While not everyone LIKES to wash their car, everyone does love driving a nice, freshly washed, bright and shiny car. So if you decide to DIY your car detailing in between professional cleans you may as well do it properly! That is why you need to know about the essentail car detailing products.
When you clean your car properly – and thoroughly – you are protecting the paintwork and keeping everything looking nicer for longer.
Unfortunately, if you are washing your car with all the wrong products you are doing far more harm than good. When you use the wrong products – like dishwashing liquid you can end up damaging the finish of your car, rub dirt into the paintwork that is creating tiny scratches on the car’s surface and even create grimy smears. Apart from damaging your car you are also wasting money on unsuitable products. Here are some suggestions for the products you need!
Car Shampoo
Never clean your car with laundry or dishwashing detergent, dedicated car shampoos have been designed to remove dirt and grime without damaging the paint finish. Try –
| Top 3 Car Shampoo | ||
|---|---|---|
| Autoglym Bodywork Shampoo Conditioner | CarPlan Triplewax Car Shampoo | Meguiars Ultimate Wash and Wax |
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| this gentle shampoo has been formulated to be pH neutral and free from harsh chemicals, this means it’s a good choice for all paint finishes and colours, it also has a water-repellent finish too! | this is a general purpose shampoo that does everything you need from a car shampoo, it removes dirt and grime and doesn’t leave any streaks. CarPLan Triplewax, as its name suggests, contains 3 types of wax to leave your car with a shiny finish. | if you don’t mind spending a little bit more for the perfect finish and shine, Ultimate Wash and Wax is for you. It’s a car shampoo that has been designed to be used between waxings to keep a glossy shine and to remove dirt. |
| Buy From: Supercheapauto.com.au | Buy From: Halfords.com | Buy From: Meguiars.com.au |
Car Polish and Wax
The first step is getting your car CLEAN. Bare paintwork can become damaged so a good polish and wax are done to protect your car’s paint.
- Autoglym Super Resin Polish – this is a very easy to use the polish that is great for all materials on your car, including plastic, chrome and lacquered carbon fibre. It leaves your car with a deep glossy finish that looks great in any colour and finish.
- Turtle Wax Original Liquid Car Wax – This liquid wax has been formulated to create a high-shine finish without leaving behind those *swirl marks* from polishing. It creates a long lasting, hard turtle shell for paint protection and is suitable for all materials and car finishes.
Other Car Cleaning Products
Perfect for cleaning the Bodywork is a good car shampoo, but what about other things on the car? If you want to put together a car cleaning kit that is *thorough* and protects other areas/parts of your car – you should add these to your kit.
- Meguiars All Purpose Cleaner – this car cleaner has been designed to clean INSIDE your car, it creates a foam, that lifts dirt and grime from plastics in your car like the dashboard. It can also be used on car seats, leather, and carpets and mats because it contains cleaners and softeners suitable for fabrics.
- Armour All Glass Cleaner – you should never use household window cleaners on mirrors and windows, these products contain ammonia that can damage your car. Armour All Glass Cleaner has been designed to remove dirt and grime without streaking.
Car Cleaning Tools
If you have the right tool, and the spare time, cleaning your car is a breeze – so be sure to add these to your kit.
- Microfiber wash mitt and cloth – you want to use a fine and gentle cloth on your car and microfibre is the perfect choice. You can use wash mitts to clean the car and then a clean dry cloth to clean the interior.
- Wax and Polish pad – to apply car polish and wax, you can either use a microfibre cloth, or you can buy special soft round foam pads.
- Grit Guard – these are little metal grilles that actually sit in the bottom of your wash bucket to trap the grit at the bottom when you rinse your mitt, this stops you simply transferring dirt and grit back onto the car.
- Wheel Brush – a wheel brush is used to clean between the spokes of alloys, it can also get inside the wheel to clean the brake callipers.
Read Also: Car Care for Coastal Living: Why You Need Regular Detailing If You Live Near the Sea
