DFB5.0
Well-Known Member
- Thread starter
- #1
First a little backstory. I have been detailing since I was about 15, washing my parent's cars............. not for pocket money, but for fun! When I got my own car, I really started to get into it as a hobby. I would ration products because I was poor, at 18 I could only dream of some of the stuff I have today. It took until my late 20’s to realize the benefits detailing had on my mental health. When the pandemic hit in early 2020, I suddenly had a lot more time on my hands and I doubled down on expanding my skills and product knowledge, it ended up being my savior during those uncertain times. I guess like a lot of people during the height of the pandemic, my online ordering skills became a precisely tuned machine! I also started to detail other people’s cars to make some extra cash.
So 20 years of detailing as a hobby and occasional professional, I have started to loose count on what products I have. Well, I actually have a spreadsheet listing every product, tool, pads and towels I have or have had. So, you could say I have been around the block a few times. And yet, I still haven’t even scratched the surface of what’s available to detailers these days. After a lot of trial and error, this is a list of products I grab the most often. I will also state that I have no connection to any brand or supplier.
This list will exclude polishing compounds, waxes, sealants and coatings. That will perhaps come later, those categories seem to be more personal preference than the maintenance products I will detail below. Same story with towels and tools. Also, I normally provide links to each product, in this case I will let the reader do their own search due to the multi-national nature of this particular forum.
Wash Soap –
(I used all of these in both the foam cannon and in the bucket.)
CarPro Reset – My favourite soap. This is an expensive product for a reason, it’s top of the class for slickness, cleaning ability, foam quality and scent. Reset is pH neutral and was designed primarily for ceramic coatings but can also be used on other LSP’s with the caution it will speed up the degradation of waxes and sealants. Pours easily.
NV Snow – A pH neutral product that can be used in the sun safely, smells pleasant and foams exceptionally well. This is a runnier liquid that pours easily
Koch Chemie GSF – This is a brilliant pH neutral soap. Slickness and scent are it’s hallmarks.
Wildcard –
CarPro Descale – Again, a soap designed for ceramic coatings. It’s primary use is for reviving a clogged or water-spotted ceramic coating. I also use it as a strip wash in preparation for a new coating of wax or sealant. Worth having either way.
Water-less / Rinse-less Washing -
Optimum No Rinse / ONR – Just a good all-rounder. I use this mainly when cleaning door jambs, engine bays and interiors.
McKee’s N914 – I use this product for rinse-less washing, it has a more pleasant scent than ONR.
Drying Aids –
Obsessed Garage Drying Aid / Extreme Solutions Topper / Adams Slick and Slide – Save for color and scent, these are all the same products. This is very easy and forgiving to use. It’s a Si02 based product that will add to existing protection, provide lubrication and increase gloss.
P&S Bead Maker – The gloss and slickness this product adds is addictive. Some may say it’s overhyped, but it certainly does what it says on the bottle.
Meguiar’s Hybrid Ceramic Detailer – I have only recently started using this, but it impressed me immediately with its ease of use.
Wildcard –
P&S Paint Gloss – This is a traditional “detail spray”. It contains no protection but is exceptional for gloss and lubrication. I also use it for interior dusting and as a clay lubricant.
Decontamination / Bug & Tar Removers –
CarPro Bug-Out and Koch Chemie Insect and Dirt Remover – I find most of these products are quite similar in smell and their ability to soften and remove bugs. Toss a coin.
CarPro TarX and Koch Chemie TEA – Again, very similar products, both also ideal for removing adhesive.
CarPro IronX and P&S Iron Buster – Either of these would be used for iron decontamination of both bodywork, glass and wheels.
Wildcard –
Koch Chemie Eu Eulex – This something not available in Australia, but I wish it was. This is next level aggression in tar and adhesive removal. Use with caution.
Koch-Chemie - Eulex | The Rag Company
Wheel and Tire Cleaners –
(I really only use two wheel cleaners on my own cars as I tend to use soap instead in most cases.)
