[AzureHaze]

I gave up keeping it clean all the time. I dust, wipe windshields and vacuum interior once a week if I can. I get a hand wash from my local car wash once a month and a detail once a year.

You better believe my next car isn't going to be black!

[smithf80]

If its already in bad condition:

Hand Wash
Clay using NanoSkin or just Regular clay
M105 with a yellow pad
IPA Wipedown/Wash
Menzerna SF4000 with Red pad.
IPA Wipe and wash again
Seal with Opti-Seal, Wax with optimum car wax.

Good for 3-5 more months of just hand washing

[335BOY]

Originally Posted by NickBlaine

Look up how a waterless wash is performed. Gary Dean method is very popular.

That method is about efficiency not really washing with the safest method to avoid swirls marring etc. Water is needed. If that method was so good/safe then detailers all over would be using it. Notice he is using a 10yr old Honda(?)

[335BOY]

Originally Posted by sd_luis

I heard the california car duster won't scratch your car, but will leave ugly swirl marks. Have you experience that?

Swirls are scratches. Use duster in straight line. if there is a lot on th ecar it may scratch too. Its all about how particular everyone is about their finish. Everyones "fine" and "no swirls" definition is different.

[kctim]

To minimize jet black paint marring and keeping it in top shape, there are several lessons to be learned and tricks you have to follow. To keep it clean from dust, well that is just impossible. Drive your 2nd car when there is a high pollen count, or when it's really windy and you'll cut yourself some serious slack! You cannot cut corners and try to "speed" clean this color of car or you will be absolutely disgusted at your paint condition in the long run.

Throw all of your crappy/cheap microfiber towels into a pile dedicated for the dirty work (wheels, undercarriage, exhaust etc). Trust me, unless you got them from a nice detail store and spent some decent money on them, they are probably crap. These cause micro marring on the paint. Use quality products: Soaps, towels, polishes and waxes, everything. Google Jet black paint correction to see how the pros can revive the paint if your car is really bad. Take note of what products they use and what order they use them in.

To summarize what I do for upkeep ( not including a once per year paint correction, which you may want to hire out to a local detailer unless you want to spend 18 hours of work on your car and have the equipment, polishes, lighting to diy)

*Foam bath via soap gun- use good soap -see Amazon for a cheaper soap gun
*Rinse off- always let water sheet on car with regular hose stream, never "blast" the car with high pressure.
*Begin hand wash with large bucket/grit guard/Griot's mitt
*Rinse
*Dry with a quality Waffle weave towel
*Quick detailer for missed water spots
*Use the least dirty crappy microfiber towels for the wheels with a shot of quick detailer on them. Dispose when necessary. These aren't even worth bringing back with microfiber restore, unless you want chunks in the washing machine and ruined clothes over time.

Once a month, I'll run over the paint with a Orbital. The most effective product on this paint that I've found for keeping that deep glossy appearance is Blackfire Wet Diamond All Finish Paint Protection. This stuff is like liquid gold for JB bmw's, especially if paint is already in decent shape. Clay the paint beforehand if it needs it. You only need to use a dime size amount for a few panels at a time. Buff off with the best microfiber towel you own and make sure it's clean and free of contaminants. Once you have the routine down, it really isn't all that bad. You'll learn along the way what works best for you. Oh, and do yourself a favor, throw away your california dusters.. those things are down right awful unless you have a ridiculous amount of paint protection/wax on the car, but even then I've seen them scratch. When all is said and done, yes it's just a 3 series, you can choose to keep it clean or not. But for those of you who plan to move up the ladder to the #1 hardest paint to keep perfect, Porsche black, you'll be prepared to have the cleanest black 911 turbo in town!

[SSW]

I really didn't want to buy a Sapphire Black 335i but it was the only 335i worth buying when I was looking. Knew in advance that a PITA a black car can be to keep looking clean/nice.

