# Black car detailing



## cpu2007 (Jul 22, 2014)

Hi

Having a black bmw 320d means that I have to constantly watch scratches, swirls on my car when it gets cleaned.

I am wondering if someone, with a similar colour car, could give me some help on how to properly clean a black colour car.

I have heard of the two buckets method, which is what I'll be using but I don't have any product and would like to know what are some good products(not too expensive) to detail the car from scratch.

Things such as car shampoo, tar remover, clays, fibre pads and brushes? does anyone know a place I can get them for a good price (I'm thinking of ebay but need to know the name/brands of these products)

I hope someone can help me. thanks


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## shaqs77 (Jun 10, 2008)

hi

I own a black mk4 golf and a black Subaru sti

this is what I use which I like

shampoo
megs shampoo plus

washmitt
dodo juice wookie

clay
megs clay

polish
auto glym srp

wax (depending on time of year and what finish/duration im after
chemical guys pete 53
dodo juice purple haze
dodo juice supernatural hybrid
ag hd wax


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## Jack R (Dec 15, 2014)

My advice is to take advantage of pre washing, the more dirt you can get off the car before you touch it the better. So what I use is...
Rinse
ODK breakdown- citrus pre cleaner
Rinse
ODK arctic- snow foam 
Rinse
ODK jet (3 bucket method)
Rinse
Then very carefully dry
Polish 
Wax etc.etc.


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## bense556 (Mar 14, 2017)

As previous really, you want to try and get as much off before touching the car. 
I tend to do the pre-wash first, whether it be Koch Chemie Greenstar or straight to snow foam, rinse then 2 Bucket method using a Dooka wash pad with Autoglym UHD shampoo - although at £17 it may be a bit more than you wanted to spend. Then dry with a Drinker XXL drying towel. Wax on top.


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## Paul08 (Jun 1, 2014)

I own 3 black cars (crazy I know). I don't buy products specifically for them because of their colour, but I always snow foam them before using a 2bm wash and then dry with a good quality towel and not a leather and you should be fine. I also make sure they have a good amount of protection, fusso dark coat currently.


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## Forsh (Jun 13, 2014)

Sapphire Black 320d

For a weekly / fortnightly wash,
I foam with Bilt Hamber Auto-Foam (Got mine from Slims but widely available)
Jet wash off
two bucket wash with Simoniz Wash And Carnauba Wax (Costco £7 ish, 5 litre) Wash buckets EPC <£7 on an offer, pic shows black buckets but they send yellow Meguires buckets with logo

rinse
Dry with Martin Cox microfiber drying towel (Slims £6) using Carplan No1 Super Gloss as a drying aid (£8 Wilkos / Sainsbury / ECP)

Occasional clay - Bilt Hamber clay with shampoo mix in wash bucket for lube £10-£12 200g bar. 
or Farcala G3 mitt £12 - I like to use both, mitt for most of the car and clay for heavier contamination

LSP - Bilt Hamber Double Speed Wax - £17 inc applicator & microfiber 

Tar remover, wheel cleaner, glass cleaner - all Simonize from Tesco on half price offer £2.50 each

Microfibre cloths 36 for £14 Costco

Paint correction - DAS 6 Pro - Meguires Ultimate Compound - CG Hexlogic pads


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## cpu2007 (Jul 22, 2014)

Thank you so much guys, I'm gonna start looking into these products.

I know a few stores have been mentioned(costco isn't close to me) and wondering
if anyone knows any other place where I can get things like wheel brushes, interior cleaning
brushes,foam pad?

Furthermore, my car is half leather, currently I have a few auto glym products for the leather
but are you aware of the trimps on the car(like the dashboard)? are those leather or plastic?
what's a good product to give that dashboard as well door trim a good black dark colour?


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## Forsh (Jun 13, 2014)

http://www.screwfix.com/p/hilka-pro-craft-polish-applicator-pads/6479r

Be careful with cheap wheel brushes some have a wire core with a plastic cap on that comes off
I use different coloured wash mitts for different areas of the car - grey one for wheels
I have Wheel Woolies too - great but expensive when starting out


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## RonanF (Mar 27, 2016)

Welcome!

Black is a hobby not a colour

Get the basics right and go from there. Two bucket wash and use a separate mitt for the wheels. Invest in a good quality MF drying towel too.

I find Bilt Hamber's products to be excellent, and the best value for money in the market.

My weekly routine is:

Snow foam with BH Auto Foam
2BM with BH Auto Wash
Dry with Microfibre Madness Dry Me Crazy
Top up with BH Auto QD

Prep is everything, there is no substitution for clean, de-contaminated paint. I de-con with CarPro Tar-X, Iron-X (or BH Kerrosol) and BH clay.

My current LSP is Soft 99 Fusso. I've used many, many types of LSPs and I find Fusso excellent (and cheap!). Here's my steed after her weekly wash:


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## Shiny (Apr 23, 2007)

For me the key point with a black car is the final wipedown after a wash, especially if you live in hard water area.