NV Purge – This is pH neutral wheel cleaner that reacts to iron particles. This has an impressive ability to remove as much grime as possible without agitation. While it’s scented, it still smells pretty bad like all iron-removers.
P&S Brake Buster – This is a high alkaline cleaner that can be used diluted or undiluted, foamed or un-foamed. Can be used to clean wheels as well as tyres and wheel arches. I don't bother diluting it, I want the added power if I'm reaching for a wheel cleaner.
Wildcard-
Shine Supply Wise Guy - I use this primarily for deep cleaning tires but it can be also used to clean wheels. It's pretty harsh so I tend grab this as a last resort.
Tire Dressings –
(I tend to only use water based dressings, these are less likely to sling onto the body compared to solvent based products.)
NV Onyx – This is a very nice product to use. It applies easily, smells lovely and leaves a satin sheen once dried.
CarPro Perl – So versatile as it can be used on engine bays, exterior trim and interiors. It can also be diluted to achieve the desired finish. I use it straight from the bottle as I like a little more sheen.
DuraGloss 253 – This is a runner liquid, much like Perl would be when diluted. It spreads easily, especially useful on chunky truck tires. This product also seems to last a touch longer during wet conditions.
Wildcard –
Gyeon Q2 Tire – This is a solvent based Si02 infused dressing that offers more longevity than the above products. Apply thinly and evenly as it will otherwise sling.
Exterior and Interior Plastic Dressings –
303 Aerospace Protectant – An oldie but a goody. This stuff leaves plastics with a matte finish and seems to apply easier than other similar products. I mostly use it on interior plastics, but I also use it on engine bays.
Meguiar’s Hyper Dressing – Another proven product that seems to fly under the radar. I use it to spruce up wheel arches and as an engine bay dressing. It can also be used on tires.
Koch Chemie Motorplast – Like Hyper Dressing, this can be used on wet surfaces, mostly for engines bays.
Koch-Chemie - Motorplast | The Rag Company
Leather Trim / Fabric Trim and Interior Cleaning –
Colourlock Strong/Mild Leather Cleaner & Leather Protector – Great for cleaning, then protecting automotive leather. These products leave leather with a matte, OE finish.
Koch Chemie PO Pol Star – This is used to clean carpet, cloth and Alcantara trim, leather too. Very versatile and dilutable to suit. Unlike APC's, Pol Star is pH neutral meaning it's more gentle on sensitive surfaces.
P&S Express – Great product for cleaning and dusting interior surfaces. For me, this has basically replaced APC for interior work.
Wildcard –
CarPro InnerQD – A product for quick wipe overs, dusting ect. Can also be used on info screens and gauge clusters without streaking. Smells great.
MISC -
(These are worth having on hand)
CarPro Eraser – A prep spray for new waxes/sealants/coatings. Also doubles as a glass cleaner.
Meguiar’s M39 Heavy Duty Vinyl Cleaner – You wont use this often, but it’s great for deep cleaning unpainted exterior plastics and rubber, think windshield wiper scuttle or door rubbers. Will remove polish staining on black trims.
CarPro Spotless – Water spots are always a possibility, having this in the cabinet has saved me a couple of times.
P21S Polishing Soap – You won’t use this often but as a way of cleaning and polishing exhaust tips, there is nothing like it on the market.
Glass Cleaners –
Stoners Invisible Glass – A solid performer, probably the best on the market. Tint safe.
P&S True Vue – This can be had in RTU form or as a concentrate. You can dilute this product from 4:1 out to 10:1 depending on the season or level of performance needed. Tint safe.
Gyeon Q2M Glass – A solid performer and tint safe.
Wildcard –
Angelwax Vision – This stuff not a product you want to be using every time, it’s very harsh in use and smell. This has a small percentage of ammonia in its formulation and while they state that it’s tint safe, I would use with caution. Particularly useful for cleaning neglected glass.
