Caring for Shadow Black ⚫

[IgorKl]

Hello,

My wife 21 Shadow Black MME is my 1st car in black color. As much as I like how MME looks in black I disappointed that I can see everything on it (light scratches and dried water marks).
Please advice how I can fight with it without full ppe.

Thanks

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[krazieboy]

its black. you gonna have to learn the 101 of car detailing.

 

[Murse-In-Airy]

Yeah. Black car is a special sort of pain if you’re wanting it to shine. I had mine for almost a year. It required a 2 stage paint correction to get rid of the fine scratches/swirls that were in it when it arrived.
I then learned about two bucket washing, microfiber mitts, and to use my leaf blower and a couple microfiber towels to dry without streaks. And don’t even get me started on winter road salt.

 

[DadzBoyz]

Good ceramic coat.
Professional is best if you can afford.

 

[joebruin77]

Welcome to the challenging world of keeping a black car clean and free of swirls and other marks. PPF is the ultimate form of protection, but it is very expensive.

Here are my recommendations:

1) Wash and care for the car yourself. Even the best commercial car washes will eventually induce scratches and swirls in black paint.

2) If you don't already know, take the time to learn about proper car washing techniques and supplies so that you can clean your car without inducing scratches and swirls. Some people like to do a traditional car wash using a foam cannon and the "two-bucket" method. Others prefer to do mainly rinseless washes using ONR or other similar rinseless wash products. Make sure you use clean and soft wash mitts and microfiber towels.

3) Pay close attention to how you dry your car. A lot of people don't realize that a lot of scratches and swirls are actually induced during the drying process. Some people like to use forced air, such as leaf blowers or car dryers. Others prefer to use drying towels. If you use a drying towel, make sure it is clean and soft. And be sure to use a drying aid. Drying aids provide more lubrication while drying and reduce the likelihood of inducing scratches and swirls.

4) You can remove the existing swirl marks by doing a machine polish. But you don't want to polish too frequently because doing so removes a tiny bit of clearcoat each time you polish. So I would only polish once every couple of years. Then once the paint is clean and polished, apply a ceramic coating. If you prefer you can apply a traditional wax or sealant, but coatings will last longer and provide a little bit more protection.

5) When you wash your microfiber towels and wash mitts, use a dedicated microfiber detergent such as P & S Rags To Riches Microfiber Detergent. Never use fabric softener on microfiber towels. Despite the name, fabric softener actually makes the ends of the fibers hard. And always dry them on ultra low temps. Never expose microfiber towels to higher temps in the dryer. Higher temps will also cause the fibers to get hard.

 

[Nklem]

TW Hybrid solutions ceramic spray, follow up with car wash and detailer when needed. I coated a friends in December of 2021 and it still looks great. It did take us 30 minutes to do…..less than $50 in materials.

 

[tannerk89]

For a fairly easy and decent quality DIY, I have found Chemical Guys Hydro Slick Coating does a really good job of helping the car stay clean. It’s a couple hour process of hand washing, clay bar, then the wax application. But I’ve found it to last a good amount of time and shine is as good or equal to much more expensive professional products.

For reference I did a full paint correction and semi-pro ceramic coating Crystal Serum ($125 in materials for one application) when I first got my car and the results were not much better than the chemical guys $35 bottle which has a much easier application.

Chemical Guys WAC22916 HydroSlick HyperWax - SiO2 Ceramic Coating + High Gloss Car Wax (16 oz.) https://a.co/d/0kWPzzU