# Spots on car **URL:** \ **Category:** The Show\ **Created:** [February 18, 2012, 9:05pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/spots-on-car/71018 "2012-02-18T21:05:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![StuckInPA](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c2a13f/32.png) [@StuckInPA](https://community.cartalk.com/u/StuckInPA)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2012, 9:05pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/spots-on-car/71018/1 "2012-02-18T21:05:10Z")
I have the same problem the 14 year old from SC has. It’s because of hard water. The spots are mineral deposits. I have a spray bottle filled with vinegar and wipe everything down with a terrycloth towel. Takes the spots off and the windows are sparkling clear. ---
**Author:** ![ken\_green](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/ken_green/32/816_2.png) [@ken\_green](https://community.cartalk.com/u/ken_green)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2012, 11:06pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/spots-on-car/71018/2 "2012-02-18T23:06:24Z")
But if you have TWO spray jets and one is plugged or slow, pinching the hose of the good one will increase the pressure to the bad one potentially clearing it. ---
**Author:** ![missileman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/missileman/32/1366_2.png) [@missileman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/missileman)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2012, 11:37pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/spots-on-car/71018/3 "2012-02-18T23:37:04Z")
I agree with Ken. I also have a Pollenex shower spray that would not work with your theory Steve. It works just fine and the smallest setting will sting your skin. ---
**Author:** ![missileman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/missileman/32/1366_2.png) [@missileman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/missileman)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2012, 11:46pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/spots-on-car/71018/4 "2012-02-18T23:46:59Z")
The Indian elephant has small ears. Thanks for the phrase however. I will use it at the next family meeting since quite of few of those discussions and debates come up all the time. ---
**Author:** ![missileman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/missileman/32/1366_2.png) [@missileman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/missileman)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2012, 11:56pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/spots-on-car/71018/5 "2012-02-18T23:56:07Z")
Vinegar is a good solution to the problem. I also find that keeping a vehicle waxed and polished also helps if you are in an area that has hard water. ---
**Author:** ![MartyU](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5ac83/32.png) [@MartyU](https://community.cartalk.com/u/MartyU)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2012, 12:11am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/spots-on-car/71018/6 "2012-02-19T00:11:22Z")
Ken would be right if the issue was two spray nozzles feeding one hose. Because that’s not the case here Steve is right. Restricting the orifice of the nozzle will increase the pressure of the fluid thereby increasing the distance of the spray. Pinching the hose will reduce the pressure at the nozzle and reduce the distance of the spray. The garden hose will easily demonstrate this. First time I can remember Tom and Ray getting it completely wrong but love the show. They are hilarious and generally right on with their advice. ---
**Author:** ![stephen\_Lavalier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f05b48/32.png) [@stephen\_Lavalier](https://community.cartalk.com/u/stephen_Lavalier)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2012, 2:29am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/spots-on-car/71018/7 "2012-02-19T02:29:54Z")
I think you disregarded your young callers intelligence when he asked his question. I know what he is talking about from my experience as the custodian in our fire hall. When I tried to clean the windows after years of monthly cleaning by previous firemen, the truck windows were almost scarred from the hard water deposits left on them. I agree with the previous comments, I believe mild vinegar solution would, with a lot of elbow grease, remove the deposits. Steve ---
**Author:** ![dlundin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4bbf92/32.png) [@dlundin](https://community.cartalk.com/u/dlundin)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2012, 9:28am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/spots-on-car/71018/8 "2012-02-19T09:28:31Z")
Try Clay Magic. It’s very interesting, it actually makes your car feel soft. But it gets rid of hard water spots. ---
**Author:** ![Triedaq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/65b543/32.png) [@Triedaq](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Triedaq)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2012, 9:35am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/spots-on-car/71018/9 "2012-02-19T09:35:23Z")
I know the problem well. I grew up in the country with well water. If I didn’t wipe the car down right away after washing it, I had water spots and had to get out the polish. Today when I wash the car, I attach the hose to a faucet that goes through the water softener. Even the city water in my area is hard. ---
**Author:** ![penne\_pasta](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/penne_pasta/32/5763_2.png) [@penne\_pasta](https://community.cartalk.com/u/penne_pasta)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2012, 1:18am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/spots-on-car/71018/10 "2012-02-20T01:18:57Z")
A thought on chamois: dump ‘em. Get a miracle worker called The Absorber. Just sayin’… ---
**Author:** ![FredO](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b4bc9f/32.png) [@FredO](https://community.cartalk.com/u/FredO)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2012, 11:09pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/spots-on-car/71018/11 "2012-02-18T23:09:26Z")
While I was listening to the segment on the rear window washer nozzles today it occurred to me that youall might find it useful to know of a phrase that my wife’s family uses. The Brackett family uses the phrase “Elephant ears” to refer to a discussion or debate where neither side knows what they are talking about but that does not deter prolonged discussion. It resulted from watching a TV Nature show featuring elephants that had an audio track of a discussion about whether Indian or African elephants had larger ears. The discussion participants clearly had no idea but they kept talking to fill time. Fred ---
**Author:** ![Steve\_in\_Bellevue\_Ne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5e9695/32.png) [@Steve\_in\_Bellevue\_Ne](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Steve_in_Bellevue_Ne)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2012, 10:50pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/spots-on-car/71018/12 "2012-02-18T22:50:55Z")
You got it wrong, saying pinching the tube to the windshield squirter would increase the spraying pressure. It will only decrease it not increase. You said like putting your thumb on the garden hose to get it to spray farther and that is comparable to pinching the output orifice not the tube. If you step on the garden hose instead of put your thumb on the output end, it decreases the spray, and that’s what happens if you pinch the tube to the windshield squirter. Sorry, but mashing on the little squirter orifice is more likely to ruin it than help, dontcha think? Steve in Bellevue Nebraska - longtime listener - engineer and pysicist - love you guys. ---
**Author:** ![slestak](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/slestak/32/5764_2.png) [@slestak](https://community.cartalk.com/u/slestak)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2012, 2:30am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/spots-on-car/71018/13 "2012-02-21T02:30:07Z")
Something no one has brought up is to make sure Andrew knows to not wash it in direct sun. You have a much higher chance of spots then. ---
**Author:** ![cerberus946](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9fc29f/32.png) [@cerberus946](https://community.cartalk.com/u/cerberus946)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2012, 11:21pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/spots-on-car/71018/14 "2012-02-23T23:21:24Z")
We had the same problem at work with hard water stains on one of our trucks from the nearby lawn sprinklers. One of the guys came up with a solution of wiping the truck down wipe lime away, then immediately washing it. I was really worried about the paint when he told me, but it worked great and didn’t damage anything.