What Are Those White Spots on My Windows?

If you live in Perth, particularly in suburbs with established gardens, you're likely familiar with bore water. While it's a fantastic resource for keeping our lawns green, it can be a nightmare for our windows. Those stubborn, milky-white spots that refuse to come off with a simple wash are almost certainly hard water stains caused by bore water overspray.

As professional window cleaners, this is one of the most common and challenging problems we encounter. Here’s what you need to know about these stains and how to deal with them effectively.

What Causes Bore Water Stains?

Perth's groundwater is extremely rich in minerals like calcium, magnesium, and iron. When your reticulation system sprays this water onto your windows, the water evaporates in the sun, but the mineral deposits are left behind. Over time, these deposits build up and can even etch into the surface of the glass, creating a permanent haze that standard cleaning methods can't remove.

Why DIY Methods Often Fail (And Can Cause Damage)

Tackling heavy hard water staining yourself is very difficult and risky. Here's why:

• Standard Cleaners Don't Work: Household glass cleaners are not formulated to dissolve heavy mineral deposits.
• Abrasive Scrubbing Causes Scratches: It can be tempting to use an abrasive scourer or harsh chemical to try and scrub the spots off. This is the worst thing you can do, as it will almost certainly cause permanent, microscopic scratches all over your glass.

The Professional Solution: A Multi-Step Restoration Process

Removing hard water stains safely requires a specialized approach that treats the mineral deposit without harming the glass.

1. Assessment: We first assess the severity of the staining to determine the correct treatment method.
2. Specialized Cleaning Agents: We apply a professional-grade, non-abrasive solution that is specifically designed to dissolve the calcium and magnesium deposits.
3. Gentle Polishing: For very stubborn stains, we may use a fine-grade polishing compound with a machine polisher. This carefully removes the mineral deposits without scratching the glass surface.
4. Pure Water Rinse: Finally, we give the window a thorough clean with our RO/DI pure water system to rinse away all residue and leave a perfectly clear, spot-free finish.