nick49

I always hand wash but don't like it at all. The cold water is hard, it's mostly always sunny out and the car dries too fast and spots and streaks. Black is the worst. I found Turtle Wax, "Wax and Dry" which is a spray wax used on a wet car, then towel dry. It's been the best I've found for the least work. My car has never looked better for such little work.

I know, it's not what a pro detailer would do or recommend, as they seem to favor all sorts of ultra time consuming multiple steps with products that border on being cost prohibitive. And, I fully understand that, it's how they make their living. All I want is the best look for the least work. And with black, a $500 pro detail job, will need a wash, dry and detail to look good the very next day. It never ends and my car's a driver, not a show car. Here's looking into the frunk after a quick wash and wax and dry.

Dock

Looks good.

There's nothing wrong with it being easy if you get satisfactory results.

Capt. Obvious

The initial investment can be a little high, but since you are not fond of the cleaning and detailing process I think a professionally applied ceramic coating is something you should look into. The car will stay cleaner, be less work to clean, and it lasts for years, especially if your car is stored in a garage.

Dock

So do I.

Carlo_Carrera

I have been using that same Turtle Wax spray and dry stuff for decades on all my vehicles. The results are excellent and many people have raved about the quality of the paint finish on all of them. You need good paint to start so if your paint is damage a pro polish is the way to go, but after that spray and dry wax is all you need IMHO.

venom51

Pro detailers recommend what puts money in their pockets. Either through convincing people that they can't do it themselves or convincing people that they need a product they sell to do it right. As with everything in life take what they say with a grain of salt. It's your car wash it however you see fit.

2fcknfst

Yes it does - nothing like a good looking black car...

Turbodan

stays that way for 15 minutes or less. I owned a black Porsche for 11 years, never again...unless of course I cannot pass on the car.

docwyte

I washed, clayed, machine compounded and polished the car and then ceramic coated it. Now washing it is a breeze, the water/dirt etc just blow right off the car. So while the first part took me all day to do, now washing the car is super easy...

2fcknfst

Black cars are my kryptonite; Just like Henry Ford said of the first model T; 'You can have it in any color you want, as long as it's black'...

2fcknfst

I have not washed mine for 6 weeks now, since the ceramic was applied, and it looks clean. When I take it off the road in November, I think I will apply two more coats and give it a serious polish. I love the glass finish.

autobonrun

I’ve had one black vehicle in my garage the last 30 years. I’ve become pretty much an expert at keeping them clean. I don’t think it’s as hard as I hear.

My current X3 Msport is tuned to about 360 hp; a low 5 second SUV.

2fcknfst

That looks clean... my M5 is a bugger to keep clean with Black Sapphire paint - it also shows all the little swirl scratches.

602996TT

I don't mind doing the hand-washing & claying but I let my eight-year-old son do the polishing.

Dock

While washing my Turbo doesn't take very long at all (no ceramic coating), the drying and associated detailing that follows does take some time. The whole job start to finish is not something I look forward to, or enjoy doing.