PPF water spots | Where The Problem Comes From?
While there are many ways to learn more about your problem. First, let me help you explain why you have it.
Water spots on a car are a common issue in Ho Chi Minh City due to several environmental and maintenance-related factors.
“You just washed your car. And after drying it, you noticed there were some water spots. So you tried some detail spray, but it didn’t do anything to help.”
Here are some questions to ask:
- What causes water spots on cars?
- How does PPF work?
- Why water spots on car won’t come off?
- How can I get rid of the water spots on PPF without damaging the PPF?
What causes water spots on cars?
Cause 1: Washing your vehicle with hard water in Ho Chi Minh City
Here’s what they say: “Water spots are from the minerals in the water you rinsed with and left on the car to dry.”
In car detailing, we call these annoying spots on your car after washing are hard water deposits. Let’s get into the basics. Hard water contains dissolved minerals like calcium and magnesium. So when the leftover water droplets on your car evaporate, they will leave these minerals behind. And they cause many off-white spots and streaks.
Cause 2: Acid rain causes water spots
Normally a clean rain has a pH value of between 5.0 and 5.5, which is slightly acidic. However, when rain combines with sulfur dioxide or nitrogen oxides—produced from power plants and automobiles—the rain becomes much more acidic. Typical acid rain has a pH value of 4.0.
So when acid rain water evaporates, it leaves behind minerals and debris on your car’s surface. These deposits can etch into the paint and clear coat in a few days.
Cause 3: Using a wrong soap or detergent to washing your vehicle
Car wash shampoo helps to clean dirt and debris from car surface. It also can remove the old waxes and oils from the paint. If you don’t have enough soap or detergent, the cleaning result is not as expected.
Cause 4: Not cleaning your vehicle properly
If you can’t kick out all these road salt, grime, tree sap, bugs, and brake dust, you will have a gritty texture paint. And it will lead to white water spots on the car.
Your biggest problem with water spots came from not drying properly. Especially in all the little cracks and crevices. Areas like mirrors on the sides are particularly bad. Also, car logo badges as well. Some people have problems with the door handles. There are a lot of those small areas that get forgotten about. Every time you wash your car, make sure to blow dry all those small areas.
Why?
Because any moisture left on the surface of the vehicle can attract dirt and dust, making it appear dirty.
How does PPF work?
PPF works by absorbing and dispersing the energy of impacts. And preventing them from reaching the paint. PPF provides a layer of protection that can help to prevent damage to your car’s paint, keeping it looking new for longer.
Layer 1: Polyester Release Liner
This initial layer plays a vital role before the film even gets applied to your car. It protects the adhesive underneath from dust and debris. It also ensures a clean surface for application. The main function of this release liner is to ensure that PPF can adhere perfectly to your vehicle without imperfections.
So, professional installers must have a clean working room and minimize dust to keep the adhesive intact and ready for bonding.
Why?
Because this adhesive layer is sticky. What that means is that if your film’s adhesive comes into contact with anything, you will damage the adhesive layer. And I do mean anything, there’s a more than likely chance that it will stick.
Layer 2: Acrylic Adhesive Layer
Next comes the adhesive layer. This layer allows the PPF to bond securely to the vehicle’s paintwork. This adhesive is specifically formulated to provide a strong bond while being removable—meaning when you decide to replace or remove the PPF in the future, it won’t risk damaging your car’s underlying paint.
FACT: Many PPF shops want to keep PPF car protection cost low, they neglect the de-contamination steps. They also install without paint correction.
Although this is the best budget PPF, we don’t recommend this way.
Why?
Because the oxidized paint layer or the micro grime on paint is under these PPF layers. And over time, PPF contaminations will get worse. Sometimes, we see PPF not sticking after 2 years in Vietnam weather conditions.
Layer 3: Polyurethane Layer
This layer often referred as the heart of the film. And this layer provides unparalleled flexibility and resilience. It’s made from thermoplastic urethane. This PPF type of material will absorb impacts and allow movement of the surface beneath. We called it acting like a shock absorber for your paint.
This feature helps reduce chip damage significantly since it absorbs up to 99% of impact energy from road debris.
Layer 4: Topcoat Layer (Clearcoat)
The final layer adds an extra line of defense against environmental threats. It protects against UV radiation. The UV radiation is the main cause of paint fading and degradation
Also some PPF materials have self-healing properties. When subjected to ambient heat, such as sunlight or engine warmth, minor scratches on this top layer can vanish as the material re-forms itself.
Why water spots on car won't come off?
Hard water will leave residue and it can be really hard to remove. If your car is dirty, these debris will be stuck. Just a normal car wash can not remove these water spots effectively. When moisture left on PPF, it can attract dust quickly.
So, you will have water stain on PPF as usual.
How can I get rid of the water spots on PPF without damaging the PPF?
Hard water will leave residue and it can be really hard to remove. If your car is dirty, these debris will be stuck. Just a normal car wash can not remove these water spots effectively. When moisture left on PPF, it can attract dust quickly.
So, you will have water stain on PPF as usual.
Using Deionized Water to wash your vehicle
Normal tap water is full of ions derived from the natural environment, the pipes and other sources. Typically, these might include Sodium (Na), Calcium (Ca), Iron (Fe) and Copper (Cu). High concentrations of these minerals create hard water. So, the deionization process removes these mineral ions and is an important aspect of water purification for various applications.
