Okay...so I bought a new 2010 RX Hybrid and decided to go with the Black on Black. Stunning. That said, after about six months of regular washing, I have a multitude of fine hair scratches all over the car. From the outset, I knew black was going to be a problem, so I bought a hog's hair bristle brush and I also have used a lamb’s wool mitt.... but I still have these scratches. I've also used various expensive waxes, sealants, etc. but to no avail. Can anyone recommend anything to help? (I'm really getting the razz from my wife because I treat her black Mercedes 2010 C-300 with an equal amount of TLC and she has virtually no hair line scratches.... Help!

 

our detailing forum has tons of information on that. lexus paint are very soft, that's why swirls develop very easily. you will need to polish and buff to take them out and then put on good wax.

car wash is one of the easiest way to develop swirls. you can also to to autopia.org and find out what's the best way to wash cars. i use two buckets method and it helps drastically

 

I echo all of Rominl comments. Car washes, even the one at your dealership, will add swirls with each wash. Improper drying will also cause swirls.

Read the detailing section of CL for some excellent help. Waxes and sealants aren't the real answer for swirls. However once you get the car the way you want it, the reflections off the Lexus black will be awesome.

Good luck.

 

Try Mcquires Swirl Remover. Comes in black plastic container. Works tha best of anything I have tried. Took the swirls out of my dark blue carrera.
Used Mcquires yellow wax no. 28 after the swirl remover application
Excellent results and very easy to use. Do by hand!

 

no matter how hard you try, you will get swirl marks. i'm at the point where i'm going to get a detailer to polish the scratches out once a year for me. black is so beautiful when clean and waxed, but i don't know if i want my next car to be black due to the high level of care it requires. lexus really needs to provide better paint that is more scratch resistant across all their product lines (and not just the scratch healing paint that is currently found on the 2010/2011 LS).

 

After a little over a year, the car has scratches and swirlmarks all over it. The worst paint on a car I ever had. I don't think I'll get another because of paint.

After I got the car a year ago, the hairline scratches on both sides developed simply from highway driving. I waited to wash it for 3 weeks and that did not help. Now, after one winter and 90% handwash car washes, the surface is a mess. I got tired and stopped paying attention.

 

Like Rominl, I use a two bucket car wash. I also buy the buckets with the grid in the bottom so dirt will not be pulled back into my mitt.
First I rinse my car, then spary the area I am going to wash with a foam gun. I brush that area with a high quality boar hair brush, rinse, spray the area again with the foam gun and wipe with high quality mitt, and rinse. Lastly, rinse the entire car again before drying it with high quality micro fiber drying towels. I go all this in my enclosed wash pit and I still get some light swirl marks over time.
In addition to weekly washings I detail the car 3 times a year. Keeping a good coat of wax on your car is your best defence.
I have a black 2006 LS Ultra, maintaining the paint finish is killing me. This is why our 2010 RX is white. In 2011 Lexus is suppose to try a new paint on the LS models. It's about time!
I have 3 other black cars, all with finishes that are much more durable than the Lexus finish. Good luck.

 

The paint has suck on the 05's, 06's, 07's,08's,09's and now the 10's. Lexus will never fix this problem unless the owners tell them that its is subpar paint and will not buy again until they get there act right and fix the paint. The paint on my 01 Dakota is better than the water base crap they put on now. Have allways hand washed my Lexus and no swirls after 75K on it but have rock chips . Black Forest Pearl RX

 

I think this is also a big step people miss. I started using it and notice a difference now.

To the O.P, you might need to take pics and go to the detailing forum, the experts are great there.