All-Purpose-Cleaner -
Koch Chemie GS Green Star - I rarely use APC in general but Green Star is one of the better ones. This product is dilutable depending on cleaning needs. It also foams well, as such I occasionally add some to GSF to boost it's cleaning ability on filthy customer cars.
That covers the products I use for maintaining vehicles. As mentioned, waxes/sealants/coatings in all shapes and forms are another story entirely. As would towels and correcting products.
So 20 years of detailing as a hobby and occasional professional, I have started to loose count on what products I have. Well, I actually have a spreadsheet listing every product, tool, pads and towels I have or have had. So, you could say I have been around the block a few times. And yet, I still haven’t even scratched the surface of what’s available to detailers these days. After a lot of trial and error, this is a list of products I grab the most often. I will also state that I have no connection to any brand or supplier.
This list will exclude polishing compounds, waxes, sealants and coatings. That will perhaps come later, those categories seem to be more personal preference than the maintenance products I will detail below. Same story with towels and tools. Also, I normally provide links to each product, in this case I will let the reader do their own search due to the multi-national nature of this particular forum.
Wash Soap –
(I used all of these in both the foam cannon and in the bucket.)
CarPro Reset – My favourite soap. This is an expensive product for a reason, it’s top of the class for slickness, cleaning ability, foam quality and scent. Reset is pH neutral and was designed primarily for ceramic coatings but can also be used on other LSP’s with the caution it will speed up the degradation of waxes and sealants. Pours easily.
NV Snow – A pH neutral product that can be used in the sun safely, smells pleasant and foams exceptionally well. This is a runnier liquid that pours easily
Koch Chemie GSF – This is a brilliant pH neutral soap. Slickness and scent are it’s hallmarks.
Wildcard –
CarPro Descale – Again, a soap designed for ceramic coatings. It’s primary use is for reviving a clogged or water-spotted ceramic coating. I also use it as a strip wash in preparation for a new coating of wax or sealant. Worth having either way.
Water-less / Rinse-less Washing -
Optimum No Rinse / ONR – Just a good all-rounder. I use this mainly when cleaning door jambs, engine bays and interiors.
McKee’s N914 – I use this product for rinse-less washing, it has a more pleasant scent than ONR.
Drying Aids –
Obsessed Garage Drying Aid / Extreme Solutions Topper / Adams Slick and Slide – Save for color and scent, these are all the same products. This is very easy and forgiving to use. It’s a Si02 based product that will add to existing protection, provide lubrication and increase gloss.
P&S Bead Maker – The gloss and slickness this product adds is addictive. Some may say it’s overhyped, but it certainly does what it says on the bottle.
Meguiar’s Hybrid Ceramic Detailer – I have only recently started using this, but it impressed me immediately with its ease of use.
Wildcard –
P&S Paint Gloss – This is a traditional “detail spray”. It contains no protection but is exceptional for gloss and lubrication. I also use it for interior dusting and as a clay lubricant.
Decontamination / Bug & Tar Removers –
CarPro Bug-Out and Koch Chemie Insect and Dirt Remover – I find most of these products are quite similar in smell and their ability to soften and remove bugs. Toss a coin.
CarPro TarX and Koch Chemie TEA – Again, very similar products, both also ideal for removing adhesive.
CarPro IronX and P&S Iron Buster – Either of these would be used for iron decontamination of both bodywork, glass and wheels.
Wildcard –
Koch Chemie Eu Eulex – This something not available in Australia, but I wish it was. This is next level aggression in tar and adhesive removal. Use with caution.
Koch-Chemie - Eulex | The Rag Company
Wheel and Tire Cleaners –
(I really only use two wheel cleaners on my own cars as I tend to use soap instead in most cases.)
NV Purge – This is pH neutral wheel cleaner that reacts to iron particles. This has an impressive ability to remove as much grime as possible without agitation. While it’s scented, it still smells pretty bad like all iron-removers.
P&S Brake Buster – This is a high alkaline cleaner that can be used diluted or undiluted, foamed or un-foamed. Can be used to clean wheels as well as tyres and wheel arches. I don't bother diluting it, I want the added power if I'm reaching for a wheel cleaner.