Dry with a plush microfibre, then use a good QD with a soft microfibre to remove any drying marks and finish the car off. Chemical Guys V7 is perfect for this, it melts into the paint, is super slick and doesn't streak, the less effort required the better as it reduces the change of marring. Mix in a bit of Sonax Brilliant Shine Detailer if you want to improve the beading and longevity of the V7.


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## OvEr_KiLL (Mar 2, 2015)

get some prima amigo glaze which will make it look darker and bring out the metallic flake if you have any and fill swirls, very light scratches. 2 layers will be good and i apply it with a microfibre applicator like these https://www.prestigecarcareshop.com.../adams-gray-microfiber-applicator-pads-2-pack 
https://shop.autofinesse.co.uk/polish-pads
then i use blackfire black ice which is for dark cars and makes it look deep and stunning and also doesnt mute the flake.
a small pot will last you a long time and its well worth the price 
http://www.motorgeek.co.uk/cgi-bin/ecom.cgi?Command=ShowProduct&db_pid=922
when i dry the car i use the feks professor plush drying towel which is awesome and blackfire midnight sun instant detailer as a drying aid to help with water spots and give a few weeks protection and gloss  
http://www.fecksphilosophy.com/product/professor-plush/
http://www.polishedbliss.co.uk/acatalog/blackfire-midnight-sun-instant-detailer-cat14.html you can also use it on external glass aswel as you dry


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## Ads_ClioV6 (Apr 27, 2014)

Get your wash routine sorted first without looking at expensive waxes
As previously owning black cars,3 bucket wash with grit guards after a good pre wash or snow foam 
Any marring swirls etc show up on black the worst 
Get a decent ph neutral pure shampoo like gyeon odk adams or dodo juice and a decent wash pad
Wold be where I would be spending my money


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## cpu2007 (Jul 22, 2014)

Thank you guys, I have searched for the following items
I can't believe it gets so expensive and that's without choosing some of the products you guys mentioned( I wonder how much you spend per year on the car with all these products)?

Let me know what you think of my cart, is it there anything I should add/substitute?

ps: the sandpaper so to remove some scratches on my car.


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## OvEr_KiLL (Mar 2, 2015)

cpu2007 said:


> Thank you guys, I have searched for the following items
> I can't believe it gets so expensive and that's without choosing some of the products you guys mentioned( I wonder how much you spend per year on the car with all these products)?
> 
> Let me know what you think of my cart, is it there anything I should add/substitute?
> ...


bilt hamber cleanser polish and a microfibre applicator https://shop.autofinesse.co.uk/polish-pads ? and i would would get a decent microfibre for buffing off the wax either of these will do http://www.fecksphilosophy.com/product/luxury-seamless-polishing-towel/
https://carpro.uk.com/collections/microfiber-towels/products/orangeboa
and a fecks professor plush drying towel http://www.fecksphilosophy.com/product/professor-plush/


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## Forsh (Jun 13, 2014)

http://www.in2detailing.co.uk/

Is worth a look

and they're a forum sponsor

http://www.detailingworld.co.uk/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=382


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## Forsh (Jun 13, 2014)

as for the scratches post some pics either they'll polish out or can be reduced and disguised or need to be touched up and smoothed but don't just let rip with wet & dry


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## rossman999 (Feb 28, 2009)

The good news is BMW black is hard and a lot harder to swirl than other manufacturers 

As others have said key is touching it as little as you can and a careful wash technique rather than expensive products.
My own black Macan is 3 months old and I seriously wash it every 2-3 weeks, i find a weekly snow foam is enough to keep the dust at bay.


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## cpu2007 (Jul 22, 2014)

I guess you're right guys. I'm gonna go with a few things first. just checked the order on this site about how to wash the car

So I'm gonna
1)spray tar remover
2) shampoo the car
3) clay it (it's one clay enough for the full car? are clays reusable or do I have to buy new every time?)
4)polish
5)wax


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## Jack R (Dec 15, 2014)

cpu2007 said:


> I guess you're right guys. I'm gonna go with a few things first. just checked the order on this site about how to wash the car
> 
> So I'm gonna
> 1)spray tar remover
> ...


I personally would be doing it slightly different.

1- pre wash
2- rinse
3- wash
4- rinse
5- iron remover
6- rinse
7- tar remover
8- rinse
9- clay
10- wash 
11- dry
12- polish
13- wipe down
14- wax (twice)


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## cpu2007 (Jul 22, 2014)

Forsh said:


> as for the scratches post some pics either they'll polish out or can be reduced and disguised or need to be touched up and smoothed but don't just let rip with wet & dry


i'll try to get some pics and show the scratches. thanks


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## cpu2007 (Jul 22, 2014)

jr1982 said:


> i personally would be doing it slightly different.
> 
> 1- pre wash
> 2- rinse
> ...


thanks jr1982!


