I'm so sick of trying to clean my fit. I have always had dark colored cars and have never had such a problem with water spots and dirt before. I have the vortex blue paint. Anyone have any secrets or tips for me before I go insane...

 

get it repainted grey. you won't notice the spots as much.

don't live/work/drive/park in an area that has dust and/or water.

Wrap your car in some vinyl... the car won't get spots, but the vinyl will. <- technicality.

gouge your eyes out, you'll never see spots again! (or much of anything).

 

Haha I agree. I am really just curious how people get spotless washes on a dark colored car

 

Drying your car afterwards always helps.

It's worth the time to do a really good wax job on your Fit. That way water won't tend to 'hang' on the car.

I have a black car, so I feel your pain... but nothing looks better than a clean, dark coloured car!

 

... For an HOUR.

 

Yeah your color isn't helping you at all. It shows everything

Try using a quick detailer after you wash and between washes. Something like this:
http://www.amazon.com/Mothers-08216-...6691142&sr=8-4

 

My friend has a few street rods, before he shows one of them he washes then drys it with a GAS POWERED LEAF BLOWER...honest, he claims its the easiest way to eliminate water spots.

 

You have to dry it or go over it after with a detailer.

 

the more carbon fiber you add, the less water weight and dirt spots your car will retain

 

And that's why I would never buy a dark colored car again. In the 16 years I've been washing, drying, and waxing my black prelude, I could have held down another job or earned another degree!

Now that we've moved to the rainy pacific NW I made it a point to only look at white or silver cars...

Yeah, just dry it with a soft lint free cloth - I used a micro fiber rag.

 

Oddly, I seem to only have water spot problems on the front bumper. Everywhere else I'm good. I live on the outskirts of town right in front of a large dirt field that is used to harvest flowers and crops. Most of the year there aren't any crops growing so all that dirt gets blown on my car constantly. I get tired of the dirt too.

If you thoroughly wash and wax your car, dirt should just slide right off with the help of a California Car Duster. It has been 3 weeks since my car wash and it still looks really clean. Sacrificing 5 minutes a day to dust off my car is worth it and helps keep it cleaner in the long run.

 

avoid direct sunlight when washing or drying...

after washing I use one of those silicone drying sticks or whatever they're called, to remove the bulk of water (takes 3 mins), then I use an electric leaf blower on the door jambs, radiator grills, lights and under the window visors...then comes the towel.

then again I have a SSM and it hides blemishes well.

 

Thanks for all the tips. I've had two dark cars (gto and prelude) and neither one was this hard to keep clean. I was tired f feeling stupid

 

Clean the car, dry using the flooding method which means you take the nozzle off your hose and pour water on your roof and that helps pull some water off. After drying clay the car, put on some wax protection, and you're done for a few months. Your water may also be very hard and have many mineral deposits which makes it even more important to have wax protection and to remove them immediately.

 

I was going to say the same.

1. Wash and Dry in shade (Compressed Air or Leaf Blower is great for door jambs and all the little crevices)
2. Clay Bar
3. Polish (This is not the same as Wax)
4. Wax

Once this is done, you will get the dust sooner or later and this is why a California Duster (or equivalent) is important to keep in the car. Obviously if you run over a puddle, you'll need to wash or use a quick detailer.

 

I will add that spray detailer becomes your best friend. My favorite is Finish Fast, but others will work.

 

Agreed! This type of product is all you need if your finish is in good condition. I have a couple different ones but right now I'm using Griot's Garage Speed Shine.


From autogeek:

 

Autogeek is an excellent resource. If you are over the top, like I used to be, then go to www.autopia.org for some truly over-the-top, detailing. Ever since I moved away from the city and found out I have a kid on the way, detailing isn't that important to me anymore (that's not to say that I don't still love it and try to keep my car clean/detailed).

 

Once that kid comes it gets even harder Mine is 15 months old now and I haven't been able to do a nice all day detail on any of our rides since he was born. I'm now a slave to the touchfree car wash and spray detailer

 

This kid better be worth it!