Maintaining a (black) car with no garage (roof)

[Bry]

Hi guys,

What's the best way to maintain a (black) car when you don't have a proper garage? I have been using a car cover for almost two weeks now, but as I have read online, car covers can also create swirls and scratches when not used properly.

I can only have the car washed professionally once a week. And I don't trust the helpers to do the cleaning.

[speed unlimited]

Its better if you will be the one who will maintain your ride even detailing . Mind with garage and car cover its hard you dont know were those small scratches and swirl came from even though its never use . I used it mostly on EB purpose for 2 years only 2500km . Like now rainy days when you encounter rain always wash it to prevent from acid rain and water marks. Just a tips.

[madkatz]

Tips i could think of:

1. Have the car paint protected with a sealant, sealants last far longer than waxes so they can offer better protection for your paint, this would prevent if not lessen the damages caused by the environment like water marks, tree saps etching and bird droppings, it is ideal to have your car sealed once every 3 months

2. Have the car waxes at least once a week, if you have tougher waxes that are really durable then you could wax every other week, waxes would be your primary protection on the vehicle, sealants would be the fail safe measure if ever the wax fails to protect the paint, but waxing every other week is a good practice at maintaining the paint glossy and protecting the paint from developing watermarks.

3. Have your car washed with people who really know how to wash cars, you could try the forum favorite Big Berts or you could wash your car yourself, just make sure you employ the two bucket method of washing the car, this will give you a higher chance of cleaning the paint without inducing new swirls and scratches. for this you of course need two buckets, preferably 2 washmitts and a good shampoo that doesn't strip off wax

4. Have a duster on hand, Microtex and California makes great dusters for those days when the dirt and grits on the paint is dry, or if the car is not wet.

5. Have a car cover that has a scratch free layer inside, car covers can cause scratches on the paint if you cover the car and the car is still dirty, this happens when the grits and dirts on the car gets pushed around while you put and remove the car cover. so always put on a car cover only on cleaned cars and also practice proper folding procedures for using a car cover, just do a quick search and you would find a video or instructional page on how to put on a car cover without dragging it across the paint and folding it up neatly for proper storage.

6. if car covers are too tiresome for you like me, then you could always maintain it and keep it clean by dusting off the dirt from the paint and by cleaning the paint using a waterless wash or with a QD, Microtex makes great products and their QD NanoSliq and Plush MF towel is great for cleaning the paint after dusting without scratching the paint, of course don't apply too much pressure and frequently turn the towel, you could also use others QD's like TW platinum, EO wipe and shine and Mothers Showtime to name a few, just mist them on the paint and make sure you have enough product to make the paint slick enough for the dirts to come off without scratching the paint, not too much not too few in using QD's

7. You could also use Qd's and Spray waxes after you wash to prolong the life of your wax or sealant, this also makes the paint slick and slippery so that dirt particles and other contaminants doesn't directly bond over the paint making them easier to remove next time you wash your car.

8. do a few back reading and ask some questions on the detail thread, you will really learn a lot there

9, try to attend if they have another seminar there teaching proper washing and maintenance techniques.

10. always be on the look out for bird droppings and tree saps as these can etch and eat through the paint really fast, so keeping a QD and a spare MF towel inside the car can sometimes save your paint from those unsightly blemishes and stains