How to Keep A Black Car Clean (FULL Cleaning Guide!) -

There is a reason that 22.3% of drivers prefer black cars, with their sleek looks, pronounced body lines, and minimal rust visibility.

Unfortunately, cars with black paint show dirt, scratches, dings, and dents more than any other paint color. This guide will teach you how to combat every paint issue you may have to keep your black car clean.

Table of Contents

Prefer to watch rather than read? Consider watching this YouTube video by The Chemical Guys on how they perform a complete exterior detail on cars with black paint.

Watch this video on YouTube

For a wider variety of techniques, continue reading.

How to Keep A Black Car Clean

To keep a black car clean, pressure wash your car and clean the exterior with a two-bucket system. Use a microfiber mitt to scrub your vehicle. After rinsing, dry the exterior with a clean towel.

How Hard Is It To Keep a Black Car Clean?

Car enthusiasts always say that black paint is the hardest to clean, but why is this the case? It comes down to three concise issues:

The Three Downfalls of Black Paint:

Black paint shows dirt and dust easily
Black paint is prone to water spotting
Scratches & swirls are obvious (especially after an improper wash)

How to Keep A Black Car Clean and Shiny

The most essential step in keeping black car paint clean and shiny is learning how to properly wash the car. If you are going to read one thing, read this.

Most car owners have the brainpower to recognize that when dirt is on the car, in order for it to be clean again, the dirt needs to be removed. However, there are proper and improper ways of doing this.

Tip #1: Avoid the Public Carwash

Is it convenient? Sure. Does it damage your paint? OH YES! Although one trip through the car wash may not cause severe blemishes to black car paint, it will over time.

The pads “cleaning” your car in the car wash are grinding the dirt from the car in front of you into your paint. This is a no-go and will damage all colors of paint, but is most visible on black.

Tip #2: Learn How to Clean Your Black Paint Scratch Free

Essentials for a Lifetime of Scratch Free Cleaning:

Everything on the above list, except for the soap, is a one-time purchase that you can use to keep your car’s black paint clean for years.

The Scratch Free Wash Process:

Step 1:

Start by using a pressure wash to wash as much dirt from the black paint as possible. Be careful to keep the nozzle of the pressure washer at least a foot away from the paint at all times to avoid chipping.
Once the entire car is rinsed and large chunks of debris and removed, move on to step two

Step 2:

Fill both five-gallon buckets halfway full with hose water. In one bucket, pour 1 cup of exterior car soap and slosh it around until suds appear. Place the grit guard in the bottom of the same bucket.
You now have a wash and rinse bucket which is essential for a scratch-free wash.

Step 3:

Fill a foam cannon with a 1:7 ratio of exterior car soap to water. Once full, attach the foam canon to the pressure washer wand.
Pull the trigger, and apply a suddzy layer of soap on the entire car.

Step 4:

Once the soap has sat for at least one minute, use a microfiber wash mitt and rub the soapy liquid into the car’s paint using a back-and-forth motion. Do not swirl, as that may scratch the paint.
Once this is done on all exterior panels, rinse the entire car.

Step 5:

Confirm that all the dirt has been removed from the cars paint. If not, repeat the wash cycle
If dirt is removed, use a microfiber drying towel to dry the entire car, again in a front-to-back motion.

You have successfully washed your black car to avoid scratching the paint as much as possible. However, an additional step must be completed to keep your car clean and shiny over time.

Keeping a Black Car Clean Between Washes

It is good practice to wash your black car every one to two weeks, as dirt will continue to appear causing scratches both big and small.

To keep black car paint clean and shiny between washes, use the following method.

What you will need:

Car enthusiasts will pay hundreds of dollars to have a professional ceramic coating put on their cars. Ceramic creates a hard, sleek shell on the exterior paint, can be applied in minutes, and protects the car for months.

To apply the ceramic coating, complete the wash cycle listed in detail above if not already done. This is essential for successful application

Once the black paint is clean, spray one panel at a time with the ceramic spray while massaging the liquid into the paint in a circular motion. Once the ceramic has been rubbed in, wipe the excess with a second microfiber rag.

Just like that, your black paint will be protected from dirt, debris, and even the local car wash.

Again, it is recommended that the wash process, as well as re-application of ceramic coating, is done every few weeks.

How To Buff Out Scratches On A Black Car

Depending on the age of your car, its paint may have lots of scratches in the clear coat. The clear coat is the protective layer on your car paint that takes the brunt of the scratches and is corrected in the buffing process.

To correct the clear coat yourself and make black car paint look as new as possible, you will need:

I’ll let you in a secret: Buffing/Polishing/most paint correction on your car is not challenging.

Here’s all you need to do.

Step 1:

The first step to buffing or polishing (synonymous terms) a black car is ensuring it is clean. Luckily for you, at the top of this article there is a detailed guide on how to preform a scratch free wash.

Step 2:

Grab your orbital polisher, the included polishing pad, along with the polish. If you purchase the kit above, use the orange polishing pad paired with the heavy cutting polish.
Apply the pad to the rotary polisher, and get it slightly damp
Squeeze five dime size piles of polish onto the pad, and stamp the polish in a two-foot x two-foot square on your car’s paint. Starting on the hood is recommended.

Step 3:

Turn the orbital polisher on to its lowest setting to spread the polish out in the two-foot square in a front-to-back motion. Once done, turn the polisher to the 5th or 6th speed setting, and repeat the front-to-back motion until the polish is clear on the paint.
WARNING. Ensure you apply medium pressure the entire time. There is no need to push hard on the polisher. It will do the work.
When done, wipe the excess polish with a clean microfiber.

Step 4:

Repeat this process in 2-foot x 2-foot sections across the entire vehicle.

Step 5:

Apply the ceramic coating spray to the entire vehicle. Message the ceramic into the paint, following it up with a wipe to remove as much excess as possible.

Congrats! You have restored your black car’s paint!

Best Waxes for Black Cars

Choosing the best wax for your black car is really quite simple. Personally, the ceramic coating mentioned in the previous sections is what I have been using to replace wax in recent years, but here are the best pure wax choices.

I could drone on for hours about each wax, but here is a simple video that explains all three choices in detail.

Watch this video on YouTube

How to Keep a Black Car Clean In The Winter

Winter months are where the undercarriage of a car goes to die, especially if you live in an area where salt is used to combat ice.

The best way to keep your black car clean in the winter is to do a regular wash, following the scratch-free method at the top of this article.

I must admit, carwashes do have a leg up during the winter months as most homeowners turn off exterior hose lines, making a wash at home impossible.

If it is your only option, go to a car touchless car wash every two weeks during the winter months if you can’t perform the wash at home. This will ensure the salt is being removed from your car, which can deteriorate the paint and undercarriage over time.

If you live in a region with a mild winter, follow the steps at the top of this article to perform a scratchless wash on your black paint. Plus, you can purchase this undercarriage attachment to target any salt buildup that is difficult to reach.

How To Keep Black Rubber Car Mats Clean

Having a regular routine on how to clean your black floor mats will make a world of difference for your car, and it is quite simple.

Step 1:

Remove all the floormats from the vehicle and dump any loose dirt and debris. Lay the mats on a flat surface away from your vehicle to keep the dirt from getting on the exterior paint.

Step 2:

Use a powerwasher to cut through any dirt and grime on the black floormats. This will remove 90% of the debris in just seconds.
For a DEEP CLEANING: Spray some exterior car soap onto all the black floormats. Using a drill and brush attachment, work the soap into the rubber mats to agitate as much embedded grime as possible.

Once done, rinse the mats and leave them to dry. Congrats, your black floormats are clean once again.