cleaning mineral stains on glass and paint

Rainwater will remove miineral stains over time, but maybe a car cover is needed to avoid further build-up.

 

Try white vinegar for the windsheild. I wouldn't risk it on the paint, though.

 

I ended up with concrete residue on my composition shingle roof from pouring my widow's walk. No amount of washing would do it. Thought about vinegar but was afraid to risk it. Six months of oh so pure and oh so devoid of minerals rain water has dissolved it all away. Took about 25 inches I believe. The water has so little in it that it just slowly puts the minerals into solution. The real trick is that it is so patient.

 

If rain water works because it is devoid of minerals, wouldn't distilled water also work. And, that can be bought in stores.

 

Depending upon where you live, the pH level of your rain may be about the same, or even more acidic, than a diluted vinegar solution you could make at home.

This article discusses the removal of mineral spots. It endorses diluted vinegar for both the glass and the auto body, but warns that you will probably have to re-wax and polish.

 

I wasn't suggesting that you should go out and buy rain water or distilled but rather be patient and let nature fix the problem for you if you are afraid of using an acid on your paint. Thinking now about the issue of wax makes me doubt the viability of this option as it would not work if you wax on top of the mineral deposits. I also don't know how bad the problem is. Perhaps the appearance is much worse than I imagine and needs to be remedied more immediately. A dilute solution of vinegar or citric acid might be the ticket or you might try one of the orance citrus based cleaners. They are surprisingly effective. Windex and other similar household cleaners are ineffective and I doubt you want to use CLR even diluted unless you test the PH of the solution and keep it in the 6+ range and rinse well. We made the mistake of washing one of our cars years ago with well water and it took some time for the rains to dissolve the residue. The car wash didn't cut it. The article posted above sounds good but I did not experience serious etching as described on the vehicle that I let the rain take care of. I'm sure it's a matter of degrees and I would follow their advice but not worry as much about it as their article might suggest. Good luck.

 

You could always pay a detailer to clean it up and prepare the base for all your future waxings? A good one could also get rid of any swirlies you may have accumulated.

 

I've not run into this problem before so I turned to two sources I trust and asked your question.

The first is the reply, for your paint, from Jay Kolinsky, President of Malm's Chemicals (I've used their wax and other products for over 15 years).

"If the stains are from minerals in the water, vinegar should remove them, the thicker the deposits, the longer the vinegar must stay on them to soften all the way thru."
http://www.malms.com/

The second reply, is primarily for your glass, from Kim of Stoner Solutions. I also enjoy their products and have used them since 1985.

"HI Bob,

Well, if she can’t steal someone else’s spot, this is what I would recommend…..

 Mineral deposits are tough, but Invisible Glass should remove them from the glass surfaces. It may take a couple applications to remove the deposits, but Invisible Glass should also help to give a little protection from build-up. On the hood I would recommend our product SpeedBead. This product is wonderful! It is a quick easy to use, spray on wax that contains cleaning polymers. This will remove the deposits and give a high gloss shine at the same time.

 Let her know that we have a small kit that contains both products (plus 2 other great products, a tire dressing and a trim shine) for $19.95 plus shipping. She can call me at the number below if she would like to give it a try!

Thanks for contacting me and for thinking of us for all your car care needs!

Kim Sullivan Customer Service 1-800-227-5538"
http://www.stonersolutions.com/

 

Mitchla,

How did your stains turn out? Inquiring minds want to know

Thanks,
Bob

 

For the record, I had mineral spots on one of my cars from water dripping between decks of a parking garage once. For me, club soda did the trick, straight from the bottle (not diluted). I just used a terry cloth towel, wetted with club soda, and placed it over the spot for a few minutes to soften it up. After a few minutes had elapsed, I wiped gently and voila, no more spot. No harm was done to the finish of the car, that I could detect.

Admittedly, I am not a chemist, so I don't know how the acidity of club soda (carbonic acid) compares with vinegar (acetic acid). However, I would guess it would be significantly less, unless the vinegar was substantially diluted.

 

Well done, I like how you pulled it off with an even milder acid. Good move.

 

Any recommendations out there for brand of car cover to protect my new prius?

(no garage unfortunately)

 

[font=Lucida Console:c07ef3b5f1] [/font:c07ef3b5f1] At newtoyotaparts.com they have a Toyota Japan Prius car cover for $189.00. I don't know if it's any good or not. I do have a garage.

 

Years ago I bought a used car that had really bad deposits on all of the windows. Instead of dinking around, I tend to just ask the experts first thing. I called an auto glass business. They told me that the product they use is called Bar Keepers Friend.
http://www.barkeepersfriend.com/Cleaning.html

It is available in many grocery/drug stores for a couple of bucks. It looks like Comet kitchen cleaner, but is a milder abrasive and has an acid base. He said to wet the glass, use product as directed, and rinse with LOTS of water and then wash the window like you do normally when you wash the car. Make sure not to let the product dry on the glass or get on the painted surfaces . . . so rinse and wash them too.

I swear the windows looked like they were stolen off a new car!

After cleaning, you may consider using RainX to help with preventing future deposits.

 

I have a boat that I use on Lake Mead. I have found that the best way to clean off the hard water (I mean really hard water) is to use a Lime scale remover spray such as Simple Green or the like. Follow the instructions and don't let it sit for long and don't do it in the sunlight. I don't think it will hurt the finish on the car but try it on a small area first to make sure no harm is done. I know a boat is different than a car but not that much different.