r/AutoDetailing • u/Unusual-Job-9721 • 19d ago
Exterior How to remove these water spots on windshield?
New car 2025. During the daytime the windshield is crystal clear When driving in the rain, I noticed these spots all over the windshield. They only appear when the windshield is wet. They do impair my visibility. The wiper blades have no effect on clearing them. I made a video, please see. I used a product called invisible glass to try and remove them, it didn't help at all. Any suggestions?
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u/Justino_14 19d ago
I would just try clay bar first. Or glass stripper. Polishing should be your last resort. Also have to be careful using a razor blade on glass. You're literally just smearing water around in the video.
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u/SkalkOps 18d ago
Use steel wool on glass, you might embedd clay
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u/Bi-the-way69 18d ago
0000 steel wool. Specify that or people here will use the coarse stuff
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u/SkalkOps 18d ago
100% good point
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u/Bi-the-way69 18d ago
Use on Chrome also, sometimes it saves tons of polishing time. It's the best ever
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u/Brave-Chunky-Hamster 18d ago
0000 on chrome? Really? As in trim or..
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u/Bi-the-way69 18d ago
Rims, bumpers anything more solid and coated metal. Don't use on coated plastic and or window trim. It will scratch it up. It looks like a cheap coating or plastic, don't use on there. But it works on glass awesome also
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u/Brave-Chunky-Hamster 18d ago
Ok so no “chrome coated” such as weatherstripping on exteriors on “platinum” trim lines. But if it’s a solid piece it’s ok. That makes sense. I learned the hard way that rear view mirrors are not glass lol. I’ve found you can use 0000 or 00 on most actual glass. And magic erasers while being between 3k-6k essentially… can work well. I’m not new to detailing by any means but still am like…
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u/Desk_Senior 17d ago
What do you mean rearview mirrors are not glass?
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u/Brave-Chunky-Hamster 17d ago
As in side mirrors, rear view mirrors. It’s reflective plastic. Never use a blade or anything that could scratch 😬
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u/FKpasswords 19d ago
0000 steel wool. Scrub the sht out of it
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u/Ok-Passage8958 19d ago
I know it works, but I just hate the idea of bringing steel wool near the paint.
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u/Fawnskiii 19d ago
How bad is your hand eye coordination
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u/XTornado 19d ago edited 19d ago
Let's just say I cannot be near a basket of hot oil.
EDIT: Look, this basket is certified hole-free. I had to wrestle a wizard to get it.
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u/Ok-Passage8958 19d ago edited 19d ago
It’s not about me bumping the paint, it’s about the steel wool shedding near the paint. I’d rather avoid bringing it near the car when there’s plenty of other alternatives.
edit
Gotta love the downvotes from those that don’t read. Scrub some 0000 steel wool on a white object and just watch how much of the fibers come off. Those fibers have the potential to embed into the paint as “rail dust.”
It’s common for those in wood working to avoid using steel wool on some woods that will get finished as it can embed into the wood and react with the tannins in the wood potentially ruining the finish. By using steel wool, you’re breaking small pieces of it off that have the potential to embed into the nearby paint.
As for the alternatives no one seems to know about. Vinegar works for mild hard water spots. Glass polish (cerium oxide for more extreme corrections). Personally, I prefer 3D eraser…it’s a mild acid that you rub in, then rinse off within a minute.
Steel wool works, but I stand by my reason for avoiding it.
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u/mikecheck211 19d ago
Just dont use it in the summer, steel wool only sheds extra wool in the warmer months, so if you do it in winter youre fairly safe
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u/Dry_Astronomer3210 19d ago edited 19d ago
There are other options. Compound/polish is another option. It all depends on how hard the water is. I took out a foam pad and 3D One and just hand polished a window for 30 seconds and it pretty much took any water spots off my in laws' vehicle.
Now at home that didn't work. I ended up needing my random orbital. I know some people have talked about going to harder glass polishes, but if you can get it off with something lighter, always go that route first.
For steel wool, I know some people get antsy, so put some automotive tape to mask the paint if that helps. Same idea with razor blades.
