I used to own black cars up until about 10 years ago. I'm getting lazy in my old age so I switched to an easier colour to keep up.
I'll try to keep this simple;
Washing:
In order to avoid the "scratches" or "swirl marks" when washing your vehicle rinse the area you are washing throughly before applying a soapy sponge. Change your sponges once a month and don't drop them on the ground. If you drop them on the ground throw them away, they're cheap to replace. Use a good quality car soap with a liquid wax and not a dish soap. The liquid wax acts a a sheeting agent and helps with the drying process. Dish soaps are a no-no as they contain a lot of nasty chemicals (you don't want to know). Then rinse the soap off thoroughly again with clean clear water. If you have high mineral content in your water supply it may pose a problem by creating a film on the finish. Some minerals such calcium turn white when they dry.
Very important: Always wash, dry, polish, or wax the vehicle in a shady area, especially black or dark coloured cars.
Drying: I use a detailers chamois. Real chamois are greasy and leave streaks. A terry towel works but it's a little rough on black paint.
Buffing or Polishing:
If for some reason you have to buff or machine polish the car use a good quality buffing pad and a good quality polishing compound. Buffing pads should never be used with more than one product. Alway ensure the buffing pad is damp when you begin the polishing or buffing process. It reduces the chances of swirl marks. Gradually go to a finer polishing product, followed by a good glazing product, and finally a good quality wax. I personally use 3M products but that's just my personal preference. I stress the use of "quality products" because there a lot of what I call snake oils out there that are pure garbage.
Waxes: You have endless choices out there. I've been using Nu Finish (orange bottle) since the early eighties with excellent results. Easy on and easy off. And its good for all paint finishes.
Waxing or polishing cloths:
They can be bought just about anywhere. Get the lint free ones if you can. And make sure they feel very soft to the touch (your face). Coarse cotton or polyester can scratch black paint like 600 wet paper . Do not use an old towel, no matter how old it is.
Clay Bars: I think this is overkill unless you own a concourse show car.
I hope this helps answer your questions
Any questions PM me. I'll be glad to help.
Good luck with your Black car, you are a brave man. (LOL)
sscuda
