both of which may damage the paint on your car depending on the composition of your local water supply.
1. The Mineral Deposits from Hard Water
The amount of minerals dissolved in water is determined by its hardness. If a water’s pH is higher than 7, which is the pH of pure distilled water, it is said to be “hard.”
Rainfall will naturally pick up some calcium and magnesium on its route to the underground water system if there is a lot of calcium and magnesium-rich rock in your area.
That said, the hard water will leave mineral deposits on everything it comes into contact with, including the car you just washed with your garden hose.
The minerals, usually in the form of calcium carbonate, also known as CaCO3, are left behind as the water evaporates and builds up on the surface. They firmly embed themselves in the clear coat’s microscopic roughness and solidify into an off-white, powdery substance that feels abrasive to the touch and resembles chalk.
These minerals aren’t poisonous. However, they reduce the lifespan of every machine that comes into contact with them, including the paint on your car.
Industrial facilities and water utilities treat groundwater to keep the mineral concentration within acceptable ranges. However, it might not be sufficient to ward off hard water, depending on where you reside.
2. The Chemical Etching from Acid Rain
Because rain naturally dissolves atmospheric carbon dioxide, or CO2, which falls to the ground as weak carbonic acid with a pH range of 5.0–5.5, rain is always somewhat acidic.
If your car is kept outside for a long time, any acid, no matter how weak, will corrode the paint. In general, as long as you routinely wash your car, rain isn’t too horrible.
However, the rain may turn more acidic if you reside close to an industrial location with high levels of carbon dioxide and nitrogen oxide emissions.
Acid rain is also a result of strong volcanic activity that releases large volumes of sulphur dioxide, or SO2, and other acidic gasses into the atmosphere.
Whatever the cause, rainfall has the potential to deposit a sizable amount of acids on many surfaces, including your street-parked car.
Conclusion
Water spots are an infuriating thing to have on your car, but the good news is that you may still be able to clean them off. The most important thing to remember is that you must identify the type of water spot that your vehicle currently has in order to determine how to tend to them without damaging your paint job.
Be sure to remember our pointers above and maintain your car’s amazing paint job in the long run.
If you are looking for experienced car detailers in Melbourne, look no further than our services here at DD Car Detailing. We specialise in premium mobile car detailing in the Melbourne and Geelong areas. Call us today, and let us remove all your water spots in no time!