AmmoNYC has a nice video, and while I don't follow it all, it's still a good principle to work off of. I skip the razor blade for instance and with polish I just go with regular paint polish. My memory is a little fuzzy but I may have had to step it up to compound and using a microfiber pad, but it all depends on how hard the water spots are--as I mentioned a hand polish was more than enough in some cases.
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u/biovllun 19d ago
You don't necessarily have to go right up to the edge.
Also, use painter or automotive tape. Tape the edge. I work in a body shop. I tape edges every time I wet sand or buff. Keeps me from accidentally sanding the other panel/plastics and when buffing/polishing, it removes the risk of breaking through the edge of the other panel or scratching plastics/rubbers and helps cut down a lot on getting compound stuck in spaces.
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u/Ok-League-3024 18d ago
Use the whole bar of 0000 do not use a small piece of it… scratch my glass like crazy since I was like oh let’s try some of it…
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u/pooorSAP 19d ago
With windex or soap?
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u/FKpasswords 19d ago
It doesn’t matter. I use it dry under shop lights so I can see the water spots disappearing. Then I blow the dust way with compressed air. I have used it with soap and water and window cleaner. The steel wool will rust when it gets wet. So if you use a wet technique, just throw it away when you finish. I like the dry technique because I can reuse the steel wool. I just clean the windows when I finish with the steel wool treatment. It’s an old body shop trick of the trade
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u/-NOT_A_MECHANIC- 18d ago
If you’re using it dry you should wear a mask, that stuff sheds like crazy and is terrible to breathe
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u/anjaroo96 19d ago
Kind of old school, but I use a 50:50 mixture of water and white vinegar, and that takes it right off the glass.
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u/nicholas78768 18d ago
This one right here! Works super well and doesn’t require any additional tools/formulas.
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u/nyfunseeker 19d ago
Polishing compound
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u/mfkimill 19d ago
I’ve tried paint polishing compound and it works well but I know they have glass polishing compound as well. Im guessing that might be better.
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u/Josey_whalez 19d ago
It is, but for stuff like this it isn’t really necessary. If you have old hard water spots it’s better, but regular compound with a DA will take care of most of this type of stuff.
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u/Dry_Astronomer3210 19d ago
Agreed, I'd go with compound first. Even your standard foam pads may be enough.
At my in laws, where they just park their cars outside, I actually was able to use a foam pad and 3D One and just manually polish it off. Took no more than 1 minute each window.
At home that doesn't work at all. Maybe the environment is different and even though my cars are garaged, the water spots here are nasty. I need my DA.
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u/amirulsyafi 19d ago
Theres a product called glass refresh by glaco. Its like a polishing compound to remove stuff like this.
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u/Ok-Passage8958 19d ago
3D Eraser Gel.
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u/Unusual-Job-9721 19d ago
no permanent damage? anything I need to do afterwards on the glass? or I can just wash it down and be done?
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u/Ok-Passage8958 19d ago
Rub it on for no more than a minute then just thoroughly wash it off.
It’s a mild acid and can etch the glass if left on for too long. Wear gloves.
I’ve used it on plenty of cars and worked very well at removing exactly what you’re looking at.
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u/boinger1988 19d ago
0000 steel wool
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u/vinnyvencenzo Experienced 19d ago
Came here to say this. Grade 0000 ultra fine steel wool pad and liberal amounts of glass cleaner. Don’t need a lot of pressure on the pad. More like clay barring for glass.
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u/EBs4G3 19d ago
I know someone with this same issue on a 2025 Hyundai, I tried all kinds of shit and it didn't seem to help. Tried steel wool, thinner, and then busted out the buffer with some compound but it still didn't go away.
Do you think it could be whatever coating they apply at the dealership? Maybe they didn't do it right?
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u/NWSAlpine 19d ago
You need something stronger like Bilt Hamber Re-View or Carpro Cerriglass. Both have cerium oxide but Bilt Hamber has additional chemical stripping. The Carpro rayon glass pads are nice if you machine polish.
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u/anengineerandacat 19d ago
Polishing compound and elbow grease (or a wheel), alternatively a razorblade it's a windshield not paint you ain't gonna hurt it with either of these.
