Just like when you’re working under the hood, making sure your ride is the shiniest car on the block is easier with the right tools. Pro detailers charge and arm and a leg to bring your car’s interior back to as-new condition (as best they can), but doing it yourself is easier than you think. Properly equipped, you can get your interior into tip-top shape relatively easy, and without spending a ton of money either. That in mind, here are seven affordable car cleaning items that will help you get the ball rolling.
Trim and Pastic Restoration
Ever notice how black exterior trim tends to fade to a gloomy grey? You can actually buy cleaning and restoration products specifically designed to revive the long gone dark lustre of. For the most part we’ve had good luck with Mother’s Back to Black Trim & Plastic Restorer, which is actually a sound offering for all colors of exterior trim. Depending on how much age and sun exposure your car has dealt with, there’s only so much a product like this can do, but overall you’re sure to see at least a noteworthy level of improvement.
Shop Mothers Back To Black Trim and Plastic Restorer Here
Clay Bar
If you’re planning a full detail job, you’ll want to pick up a clay bar as part of your detailing arsenal. Though not something that everyone will be familiar with, a clay bar is your next step after a thorough wash, as the ultra sticky compound is perfect for grabbing the last little bits of dirt and dust that soap and a sponge might miss entirely. As an important tip, clay bars shouldn’t be used after being dropped (they can pick up grime that will scratch the car’s paint), so it’s best to buy extras.
Detailing Wipes
Popping into your car’s interior for a second, getting things looking shiny and new is easier than it’s ever been. Rather than having to resort to different interior cleaning products for leather, wood, plastics, and displays, these Meguiar’s Quik Interior Detailer Wipes cover all your bases in a hurry. We reviewed them just recently and were pleasantly surprised at how effective a single cloth can be, and how they even manage to get infotainment screens clean. If you’re curious you can read the full review here.
Shop Meguiar’s Quik Interior Detailing Wipes Here
Microfiber Towels
Microfiber towels are an absolute no-brainer when it comes to auto detailing for both washing and drying your car inside and out. Some larger car cleaning kits will come with some decent quality microfiber cloths, and in the grand scheme of things the difference between more basic wipes and “pro grade” ones from auto detailing product companies won’t be vastly different from one another. Case and point, the Amazon Basics Microfiber cloths are some of the highest rated out there right now, ranking 4.3/5 out of over 3,700 reviews.
Shop For Microfiber Cloths Here
Detail Brushes
They don’t call it detailing for nothing! These small brushes let you get at hard-to-reach areas like small wheel openings and give them a good scrubbing. For best results, have a variety of sizes on hand, and beware of using stiff bristles on easy-to-scratch paint.
Shop For Detailing Brushes Here
Sheepskin Wash Mitt
Most people use a towel to wash their car, but a sheepskin wash mitt makes a better choice, as it allows you to apply pressure as needed and reduces the risk of scratching the paint.
Shop For Sheepskin Wash Mitt Here
Buckets
OK, you probably know you need a bucket to wash your car — but you might not realize that you need two. Rinse off your dirty wash mitt in one bucket full of just water, then use another bucket to load up with soapy suds. That way you’re not wiping down your car with dirty water. Get rid of your dirt for dirt cheap with these buckets.
Shop For Car Wash Buckets Here
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