So I gave the car a wash today, cleaned up the grime nicely, but when I was done it was quite the disaster. Between water spots and runs, so I took it to the local touch free wash and did the spot free rinse cycle and she came out great Now my question is, how can I achieve this at home? Our water here is pretty bad and water spots do come up on faucets and in the shower. There has got to be a way to do a spot free rinse at home.

 

They used to sell one of those auto dry car wash things, I just quick detail after and it removes the spots

 

You can try using a quick detailer spray while the surface is still wet. Spray some on then wipe with a microfiber towel.

To remove the deposits in the water itself you'd need some type of purification/softener system. There's quite expensive though, even for an inline style:

In-Line Water Softener With Fittings - Cleaning Tools - Car Washing - Car Care - Griot's Garage

Around here the self-serve washes use recycled water that goes through purification before it comes out the nozzle. If that's true in your area also that may be why you don't see as much spotting after using their wash.

Even with the conditioned water you'd still need to wipe the car down (or blow dry it) to remove all water spotting...or at least I need to.

 

Keep the car wet at all times (constantly spray with the hose), wash in medium sized sections (like half the hood, one door exc..) and when you are done take a drying towel or a water blade to wipe all the water off before it spots. If it does happen, take a quick detailer to it

I got that problem all the time at my moms house.. as long as you constantly spray the car the water can't sit long enough to spot. Also doing it in the shade helps too

 

I just wipe it down with a Microfiber before it dries

 

Thanks for the ideas, the way I wash, after I do a section it will often get wet again from running water or just spray so its hard to dry a section and have it stay dry.

 

I keep a damp micro fiber rag handy in one hand and wipe down a small section before I dry with the towel in the other hand

 

Or you could not wash your car in direct sunlight. I have the same problem so I won't wash my car until late afternoon/evening (when the house casts a shadow on the driveway) or early in the morning when the sun isn't very strong. I know you have a crazy schedule so it might be challenging to find a good time to wash your car.

 

I agree with some of what's already been said.

Don't wash the car in direct sunlight, especially a black (or dark) car.

Keep spraying the entire car during the span of washing so the water doesn't have the opportunity to dry and leave spots.

When you're finished, take the sprayer off the end of the hose and go over the entire car with just the water flowing out of the hose and onto the car. This washes away all of the water drops from the paint and leave almost no water behind. It works way better if the paint has a good coat of wax. Trust me, it works well.

 

Good advice, here. I always like to do this when I'm finished, it'll make drying a lot easier, as well. Also, it helps if you have a leaf blower or air compressor to blow out all the cracks and crevices (around the lights, the little shopping cart guards on the doors, etc) so water won't run out later onto your dry finish.