Consider that the top clear coat layer of your paint is about the thickness of a post-it note.
Black doesn't have any different propensity to scratch, haze, or swirl easier than any other color on the 2015 color chart, but it sure will show it more.
(There are many pro detailers that often say "Black is not a color, it's a full time job!")
After a good wash, and dry, do the plastic baggie test, use a thin plastic sandwich bag, place your hand inside, and then feel your paint. This will tell you to what degree the condition of the cleanliness of your paint is, and you can go from there.
If your finish feels like sandpaper, then the finish should be then clayed first before any polishing or waxing-sealing takes place. The clay will remove much of any iron contamination as well as other dirts, tree saps, or other contaminants such as paint overspray.
The baggie test can be used anywhere-everywhere on the outside of vehicle, paint, glass, trim to tell you its condition.
The claying will help a new sealant or wax bond better, in that claying can also remove much of old sealants-waxes that were applied previously.
Even all glass becomes loaded with stuck on contaminants, and claying can also be used on all glass to good effect.
There's 1000's of great products out there to protect the finish, natural carnauba waxes, long lasting ones would be products like Collinite 845 Insulator Wax, 476 Super Doublecoat, or 915 Marque D'Elegance. Very hard to find waxes that last longer than these products.
Synth Poly Sealants, and for great and inexpensive products, the Duragloss line comes to mind, usually easily gotten from all CARQUEST Stores, works very well, easy on easy off, long lasting, more of a sterile hard candy apple type finish-look versus natural waxes, and very inexpensive. Products such as #105, and #111 Sealants are very good. In fact all Duragloss products are great!
There are literal 100's more products such as waxes, sealants, and also semi-permanent, and permanent paint coatings, some are ceramic based (CQuartz), and some others are resin based (Opti-Coat) The coatings last much longer than any sealant or wax, but cost more initially, and can be trickier, and more labor intensive to apply.
Good washing practices are a definite. This is where swirling occurs, the cleaner you are with such, and using methods such as a two-bucket wash, grit guards, good towels, careful drying techniques, one will lessen such from occurring over tme.
Duragloss Shampoo is a very good one, cheap, rinses clean. Many shampoos sold today often have some sort of waxes in them.
As for polishes, Meguiars #205 Mirror Glaze Ultra Finishing Polish is a superb product, versatile, can be used by hand, DA, or Rotary machine. Again, it is an easy on, easy off product, produces brilliant gloss, commonly easily gotten, even many walmarts carry this as well as major auto parts stores, about $25/qt.
It is true polishes (Like M205) which enhance gloss-shine, permanently remove swirling-scratching-hazing. This is what they are designed to do, usually sealants and waxes are not.
The sooner you protect your finish, and maintain it periodically, the longer the finish will last, and look good. Here in the desert southwest, I see many vehicles which are only a scant few years old, and already displaying clear coat failure. Sole reason for such, is many people here are dead lazy, and perhaps also falsely think just because the vehicle looks shiny, it must have some protection on the paint.
The order is wash-clay-polish-seal/protect.
Hope this helps. Mark
