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Hello Everybody! I don't understand every time i wash my Spectra5 (which has black paint) it looks worse every time i wash it. Maybe its because i live in hot and dusty Arizona. It is full of smudges , streaks, and water spots. Does anybody know of a good cleaner that might work to keep it spot, smudge and streak free? When i wash the car it looks good from 4' or more away, but when you get close to it the car looks like a smudge, streak and spotted up car. Thank you.
Black is a very hard color to maintain. I have the same issues you have. To make sure it stays looking good after a wash I make sure to wax it at least once a month.
Forget about the wax, won't hold up in the sun and heat of Az. Will only last a few weeks at best. My suggestion would be to clay bar the finish to get all the dirt and impurities off and out of the paints surface. Yes its safe for clear coats. Then apply a synthetic sealant ie: Meguiars Mirror Glase # 20, Mothers FX Synwax, Rejex. Just be sure to follow the instructions, these will last as long 5/6 months. Finish will be fantisic too. Good luck
There is a car wash system put out by Mr. Clean that uses a filter for the final rinse of the car. It costs about 20 bucks and does a very good job of washing the car without leaving spots or streaks. It worked very good on my previous truck's cranberry colored paint. We tried it once on the black Kia we just bought and it did not leave any spots or streaks.
I use the Mr. Clean car wash deal and must say it does work. I also use Nanowax after each wash, just spray and wipe, then wipe once more, real quick and awesome shine. Leaves no white residue, and because it is not a thick paste, it might hold up to the sun. Check it out.
We have been using the RainEx spray wax that works about the same. It made a huge difference on our truck's shine, but when I put it on the front door and wiped it off, the back door looked just as good, so I figured the car must already have a pretty good shine.
I do have some paint pits from the love bugs here in Florida. The idiot previous owner didn't clean them off the front of the car and they ate the finish right off. Well not eat like with their little bug teeth, they must be acidic and it just eats the paint off if you don't get em right off your car.
Simple, gotta dry it. If you towel dry it, you will not have water marks, smudges anything.
If you let the water dry by itself then you will get marks.
Simple, gotta dry it. If you towel dry it, you will not have water marks, smudges anything.
If you let the water dry by itself then you will get marks.
This is exactly what I do with my black 08 Spectra5 and it works great.
Okay so I'm a little anal retentive when it comes to my car. Good thing because of all the time I spend keeping my black Spec5 gleaming. First let me say that I live in Louisiana currently and it's hotter than a lot of places. Not quite Arizona but hot enough to bake egg yolks into my paint in 3 hours in the morning. These are the things I use and for what.
Maguires Crystal car wash soap- works really well and lasts two buckets of water.
Synthetic shami
Car squeegee - I can get the whole car dry faster and just use the shami for the drops. It's also the only way I can get my whole Suburban mostly dry before I get all the way around it.
Micro fiber car wash mitt - Won't scratch the clear like some stuff out there and the dirt comes out of it really well unlike a sponge which sometimes traps it in and then you wipe it on your car.
Dryer sheets (cheap ones) - I use them to scrub bugs off after dipping them in the soapy bucket. Try it. You have to make sure to wash the sections of your car you use them on though. They will leave a residue if you don't.
WASH YOUR CAR IN THE SHADE OR BEFORE IT'S HOT OUT. Early morning or after dusk are the best times.
Scrub your tires with Bleach White and wash the rims with the Car wash soapy water. Do this before the final rinse
I usually clay bar my car once a month. I wax every other weekend.
Mother's California Gold paste wax in a red can.
Cotton diapers or old cotton t-shirts to wipe wax off.
Use a shop vac to suck all the water out of the cracks or blow out the water with an air compressor if you are so lucky. This way once you are done and start to drive you won't get mysterious water spots on your car. Do this before you wax and after you dry.
Maguire's quick detailer when your all done. Don't forget to get the door jams. Every couple of months or so I put some WD-40 on all my door seals with a wash rag. Keeps them from drying out.
You should have a paint finish that you can perform Laser eye surgery in when you are done.
Black Paint
Linear Mode
