Should I use water from my water softener to wash the car

[68charger383]

I have a water softener (uses salt to soften the water) and thought about using the water from the spout in the garage. If I use regular tap water to wash the car, it leaves white calcium deposits if it's not dried ASAP. But then when I thought about it for another second, the water softener is based on adding salt to the water. This might not be a good idea.

Anyone know If the water that comes out of the water softener unit is high in its salt content where it could damage the paint or cause rust of the frame/metal...or is it a very low ratio PPM in the water and it is OK to use on the car? 

[PocketThunder]

It will be fine.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_softener

[Dans 68]

I would rather use softened water than water with lots of hardness (minerals). It should not be a problem...if you shower in it, wash clothes in it, and drink it your car's paint will like it.

There are car washing systems that use a cartridge filter to "de-ionize" the rinse water so the rinse water sheets off the car. Probably need to use softened water in the cartridge, though, or you will go through lots and lots of cartridge filters.

Dan

[TeeWJay426]

The only time the salt comes into play in a softener system is during the regeneration cycle- it uses the brine rinse to backwash and clean the filtering media. The salt is not part of the softening process at all.

[craigandlynda]

should be no problem....if the cars survived acid rain, softened water should be no sweat

[68charger383]

Thanks for the info, Its a new house and never had one before. As I was dumping 80 lbs of salt into the box, the salt issue popped into my head.

I'll give it a shot this weekend. 

[bordin34]

I have used softened water and hard water for washing my car and found that the softened water leaves much more visible water marks and leaves them faster. So I use hard water for washing my car.

[Steve P.]

The car dealers here all use softened water to wash their cars. Hard water will leave a scale/minerals on your paint. Also when you are wiping the paint with hard water you are sort of using sand paper on it...


Use to softened water....   All the body shops do also..... 

[bull]

So how do you get rid of the stuff left on paint by hard water?

[PocketThunder]

So how do you get rid of the stuff left on paint by hard water?

Wash it again with soft water a couple times.   

[bull]

So how do you get rid of the stuff left on paint by hard water?

Wash it again with soft water a couple times.   

 

[1hot68]

If youve ever been to a car wash that has a "spot free rinse" most if not all of them are softened water.

In my part of the country its the lime in the water that causes the water spots, the water dries up and leaves its minerals behind in the form of a spot.

When we wash a cr at the shop, we blow the car dry with an air blower (compressed air) , so not to put fine scratches in the new finish.

[Steve P.]

The guy across the street from me uses a leaf blower. 

[Brock Samson]

leafblower?..
 yeah, i do that too, when i do i can see a cloud of dust/dirt fly off the car besides whatever leaves and such landed overnight.
 and i though i was the only one... 

[Silver R/T]

I was recommended this Mr Clean car wash kit
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/NIB-Mr-Clean-AutoDry-Car-Wash-System_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQcategoryZ50450QQihZ013QQitemZ230282347324QQrdZ1QQsspagenameZWDVW
if you have extra $$ Id give it a try.

[bull]

If youve ever been to a car wash that has a "spot free rinse" most if not all of them are softened water.

In my part of the country its the lime in the water that causes the water spots, the water dries up and leaves its minerals behind in the form of a spot.

When we wash a cr at the shop, we blow the car dry with an air blower (compressed air) , so not to put fine scratches in the new finish.

I use an air hose or a towel now but I think it was the first few times doing it w/o drying that screwed it up.

[Dans 68]

I was recommended this Mr Clean car wash kit
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/NIB-Mr-Clean-AutoDry-Car-Wash-System_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQcategoryZ50450QQihZ013QQitemZ230282347324QQrdZ1QQsspagenameZWDVW
if you have extra $$ Id give it a try.

I agree, having used a similar system. The de-ionized rinse water just sheets off the car. No drying needed. I use it on all my cars (well, not the truck. No need to be replacing the cartridges that often).

Dan

[68chrgrwife]

I used the MR CLEAN car wash kit thingy and I thought it sucked.  It still left water marks on my car.

[dkn1997]

My brotherinlaw, the sick bastard that he is, uses a high speed chamois to dry his vette....it's called a 140 mph blast down the william flloyd parkway!  works mint!!!