How To Wash A Black Car Without Scratching It

As a car owner, one thing you probably fear the most is scratching your car while washing it; well, no one would love to see scratches appear on his/her vehicle’s paint.

Owning that scratches tend to appear clearer on cars with black paint, most black car owners seek to understand how to wash a black car without scratching it.

While this article focuses on how to avoid scratching your black-color vehicle while washing it, we also touched on several relative information you need to know about maintaining your black car and protecting its finish from various paint damages caused by several factors (natural and man-made).

What Causes Scratch To Appear On Black Cars After Car Wash?

To better understand how to wash a black car without scratching it, you need to know the actions that are possible to leave your car with scratches after you have washed it. These factors explained below are some of the common causes of scratches appearing on the car paints after a wash.

1. Using Hard Water

Car wash cannot be done without water – water is the main cleaning material before considering other important gears that’d help you achieve the best results (a clean shinning car). When hard water is used, it could lead to scratches or other unsightly stains such as water spots after car wash.

Hard water can lead to scratches because it would not cause friction between the microfiber mitt/rag you’re using to wash the car and the paint surface. Hence, when you try to forcefully move the cleaning rag or mitt on the surface, debris or dirt hiding on the rag could rub against the paint and leave a scratch.

Also, hard water doesn’t foam so well due to the high concentration of salt. It has a lot of disadvantages, and it’s not recommended for car wash, regardless of the paint color of your car.

2. Using Regular Rags or Towels Or Sponges

There are special rags, towels, mitts, and sponges meant for car washing. However, some drivers tend to use the regular ones found in the house (which are used for regular house cleaning). Those regular rags are a bit harsh and rough; when you use them, dirt or debris could hide inside and rub against your paint while you’re washing your car.

In contrast, microfiber towels or rags are smooth and do not hold up debris or dirt. They are the best for car washing. If you wish to use sponges, use car wash sponges and not the regular ones used for dishwashing or other house cleaning chores.

3. Brushing Your Car Paint’s Surface Forcefully

Well, maybe there are some stubborn spots on your car’s paint and so you want to apply more pressure while washing those areas in a bid to remove those annoying spots. That’s basically not a bad idea, but it could cause scratches to appear after the wash.

It is not advisable to apply much force while washing a car because some tiny particle may get into the rag/mitt/sponge you’re using to wash the car; thus, using force can cause those fine debris to rub against your paint aggressively.

4. Washing Under Harsh Weather Conditions

As awkward as it may sound to you, washing under harsh weather can be a contributing factor to the scratches that appeared on your car’s paint after washing it.

How? When you’re not comfortable while washing your car, you can make certain mistakes that could cause scratches to appear after the wash.

How To Wash A Black Car Without Scratching It

Now that you know the various possible actions that could cause scratches to appear on your car’s paint after a wash, it is pretty safe to assume that the best way to wash your car without scratching the paint is by practicing the opposite of what’s shared above.

However, here are the actual tips you need to know.

1. Ready Your Gears

First things first, you need to ready the gears you need for the wash. What are those things you need to wash a black car? You should get a special car wash soap for black cars – they are specially formulated to work best on black-colored vehicles.

When you’ve got the car wash soap for your black car, next is to get a good cleaning rag. We’d recommend buying a  or microfiber cloth; they are not expensive and can be found in most auto stores, offline or online.

Also, make sure you’re not using hard water. Preferably, you should use clean distilled water for the wash.

2. Mix the car wash soap

Pour the car wash soap into a bucket of water and shake to create suds. Dip the cleaning rag or mitt into the soapy water and start washing the car. Move gently while scrubbing the mitt/rag against your car’s paint.

After you’re done scrubbing/washing a part of the car, ensure that you clean out dirt and debris that may hide inside the cleaning tool you’re using before taking it back to wash another part of the car. Also, you should rinse as you wash, instead of waiting to wash the entire car before rinsing.

3. Get a stain removal compound

If you notice stubborn spots or chemical stains on the paint, do not apply pressure to wash those areas. Instead, get a stain removal compound or water spots remover compound and use it on those surfaces; this would work more effectively without causing any damage to your paint.

Also, if you notice that sand or fine debris has gotten into the mitt or rag you’re using to wash the car, stop and rinse the rag/mitt before continuing. Don’t’ rub the sand against the paint – it’d definitely leave a scratch.

4. Wash the body first

You should wash the entire car’s body before washing the tires. Basically, the tire would be dirtier; so, it is okay to apply force and use tough brushes to clean your car wheels. Also, you can get a “” for the job; they are specially formulated for cleaning car tires.

We won’t recommend washing the wheels/tires before the body, sharp particles may hide inside the mitt and would definitely scratch your car’s paint when you move them on the surface.

5. Dry with clean microfiber towel

If you’re not going to allow the car to air dry, ensure that you’re using a clean microfiber towel to dry the car. Don’t use regular towels for any reason at all; they’d mess everything up and won’t dry the car properly.

The best choice for drying a car after a wash is either a chamois or microfiber cloth. Well, it’d be best not to use the same cloth you used in washing the car; instead, get another dry, clean one.

What More?

When you use standard car wash soaps alongside a mitt or microfiber cloth to wash your car; there are very minimal chances of seeing a scratch after the wash.

However, remember not to apply so much pressure on contaminated surfaces; instead, use a “remover” compound to treat the paint defects.

How To Protect Black Cars From Deep Scratches

Deep scratches are the worst damage that could occur to your car’s paint. They eat deep into the paint (down to the primer/panel). Removing deep scratches from black cars can be a bit though, but when you use the right deep scratch remover kit, you could get your car looking good again.

However, if you’re trying to be proactive to protect your car’s paint from horrible scratches; the first step to take is to apply a car wax. Waxes don’t actually prevent scratches, but they help to protect car finishes from several paint damaging chemicals, fluids, and accidents.

Waxing your car would also protect the paint from minor scratches and defects. This is because the scratches or defects would occur on the wax layer instead of the clear coat or actual paint layer. When scratches occur on the wax layer, they are very easy to resolve, and your car would look new again.

Conclusion

Hopefully, we have covered, in detail, how to wash a black car without scratching it. Interestingly, these tips would work for other cars that are not “black cars.” So, irrespective of your car paint color, adhering to the tips in this article would save scratches from appearing on the finish after car wash.

Furthermore, do not wash under harsh conditions; it’s best to wash when the weather is cool and you feel very comfortable.

Thanks for reading and we wish you a great day ahead!