In this video, I have water spots on my car that have been there for almost a year. They came off with soap and water. I explain why in the video.
Here's the deal with water spots.
There is NO one size fits all when it comes to removing them.
That over the counter crap that is "specifically made" for removing water spots is a joke. You can make the equivalent to the same thing in your kitchen with stuff you have laying around the house.
How easy the spots are removed depends on the level of protection you have on your paint. Your situation tell me that you either had no protection or you definitely need to change what you used or how you used it.
It's that simple.