[CU2] Black car, what to do?

[HunterZero]

hey ive been noticng alot of REALLLLy light scratch marks. like randomly long lines appearing on my door. obviously someone or something caused them, but theyre like in really wierd positions that look like a door cudnt have done it, and a person would have been a midget to "brush past" against it.
its a volcanic grey car. so only noiceable up close.

It's likely these are microscratches from washing it improperly, or with a dirty sponge/chamois. They show up more on dark coloured cars like yours. What do you wash/dry the car with? Did you wash the car in the sun?

To prevent further scratches from appearing when washing, you need to change your wash procedure.

First, throw away any existing sponges and chamois you have.

A chamois seems good for drying a car and cleaning the paint, but they tend to pick up grit left on the surface and drag it across the paint which leaves fine scratches.

Always wash in the shade. Rinse the car thoroughly. Remove any bug bodies, eg from the front.

Get yourself a good microfibre (will last longer) or lambswool wash mitt and good car wash like Meguiars NXT wash or Mothers California Gold, and two buckets - one for soap, and one with plain water to rinse the mitt with after you take it off the car, before you go for another dunk of soap. Wash from top to bottom, and wash wheels using a SEPARATE wash mitt/sponge.

Next, get a stack of good microfibre towels, and some quick detailer spray. To dry the car, mist with the quick detailer to help lubricate the towel and wipe down the car. Keep turning the towel as you work, and swap to a new towel regularly.

When you wash microfibre, DON'T use fabric softener with it.

If the car gets really dirty, you'll feel that the paint gets 'gritty'. You'll need a clay detailing bar (google it) and/or paint cleaner to properly clean the paint of contaminants and return it to feeling smooth.

would waxing and stuff protect it from light scratches? wax is like a spray or something right? or something in a tub you rub on?

Wax has fairly minimal protection properties, it's mostly for show. Although it does offer some protection against water marks, and stops some road grime from sticking.

You can get paint cleaners and swirl removers that will lessen or remove the swirls, then you can get a paint sealant that offers a bit more protection. The sealant will typically last several months then you have to reapply.

You should ONLY apply wax or sealant after you've properly cleaned/polished/prepared the paint.

Meguiars or Mothers California Gold are good lines of products to start with, or you can get 'enthusiast' kits on the web from: http://www.waxit.com.au

Or you can pay someone to detail your car for you when it gets too scratched.

Welcome to the joys of keeping a car looking nice. It can take a fair bit of work, but the results are enjoyable.

- HZ