BatmobileX

Do you hand wash your car and if so what products (cleaner and sponges) do you use? After one week my obsidian is looking dingy from the salt I get near the ocean.

afpj

See the detailing thread for your reading pleasure: https://www.clublexus.com/forums/aut...detailing-122/

Personally, I use McGuire's Wash & Wax and 303 spray protectant afterwards. Nothing fancy but my car is white. Obsidian is going to be way more picky for swirls etc.

ellocovg

iTrader: (1)

Black is a tough color to maintain. Nothing is better when clean but nothing is worse when it’s not. I personally like chemical guys products. I like there citrus wash, followed by there butter wax. When I’m feeling crazy and I have the time I follow that up with jet seal. I previously had a nightfall mica RX which is the dark blue color and the black light enhancer was awesome, I’m excited to try the white light enhancer on my white one this year.

BMGS

iTrader: (1)

On obsidian, I recommend to pressure wash and then foam cannon the initial grit off first or else you will install swirl marks if you just go at it with a sponge.

Once that's done, I use Optimum no rinse, a spotless water filtration system and microfiber towels (just one wipe per fold) to actually touch the paint.

One that's done, I dry using Adams H20 Guard and Gloss, so it's sealed during every wash and there is no marring from dry towels on the paint. Obsidian is super delicate so there are a lot of precautions that need to be taken when washing.

BatmobileX

Do you use a sponge or cloth?

RX in NC

I have used a batch of 45-year-old cotton cloth diapers for more than 40 years to wash all of our vehicles. They have held up quite well after thousands of cycles in the washing machine and dryer. I started with maybe two dozen of them. I am now down to about ten. I use them only for cleaning the vehicles, inside and out. They get washed and dried after each use.

RX10

Your method is very close to what mine is when washing my obsidian beauty.
1. Spray ONR over the entire car and let dwell 3-5 minutes
2. Power wash the vehicle
3. Using two bucket method with ONR, sponge down the surfaces
4. Power wash
5. Dry surfaces with battery powered leaf blower and “Rag Company” brand microfiber towels
6. Every 2-3 months spray on a detailer product from Kenzo called Epic. (I had my car ceramic coated)

It might look like a lot of steps but actually it’s very easy and only takes me about 30-45 minutes to clean the exterior. Having black cars all my life, after having the ceramic coating applied, this black RX is the easiest to clean…by far! It looks clean much, much longer, repels water very effectively and worth the the expense of the coating.

BatmobileX

When you say "sponge down," what type of sponge? I am afraid to scratch it.

msnow

If you're going to sponge down use the Big Red Sponge or Ultra Black Sponge. Expensive but worth the money. Here's my method.
Spray down the car with 256:1 ONR and let it sit for a couple nof minutes.
I use one bucket with a grit guard and the BRS and gentlly wash down one panel at a time then wipe off.

This takes me less than 30 minutes, no swirls and it looks great. If you're going to do the wheels with a product, do that first before starting the ONR method.

RX10

As mentioned by MSNOW, I too use The Ultra Black Sponge by Rag Company. About $20 bucks but worth it. Using it along with a grit guard in the rinse bucket, this sponge really does a nice job protecting from scratches and swirls. Been using it for almost a year with great results.

RX10

As mentioned by MSNOW, I too use The Ultra Black Sponge by Rag Company. About $20 bucks but worth it. Using it along with a grit guard in the rinse bucket, this sponge really does a nice job protecting from scratches and swirls. Been using it for almost a year with great results.