You have a shiny, black car and you're doing everything you can to keep that beauty from getting scratched. But what else can you do?
According to Cars.com, black doesn't scratch more easily than any other color. Car manufacturers apply cars with clear-coat paint protection and what actually gets washed is a top layer of clear coat. The car's paint sits underneath this protective coating.
A scratch on the clear coat appears white in all cars, but contrasts with the black paint to create a more noticeable blemish, according to the experts at Meguiar's car-care products.
The true enemy of any car is dirt and grime. Tiny particles grind into the paint and start to scratch and swirl your paint job. The idea is not to scrub the paint, according to Autogeek.com.
Before scrubbing the car, try and remove as much mud or dirt with a water hose or high-pressure car wash hose before taking it through the car wash.
Minimizing the harshness of anything that touches the paint during the wash and dry process is a key to saving the paint job.
For a car with a black paint job, you want to use a soft cloth that is gentle to the paint. A high-quality microfiber towel will absorb seven times its weight in water without scratching paint.
Applying car wax is like applying sunscreen. It protects the car's paint against the sun's harsh rays while also helping the exterior shed water and stay shiny. The owner's manual will have recommendations.
Automatic car washes can be a gamble. You may be behind a truck that just came in from a mud bog and all that mud may be collected in those whirling brushes that are scrubbing up against your car.
Cars.com says a touchless car wash is the best for a quick wash, but not completely safe because of harsh chemicals that can strip car wax.
About the most dependable way to guarantee not scratching your car, is to do it yourself with a little elbow grease.