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## Jack R (Dec 15, 2014)

I only do that once or twice a year on mine:thumb:


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## Forsh (Jun 13, 2014)

200g BH clay should do 4 cars depending on how bad they are


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## Mumm-Ra (May 3, 2017)

Forsh said:


> 200g BH clay should do 4 cars depending on how bad they are


I cut my bar into 4 pieces and used 1 bit to do my car. So still got 3 fresh bits to use whenever. 1/4 of a bar flattened out to a decent size for claying.


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## Forsh (Jun 13, 2014)

cpu2007 said:


> is one clay enough for the full car? are clays reusable or do I have to buy new every time?


yeh just to clarify I meant break 1/4 off each time to do a car, not use the whole bar 4 times :thumb:

Once it's dirty after folding the dirt in several times bin it as you don't want to be repeatedly rubbing the contamination across your paint too much


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## cpu2007 (Jul 22, 2014)

can I use t-cut as a polisher?


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## Maler (Feb 12, 2011)

Shiny said:


> For me the key point with a black car is the final wipedown after a wash, especially if you live in hard water area.
> 
> Dry with a plush microfibre, then use a good QD with a soft microfibre to remove any drying marks and finish the car off. Chemical Guys V7 is perfect for this, it melts into the paint, is super slick and doesn't streak, the less effort required the better as it reduces the change of marring. Mix in a bit of Sonax Brilliant Shine Detailer if you want to improve the beading and longevity of the V7.


Hi m8. Just found this thread and I am looking at using these products on my black car. What kind of ratio did you mix them together with 1:1 or just a little sonax?

I really like the look of both products


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## Shiny (Apr 23, 2007)

Here's the thread. http://www.detailingworld.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=339793

I reckon I'm using 70/30 now though in favour of V7.


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## slim_boy_fat (Jun 23, 2006)

Bit of a thread resurrection there..........


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## Andpopse (Mar 19, 2009)

I snow foam, pressure wash then snow foam again to make it nice and slippery whilst shampooing. Then pressure wash, towel dry and detail spray / followed by gentle wipe.
You are going to get some swirls in time but you can reduce them by being careful. 
Another tip which is obvious, is always start at the top and work down, leave to bottom 30 cm until last. Separate mitt for wheels, door shuts etc.
Oh and Grit Guards in both buckets of course.


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## Micawber (3 mo ago)

Late in the day but have a look at Polish Angel's Black Wulfenite. Vonixx Silica Spray Wax also gives a very good finish on black paintwork.


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## SadlyDistracted (Jan 18, 2013)

RonanF said:


> Welcome!
> 
> Black is a hobby not a colour
> ---


Black is a hobby sentence, a lifestyle mistake, the 'M' in S&M, not a colour..
---

One thing not mentioned, while washing only use a criss-cross / horizontal & vertical, straight lines' pattern with the mitt, no arcs, circles etc., this way you don't get 'swirls' per say, reduces the reflections to only a couple of angles ( some one may be able to explain the science behind this this better) ;-)

note claying is likely to marr, so only decon with clay if you're going to polish afterwards


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## Taylor Thrall (5 mo ago)

cpu2007 said:


> Hi
> 
> Having a black bmw 320d means that I have to constantly watch scratches, swirls on my car when it gets cleaned.
> 
> ...


Without over complicating, I'd recommend two brands... Bilt Hamber and Garage Therapy

Pre wash stage is the most important and I highly recommend the new formula of Bilt Hamber Touchless

From Garage Therapy, buy both their Decon and normal car shampoo. They're the best in my opinion.

Best tyre dressing/serum is one from Garage Therapy too, or Car Chem do a nice one.

Wash mitt... Just get any that isn't from a shop like Asda. The Rag company, megs, garage therapy or bilt Hamber all do one

Note: Noodle style Microfiber wash mitt have proven too inflict the LEAST scratches.

Also, to avoid scratches NEVER pressure wash the car before apply a product. Apply a pre wash like BH touchless to a dry car and leave for 5-10 mins and then pressure wash off

Always make sure the surface is well lubricated when doing the contact wash


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## macca666 (Mar 30, 2010)

I know I'm getting old and Grumpy but not sure why we're commenting on a 5 year old thread resurrected by a spammer who's only post involves resurrecting this thread to post a link to god knows what


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## Taylor Thrall (5 mo ago)

macca666 said:


> I know I'm getting old and Grumpy but not sure why we're commenting on a 5 year old thread resurrected by a spammer who's only post involves resurrecting this thread to post a link to god knows what


Ok


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## Micawber (3 mo ago)

SadlyDistracted said:


> Black is a hobby sentence, a lifestyle mistake, the 'M' in S&M, not a colour..
> ---
> 
> One thing not mentioned, while washing only use a criss-cross / horizontal & vertical, straight lines' pattern with the mitt, no arcs, circles etc., this way you don't get 'swirls' per say, reduces the reflections to only a couple of angles ( some one may be able to explain the science behind this this better) ;-)
> ...


Agreed. Claying has only caused me trouble in the past.


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