Question: Help! I’ve tried everything, but the water spots on my windows just won’t come off. I even paid to go through the car wash! Is there any way to remove hard water stains from a car windshield?
Answer:
Dealing with hard water stains on your car windshield can be a challenge, but you can tackle it with ease using items you likely already have in your home.
Use acids
- Use white distilled vinegar. You can purchase vinegar at the store already distilled, or you can DIY it by mixing equal parts white vinegar and water in a spray bottle. Once the mixture is ready, soak the glass and let it sit for at least five minutes so it has time to break up the mineral deposits. Proceed to wipe it off with a clean towel. If the stains are stubborn, increase the amount of vinegar until the stains start to come off.
- Use a lemon. Slice a lemon in half and rub into the water stains. Let it sit for a few minutes and wipe it with a paper towel.
Use mild abrasives
- Buy commercial water spot removers. Though less natural, they are incredibly effective. You can purchase these at most auto parts stores. Give them a try if you aren’t having any luck with vinegar or lemon.
- Consider baking soda. Baking soda is mildly abrasive and can remove stubborn stains. Create a paste by mixing baking soda with some water. Use this paste to scrub tough-to-remove stains.
What causes hard water stains?
Water stains come from the calcium, minerals, and other contaminants left behind once the water evaporates. They can come in the form of spots because of water droplets or streaks as they run down your windows.
Most of the time, running clean water dissolves these contaminants and allows them to run off your windshield. However, some stains can be more stubborn and you have to make an effort to remove them.
If you consistently get hard water stains, you might need to examine where you’re parking. For example, parking on the street could mean runoff from trees. Parking next to a sprinkler could introduce water droplets whenever the grass is watered. And parking partially under a gutter, roof, or awning might cause dirty runoff to hit your car.
If you park your car in a covered area, your problems might go away completely. But since parking in a covered area may not always be possible, applying a hydrophobic coating can help. Products such as rain repellent (Rain-X), carnauba wax, or a glass sealant can discourage water from beading up and staying in one spot, keeping your windshield clear.
Xuyun Zeng is a content strategist with a wide-ranging content background including tech, journalism, cars and health care. After graduating with highest honors in journalism, Xuyun led a newspaper to win eight awards, helped start an award-winning film industry podcast and has written over a hundred articles about cars repair, state laws and insurance. Prior to joining Jerry, Xuyun worked as a freelance SEO consultant with a mission to create the best content that will help readers and grow organic traffic.
Giselle Gomez is an editor with over a decade of experience editing content across personal finance, education, travel, and sports. In editing for Jerry, Giselle’s focus is on making sure content is consumer and SEO-friendly and helping readers understand all things car ownership. In prior roles, she worked as a content strategist, syndication editor, and writer. Her work is featured in AP, NerdWallet.com, BestColleges.com, and more. Giselle holds a master’s degree from Arizona State University.