I use a California car duster and a regular feather duster to keep most of the dust off. I also do a wet microfiber towel wipe down between washes when the surface looks dirty and wipe off the OEM exhaust tips each time I get the car back in the garage so that there is no carbon build up on the tips. I use to have to wipe all brake residue off of the wheels 1-2x's a week but no longer have to do that since I had a set of Akebono ceramic brake pads installed all around.

I also NEVER drive the 335i in the rain, which has a lot to do with why it always looks so clean & shiny. Easy for me to do since I have an FJ Cruiser and an F250 that I can drive in the rain instead.

[STIaintgotnothinonme]

Cleaned it up nice and got the mirror shine. Paints still good on the car so it cleans up nice.

[NickBlaine]

Originally Posted by 335BOY

That method is about efficiency not really washing with the safest method to avoid swirls marring etc. Water is needed. If that method was so good/safe then detailers all over would be using it. Notice he is using a 10yr old Honda(?)

So you think professional detailers dont use those or similar methods?

I was providing that as an alternative to using a california duster or just wiping down with some QD.

A full wash is always the safest, along with drying with a blower.

[Hokie_BMW]

Full wash is always safest. But like I said. A spray down and then spray a QD or similar lubricant on the wet car then dry is a fantastic way to get rid of pollen and *light* dirt on black cars.

This won't work with a dirty car but I've had great luck with using this method on my jet black car to get the pollen off. Even after a fresh detail it didn't incur new swirls or scratches.

[CWysong]

seal and wax it! Cant keep the dirt off, but done well the sealant can last 6+ months and a good was 2-3 months. If both are on, the car gets dirty but a quick drive through the touhcless car wash on the cheapest "rinse" option washes the car and the dirt washes right off the car no issues.

I live in ohio, the pollen capital of the world... for 4 months starting in spring there is a yellow film over everything, so this tip works well. It can be a hastle to keep quick detailing, or rinsing your car off...but with the good sealant/wax combo thats all you need to do... only a need for a full wash once a month or so and it stays looking great!

[Micura]

Originally Posted by NickBlaine

So you think professional detailers dont use those or similar methods?

I was providing that as an alternative to using a california duster or just wiping down with some QD.

A full wash is always the safest, along with drying with a blower.

23 years of black cars. Last one was a jet black 2003 e46 that looked new last year when I sold it (regret) and purchased an e92 (alpine white). The e46 I washed every 2 weeks or whenever it got very dirty with Griots waterless car wash. 10 years and never used water, not even for the wheels. 2 minute Speed Shine every couple of days or if dusty. Polish once a year. Clay and wax twice a year followed by Meguiars liquid boat wax or griots best of show wax. The car looked new, like a black mirror, for 10 years. I use a foaming sprayer with Woody Wax boat wash and a soft brush now because it is much faster, but the waterless wash was perfect.

[grimwood1992]

Originally Posted by Papalote

23 years of black cars. Last one was a jet black 2003 e46 that looked new last year when I sold it (regret) and purchased an e92 (alpine white). The e46 I washed every 2 weeks or whenever it got very dirty with Griots waterless car wash. 10 years and never used water, not even for the wheels. 2 minute Speed Shine every couple of days or if dusty. Polish once a year. Clay and wax twice a year followed by Meguiars liquid boat wax or griots best of show wax. The car looked new, like a black mirror, for 10 years. I use a foaming sprayer with Woody Wax boat wash and a soft brush now because it is much faster, but the waterless wash was perfect.

My car just cleaned. Then polished with poor boys blackhole

[poi890]

wash every week

[Casca]

Wash, clay, polish, sealant, wax every two to three months or longer or sooner if I feel like it.

Wash @ once a month and Meguiar's Ultimate Quik Wax spray.

$5 touchless car wash when I fill up the tank. Might just start running a hose beading water over it as was mentioned earlier by someone else in place of the touchless car wash.

Works pretty good. After a good rain or touchless car wash, my car looks close to how it looked after applying sealant/wax.