wantone

So I picked up a black car and had no idea how difficult it would be to keep her clean! I sorta knew what I was getting into but didn't know that I'd be washing her 3 times the week after picking her up! *pant pant* So I thought I'd open this thread to get some insight on what I should be doing and what I've been doing wrong and hope future black car owners can learn from my mistakes!

The Car:
The car I just picked up is a 2009 Nissan GT-R. It's black on the inside and light gray on the inside. So yeah it's going to be doubly difficult keeping it clean in and out!

Where I live and weather:
I live in SF and up on a hill where the weather is normally cool, windy on occasion and dry. 3 times a week I'll go visit my GF and she lives literally 2 blocks from the beach where the surf is choppy and the air is moist. You could park your car in the afternoon and expect a blanket of mist over. In the mornings, expect to find dew drops on the hood and roof.

THE WASH:

What cleaning supplies I've bought and what I've done so far:
So far I've bought a glove like thingamajig made of wool from P&S. I've also bought a gallon of P&S's industrial car wash. Lastly, I've bought a $30 chamois and a whole pack of Costco's microfiber towels.

15 years ago, I befriended a dude who used to work for Steve's Detailing and from there he told me:

1. Always use 2 buckets of soap and wool cloths. One dedicated for the upper part of the car (roof to the waistline of the car), a second bucket for the waistline down (wheels, sills, and rocker panels) The purpose is not to contaminate one glove and soapy mixture with the other.

2. Always wash in a cool, enclosed environment to avoid dust, fall out, and the sun.

3. When applying soap, do not brush against the body hard as it might drag micro soot and create swirls around the car.

4. Always wash off the car from the top downwards to the wheels. Do not spray but let a hose of water push the soap down than to break the suds.

5. Use an air hose or blower to blow excess water off then use the chamois and 'dab' not drag across to dry the car.

So far is there anything I'm missing here?

DougEFresh

i always use a seperate mitt and bucket for the wheels and tires. I also always wash them first.

wantone

Now, about a week ago, a detailer friend of mine decided to detail my car. It looked brand spanking new until I parked it outside my GF's house where it rained and because it as so cold outside, there was condensation coming from the hood and roof!? Anyway I hosed it off and used my chamois to dab dry the car. By early evening, I could see that the car looked like it was cover in a thin layer of dust and so I used the microfiber towel and started to rub off the dust. When I did this the car looked shiny again. Back in my mind though I knew this wasn't the proper thing to do. Should I wash it and re-apply wax again???

SpecC

this should be made into a pamphlet and given to everyone with a black car

reselling means passing this thing on like the bible

SpecC

you're fine. just don't do that again. QD + dirt = swirl inducing

wantone

Phew... so what products are a must to keep your black car looking clean! I realize a lot of you serious detailers are incorporating claying and orbital waxing which I would love to learn the right technique!

wanabe

yup- a garage is the first black car must have detail tool !!

Jay2000

First, post up some pics for us to see!!!!!! After that lot's of love and attention to her, a good wax, good microfibers, good quick detail sprays and a cover for her in the garage to limit dust.

bumblebeeS2K

once the paint is initially corrected, make sure you get a solid layer of sealant between it and the wax. after that, frequent washes with good washing techniques and reapplying wax as needed should minimize the swirls.

krshultz

You're on the right track - that reads like a list of "best practices."

I, like many others here, have come to the conclusion that detail spray and a nice towel is *not* the way to clean a dusty car. A basic, two-bucket wash is the right play here for the reason SpecC already mentioned. Of course, if you're like most of us, a "basic wash" usually becomes rather involved. I just finished a two-hour "basic wash."

Here's one thing I really just love - the Griot's Ultimate Wash Bucket:

http://www.griotsgarage.com/product/67260.do

Regarding products? That's sort of a "depends what you like" question, and there are lots of opinions on what's best. I can say for certain that our sponsor, Detailer's Domain, sells products that you can be assured will work well. So, he's always a safe bet. Me, for LSP, I use Rubbish Boy's Original Edition on my personal car. For someone else's car I'd probably use some of the leftover zymol Carbon. I store my waxes in the fridge in the garage.

The Costco microfibers are what I'd call "okay." There's better stuff out there, but they're certainly servicable. If I were to guess, I'd say my microfiber collection looks something like this:

- Roughly 30 Costco towels, in various condition
- 20-30 "Uber" 16x16 towels from Detailer's Domain
- 1 DD "Super Plush" towel for wax removal
- 4 Meguiar's MFs from their clay bar kits (also pretty nice towels)
- 12 blue glass cleaning microfiber towels that I bought locally (they're awesome!)
- 2 "Vroom" orange drying towels from Target (surprisingly thick and plush)
- Various other small ones I've collected over the past couple years

They live in a 3-drawer cabinet I bought at Wal Mart. The nice stuff goes in the top drawer, the regular stuff goes in the middle drawer, and my Makita and its pads and backing plates are on the bottom. Organization has set me free.

The Costco ones get used for everything but paint. As they wear out or get crapped up, they get "demoted" to wheels, then to engine bay, then to the trash. I like to keep them around because they're very inexpensive and I don't feel bad when I ruin one.

Anyway, that's my take on microfiber. The nice towels really are better, and I can vouch for Phil's. They're also proving quite durable.