If you’ve ever found hard water marks on car PPF, you know how frustrating it can be. These minerals (commonly calcium and magnesium) are especially abundant in “hard water” sources like tap water in places like Ho Chi Minh City.
And even you’ve invested in top-tier protection for your vehicle with STEK paint protection film (PPF) brand, water spots can and will happen. Let’s dive right in.
Water spots are marks left behind when water evaporates. And deposits of minerals—especially calcium, magnesium, and silica will bake onto a surface of the Paint Protection Film (PPF). These hard spots are particularly problematic because they will etch into the film’s topcoat layer.
Once these minerals have etched into the topcoat, a regular car wash won’t remove them.
On matte or satin finish PPF, water spots are even more dangerous because you can’t polish the surface like you can with gloss finishes.
For severe etching, replacement of the affected film section is often the only solution.
STEK Paint Protection Film is known for good self-healing and hydrophobic topcoat. In this guide, we’ll cover how to safely remove water spots etching from your PPF and prevent future damage.
Before delving into the meticulous task of cleaning your paint protection film, it’s crucial to have the right tools and materials at your disposal. These will not only help you achieve a thorough cleaning but also ensure that the film remains in top condition without sustaining any damage.
What You Need:
Before trying any remover, do this:
Why it is important?
Because you don’t want to clean these stains and cause damaging the PPF. This makes no sense. And, washing your car can help you identify the water marks properly.
If spots are light but stubborn:
We don’t recommend this clay bar for matte or satin PPF, as claying may leave shiny patches or alter the texture.
When STEK DynoShield is installed on your car, you can apply heat on the top coat layer. Why?
Because it can help eliminate minor etching. Often, the PPF’s self-healing properties will reduce or eliminate the etching. If heat doesn’t fully remove the damage, move on to the next step.
How to apply Heat:
We recommend using 60 °C – 70 °C hot water to activate this feature instead of using a heat gun.
Yes, we recommend using the best PPF water spot remover you have. These chemical are designed to break down the hard mineral deposits safely on your vehicle. How to use:
Always test on a small, inconspicuous area first, especially if you’re dealing with any PPF. Different version features, batch qualities and how long it’s been used may be different between every film.
Once the etching is removed, it’s a good idea to apply a PPF sealant to prevent future damage.
Why?
For DIY users, we recommend CARPRO ELIXIR.
If the water spots are deeply etched and don’t respond to any of the above methods:
In tropical or urban areas like Ho Chi Minh City, the risk is higher because of:
But you can maintain STEK Paint Protection Film with 5 easy tips:
What to do if you get rain right after a car wash?
Yes, we can check and remove water spots on PPF safely. Just drop us a message via WhatsApp or fill in this form. We will contact you shortly.
Our shop is located at 18 đường số 19, Phường An Phú, TP. Thủ Đức, TP. Hồ Chí Minh. We open all days 7:30am – 5:30pm.
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