i have a devil of a time with my water. no matter what i do i get spots. paint is bad enough, but i can reach most areas to remove the spots. i am having a devil of a time getting my rocker box covers clean and spotless. i am open to suggestions on how to clean them properly. i have a mr clean system and i still get spots. have tried other methods too, but a 500 ft well will not be beaten. LOL. again, i am open to any suggestions. TIA

 

Do you have what's generically called hard water? You'd know if soap doesn't want to lather up???

If you do, Do your dishes dry spotless in the dishwasher?

Hard water contains such things as calcium and manganese. (sp?) They are actually types of salts.

Dishwasher detergents usually contain a surfactant that rinses that stuff off. One is called calgonite (for Calcium-Gone-ite)

If you get fairly clean dishes, (don't flame please I'd try liquid dishwasher soap. Note I don't mean like Dawn dishwashing, but the kind that's meant to go in a dishwashing machinefor spot free drying.

Now about the incomingflames. I'd far rather have dishwasher soap and calgonite used on my bike than to leave those SALTS on there, which is exactly what it is, LOL.

I'd try staying with that mr clean rinse filter. It claims to remove those salts (minerals) and might help along with the other ideas.

If your covers are chrome, to initially get the spots offI love Simichrome polish in a tube. Someone said NAPA but google can find it. Or, a good chrome polish. If they are anodized (clear coated aluminum) as early EVOs were for instance, then a good mag wheel polishmaybe.

Then I'd keep em "waxed" but not with wax. I'd use one of the newer polymers which will resist the salts.

If your water is really hard, you might want to buy a gallon of bottled water at the store for maybe what, a buck and use it in your soap pail. Then wet and rinse with the mr clean filter????

If they are black, post back. You can do a whole new thread on black. Some swear by something called pig spit?? from a Harley dealer, some (me too) swear by WD40. I brush the black with it occasionally just before I wash.

BTW, thanks for the tip on the mink oil for my leather. I just went out and tried to get some but the mink bit me. Now what, lmao?

Kidding, I'll sure use it.

 

Hi! Soap laters fine here. I am in the Bible belt in SC at the foothills of the mountains. I am pretty sure I don't have "hard" water, but i sure do have spots on my bike. I will have to check the dishes, but we use the two part gel pak and also have the liquid "spot remover" in the door. A friend gave me the Mr. Clean and it was out of soap. I will have to find some of that to put in the "gun". The problem I have is clearance, there just isn't enough room for my booger hookers to get in and polish the rocker box covers. they are chrome btw. the same spots are on the rest of my chrome too, but for the most part i can clean other pieces. How about vinegar and water 50/50 in s sprayer. Read that in another post. should that cut the spots?

Sorry about the mink biting you. Try the other end, it doesn't bite. Use it on my boots, feet stay dry.

 

I think with the spotting you can count on having some type of mineral issue and they are almost always salts. Double check how the dishes do.

You know that the mr clean has special soap with polymers to prepare for a spot free dry, and then it has a filter that under ideal conditions lasts only about 10 car washes.

The starter filter you get in the kit lasts only about 3 washes. The regular filters turn brown when used up, but the starter one doesn't. You might try the system with the right soap, someone else also said NAPA but I don't know. I got mine on ebay together with a bunch of soap and filters. Just got it and read the manual - haven't tried it yet.

I have some Blue Coral car wash soap that promises streak free dying. It has done me well. I wash outside windows with it too with good luck. (like washing acar - bucket of soapy water and a long handled car wash brush and a hose.)

The vinegar is a new one on me but we use it on inside windows and it's great. Better than windex, we think. 10% vinegar in water. The vinegar is very acidic and the minerals are very alkaline. That might have something to do with it. Just rinse really well.

Because your water is unique I'd just try stuff. I think you'll get there.

I didn't understand your sentence. Which end of the mink do you use on your boots, lol?

PS I stress the dishes because if they are good then there's lots of hope with the water you have. You just need a sheeting product (surfactant) that will rinse that stuff off.

 

I always use the end that does not bite! turn him over on his back and you have a good buffing pad too.

 

Ok, now I get it. I'm just a dumb ****. I'll try notto get bit again.

Have a great day.

 

Simcom,

I have the same issue with the Mr. Clean setup. It works great on my paint, but leaves water spots on my chrome. After thinking about, I realized it really wasn't that big of a deal because I go back and polish my bike after it's washed anyway. Those covers are a pain in the @$$ though. What might work passing one end of your polishing towelthrough to the other side and then doing a back and forth action to sorta buff the tops. I don't know why the filtered water works on the paint, but doesn't work on the chrome. It even works on the mirrors, speedometer, and Mrs. Live2Ride's windshield. Only the chrome is left with spots. Anyway, try the buffing that I mentioned, and see if that works better for ya. If not, you have kids with smaller hands.....