Washing the Viper with a water softener

[cujo200231]

Well today I need to clean her up after a long, 2 hour, rainy drive home from the former owners home. I have well water at my house and we have hard water so I use a water softener. I used to watch the Corvette with it on and if I didnt dry it fast enough in partial sunlight, it would leave white salt spots. Today I'm not really worried about it spotting since it is a cloudy 39 degree day out, but does the salt hurt the finish?
Also, I am not sure if it was the softener or a soap buildup on my corvette, but when washing it, it would almost look like that oily, gasoline rainbow color that you see when gas is on a parking lot.
Sorry if I seem paranoid, but this Viper is an absolute dream to me and I want to avoid these potential problems Ive had with my Corvette. Thanks all you Viper Freaks!

 

[01sapphirebob]

I use a "in line" water softener when washing my cars. It is suppose to help with water spots and does a really good job. Costs a bit of money but water spots show up really well on sapphire blue so anything to help is worth it. I don't think it would hurt the finish on your paint but just make sure you do a really good rinse.

Well today I need to clean her up after a long, 2 hour, rainy drive home from the former owners home. I have well water at my house and we have hard water so I use a water softener. I used to watch the Corvette with it on and if I didnt dry it fast enough in partial sunlight, it would leave white salt spots. Today I'm not really worried about it spotting since it is a cloudy 39 degree day out, but does the salt hurt the finish?
Also, I am not sure if it was the softener or a soap buildup on my corvette, but when washing it, it would almost look like that oily, gasoline rainbow color that you see when gas is on a parking lot.
Sorry if I seem paranoid, but this Viper is an absolute dream to me and I want to avoid these potential problems Ive had with my Corvette. Thanks all you Viper Freaks!

 

[Martin]

Can you draw water out of the well without it going through the softener? Even if there's some mineral content in it, I think it'll be better than the softened water (at least it is with my well water). Also, do you have a leaf blower? I've found that to be the best way to get water off the car before it spots, and then go over the car with a soft detailing towel to get the micro-droplets.

One other thing - do you have a Reverse Osmosis water dispenser in your kitchen? Another trick I've found to be really helpful is to use that water in a clean garden sprayer and mist/spray the car at the very end of the wash process to get rid of the hard water. The deionized water won't leave spots at all.

 

[cujo200231]

Can you draw water out of the well without it going through the softener? Even if there's some mineral content in it, I think it'll be better than the softened water (at least it is with my well water). Also, do you have a leaf blower? I've found that to be the best way to get water off the car before it spots, and then go over the car with a soft detailing towel to get the micro-droplets.

One other thing - do you have a Reverse Osmosis water dispenser in your kitchen? Another trick I've found to be really helpful is to use that water in a clean garden sprayer and mist/spray the car at the very end of the wash process to get rid of the hard water. The deionized water won't leave spots at all.

I actually turned my softener off and for some reason, salt keeps comming through. So basically ALL of my water is softened. I dont know if this is harmful to the finish since i really cannot use a non softened solution to give it a final wash....yup i do have a leaf blower. I used a waterblade on the Corvette, but I think im going to reduce as much paint contact as possible, so leaf blower FTW!

 

[OppositeLock]

Definitely use the soft water. Calcium in the hard water is pain and can leave hard to remove water spots. I have a private well for my water supply and only use the treated (softened) water for car washes. As general rule of thumb, try not to wash your car in direct sunlight to minimize any spotting and give a thorough rinse before drying.

The softener only exchanges ions between the salt and calcium to reduce the hardness. It does not convert your well water into marine salt water so corrosion is not a concern.

Enjoy your Viper!

 

[RobZilla]

Honestly if you want to be sure that the impurities on the paint surface are removed after washing, use a simple clay bar over the entire surface. This will make the process that much longer but it will ensure a clean surface before you begin to apply your wax plus it will help the wax last longer.

My concern with the extra salt deposits would be on the steel or other metal parts. Especially under the car.

Hope this helps.