The Best Car Detailing Products

There are dozens of car wash soaps out there, and truth be told, any from one of the more reputable brands will do the job just fine. But if we had to choose one, that pick goes to Chemical Guys' Mr. Pink Super Suds Car Wash. This car shampoo is designed to be gentle on sealant and wax coatings, ideal for weekly use. It's also pH balanced so that it won't damage other materials on your car's surface, such as polished metals, glass, vinyl, rubber, and plastic trim pieces. It features a slick formula that easily glides off your car, helping ensure swirl marks and scratches don't occur while you wash. It also rinses clean, leaving behind no residue or water spots.

If you routinely wash your own car, we highly recommend investing in a pressure washer. The Sun Joe SPX3001 is our top pick, powered by a 14.5-amp/1800-watt motor that generates 2,030 PSI of pressure along with 1.76-GPM water flow. That should be plenty enough to wash your car but also to take care of any household jobs, such as cleaning your deck, fence, or patio. The pressure washer includes five quick-connect nozzles so you'll have a variety of pressures to choose from. If you don't have a lot of experience using a pressure washer, avoid one of the really fine spray nozzles since they can actually peel the paint off your car!

Attached to the pressure washer are a 35-foot power cord and a 20-foot hose, which is enough to wash your car bumper to bumper without any hassle unless you own a large SUV or pickup truck.

If you're using a pressure washer, you'll want a foam cannon to easily blanket your car with your favorite car shampoo. The DUSICHIN Adjustable Foam Cannon features a 0.25-inch quick disconnect fitting and a 1.0-liter bottle. While most foam cannons are similar, you'll want to get one with quality components so it'll last. DUSICHIN answers the call with brass connectors on this particular foam cannon.

To use this foam cannon, your pressure washer must deliver at least 1.2 GPM and over 1,000-PSI pressure. It's also adjustable, so you can control the mixing and just how much foam it generates.

If you really want your car's finish to look like it's brand new, you'll want to get yourself a clay bar and set aside some time. Clay bars are designed to remove contaminants from your car's surface, and it's highly recommended to go through your car's surface with one prior to waxing. Chemical Guys offers four different clay bars, allowing you to choose from original, light, medium, and heavy. The medium and heavy clay bars are professional-grade products, and it's recommended that you have experience using a clay bar before buying one of those options. They tend to be fairly stiff and not easy to shape, which is not great for a novice.

No matter which clay bar you choose, it'll do a good job of removing any contaminants in your paint and overspray—just make sure you have the experience and patience to use it properly. Chemical Guys' clay bars are non-abrasive, so you can safely use them on all aluminum, chrome, fiberglass, paint, and finishes.

Once your car is thoroughly washed and you've gone through it meticulously with a clay bar, it's time to apply a coat of wax. Like car wash soap, there are dozens of options to choose from, but we're fan favorites of Meguiar's Ultimate Liquid Wax. Seasoned auto detailers prefer this wax over its competitors for its ease of application/removal, affordable price, and durability. The Ultimate Liquid Wax is formulated with a long-lasting synthetic hydrophobic polymer, leaving your car with a deep and mirror-like shine for months. As a bonus, it comes with a special foam applicator and a microfiber cloth for buffing, so you don't have to spend money on those accessories.

If your wax didn't come with an applicator pad, or you're looking for a quality buffing pad, here's our recommendation. Viking Car Care's microfiber applicator pads are offered in four different styles: standard, cotton terry, rectangular, and pads with a finger pocket. You can purchase a four or six-pack in three different colors. Well, three different shades of blue.

Designed for applying waxes, polishes, and other protectants, these buffing pads feature soft microfiber or cotton terry and are clear coat safe. And once you're done, they're machine washable and reusable, so a little goes a long way.

Not everyone has the time to wax their car with traditional wax regularly. That's why spray waxes exist, helping protect the coat of wax you've already applied and keeping your car shiny and protected in between heavy detailing sessions. Again, there are plenty of quality options to choose from, but our recommendation goes to CarGuys' Hybrid Wax. This spray sealant is infused with traditional carnauba wax and is formulated for safe application on every surface of your vehicle.

When used properly, it'll leave behind long-lasting UV protection and a hydrophobic barrier to keep water beading off your car's surface. It comes in a bottle with a professional-grade sprayer with a fully adjustable nozzle. You can even use CarGuys' Hybrid Wax on glass, plastic, and rubber.

Ceramic coatings have become extremely popular recently, but they don't come cheap. Fortunately, car detailing companies have been working on hybrid ceramic detailers that allow you to give your car ceramic protection without forking over hundreds of dollars. Not surprisingly, Meguiar's was one of the first companies with a hybrid ceramic coating solution you can apply at home with its Hybrid Ceramix Wax detailing spray. It features advanced SiO2 to deliver ceramic wax protection, and it's extremely easy to apply. Simply spray it on your car after a wash, rinse it off, and then dry it with a towel. No rubbing or buffing unless you really want to.

Nearly every single tire shine on the market will do what it advertises: keep your tires shiny. But some tire shines last longer than others, and some are easier to apply than others without leaving a mess. If you want a product that's long-lasting and easy to apply, that would be Meguiar's Endurance Tire Gel. Featuring an advanced formula with specialized macropolymers and copolymers that leaves your tire with a brilliant, high-gloss shine, this product is designed to last weeks, even through rain and car washes. It'll also help protect your tires against UV damage.

Being a gel rather than a foam or spray, you're able to control just how much shine you give your tire by adjusting how much you apply.

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