Kirk's Detail Logo

CAN YOU WASH YOUR CAR WITH HARD WATER?

Jun 08, 2020
When I was younger I wanted to wash my family’s car but never knew if we had the right kind of water. Since I’ve grown up and entered the world of detailing I’ve learned much more about what types of water are best.

You can wash your car using hard water but you’ll have to take some precautions to ensure you get a water spot free wash. Hard water contains more minerals which make the water less favorable.

What Is Hard Water?

Hard water refers to the calcium and magnesium in water. These are minerals that are in the water. When you wash your car and the water dries the water leaves the minerals on your car’s paint, leaving behind water spots.

How To Wash Your Car With Hard Water

As noted above, there are some precautions that you need to take when washing your car with hard water. Remember, it’s not bad to get hard water on your car, it’s bad to let it dry.



So go ahead and fill up your buckets and get ready to wash your car. Just don’t forget your drying towel.

Dry As You Go

When you wash your car you will have to work one panel at a time. Wash one panel and then dry it, and then move onto the next one. This is easier if you are using the two bucket method or doing a rinseless wash. Avoid using the hose if you can.

If you find that the water is drying before you can dry it off then you need to work on a smaller section at a time.

Tip: use a microfiber towel specifically for drying. I prefer one with a waffle weave patter.

Avoid The Sun

You will soon learn that the sun is going to be your enemy. Try to wash your car in the morning or the evening when it’s not too hot. Look for shade.

Water Deionizer

Another option albeit a bit more expensive is that of a water deionizer. A water deionizer is a machine that filters out the minerals so that you can have a spot free wash.



These are popular among detailers. These typically range from a a few hundred dollars to a few thousand dollars. It is a bit pricey but it can get the job done.

Preventing Water Spots

After you wash your car you should apply a form of protectant. You can apply a wax or a sealant. These will make your car hydrophobic (almost like water resistant) which means the water will slide off the car better. This means that there will be less water sticking to your vehicle which will hopefully leave less water spots.

01 Jul, 2020
If you are anything like me you might hope that an upcoming rain storm will clean your car only to be dissapointed that your car looks much worse after. What’s going on? shouldn’t a shower of water wash away the dirt? Well, not exactly. There are several reasons why rain will leave your car looking worse than before. The rain will pick up the dirt but it will eventually leave the same dirt on your car. It will only move it around. Most of the time rain doesn’t have the force to remove the dirt from the vehicle. And lastly, if you don’t dry the water off your are subject to water and dirt spots. Let’s look at each of these reasons a little closer.
02 Jun, 2020
We all prefer having a clean car to a dirty one but that doesn’t stop life from happening. It’s too easy to let trash and other things pile up. However, there are some real benefits to keeping your car clean.
30 May, 2020
When I was younger I often wanted to wash the family car but I was always a little hesitant. I didn’t know if the water we had would be good or bad for the car. Looking back I can’t help but smile. Not only is soft water perfectly fine but soft water is actually better to wash your car with. Using soft water will help minimize any water spots drying onto your vehicle.
28 May, 2020
A hose is very helpful to have when it comes to washing your car. It makes things flow much easier (pun intended). However, not everyone has access to a hose. Fortunately, there are ways that you can wash your car without a hose. The best methods of washing your car without a hose are to use a waterless wash or a rinse-less wash. You can find these kinds of products online. All you need are some microfiber towels, waterless wash or rinseless wash, and a bucket of water. It doesn’t really matter which ones you pick. Choose one, use it, and then try another one if you didn’t like it.
27 May, 2020
If you have a car that has defroster wires in the back you’ve probably wondered how to clean that window without damaging the wires. Fortunately, with a little bit of cautiousness and common sense you can get that window nice and clean. Here are a few tips and tricks that I’ve learned first hand to get that window clean without causing any unnecessary damage.
Share by: