Best product to use for removing waterspots
 

Hey guys, are there any products that you have had good success with to remove hard water spots from the hull of your boat?

Thanks!

Vinegar & Water
Babes Spot Remover

Great thanks, I'll try to babes spot remover. I've been using vinegar and water for a while and it works pretty good, but some of the bad spots stil won't come clean with it.

Vinegar and Water is the best thing on the planet. I spray the boat down after everyset with it. Just dont use it on the vinyl it really dies it out fast.

Babe's for sure! I can't stand the vinegar & water smell, personally. Babe's products both work and smell GREAT!

Do you use equal parts vinegar and water?...what ratio?

yeah the smell is horrible but its almost free!

Hot Sauce for boat bling!! Stuff is awesome!!

http://boatbling.net/products.php

I use Ducky and it works great.

Clr

Summers Eve

Straight vinegar with a couple ounces of Zip Wax. Mix in a 20 ox spray bottle. 4 oz in a 32 ounce bottle.

Are you talking about the Car wash made by Turtle Wax?

http://www.amazon.com/Turtle-Wax-T-7.../dp/B000AMBOX0

Yes, that exact product. I've tried most of the rest, this works well and is so cheap to produce yourself. Try it, you have nothing to lose.

Duckys for me

50/50 vinegar & water for daily use, and Ducky for scum lines & other problem areas.

I use this to get all my water spots out . Fine cut cleaner #2 I use it lightly. I even use it to get my water spots off my windshield.
I used it to get the haze off my car head light covers too. Been using this for years now.

http://www.meguiarsdirect.com/produc...p?T1=MEG+M0216

USE Hot Sauce from boat bling.It also leaves a mirror shine and protection in the water.

HOT SAUCE. Ive used babes, and spray waxes, etc...

HotSauce is by far the best product that I have used.

For those using and liking Ducky, are you using a damp Chamoise to remove it? How long are you letting it sit?

Last time I used it, left a film thats been tough to get off...

I love the Babes products, green stuff smells awesome!

I used the 50/50 mix of vinigar and water after every trip and it worked great at taking spots off, but it also took my wax off after a while. Didnt realize it till some oxidation that i worked my butt off to get rid of came back. So I will probly be trying the Hot Sauce next if I can find it locally.

Hot Sauce for sure. We use it on our XLV and it works great.

Vinegar + water, 50/50 ratio -- but I drop a bit of vanilla extract in the bottle and shake it up when mixing mine... Makes for a neat smell compared to just vinegar and water... serious, read this on wakeworld and it keep my boat spankin' clean...

I hate Babe's Boat Brite but like their Seat Soap and Seat Saver. As for Ducky's...I spray on and immediately wipe off. I do sections at a time. Never had an issue with a film and I have a black boat.

Scrub Free for bathroom... it's more "not so much scrub" than "scrub free" but it works really well!

3/4ths elbow grease and ... umm ... 1/4th of about any of your favorite spot remover.

I use Babe's. The results are great. We have here hard lime deposits because our lakes have so much calcium in solution.

Sometimes, the effort that is required takes more elbow grease than the actual spot remover.

I happen to be a fan of Hot Sauce for removing hard water spots but may be a bit biased as the Director of Operations for Boat Bling Inc. ;)

Here's my $.02 on removing waterspots:

1) Be sure that the water spot is completely removed before waxing or you effectively seal it in under a coat of wax...you now have a shiny water spot

2) If water spot has been allowed to etch into the gelcoat, you're no longer looking at removing the mineral deposit, instead you now have a blemish on the gelcoat which may require concentrated acid or heavy compound/polish to remove

3) Vinegar is composed of acids (primarily acetic acid) and when used to remove spots will strip all wax. If used, be sure to follow up with a wax product of your choice

4) We have found that 'quick detailer' products designed for automotive use are not "stout" enough for use in harsh marine environments. They may work on fresh spots but the results will not be the same on older baked on spots.

5) - Quick sales pitch - Hot Sauce contains a chemical compund which removes the mineral deposit, combined with a silicone polymer wax sealant. It is not a replacement for a quality wax coat but serves to seal the gelcoat providing a slick surface which makes it difficult for water spots to stick. Waterspots will still be present after a day on the water but will be much easier to remove.

