Water Spot Removal San Jose — From $125
Hard water stains, sprinkler damage, and mineral etching removed from paint, glass, and rims — before they become permanent
✔ Paint, Glass & Rim Treatment ✔ Clear Coat Safe ✔ Mobile Service
Hard Water Spots
That Won't Wash Off
water spot removal near me
If you’ve tried washing your car and those white hazy marks are still there, you’re dealing with mineral deposits — not regular dirt. Hard water leaves calcium and mineral buildup that bonds to your paint, glass, and rims over time. A normal car wash won’t remove them no matter how many times you try.
This is one of the most common problems we see across San Jose and Santa Clara County. Automatic sprinklers and garden irrigation systems spray contaminated water onto parked cars daily. The water dries in the sun, and the minerals left behind slowly etch into your clear coat, windshield, and wheel finish.
How long the water spots have been sitting matters. Fresh spots from a few days ago need a light polish. Spots that have been baking in the sun for weeks or months may need compound correction or wet sanding. The longer you wait, the more aggressive (and expensive) the fix becomes.
Send us photos of the affected areas and we’ll tell you exactly what level of treatment your car needs and what it’ll cost — no guessing.
Where Water Spots Show Up
We Treat Water Spots on Paint, Glass, and Rims
Water spots don’t just hit one area. Depending on where your car is parked and which direction the sprinklers point, damage can show up anywhere. Each surface needs a different removal approach.
Paint — Hood, Roof, Trunk, Doors, and Fenders
This is where most damage happens. Mineral deposits bond to clear coat and create white haze, rough texture, or visible etching. Some cars only have spots on the hood and roof. Others get hit on one side from a neighbor’s sprinkler. We treat only the affected panels — you don’t pay for areas that don’t need work.
Light surface spots come off with clay bar and polish. Bonded minerals need machine compound. Deep etching into the clear coat may require wet sanding to level the surface before polishing. We check paint thickness before any correction to make sure there’s enough clear coat to work with safely.
Glass — Windshield, Windows, and Mirrors
Hard water spots on glass look like a cloudy film that won’t come off with glass cleaner. They’re especially noticeable at night when headlights create a hazy glare through your windshield. Glass requires different polishing compounds than paint — we use glass-specific mineral removers that won’t scratch the surface.
Rims and Wheels
Sprinkler water hits wheels just as often as paint. Mineral deposits bond to alloy, chrome, and painted wheel finishes. Brake dust mixed with hard water creates stubborn staining that regular wheel cleaner can’t touch. We use wheel-safe mineral dissolvers followed by hand polishing to restore the original finish.
How Long Spots Have Been There
Why Timing Changes Everything
Water spot removal Service
The single biggest factor in water spot removal isn’t the size of the area — it’s how long those spots have been sitting there.
Fresh spots (days to 1-2 weeks) are still sitting on the surface. They feel rough if you run your finger across them but haven’t bonded chemically yet. A clay bar treatment and light polish usually handles these. Quickest fix, lowest cost.
Established spots (2-6 weeks) have started bonding to the clear coat from repeated sun exposure. The minerals have chemically fused with the paint surface. Requires machine compounding and multi-step polishing to break that bond without cutting through the clear coat.
Deep etching (months of exposure) means the minerals have actually eaten into the clear coat layer itself. You can feel physical craters where each spot sat. This level may need wet sanding followed by multi-step paint correction. Some damage at this stage can be permanent if the clear coat is too thin.
UPFRONT PRICING - NO SURPRISES
Water Spot Removal Pricing FROM 125 USD to 315USD
Every car is different. Some have spots only on the trunk from a nearby sprinkler. Others have damage across the entire driver side. Pricing depends on:
- How many panels are affected (just the hood vs. half the car)
- How long the spots have been there (fresh vs. months of buildup)
- Severity of etching (surface deposits vs. clear coat damage)
- Whether glass and rims also need treatment
- Vehicle size and paint type (soft paint like Tesla, Subaru, and Mazda takes longer)
We quote after seeing photos of your specific situation. Text or email us pictures of the affected areas and we’ll give you a straight price before scheduling — no surprises.
Price range: $125 – $315
Money-Saving Combinations:
- Water spot removal + ceramic coating — prevents future spots from bonding
- Water spot removal + full exterior detail
- Water spot removal + paint correction — fix all paint issues in one visit
- Multiple vehicles same day
Mobile Water Spot Removal Throughout
San Jose
We come to your driveway — right where the sprinkler damage happened. Text or email us photos for a quote. Most appointments available within a few days.
San Jose & Bay Area Coverage
We’ll get back to you soon to confirm your preferred time slot.
How We Remove Them
How We Remove Water Spots
(Without Damaging Your Paint )
Paint Thickness Check — We start by measuring your clear coat with a paint gauge. This tells us how much material we have to work with and how aggressive we can safely go. No guesswork.
Chemical Decontamination — Mineral dissolving agents break the bond between calcium deposits and your surface. This softens the spots and reduces how much mechanical correction is needed.
Clay Bar Prep — Removes any remaining surface contaminants so the polishing step works on a clean surface.
Machine Correction — Dual-action and rotary polishers with the right pad and compound combination for your paint type and damage level. Soft paint cars (Tesla, Subaru, Mazda) get a different approach than harder paint (BMW, Toyota, Lexus).
Glass Polishing — Separate compounds designed specifically for automotive glass. Removes mineral deposits from windshield, side windows, and mirrors without scratching.
Rim Restoration — Wheel-safe mineral dissolvers and hand polishing for alloy, chrome, and painted wheel finishes.
Protection — After everything’s clean, we apply ceramic wax or sealant so water beads and rolls off instead of sitting and depositing minerals again. This is your best defense against future sprinkler damage.
Water Spot Removal
Can I remove water spots myself with vinegar?
Vinegar might work on very fresh spots — the kind that showed up yesterday. But once minerals have bonded to the clear coat (usually after a few days of sun exposure), household products won’t cut it. Rubbing hard with the wrong product can actually add scratches on top of the water spot damage.
Will water spots come back after treatment?
Not from our treatment — but if the same sprinklers keep hitting your car, new spots will form. We recommend either adjusting your sprinkler heads, using a car cover, or applying ceramic coating for long-term protection. Coated surfaces make it much harder for minerals to bond.
How do I know if the damage is permanent?
Run your fingernail across a water spot. If you feel a dip or crater, the minerals have etched into the clear coat. If it just feels rough or raised, it’s usually fixable with polish or compound. Send us a photo — we can usually tell the severity from pictures and give you an honest answer.
Do you remove water spots from windshields?
Yes. Hard water on glass creates hazy spots that affect visibility, especially at night. We use glass-specific polishing compounds that are different from what we use on paint. Most windshield water spots come off completely.
What about water spots on ceramic coated cars?
Ceramic coating makes water spots much easier to remove since minerals don’t bond as deeply. Most spots on coated cars come off with a simple wash or light decontamination — rarely needing correction. That’s one of the biggest benefits of having a coating.
My car only has spots on the hood — do I pay for the whole car?
No. We only treat the affected panels. If it’s just the hood, you pay for the hood. If it’s one side from a neighbor’s sprinkler, you pay for that side. Pricing is based on actual damage, not a flat rate for the whole vehicle.