Wildcard-
Shine Supply Wise Guy - I use this primarily for deep cleaning tires but it can be also used to clean wheels. It's pretty harsh so I tend grab this as a last resort.
Tire Dressings –
(I tend to only use water based dressings, these are less likely to sling onto the body compared to solvent based products.)
NV Onyx – This is a very nice product to use. It applies easily, smells lovely and leaves a satin sheen once dried.
CarPro Perl – So versatile as it can be used on engine bays, exterior trim and interiors. It can also be diluted to achieve the desired finish. I use it straight from the bottle as I like a little more sheen.
DuraGloss 253 – This is a runner liquid, much like Perl would be when diluted. It spreads easily, especially useful on chunky truck tires. This product also seems to last a touch longer during wet conditions.
Wildcard –
Gyeon Q2 Tire – This is a solvent based Si02 infused dressing that offers more longevity than the above products. Apply thinly and evenly as it will otherwise sling.
Exterior and Interior Plastic Dressings –
303 Aerospace Protectant – An oldie but a goody. This stuff leaves plastics with a matte finish and seems to apply easier than other similar products. I mostly use it on interior plastics, but I also use it on engine bays.
Meguiar’s Hyper Dressing – Another proven product that seems to fly under the radar. I use it to spruce up wheel arches and as an engine bay dressing. It can also be used on tires.
Koch Chemie Motorplast – Like Hyper Dressing, this can be used on wet surfaces, mostly for engines bays.
Koch-Chemie - Motorplast | The Rag Company
Leather Trim / Fabric Trim and Interior Cleaning –
Colourlock Strong/Mild Leather Cleaner & Leather Protector – Great for cleaning, then protecting automotive leather. These products leave leather with a matte, OE finish.
Koch Chemie PO Pol Star – This is used to clean carpet, cloth and Alcantara trim, leather too. Very versatile and dilutable to suit. Unlike APC's, Pol Star is pH neutral meaning it's more gentle on sensitive surfaces.
P&S Express – Great product for cleaning and dusting interior surfaces. For me, this has basically replaced APC for interior work.
Wildcard –
CarPro InnerQD – A product for quick wipe overs, dusting ect. Can also be used on info screens and gauge clusters without streaking. Smells great.
MISC -
(These are worth having on hand)
CarPro Eraser – A prep spray for new waxes/sealants/coatings. Also doubles as a glass cleaner.
Meguiar’s M39 Heavy Duty Vinyl Cleaner – You wont use this often, but it’s great for deep cleaning unpainted exterior plastics and rubber, think windshield wiper scuttle or door rubbers. Will remove polish staining on black trims.
CarPro Spotless – Water spots are always a possibility, having this in the cabinet has saved me a couple of times.
P21S Polishing Soap – You won’t use this often but as a way of cleaning and polishing exhaust tips, there is nothing like it on the market.
Glass Cleaners –
Stoners Invisible Glass – A solid performer, probably the best on the market. Tint safe.
P&S True Vue – This can be had in RTU form or as a concentrate. You can dilute this product from 4:1 out to 10:1 depending on the season or level of performance needed. Tint safe.
Gyeon Q2M Glass – A solid performer and tint safe.
Wildcard –
Angelwax Vision – This stuff not a product you want to be using every time, it’s very harsh in use and smell. This has a small percentage of ammonia in its formulation and while they state that it’s tint safe, I would use with caution. Particularly useful for cleaning neglected glass.
All-Purpose-Cleaner -
Koch Chemie GS Green Star - I rarely use APC in general but Green Star is one of the better ones. This product is dilutable depending on cleaning needs. It also foams well, as such I occasionally add some to GSF to boost it's cleaning ability on filthy customer cars.
That covers the products I use for maintaining vehicles. As mentioned, waxes/sealants/coatings in all shapes and forms are another story entirely. As would towels and correcting products.
Sponsored
Last edited:
I will bookmark it.
.
