Knowing which car detailing products to buy can be a complicated process; thankfully, we’ve picked out some of the best car cleaning kits that come with everything you need to begin washing your car at home.
It can be quite a daunting task trying to pick out all of the best products to use on your car while ticking off every area that needs cleaning. After all, there’s a heck of a lot of products out there to choose from. It also can be confusing as to quite how many products you need to purchase. For most seasoned detailers like us, we tend to pick up products here and there which means when it comes round to detailing the car, we have a pool to choose from. When you’re first starting out detailing, the likelihood is you’ll have very limited equipment. So, what are the most important products to buy first?
Thankfully, the companies that manufacturer car detailing products know this, and as a result, most put together car cleaning kits that look to include the bare minimum you need to get the job done correctly. Below, we’ve selected a few that we know and and have found to be genuinely useful.
What Is Included In Car Cleaning Kits and How To Buy The Best
As mentioned above, the best car cleaning kits should include products to cover all areas of your car. This usually includes:
- Wash mitt (the best will include a microfiber wash mitt to ensure you don’t scratch your paintwork)
- Car shampoo or wash soap (this should be pH neutral as to not harm your paintwork)
- Finishing product (this could include a wax or polish)
- Quick detailer (safe to use on pretty much all surfaces, can be used on interiors but read the instructions first)
- Applicators and/or microfiber cloths (use these to apply any finishing products and glass cleaner)
- Wheel cleaner (great for removing brake dust)
- Glass cleaner (great for removing grime from windows and ensuring maximum clarity)
- Microfiber drying towels (after all, you need something to dry the car with)
Over time, you might find yourself adding other products such as different types of wax and polishes, tar remover in case you take the car on track (it’s great for removing rubber deposits after a track day), clay bars, quick detailing sprays and more. But for those just starting out and needing the essentials, the above will get you through the first few car details.
Some fancier cleaning kits also now come with snow foam and even foam cannons to apply them. This is a great pre-wash step that starts to lift and remove dirt from the vehicle without you physically touching it. The more you can pull off before a contact wash, the better.
Best Car Cleaning Kit – Meguiar’s Complete Car Care Kit
RRP: $73.25, buy now.
With a whopping 12 products, the Meguiar’s Complete Car Care Kit is the largest of our recommendations, but wasn’t the decider when it came to recommending it as the best. It stands out for us both for its price point and also the quality of products you’re getting. We’ve tested each one of these Meguiar’s products over the years, and no first hand how reliable they are. Take the Gold Class shampoo for example, it’s now a detailing classic. It’s seemingly been around forever, yet it still continues to deliver excellent results. Check our full review of it to see what Matt said about it.
This kit includes:
- Gold Class Car Wash
- Gold Class Carnauba Plus Liquid Wax
- Endurance Tire Gel
- PlastX
- ScratchX
- 2x Clay Bars
- Quick Detailer Spray
- Quick Interior Detailer
- Microfiber Towel
- Wash Mitt
- Foam Applicator
This is a slight step-up from what you’d expect from a car cleaning kit under $100. Here, Meguiar’s has include 2x clay bars and a quick detailer spray meaning you’ll be able to include a decontamination step in your car detailing. Be sure to check out our guide on how to use a clay bar for advice.
Also included is it’s ScratchX product, which is designed to tackle light scratch and swirl marks in your paint. Ideal for those wanting to take the extra step in looking after their car.
PlastX is also a nice touch, it works brilliantly on plastics inside and outside of your car, helping to restore them to their former glory.
However, what lets the kit down slightly is the lack of a glass cleaner, which is a shame as the Meguiar’s Perfect Clarity glass cleaner is a very good product.
Best Budget Car Cleaning Kit – Armor All Premier 8pc Kit
RRP: $43.97, buy now.
At under $50, the Armor All car cleaning kit is the cheapest product we’ve recommended here, but the quality of each product for the price cannot be snubbed at. We’ve used a number of Armor All products in the past and have been surprised by their performance given their usually cheaper price point. Here is no different. It comes with 8 different pieces of equipment to get you on your detailing journey.
This kit includes:
- Tire Shine
- Car Interior Protectant
- Multi-Purpose Cleaner
- Car Wax and Wash
- Glass Cleaner
- Car Air Freshener
- Tire and Wheel Cleaner
- Wash Pad
There are a few things that let the kit down though, and that’s the inclusion of a wash pad rather than a microfiber wash mitt. Although it is made from microfibers, it isn’t as soft as a wash mitt, or perform quite as well when cleaning the vehicle. But, it still does a good job, and won’t damage your paint when used correctly.
What we did like was the combination of a wash and wax. Some combination shampoos don’t tend to do either job well, but the Armor All solution works well. It’s not on par with Meguiar’s Wash and Wax products, but at the reduced price, it does a good job. The air freshener is a neat addition, too.
Gtechniq Essential Maintenance Kit
RRP: £75, buy now. (not available in the US as a kit)
For covering every area of the car, it’s hard to look past the Gtechniq Essential Maintenance Kit. While it doesn’t include a snow foam, it does include everything else you need to have a show-ready car. We’re big fans of Gtechniq products, and while they arguably lead the way in ceramic coatings, their regular car detailing products are up there with some of the best in their respective categories. We particularly like Gtechniq’s Gwash and Iron Fallout Remover (wheel cleaner). Both products placed highly in our Best Car Shampoo test and Best Alloy Wheel Cleaners.
This kit includes:
- 500ml Gwash Shampoo (full review)
- 500ml Quick Detailer
- 500ml Perfect Glass
- 250ml Iron and General Fallout Remover (full review)
- 250ml Tire Dressing
- 250ml Bug Remover
- 2x MF1 ZeroR Microfiber Buff Cloth
- MF2 Zero Scratch Microfiber Drying Towel (full review)
- Large Gtechniq Branded Kit Bag
The addition of two microfiber car cloths means you can use the quick detailer spray to remove any leftover water marks, or simply to remove a small amount of fresh dirt. It’s great for use at shows to give the paintwork that extra shine.
