Would it be possible to build something that electrically changes the charge of the water used for washing a car so as to eliminate water spots? Specifically, calcium and magnesium which are positively charged?
Been looking at ways to eliminate spots when washing a car and was researching water chemistry which made me ask the question.
Thanks!

 

From where is this water coming from? A good water filter would do the job.

 

That is an odd request. I would be more concerned with water spots on dinnerware than on my car.
Wash the car with regular water then wipe it down with a chamois cloth rinsed in distilled or deionized water.

 

From where is this water coming from? A good water filter would do the job.

A water filter will not remove minerals.

 

That is an odd request. I would be more concerned with water spots on dinnerware than on my car.
Wash the car with regular water then wipe it down with a chamois cloth rinsed in distilled or deionized water.

The point is to wash the car spot free and not have to dry it. The water in this area is very hsrd

 

And just where would the calcium and magnesium go?

 

A Reverse-Osmosis, Whole-House, Water Softener, is well worth the steep price-tag,
and will completely remove 99.xx% of the minerals in your Water.

It will also cut in half the required amount of Detergent for washing clothes and dishes,
and, will insure that You don't have any plumbing problems in the house,
especially your Water-Heater,
which will basically "last forever" with a Whole-House-Water-Softener.

And, You will have zero water-spots left on your Car when You wash it.
.
.
.

 

A Reverse-Osmosis, Whole-House, Water Softener, is well worth the steep price-tag,
and will completely remove 99.xx% of the minerals in your Water.

It will also cut in half the required amount of Detergent for washing clothes and dishes,
and, will insure that You don't have any plumbing problems in the house,
especially your Water-Heater,
which will basically "last forever" with a Whole-House-Water-Softener.

And, You will have zero water-spots left on your Car when You wash it.
.
.
.

Looking for a point of use for car that is not expensive and could be built by myself.

 

Looking for a point of use for car that is not expensive and could be built by myself.

A noble quest to be sure, but likely to founder on the rocks of disappointment.

 

White spots from calcium and magnesium are probably caused by water minerals reacting with the oxygen in the air and leaving an oxidized mineral behind. There are water "sulfur" filters that use air injection to oxidize minerals (as well as sulfur) inside a tank, leaving those oxidized minerals inside the tank which is purged on a regular basis. While not 100%, they do a fair job of removing many items that react with air.
Not sure if this will solve your problem or not, but water "treatment" is your best bet to remove unwanted things from your water.

 

A water filter will not remove minerals.

Have you tried?

 

Have you tried?

Don't have to.
A standard water filter just removes sediment and chlorine from the water, as stated in their description.
It can't remove dissolved hard-water minerals.
The only proven methods for that are a chemical water softener or a reverse-osmosis machine.

 

I am sure there's a filter good enough for his needs. I'll look.

 

Actually, the spots that are coming from dissolved minerals that are left when the water droplets evaporate, exactly like distillation does. That leaves two options: Remove the dissolved minerals before washing, or remove the water drops before they evaporate.
I have seen "electrolytic water softeners" many years ago but at the time I did not understand the mechanism of precipitating the minerals. The fact that the dissolved minerals may be in the form of IONS does suggest that they could be made to precipitate out of the water by means of an electrical current. Certainly that should be possible, according to my INORGANIC chemistry book. BUT the actual implementation will need to be provided by others.

Actual mineral removing water softeners bind the dissolved minerals to a bed of something called "resin", through some sort of chemical bonding, then the minerals are removed by some process that uses a lot of salt brine.

For my own use, in the dishwasher, there is n additive to prevent water spots. I believe that it works by reducing the tendency of the water droplets to adhere instead of flowing off. I am not sure how to apply that to car washing.