How to Clean Hard Water Stains on Car Windows

Hard-water stains on your car windows can not only be unsightly but dangerous because they can inhibit your sight while driving. Cleaning hard-water stains off your car windows is a pretty simple process that won't take more than a few minutes.

Things You'll Need

• Distilled white vinegar
• Water
• Squirt bottle with mist setting
• Old, soft cloth
• Light, low-abrasive car polish, such as Eagle One Scratch Remover
• Old T-shirt

Instructions

1. Dilute the vinegar 2 to 1 with the water inside the squirt bottle and shake vigorously.

2. Spritz the vinegar solution generously over the hard-water spots. Let the solution set for a moment or two.

3. Moisten an old cloth with water and gently scrub away the vinegar solution. Continue scrubbing until the stains are gone.

4. Polish the glass if the hard-water spots were on your windows for a couple of weeks, as they may have etched into the glass.

5. Apply the car polish to an old T-shirt and polish the affected glass.

6. Buff until the area is free of scratches.

Tips & Warnings

• Heavy water spots can be treated with pure vinegar. Vinegar will not harm your car; it's simply a mild acid capable of easily dissolving the alkaline-based mineral water found in hard-water stains.

• If left untreated, hard water spots won't wash off with shampooing or regular glass cleaners.

References

• How to Clean Anything