How To Get Rid Of Water Stain On Your Car Exterior

Swirl marks and scratches are the results of improper methods of removing water stains. While swirl marks happen during cleaning and detailing, it’s actually the products and tools used that does the damage. For example, using dirty wash mitts or sponge is one culprit since even the tiniest dirt trapped in those can cause fine scratches. Another reason behind swirl marks are dirty wax or polish applicator or dirty microfiber cloth.

If you’re very meticulous when it comes to cleaning or detailing your automobile, you may want to at least do the washing yourself. This way, you can be sure that everything you’re using aren't dirty which can be hard to do for car washing stations since they’re handling a lot of cars and changing cleaning materials for each car would be a bit impractical.

Another cause would be removing missed patches with a drying cloth. It happens to the best of us: you rinse your car, only to find you’ve missed a bit. But, instead of reaching for the cleaning cloth (the recommended solution), you attack the spot with your drying cloth – a big no-no. By rubbing a mucky mark with a dry cloth, you’ll effectively work the dirt into the paint, or at the very least cause a stubborn swirl mark. Remember – never clean your car with a dry cloth.

Now, if you’re still getting those swirl marks even when you’ve made sure the cleaning cloths and applicators are clean, the problem could be your car’s surface itself. If your paintwork has embedded contaminants, polishing the surface and waxing it will only drag those harmful particles round and round, thereby creating those nasty swirls. This is where prepping your paintwork prior to waxing and polishing becomes very crucial. Start by running your fingers along the body of the car, if it’s smooth all throughout then you’re good to go. If not, grab a clay bar and special lubricant and then move the bar in a back-and-forth motion (without exerting pressure) to remove embedded particles. When the clay gets dirty, you fold it to reveal the clean surface and continue. After your vehicle is done, the paintwork should feel as smooth as glass.

Causes Of Water Stains

Mineral And Dirt Deposits

Mineral and dirt deposits comprise the first category of water stains. These are mostly a result of trace minerals present in rain, sprinkler systems or in the car cleaning water, which remains to your vehicle exterior surface when it is washed but not dried off.

Corrosive Liquids

This type of water stains refers to etchings or craters that appear in the paint due to some corrosive liquids such as air con water discharge coming in contact with the car surface, which can lead to deterioration of the car paint and even the lacquer.

Ways To Remove Water Stain Properly

Wash It Thoroughly

People don’t just seek car servicing in Singapore due to engine problems, more often than not it’s due to exterior damage or imperfections like swirl marks from different kinds of dirt like grease, grime, bird poop and water. When left unattended for an extended period of time, they can cause serious paint damage on your car. Avoid the stress and unnecessary expenses by keeping your vehicle clean. 

Seek Car Polishing

Polishing is one of the most misunderstood paint care procedures and as a result many individuals skip this important step. Polish is an abrasive compound, which, when worked into the paint using the hand or a polisher, shaves off imperfections of the paint. It levels out the surface and makes it smooth, thereby preparing it for the next step of applying wax or paint sealant. If you wax without polishing the surface first, not only will the paint look dull, but you will also notice that the wax layer will wear off quicker than usual. So ultimately it is a huge waste of your time and resources. Because polish is abrasive as mentioned above, it is important to master polishing techniques especially if you are using a rotary buffer, or you risk burning right through the paint.

Apply Wax

Once you’ve polished all the areas you need to and you’re happy that you’ve removed all the polish, you can wax your car. This will protect the paintwork against water stain and future damage and give you a beautiful shiny finish which can last up to 12 months. It takes time to apply as you need to apply in small amounts and buff but your patience will be rewarded with a brand new and shiny looking car.

Why It’s Best To Leave Your Car Detailing To The Experts

People like to DIY whenever they can, but there are things that are best left to the experts. While some areas of car detailing can definitely be DIY-ed easily, you’d still want to see a professional the rest.

Getting your car groomed professionally is how you keep your car looking pristine from inside out. It’s understandable that it’d be hard to squeeze in car detailing as regularly as you should when you’re busy, but whenever you can then might as well take advantage of  the car grooming service that are widely available in Singapore. If you drive on poor conditions a lot, like when it’s rainy or on rough roads you have to get it done more often than once a week. Doing so can do you a lot more favor than you’d expect.

Proper Techniques And Tools

Detailing a car is a meticulous task. The tiniest dust or dirt that sticks on the paint can get in the way of a smooth finish. This is just one of the things that seems like an easy thing to take care of but can actually be overlooked easily, especially if you’re not used to this kind of task. But with professionals who do this for a living, and are trained to do this properly as well as knowledgeable with the right tools and techniques to ensure a smooth finish, they can do it, with careful precision, basically in their sleep because it’s already second nature to them.

Potential To Save Money

People assume that going DIY always saves money, but it may surprise you that that’s not always the case. Unless you are specifically skilled with auto detailing and servicing, where you’re sure you won’t have to redo it, make a mistake, or waste materials with trial and error, then you’d save more money it you seek a professional for the job.

Time

DIY-ing will consume a lot of your time, whether or not you are skilled in automobile grooming. But if you haven’t done this before, there is a big chance this t

ask will not only take you days to finish on your own considering you’ll have to invest on the tools as well as research on proper execution, but there’s also a fair chance you might screw it up and do it all over again. But if you let an expert do this job, you’re not only sure it will be done perfectly and quickly but you won’t have to put your daily routine and tasks on hold.

Improved Customer Service

Like any service provider, they always work towards customer satisfaction and try to exceed their customer expectation because when customers are happy then it’s good for business. Therefore taking your vehicle to professional car detailing and servicing not only guarantee a job well done but they can also give you tips to properly care and clean your newly detailed car.

Keeping Your Car Clean Ensures Your Safety While On The Road Too

If the rest of the benefits of professional car detailing doesn’t matter to you, this one should. Driving doesn’t seem like a life-threatening activity because you’re essentially just going from one place to another. But the thing is that, car accidents ranked as the 9th leading cause of death worldwide according to the Association for Safe International Road Travel, so you shouldn’t take driving too lightly. This is because not a lot of people underestimated the value of running a car check before hitting the road. But also because people underestimate dirt on the windshield alone can affect your visibility while driving which can lead to an accident. Even a problem as simple as this can turn into a seriously dangerous mishap when you’re in the middle of the road, especially a busy one.  What more a crack or a more serious blemish? This is why it’s important that you take your car on a regular maintenance and car detailing to make sure you avoid this.

You Can Rest Assured That It’s Been Thoroughly Cleaned Which Means Avoiding Illness

Whether you accept it or not, billions of creatures we can’t see lurks around your car like germs and allergens. And that’s even after you just had a car wash, so how much more if you're the type who hardly ever do car wash and just waits for rain to kind of do the job for you? (I know this sounds ridiculous but people like this truly exist!) Letting dust, dirt or debris accumulate in your vehicle for a long time is not good because your body absorbs that in one form or another. This practically means you’re slowly putting your health in jeopardy especially if you get sick easily. So if you’ve had the chronic cough or cold, try taking your car to a detailer more regularly and you’d be amazed how the coughing and sneezing starts to fade away.