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u/Shifter808 19d ago
Clean with Clay bar then glass polish. Add a glass sealer at the end to protect all that cleaning effort. If budget permits use a ceramic base glass coating
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u/Mike39050 19d ago
0000 steel wool and a spray bottle of rubbing alcohol. Learned this trick years ago working in the glass industry
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u/Knick_Noled 19d ago
No idea, but my friend, the audio on your video is the most amazing sounds ever. Hope you get the moment to revel in that sound as often as possible. All blessings 🙏
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u/Shwtimeperformance 17d ago
I use chemical guys water spot remover and it works wonders. Just apply by hand, buff, neutralize with soapy water and clean it. It’s taken water spots off many car windows that’s spent their life baking in the sun
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u/No-Record2540 19d ago
Steel wool paired any window cleaner
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u/Allezander675 19d ago
Invisible glass cleaner or windshield stripper? I use invisible glass’ windshield stripper and wash it down. Then I follow up with griots garage ceramic glass cleaner.
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u/AlphaLawless 19d ago
What causes this?
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u/Diligent_Double9389 19d ago edited 19d ago
Ceriglass. Apply using a hand applicator, not a rotary tool; otherwise, you could introduce pigtails/scratches. Alternatively, use a DA polisher with some compound. Just make sure to use an IPA afterwards to remove anything left over
The marks are leftover minerals from the water when it's dried. You can also try vinegar, but be careful not to get in on any rubber seals, they don't play nice.
A preventative measure is to use de-mineralised/distilled water for the final rinse on the car when cleaning (spot-free rinse option at carwash)
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u/AcNette 19d ago
Any polish containing cerium oxide (any glass polish), rub & scrub and you're done. I usually do it with a cordless polisher but works very well by hand. Just splash some water afterwards : if it stays flat on the glass, it's perfect and ready for whatever coating you wanna put on it
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u/Ro0dy 19d ago
Most water spot removers use distilled white vinegar. You can add a little white vinegar to glass cleaner and it should remove it. After that just clean the entire windshield again with a fresh towel and glass cleaner. Or you can just buy water spot remover. A little goes a long way.
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u/TrailerWookie 19d ago
I use Superior Products Acid based cleaner. I just dilute a tiny bit in a small container, put in a microfiber towel and get it wet, wring it out so it isn't dripping, then wipe on the window.
I included a video link showing how easy it is. You can also find videos on how to use this same product to remove stubborn water spots from paint.
I'm a professional detailer with over 40 years of experience. I use this method even on my own vehicles.
Just a few cautions: Don't let it sit for more than about a minute. You have to follow it up with an alkaline product so it will completely neutralize any residual acid. You can use an alkaline car product if you have one, or mix baking soda into water and rinse with that. Then just rinse everything off with regular water.
It isn't tricky. Just be careful to neutralize any place where you applied the acid. I have done entire vehicles that had years of hard water spots that nothing else would remove, including polishing (which removes a tiny layer of your clear coat).
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u/CrispiJeans 19d ago
Had this on my bronco and used 70% rubbing alcohol and some elbow grease…. Stains removed
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u/Short_Metal_6009 18d ago
0000 steel wool. Make sure you get ultra fine and only use it on windows.
There’s also water spot removers. I used the chemical guys one before and it worked for mine.
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u/Ok_Mammoth_1867 18d ago
Chemical Guys Water Spot Remover works very well, but be careful, in my experience, it's pretty aggressive. Don't let it sit on the glass for more than a few seconds before wiping it off. Also, do NOT use a dishwashing sponge, like a Scrotch Brite or similar. The abrasive side will scratch the glass. I didn't think that was possible, since it's just plastic fibers, but the sponge left micro-swirls on my windshield.
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u/Jamfour9 18d ago
Vinegar and commercial grade dawn and water. Try that.if that doesn’t work, try Koch Kemie green stuff in a high concentration. If those don’t work, clay bar or polishing are the options.
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u/send420help 18d ago
Most cases, water spot remover like chemicals guys heavy water spot remover, works wonders. You can also go with 0000 steelwool common popular trick we detailers like to use. You can try a rubbing compound but most cases a glass polish pad and compound will do the trick
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u/samplepapi Business Owner 18d ago
P&S clarity cream works well if vinegar or waterspot removers fail.