6) Shameless Plug: 10% off to all WakeWorld members! Use the promo code wakeworld at checkout on www.boatbling.net

I'm happy to go into further detail if anyone has specific questions or feel free to email me directly

Thanks
zack@boatbling.net

I've been using Babes Boat Bright, Vinegar and Wate for a couple of years. I mix it in equal parts in a handheld sprayer, just pump it up and mist. No spots, and after a couple of trips it begins to really shine.

Last year I put a coat of Collinite Fleetwax on and the hit it with straight vinegar and water, it lasted about a month before the wax was completely gone. We foil about 3 times a week, so that might be enough for a summer for some people. This year I did a double coat of the Colinte and after 3 weeks the spots are still wiping off so I haven't gotten the spray out yet. The real trick is making sure you don't wax anything in, and be sure and polish when you need to before the wax. I'm hoping to make it to Labor Day before I have to detail the gel again and I'll be real happy if I can make it to the 4th without using the spray.

+1 For Hot Sauce and all of their products. First ones I ever used and doubt I will bother with others for my LSV. :D

Thanks for all the help everyone!

Just bought some hot sauce, thanks!

Joey C - I have had the exact same problem when I started using Ducky. It works best when the boat is a little wet or yes use a slightly damp chamois. Also remember a little goes a long way. I started using about half as much as I thought.

Thanks for the order Geoff! I'm confident you made the right decision:D

Post up a before/after pic once she's all cleaned up!

this might sound nasty BUT, since using hotsauce Ive only washed my boat in the start of the season, then halfway through, then before I put it away. The I use the sauce everytime I pull out, and it looks freshly waxed and washed until I put it back in, even has the slick waxy film layer after applying when pulling out, really makes it shine.

waterspots
 

Does boat bling hot sauce have any uv protection?

hot sauce for sure, used to use ducky, but not since my neighbor turned me onto boat bling. he has an 04 part cat and the thing looks brand new. I was amazed when he told me how old his boat was, told me he only uses boat bling product, I was sold. Bought the whole line and couldn't be happier with the product

Yes, it has wax in it. Best product I have used.

I'd love to hear the thoughts of anyone who's knowledgeable regarding the chemistry involved between the gelcoat, fiberglass, and the process below. Giving credit where credit is due; this is not my idea or post, it's copied/borrowed from a post over on the TheMalibuCrew (link below if you want to read the full thread). It sounds legit to me, however I'd hate to learn the hard/expensive way that something was ruined by a strong acid!


...
"I know I'll catch some grief for what I am about to advise but it works like a charm. The active ingredient in bathroom cleaner that works on boats is Hydrochloric acid. Unfortunately the concentration of HCL in bathroom cleaner is not strong enough to remove the harsh yellow stains you speak of. I live on a lake that stains my boat yellow also. What I use is to remove the stain is MURIATIC ACID.

Muriatic acid in concentrated HCL and can be bought at most hardware stores. You absolutely need to wear SAFETY gear when using this, such as rubber gloves, eye protection, and a breathing mask when mixing!

I mix a cup of Muriatic acid to one gallon of water. Simply saturate a cloth, rub it on your boat and walk away. It takes about 10 minutes to work, less if you are washing your boat in the sun as sun helps to activate the process. It's great because you do not have to scrub or rub, it is a labor free process that will remove any and all water stains plus the deep yellow stains from dirty water. On top of that, it will not hurt your gel coat (although you will need to apply fresh wax when you are done).

NOTE: Do not get this mixture on any rust on your trailer. It will only make the rusting worse. On the plus side though the run off from when you rinse the boat will clean your driveway cement."


... here's the link ...
http://www.themalibucrew.com/forums/...h/page__st__20

Appreciate the kind words everybody! This is correct, Hot Sauce does contain a silicone polymer wax sealant which will provide some degree of protection from UV damage but we still strongly recommend a quality wax coat be applied at the beginning of the season and if used frequently another coat mid-season. Hot Sauce maintains the waxed surface of the boat, but is not a replacement for quality wax.

Muriatic Acid is the product of choice for professionals doing an "acid bath" treatment of the boat. It wil remove heavy stains from rust, mineral deposits, etc along with any old wax built up in the gelcoat. A few boat owners I know even have an acid bath done annually to ensure they start with fresh, clean gelcoat every season. IMO it's overkill but to each their own.

Personally, I would only trust a licensed and bonded professional detailer to touch my boat with muriatic acid since it's such an extreme measure and the potential for injury and/or damage to metal hardware is a bit more than I'm willing to risk personally...but again, to each their own.