Black cars are harder to keep clean, and that’s why you should pay more attention to some details whenever you’re washing or detailing a black car. In this guide, I’ll show you a few tips you should follow when washing a black car. Following those tips will help you achieve a flawless finish.
1. Stay Out of Direct Sunlight
Black paint attracts sun and heat much more than other car colors, and some problems may occur if you wash a car in direct sunlight:
- Chemicals (shampoos, wheel cleaners, iron removers, etc.) may dry on the paint, making them hard to remove later on.
- Water spots may occur on the car because water will dry up quickly, leaving minerals sitting on your vehicle.
- Waxes and sealants will dry up quickly, and if you don’t act promptly, you’ll have to remove them and re-apply again.
That’s why I suggest trying to find a shade or at least wash your car earlier in the morning or later in the evening, which are generally the best times to wash a car.
2. Always Use Pre-Wash Products
Because black paints are so delicate, you should do everything you can to remove as much dirt as possible before doing a contact wash. For that, you should use pre-wash products such as snow foams.
After doing a pre-wash and rinsing the car, the car will already be 80% clean, and there won’t be any larger specks of dirt that you may drag over the paint and cause scratches all over the car.
Here is the process that I follow:
- Pre-wash the car with snow foam.
- Rinse the car.
- Do a contact wash with wash mitts, soap, and buckets.
- Rinse and dry the car.
- Apply wax or sealant to protect the car.
3. During Hot Days, Wash One Section at a Time
The worst thing you can do is to try to wash a car at once, especially if you are working on a hot day. I advise you to separate your car into a few sections and then wash it section by section with shampoo.
I like to split it in half. Wash the left side first, and then go to the right side. That way, you’ll reduce any chances of drying out too early.
Also, always wash your car from top to bottom to ensure you don’t scratch the surface with some specks of dirt from the lower areas of the car.
If you don’t have a choice and have to do it in direct sunlight, this is the way you shall go. There’s always a solution, so keep that in mind.
4. Change The Water in Your Rinse Bucket More Often
I typically change the water in rinse buckets only once while washing a car. But when I’m washing black cars, I do that three or four times, depending on the size and dirtiness of the car. And, of course, don’t forget to use grit guards in your car wash buckets. Grit guards are lifesavers.
I suggest you do the same. I’m able to achieve much better results when following this tip. Yes, you’ll spend a few more gallons of water, but the car will be flawless.
That way, you’ll reduce any risks of dirt-trapping to the wash mitt to zero. Remember, clean water is one of the most important things when washing any car, especially the black one.
5. Work In Straight Motions
To prevent swirl marks from appearing on your car’s paint, you should only work in straight motions with your microfiber wash mitt. If you start working in circular motions, you’ll get those awful swirl marks all over your car.
I also see many people scrubbing the car to remove dirt from it. It is not your job to scrub the car; chemicals should do it, and that’s why it’s important that you use high-quality car wash soaps such as Gyeon Q2M Bath.
If there’s some dirt that you can’t remove, don’t scrub. Use more soap on it, or try using a pressure washer to remove it.
6. Dry The Car Quickly
After washing your black car, you should dry it as soon as possible. That will prevent water spots from appearing on your car, and water spots are hard to remove, especially from black cars.
I prefer drying cars by using microfiber drying towels, but you can also do it by using a pet hair dryer or air compressor.
If you prefer video guides, this guy from RPM Car Reviews did a great job explaining all the steps for washing black cars properly.
After drying, your black car is finally clean and ready for applying paint protection, which makes the car shiny AF, easier to keep clean, and protected from harmful elements.
If you want to learn all the detailed steps I do when washing a car, I suggest checking out my article on How To Wash a Car The Right Way, which is full of useful tips, tricks, and photos to help you learn quickly.
