We just bought a brand new black Rav4. I haven't washed it yet, but I have been told over and over that a black car is harder to maintain when it comes to washing and waxing. They are easy to scratch and can get swirl marks. So I have the following questions:
1. Best item to wash with (sponge, mit, etc)?
2. Best soap or detergent?
3. Best wax?
4. Best item to apply and take off wax?
5. What do you think about those buffing wheels?
Any other advice about black finishes will be appreciated.
Thanks.Best way to wash and wax a black car?
1. A mitt is best but the key is to rinse it out regularly. It's all of the grit that gets stuck in your sponge, mitt, applicator that causes swirl marks.
2. It's not really that important, any soap formulated for a car is fine--the only reason you shouldn't use dish soap is because it'll take off the wax.
3. I like eagle one ';wet look'; but maguires and turtle wax make good waxes too. There's no point in spending huge money on waxes, they're all pretty similar.
4. Apply wax with a slightly damp microfiber towel and remove it with a dry microfiber towel. Make sure these are extremely clean too.
5. Stay away from power buffing wheels. They are very difficult to use correctly and they are extremely easy to use incorrectly. You can cause severe paint damage in less than a couple of seconds with a buffing wheel if you use it incorrectly. Just stay away from them . . . while you're at it, don't trust the idiot at the car wash to use it on your car either.
I'll add one that you forgot, drying, and it's a pretty important step
6. Invest in a REAL lamb skin shammy. Rinse it often and keep it clean. Most swirl marks come during drying.
I'll actually add one more, and it's a tough one to swallow.
7. Accept that no matter what you do, no matter how careful you are and no matter how much you spend on top of the line equipment, you're going to get swirl marks and black cars show them the worst. All you can do is try to minimize them. The absolute biggest enemy is any grit that you're rubbing around the car so the key is frequent rinsing of whatever you're using.
Good luck!Best way to wash and wax a black car?
I have always had the best luck with Meguiars Professional Products.
Just make sure your wash mit, towels and bucket are clean before you start and never wash or wax you car in direct sunlight.
1, very soft mit, be sure to keep it clean
2 and 3, meguiars products are great
4,micro fiber cloth
5, leave the buffing to the pros
1. The best is tons of soapy water. About four gallons to wash a car. Slather it on. I prefer to use a wool mitt because its long, straight fibers tend to release dirt when rinsed.
2. The one that makes the water feel slippery. Most auto-specific wash is fine. As you move up the food chain you get better lubricants and gloss enhancers.
3. The million dollar question and there is no answer. Synthetics are more durable than a traditional paste wax.
4. Apply with a soft little disc sponge or microfiber applicator. Remove with microfiber NOT made in China.
5. A random orbital polisher like the Porter Cable 7336 is great for paint correction. It is definitely a machine a hobbyist can feel comfortable using.
Advice: Use tons of soapy water when you wash and don't touch the car when it's dry. If you have smudges, clean them up with a quick detailer. Scratches and marring are caused when you rub on the paint. Use something slippery between your hand and the paint and you will greatly reduce damage.
its not that theyre easy to get scratches/swirls
they just show up more easily
1. any will do
just use 2 bucket method with grit gaurds
2. meguiars gold class
3. preference, but meguiars nxt 2.0 tech wax or gold class
4. microfiber applicator or foam applicator and microfiber towel
5. well, theres rotary buffers, dual action buffers, and random orbital buffers. then i guess theres mothers powerball, but that doesnt count. Rotarys are for severe paint correction, and not to be used by novices, so dont have to worry. Dual actions are for paint corrections, and are a lot safer than rotarys since they have a clutch, so they dont burn through the paint. Can apply waxes with them, but pointless to spend 150 bucks one just to apply waxes. Random orbitals are only good for applying waxes. can pick them up at walmart for about 20 bucks. But i still suggest applying wax by hand, wont make much a difference.
