Unless you live in a desert where it’s not rained for years, water spots are inevitable.
However, just because they’re inevitable, doesn’t mean that you have to put up with them.
Removing water spots from your car is easy when you have the right products.
Using water spot removers you will be able to remove water spots and other mineral deposits from your car in seconds.
Below is a list of the best water spot removers for car paint. Buying one of these will help to keep your car spot free, wherever and whenever.
What do water spot removers do?
Water spots are a result of contamination drying on your car.
Without going too in-depth, there are 3 different types of water spotting.
Hard water spots which are a result of mineral or dirt deposits.
Bonded mineral water spots which are caused by water drops with high concentration of minerals. For example, water off of trees and forestation.
And finally “etching” which is a result of the water spots drying and baking on to your car.
The purpose of water spot remover is simply to remove the spots from your car and sometimes even the etching.
In some cases the etching will be so much that you need to cut and polish the car. However, if you’re quick, you should be able to remove it using the products below.
Best Water Spot Removers
If you don’t already know, there are many different ways to remove water spots from a car, however, the products below are specifically designed to tackle water spots.
In some cases where the “etching” is extreme, you may need to follow up with a polish to completely remove any spots or remnants from your car.
Make sure to remove the water spots as quick as possible to achieve the best results.
Meguiars Extreme Marine Water Spot Detailer
I absolutely love meguiars and it’s for a number of reasons.
Not only are they one of the leading detailing brands, you can pick their products up almost anywhere and they’re always reasonably priced.
Meguiars products are also very effective, I’ve never had a product let me down yet, which is why I recommend trying out the Extreme Marine Water spot Detailer.
The Extreme Marine Water Spot promises to remove any stubborn hard water spots from your car. It also claims to produce a beautiful shine while adding an extra layer of protection.
This is a non-abrasive formula so there’s no reason to worry about removing layers of paint from your car.
To use the product, simply spray it on the car, let it sit and then wipe it away using a microfiber towel.
Once you’ve wiped away the product, the water spots will be gone. There’ll be a nice shine left behind as well as extra “advanced polymer protection” that increase beading and prevents future water spotting.
It’s safe to use this product on most surfaces. You can certainly use it on every exterior panel of your car, as well as the glass.
In the states this product is fairly priced coming in under $20 for 32oz.
In the UK, it’s much more expensive so you may want to consider the alternatives.
Click here to buy Extreme Marine water spot detailer from Amazon.
Chemical Guys Heavy Duty Water Spot Remover
Similar to Meguiars, the Chemical Guys is another name that dominates the detailing industry.
They’re often slightly cheaper, however, I have had some products from t hem that are a little disappointing.
That said, this water spot remover is absolutely great.
The heavy duty remover is designed to remove water spot stains from paint, glass, metal and many other surfaces. Completely neutralizing them for effortless removal.
Unfortunately, this product is slightly more effort than the extreme marine detailer.
Extreme marine detailer is a spray that can be wiped away without any rinsing. This product on the other hand is a gel.
Because it’s a gel, you’ll need an applicator pad, water to rinse the panel and a towel to buff it afterward.
This isn’t necessarily a big deal, however, it’s clearly not a product you can use on the road.
Chemical Guys heavy duty remover is priced around $20 as well. However, you only get 16oz of product.
You’ll probably also use more product each time because it’s a gel. Just something to consider on the value front.
Click here to buy Chemical Guys Heavy Duty Water Spot Remover From Amazon
GYEON Q2M Water Spot Remover
GYEON is another brand that I consider to be at the top of the food chain.
That said, they’re slightly less popular than the previous 2.
This is probably because the products are more expensive, but they’re well worth it, offering outstanding results and a premium experience.
GYEONs main selling point for this product is how safe it is for your vehicle.
Using Q2M Waterspot you’ll be able to remove even the most stubborn water spots from your car without the need for polish.
The product itself is super easy to use. It’s a spray solution so you just need to spray it onto your microfiber towel or the panel itself.
For the lighter, more water spots, you’ll need very little product, but you should saturate the more stubborn ones for best results.
You can buy 500ml or 1000ml of the product at a time.
The 500ml bottle is priced very closely to the other products on this list, which is surprising because GYEON is a premium brand.
You can buy the 500ml bottle right now from amazon!
3D Eraser Water Spot Remover
The 3D Eraser Water Spot remover boasts a 4* rating on amazon with over 2000 reviews. It’s a super popular product and those that try it out, tend to stick with it.
Just like every other product on this list, 3Ds water spot remover can be used on a variety of surfaces. Specifically glass, chrome and painted surfaces.
It’s a thick gel based formula that promises not to drip.
Simply squirt the gel on to an applicator and then apply it to the panel that’s covered in water spots, wait a couple of minutes and then wipe off.
Your car isn’t the only place you can use this product!
3D also recommend using it on shower doors, meaning you can probably use it on any glass surface you want.
If you’re in the market for a simple but effective water spot remover, you can’t really go wrong.
The 16oz bottle also the lowest priced product on the list so far, but the price per ounce works out to be fairly high in comparison.
Buy 3D Eraser Water Spot Remover from Amazon.
Boat Juice Water Spot Remover
So far the products I’ve recommended have been fairly run of the mill. Everybody knows the brands and knows exactly what to expect.
This one on the other hand, is pretty damn interesting.
Boat Juice is a company that offers detailing products for, you guessed it, boats.
Boats share the same metal/aluminium/plastic painted surfaces that a car does, so it definitely works on cars.
What’s great about this product is that it comes with a whole bunch of added extras.
As well as a water spot remover you’re getting a ceramic sealant, gloss enhancer & scented finish.
It’s not just any sealant either. It’s a long lasting silicone based SiO2 sealant. Adding extra depth to the paint while preventing water spotting from occurring in the future.
Another thing that sells me on this product is the quality of the bottle.
Most detailing products come in shitty little bottles or high volume containers. This one comes in a high-quality bottle that’s so good, you’ll probably want to re-use it.
Finally, when working it out on a price per ounce basis, this is the 2nd cheapest product on the list, coming in slightly behind meguairs.
I think this product represent better value though, thanks to the great bottle, additional sealant and pina colada scent.
You can buy Boat Juice Water Spot Remover from Amazon
Boat Bling Hot Sauce
Boat bling hot sauce is another product similar to boat juice. Again, this is designed for boats, but is perfectly safe to use on cars.
This product promises to remove hard water spots, scum and even exhaust residue without string any current last stage protection, and even adds extra sealant.
Unfortunately, despite the fact that it’s made in the states, it’s actually pretty hard to source. It’s also the most expensive product on this list.
Whether that’s due to the current situation, or simply manufacturing costs, I’m not sure.
How to use water spot removers
Most water spot removers are fairly straightforward to use. Most of the time they’ll even come with their own instructions.
To use a spray product: Simply spray the product onto the area with water spots, let it dwell for a couple of minutes and then wipe it away using a clean microfiber towel.
To use a gel product: You’ll need an applicator pad that’s safe to use on paint.
Simply apply gel to the applicator pad and then rub it across the area with water spots before letting it dwell.
After letting it dwell you’ll need some water to rinse the gel solution from the area, as well as a couple of microfiber towels to buff the product from the car.
As you can see there’s a slight difference in application. The spray solution is much more convenient and can be used anywhere, whereas the gel requires running water.
I’m not sure which is more effective, or if there’s a clear difference between results. I don’t think there is.