How to Remove Swirls from Black Cars

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Black cars are notoriously difficult to wax. Here is how you can maintain perfect black car paint without swirls.

Steps

Wash Your Car Properly

This is the single most important way to ensure you black paint is swirl free—90% of swirls are caused by improper washing techniques.

1. 1
   Use two wash buckets and a low pile microfiber wash mitt, such as the Simoniz ones. Tall buckets are ideal, as any dirt will sink to the bottom of the bucket. If you have a tall bucket, you will pick up less dirt when dipping your Microfiber wash mitt into the bucket.

   
   
2. 2
   The first bucket should be a rinse bucket with hot water in it. The second should contain hot water and car wash soap—not soap for dishes as it strips paint! Make sure there are lots of suds in the second bucket.
3. 3
   Rinse the car thoroughly with a hose. If you are able, hook the hose up to your tap/laundry sink so that you can use warm water (warmer water will be more effective at loosening the dirt on your car).
4. 4
   Dip your mitt in the soap bucket. Use a light back and forth motion to rub the soap on your car, one body panel at a time. Start from the top and work your way down.
5. 5
   Dip the mitt in the hot rinse bucket. Repeat the previous steps with the non-soapy water to rinse off the soap.
6. 6
   Rinse your wheels with warm water and dry with the Microfiber towels in a back and forth motion.
7. 7
   If you have vacuum that you can blow in reverse, use that to get rid of the water in the cracks and crevices.
8. 8
   Enjoy and practice safe washing.

Polishing

1. 1
   Use a clay bar to prep the affected surface.
   • Mist a 2-3 foot section of the car with a car surface finisher, such as Image 10.
   • Hold the clay bar in the palm of your hand.
   • Rub the clay lightly on the car surface using a back and forth motion. Use your fingertips to spread the finisher ahead of the clay.
   • Allow the whole vehicle to dry for 20 minutes before the next step.
2. 2
   Spread a line of polish down the affected area. Using a a buffer with a synthetic wool pad, buff lightly at a speed of 3-4.
3. 3
   Pass over the swirls 3-4 times with the buffer. Look at the surface for areas you might have missed.
4. 4
   Go over the area with a foam pad. Again, check to make sure you did not miss any areas.
5. 5
   Use a polish and its corresponding pad. Apply a finish cream if desired.

   
   

Video

Tips

• Slide the clay bar on your detail spray
• Inspect clay bar after each body panel and roll up to get a new section
• Dry each body panel with a Microfiber towel before proceeding to the next section
• Dont do any of this in the sun

Warnings

• Must roll the clay bar to a new section after each body panel or the dirt you have removed will scratch the new section you are about to clay !
• If you drop the clay bar on the ground then throw it away as pebbles will scratch your paint

Article provided by wikiHow, a wiki how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Change the Oil and Filter on a 2001 Beetle TDI Using an Oil Extractor. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

Sources and Citations