Best Car Care Products and Equipment for an Enthusiast

One of the joys in life is owning a car, especially a dream car. The open road, the ability to go anywhere at any time, the sense of freedom and achievement. To keep your car in the best condition possible requires routine maintenance, just as you would be servicing the mechanicals for the best performance.

Best Car Interior Products and Equipment

Vacuum cleaner

Even if you are not the keenest person when it comes to detailing, a vacuum cleaner is the best tool that aids in cleaning and makes work easier. Always start by picking up large debris and then finishing with a vacuum. Work on every surface, from the roof, carpet seats, and boot/trunk.

Get a wet and dry vacuum, it comes in handy when cleaning or drying wet surfaces plus the price difference is little to none.

Pro tip: Always work with a brush when vacuuming, this helps make the dirt loose and easier to vacuum.

Microfiber Towels

An overlooked but essential to keeping a car clean is a microfiber towel. From wiping surfaces, washing and drying the car, and cleaning hard to reach spots, a good towel does it all without damaging the car. You’ll need as many of these as you can, at least a dozen to start with.

A good microfiber towel should be soft and pliable, long-lasting, and great at cleaning almost any surface. It should also be relatively easy to clean and a large size is recommended. Bright colors are not the easiest to clean so go for dull colors.

Detailing Brushes

These are good at removing dirt from hard-to-reach areas, make cleaning and detailing much easier, and can be used on both interior and exterior surfaces of a car. If not detailing brushes, have a shoe brush with soft bristles and a toothbrush.

Extractor

This is a step above a vacuum and a powerful tool when cleaning a car’s interior. An extractor is a vacuum combined with a water pump. It can spray cold water, warm water, or both, some even use steam.

Most extractors are used for commercial purposes and are big and expensive, for an enthusiast a spot cleaner can be great at doing the job.

Extractors are good at cleaning upholstery, this is great for seats, carpet, roof, and seatbelts. The ease to clean these surfaces is what makes an extractor great

All-purpose cleaner

In car detailing there are a lot of cleaning products to use and can be overwhelming, to make it simple all-purpose cleaner is the right package for you. It can be used on all surfaces on the exterior and interior of a car.

At the end of it, all the purpose of soap is to breakdown down dirt, you can never go wrong with sticking to the basics. The exception to the rule is when removing stains, which will require special products to get the job done.

Plastic and rubber dressing

While cleaning has the car looking fresh, additional products are required to restore surfaces and protect them from the elements. After cleaning plastics, always apply a dressing that restores the color and protects it from damage, especially from the Sun. Plastic dressings have a great smell and will leave the surface looking new.

Leather Cream / Conditioner

After cleaning leather always apply leather cream so as to make it supple, last longer, and look great. Like your skin, when leather is cleaned it gets dry and needs moisturizer, without it is prone to cracking and shrinking.

Best Car Exterior Products and Equipment

Wash mitt

A wash mitt is great a great tool for cleaning your car with the least damage. Unlike car interiors, the majority of the dirt is exposed to the outside. To remove dirt effectively a wash is required. A sponge or a towel will likely be damaging to the car because they can’t absorb dirt compared to a wash mitt. A wash mitt has a thickness that allows for absorption but also lubrication when cleaning. Unlike a mitt, a sponge or towel will get clogged up with dirt and will end up acting like sandpaper leading to paint damage.

The importance of a wash mitt cannot be overlooked and is a worthy investment.

Two Buckets

It might seem silly to mention this, but most cars are washed using a single bucket. Initially, the water is clean but as you proceed the water gets dirty, this dirt can damage the paint when cleaning.

Two buckets are required for the two-bucket method. One bucket holds clean water and the other holds dirty water, that way the two never mix and greatly reduce the chance of damaging the paint.

Carwash Soap

Not all soap is made the same, always get a good carwash soap that is paint friendly. All-purpose soap is also a good substitute because it works on both the interior and exterior.

Clay bar

After washing a car, the paint surface can be a bit rough. To make the surface smooth we can either, buff the paint which is extreme and should be used as a last resort, or use a clay bar instead.

Clay bars are solid and pliable and are rubbed on the paint using a lubricant like water. It collects dirt and absorbs it leaving the paint surface smooth. When a clay bar gets clogged enough it can be disposed of.

Wax, Ceramic coats, and sealants

The basic form of protection for your car’s exterior is using wax. This protects the car from UV light and makes it easier to clean. A more advanced form of wax is sealants.

Ceramic is the latest technology used, it lasts longer and protection from the elements is even better. Ceramic coats require skill to apply so please do some research first before applying.