Using DI water is the best way to obtain that clear, spot-free rinse, car washes.
Using A Quality Car Wash Shampoo
If you want to prevent water stains on your car, you will need to buy a good car wash shampoo. A pH-balanced shampoo is safe for use on waxed and sealed surfaces. But you will need advanced formulas to remove the bad oil and waxes from the surface of the car’s paint.
Why?
A strong alkaline formula shampoo help rinses well, leaving no residue. Other acid shampoo will tackle traffic film, grease, grime, strip old waxes and sealants to restore clogged up coatings.
It also helps prevent the soap from sitting on the surface of the coat and absorbing into the paint.
Drying Your Vehicle Thoroughly
You will need to have an effective drying process to prevent watermarks after washing your car. You can use microfiber towels effectively do the job of drying your car’s exterior. If you frequently perform full car washes, a larger microfiber towel will save you time and effort during the drying process. Large towels with ample surface area can quickly absorb water from larger surfaces, reducing the number of passes needed to achieve a spotless finish.
Using a car blow dryer is another drying solution. These car dryers can reach every nook and cranny of the car quickly and easily to remove stubborn water spots.
PPF services in Ho Chi Minh City
If you have plenty of time, or you are not satisfy with your best budget PPF. It’s time for a professional PPF installation services.
How our detailers installing PPF film?
We know there are many ways to install PPF on cars. Some are simple, others are complicated. However, we will follow these Step-by-Step as follows:
Step 1: Wash Your Vehicle DEEP CLEAN
Most people don’t realize how gentle we need to be with their car to ensure that all the protective layers and paint remain intact. In order to ensure that your washing routine prevents scratching, we have some hand wash packages to wash and protect your car.
Our goal here at EZ is to remove these contaminants and restore your paint’s original luster. So, stubborn road grime is our enemy. But we need to wash your car properly in order to preserve the integrity and good looks of your vehicle’s paintwork, and minimize surface scratching. And it’s take a lot of time to get the job done.
For a PPF to protect, it’s got to be bonded to a surface. This becomes possible when that surface is clean and free of debris. We also need to remove any damages on paint later. However, since a paint protection film is transparent, the condition of the paint or surface underneath makes a huge difference in the brilliance of the finished product.
Our DEEP CLEAN car wash is typically the first step of PPF prep. It involves the use of a car shampoo that acts as a detergent. It will break down the oils in wax, factory paint sealant. And it allow our detailers to wash all stuff away.
Later, we use a Clay bar with lubrication to remove – or ‘lift’ – surface contamination and pollutants from the surface of your car.
Step 2: Paint Correction
Once the surface has been cleaned and stripped of initial debris, our installers will inspect the condition of the paint. If it is faded, aged, has spider-webbing or swirl marks, or shows signs of damage, the installer will recommend paint correction to you.
Paint Correction Steps involve polishing or using a cutting compound to remove minor scratches. We also fix imperfections in the paint.
Our goal is a perfectly smooth surface that allows the PPF to bond. Also, the clear bra will reflect the brilliance of the paint finish to shine.
Step 3: Pre-Cutting the Material & Fitting
There are two types of methods for installing PPF film at EZ shop.
Most of the time, our installers use a plotter (or a machine) that pre-cuts the material in smaller, and custom-fit sections. We prefer installing pre-cut PPF for a fender or door edges.
Why? Because this helps to reduce waste, and save money. It also is crucial to expediting the PPF installation and making it fit better in smaller sections like door jams, headlights, and grilles.
The second method is using bulk film. It’s basically used when an installer does not have a plotter. Yes, that’s true. And they tend to result in excess material, more time, and less precision or accuracy of the installation. Our installers will lay an entire sheet of PPF on the panel and then cut the film by hand.
When used by an experienced installer, these problems can be mitigated. In fact, some are so good that they can hand-cut to fit rocker panels, side mirrors, the hood, deck lid, spoilers, and more. But sometimes, an accidentally cut too deep when trimming, causing damage to the underlying paint during the install.
Step 4: What's Next?
The final step of our PPF installation is drying. This can be done a few different ways – either by time or using a specific drying procedure. Most installers prefer heat-activated by using a heat gun or even a torch. The process essentially activates the ‘glue’ and restricts the material to create an incredibly tight fit.
We prefer to let the film sit for couple hours to check any mistakes. Later, we will fix the film’s position to make sure it has bonded to the paint surface.
Best PPF in Thao Dien Quan 2?
Yes, we do. Our shop is located at: 18 đường số 19, Phường An Phú, TP. Thủ Đức, TP. Hồ Chí Minh
Just drop us a message via Whatsapp at 035 499 6491 (English). We will contact you shortly.
References
- “How to verify clear bra paint protection film”. The Detailing Gang. Retrieved 16 February 2024.
- ^ “History of car clear bra paint protection film”. 2014. Archived from the original on 2012-09-25. Retrieved 12 September 2014.
- ^ “3M Aerospace and Aircraft Maintenance”. 2014. Retrieved 12 September 2014.
- ^ “The Evolution of Paint Protection Film” (PDF). 2014. Retrieved 12 September 2014.
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