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Thread: Pressure washing / hard water

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Aug 2016
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    Thiells, NY
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    2016 228i xDrive Coupe

    Pressure washing / hard water

    I'm interested in getting set up with a pressure washer for my car, but I have hard water at home. As a result, I normally experience water spots when I wash the car. Is there some sort of solution I can use that will address the hard water issue and is safe for pressure washers?

    Pressure washer recommendations would also be appreciated.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Sep 2015
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    West Chester Pennsylvania
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    1991 BMW E30 318is

    Pressure washing / hard water

    Quote Originally Posted by theNY2er View Post
    I'm interested in getting set up with a pressure washer for my car, but I have hard water at home. As a result, I normally experience water spots when I wash the car. Is there some sort of solution I can use that will address the hard water issue and is safe for pressure washers?

    Pressure washer recommendations would also be appreciated.
    You can get demineralizers (I think that's what they're called) you run a hose into and out of that "softens" the water before it goes into the pressure washer. I'm not sure how much they cost, but people have asked I use theirs when I detail their car and they seem to work. Or just wash your car in the shade, keep it wet until your done and dry it with a shammy or microfiber cloths. Sorry I'm not really an expert on water quality but I hope I could help.

    Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk
    Last edited by Bairdogg; 02-28-2017 at 08:53 AM. Reason: Typos

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Nov 2016
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    Southern California
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    2009 BMW Z4 3.5i
    For post rinsing, you can try buckets of bottled water at those coin vending machines at only 25-30 cents per gallon, 5 gallons should be sufficient.

    I have one of those mineral testers, only $10 off Amazon. Vending machine bottled water tests around 20 ppm (part per million) while my faucet water is about 450 ppm.

  4. #4
    Join Date
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    I would not pressure wash the BMW it forces water in to many areas that don't need it

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Sep 2011
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    Milton, WV
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    Quote Originally Posted by jclausen View Post
    I would not pressure wash the BMW it forces water in to many areas that don't need it
    Not if you know what you are doing and how to properly use the pressure washer.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Jun 2011
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    NYC & Long Island & So FL
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    '93 740il '84 633Csi
    Never used them but Griot's Garage has a few items to help with hard water
    https://www.griotsgarage.com/search....d+water+filter

    --Ken

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Feb 2010
    Location
    Rochester, Michigan
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    E36 M3
    Do you have a house water softener? I run my garage water through the softener and sediment filter.

    ALL water can leave spots, unless you are running pure perfect water. Even then, if you are washing on a hot surface or in the sun, evidence of water droplets drying on the surface (aka water spot) will persist. The easiest way to avoid this is not to change the water, but to change the location and process of washing. Wash cold, indoors, out of the sun. Wash the paint last. Dry promptly. There are instances of extremely hard water, but you would have more issues than just water spots if that were the case. 90% of the time a change in regimen will reuce the potential for water spotting with no changes to the water.

    Once the car is waxed, drying will go much faster. I'd recommend some good microfiber drying towels, use at least two, then use a leaf blower for crevices.

    Pressure washing is fine. Electric pressure washers around 1800 psi and 3-5 gpm suffice for car wash duty. No need for excessive power (like a gas powered pressure washer). I have a Karcher from Amazon, nothing special.

    Use the pressure washer for foaming (with a cannon), washing, rinsing, wheels, wells, etc. But I'd use the sheeting method for a final rinse to aide the water spotting with just the garden hose.

    Sometimes a sprints of a quick detailer during drying helps clear up the paint.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Jan 2016
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    Again I believe that there is no need for a pressure washer, it is to strong a pressure. Washs lube off brake calipers, gets in under body seals. As far as water a mobile detailed I heard on the radio used treated water

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