[NiTviN]

I searched this thread but did not get an answer. There are hard water stains on the steel wheel covers (silver color, not alloys). These water marks have developed over the years and now look ugly. How can I remove these marks? Are there any specific cleaners? Couple of options that I thought of are

1. Repaint them. But its an expensive and a last option if nothing else works.
2. Use EasyoffBang? The cleaner which is used for bathroom stain removal? But I am worried it may take off the paint along with the marks. Has anybody tried it?

Pls advise. I cant see my sparkling safari with dirty shoes.

[sohail99]

Try using vinegar diluted with equal quantity of water!

vinegar can dissolve away the minerals(Ca and Mg) that cause the hard water stains!

in case the above mixture isn't effective, try reducing the diluent(water) in the above mixture! (in case the stains are really stubborn)

after removing the water spots, do wax the wheel covers to prevent hardwater staining again!

[nirmaljusdoit]

Agree with you Sohail ! I tried the same home remedy once for some really stubborn water marks & they just disappeared as if they had never been there.

I found that leaving the vinegar soaked on the spots for around 10 minutes helps remove the spots faster. Kept a paper tissue poured vinegar onto it & left it soaked. Lifted it off after a while and rubbed the area with another tissue dipped in vinegar.

No damage to the paint. Followed up with a light coat of wax

[Brix]

Sohail - I got water/chemical marks on my Figo windshield(inside). They become visible when I wet wipe them and disappear when they become dry.

I tried rubbing(finger) them with Colgate toothpaste(plain) and noticed that most of them went away, although I had to reapply the toothpaste 3 times. I hope it did not end up scratching the screen, and I would know only at night.

Will try vinegar tomorrow morning, and if that does not work, then I'll try a lemon. This should clean away them properly.

Originally Posted by sohail99

Try using vinegar diluted with equal quantity of water!

vinegar can dissolve away the minerals(Ca and Mg) that cause the hard water stains!

in case the above mixture isn't effective, try reducing the diluent(water) in the above mixture! (in case the stains are really stubborn)

after removing the water spots, do wax the wheel covers to prevent hardwater staining again!

[nirmaljusdoit]

Thinkbig - Tried out your solution & was amazed at the results Thank you so much !!

Check out the pics of the before & after. Its almost nothing ever happened.
Just a light wipe & the marks flew away !

Thanks guys for all your suggestions & time taken to reply, really appreciate it. I have learnt much from this forum & remain forever grateful for all your caring & sharing.

Just the other day, i added vinegar to my detailing kit & now Isopropyl alcohol swabs too.

[benzinblut]

Wow!! the mark is gone! I have a few on our white esteem. Your results are motivating

What are these swabs? Where did you get them? Can you put some light / post some pics?

[ThinkBig]

Nirmal,
Great news. I am happy that I could be of some help. For solving such problems one just has to be patient and analyze the cause.

Happy driving.

How old is the car? The trims have faded out, and seems like a lot of wax has made them white. You should mask trims before waxing to save these headaches.

[sohail99]

Originally Posted by benzinblut

Wow!! the mark is gone! I have a few on our white esteem. Your results are motivating

What are these swabs? Where did you get them? Can you put some light / post some pics?

You can get them at a chemist too!!

its available as 'Rubbing alcohol' in case the chemist didn't get the 'iso propyl alcohol' part!

btw amazing results!!
I was always skeptical to use chemicals directly on the car!

[nirmaljusdoit]

Thanks Benz, Sohail !

I got a ready to use packed swab dipped in alcohol. Used up 5 of them to get this cleared. (Rs. 2 each X 5 = total Rs 10)

Sorry could not take pics, got them from the neighbourhood chemist shop. Am picking up some more tomorrow for my kit. Google it, you will get the idea of the pictures !

Thinkbig - Thanks for the tips, need to find out from my friend how often shes been getting the waxing of the car done, will pass on the info !

[hvishwanathan]

My ride gets a preventive treatment before rains.

1) Interior cleaning

2) Exterior paint sealant and wax polishing

3) Under body anti rust treatment

[wildsdi5530]

Isn't vinegar very corrosive?

[ThinkBig]

Originally Posted by hvishwanathan

My ride gets a preventive treatment before rains.

1) Interior cleaning

2) Exterior paint sealant and wax polishing

3) Under body anti rust treatment

Vish,

Did you do the job yourself or got it done? I think whoever did the job did a terrible job (exterior). At least that is what the photos depict. No gloss, no sheen, terrible!!!

I think if you got it done, they took you for a ride.

Black is such a beautiful color that your finish should have been glowing compared to the other cars.

Sorry, but this is my critical observation.

This is how good the finish should be with a proper product and a little skilled hands.

This is a 6 year old Baleno done only with a paint sealant and no wax.

[sohail99]

^Whoa!!!

that shine and reflectivity are amazing!!!
a layer of pure carnauba wax and the shine will be blinding in the sun!

Great job indeed!

[nirmaljusdoit]

The shine is amazingly deep ! What type of sealant was used ? How about prepping the surface before the sealant ?

[tsk13]

Originally Posted by ThinkBig

Vish,

Did you do the job yourself or got it done? I think whoever did the job did a terrible job (exterior). At least that is what the photos depict. No gloss, no sheen, terrible!!!

I think if you got it done, they took you for a ride.

Black is such a beautiful color that your finish should have been glowing compared to the other cars.

Sorry, but this is my critical observation.

This is how good the finish should be with a proper product and a little skilled hands.

This is a 6 year old Baleno done only with a paint sealant and no wax.

ThinkBig, how did you change your handle? It was rajesh_carzspa earlier and now ThinkBig.

By the way you were working on different products, did you come to a final solution?