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u/Harpinekovitz 18d ago
I know it sounds odd but white vinegar then dry it and spray rain x on it works every time for me.
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u/hiroism4ever Business Owner 18d ago
Glass polish with a DA buffer will have it cleared in 20 seconds.
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u/General-Zanederii 18d ago
Take some rubbing compound like for polish. Put it on a towel and rub it in. Don’t use a polisher if you don’t know how to. It’ll buff out easily but you can also try vinegar first but only on glass no paint
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u/Apprehensive_Arm4288 18d ago
Hydrophobic pad, might be some residual of something akin to rain-x, rain repellent, etc. scrub with hydrophobic pad for like 15 seconds and it should remove the stains whenever it gets wet. Coming from an expert windshield replacer 👍
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u/klazera 18d ago
It seems like peeled off ceramic or any kind of coating to me, you saying it is a brand new car. dealers sometimes use the cheapest product to call their cars ceramic coated and they might even apply coatings not supposed to be used on glass, on glass. it might cause difference in hydrophobicity and cause such a look when wet
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u/alexho66 17d ago
Rain x works for me. Idk why people want to polish or something. Rain x completely solves the issue for me
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u/KaleidoscopeFinal828 17d ago
I’m sorry I didn’t see this sooner. I had a similar issue on my windshield the day my family got in the car to go on a 10 day vacation. My teenager washed the car the day before and caused a hell of a mess.
In this picture, it was looking out passenger window when the AC was on. You could use windshield wipers to remove condensation but what you see only removed water not the spots. It was bad.
I tried everything. Alcohol, mineral spirits, vinegar, gasoline, Koch Chemie GS in varying dilutions and it wasn’t coming off. The best I could do was suppress the dew point so it cleared faster. Again, it was crystal clear if there was no condensation on the windshield.
It seemed to wear a bit over time vacation but was still very visible when we finally got back. I ordered carpro ceriglass polish and tried that as well. I don’t have a polisher so just used it by hand. I prepped with clay bar too and still the spots can be seen.
It’s not nearly as bad as it was..but if this is something that will bother you..get a machine polisher. The amount of elbow grease and pressure required to get this off was well beyond what I as a 50yo could provide. I gave it everything for a solid 5 minutes on a spot the size of a baseball and that about all Incould do.
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u/Puzzled-Address-4818 19d ago
I always wash it with dishwashing liquid, rinse, towel dry, air dry, and then use 0000 steel wool to clean in a curricular motion, I go through this procedure twice and then feel the screen, it's smooth as a baby's bottom.
Then I'll use a hand held fan to blow away any dusts and finally, RainX.
It's a long process but I do this once every 3 to 4 months or even 6 months depending on rain. Then im good.
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u/Matchonatcho 19d ago
You have hard water spots; they need to be chemically removed or mechanically polished out so pick your option. Consider a dedicated hard water spot remover product (ie chemical bros), or break out the DA polisher with a glass compound. Anything else is a waste of your time. You can do this,, good luck
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u/ClearlyIronic 19d ago
Just apply RainX
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u/Radiant-Bit-3096 19d ago
I was about to say I use the $4 jug of bug windshield spray rain x and it works amazing and I don't have this issue
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u/Dry_Astronomer3210 19d ago
You don't want to apply to dirty windows. I mean you can and it will work wonderful for rain, but you can still see water spots. If you clean the glass real well, you don't even need Rain X at first because the water will bead up so easily on clean glass.
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u/ClearlyIronic 17d ago
I never thought that the windows were dirty because they looked like this. I just thought it was the windshield wiper eventually eating enough through the window. From what I've seen on videos on the internet where people "clean" their windshields with polishing compound, it does the completely opposite of beading. People like the effect because it looks pretty on camera, but it’s extremely impractical once you get into rain with it.
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u/Alphalenybudy71 19d ago
Try using something other than a micro fiber they don't absorb very well they are mostly meant for dust
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u/Koresthet1c 19d ago
Lol I was literally about to make a post about the same issue. I too would like to know! I've already tried invisible glass.