Want to find the best car detailing kit for your car? Look no further!
In this ProperMechanic.com guide, you will learn:
- What a car detailing kit is
- The different types of car detailing kits on the market
- What to look for in a car detailing kit
And much more!
At times, it can be an uphill battle of sorts to keep your vehicle looking as one would hope.
Rain showers, falling leaves, road salt, and infinite other sources of unsightly road grime seem to cling to our vehicles like a magnet.
Try as we might, a vehicle doesn’t stay clean for long.
Fortunately, we can bring our vehicles back to their once vibrant state with a little TLC. A few hours spent detailing your vehicle can bring forth a great sense of satisfaction at a job well done.
Like most any task, the efficiency in which you can detail your car often comes down to the quality of the tools at your disposal.
In this case, the use of a quality detailing kit often is directly reflected in your final results.
Fortunately, have the information in hand to help you make the most of your purchase.
| Image | Product | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Our Top Pick
|
Our Top Pick
|
Chemical Guys 16-Piece Arsenal Builder Wash Kit
|
|
View on Amazon |
|
Best Budget
|
Best Budget
|
Armor All Premier Car Care Kit
|
|
View on Amazon |
|
Best High End
|
Best High End
|
Mothers Complete Car Care Detailing Bucket Kit
|
|
View on Amazon |
|
|
MEGUIAR’S Complete Car Care Kit
|
|
View on Amazon | |
|
|
Turtle Wax Ultimate Car Care Kit
|
|
View on Amazon |
Overall #1 Rated Pick
Updated As of 5/5/2020
Top Rated Overall:
- Multiple cleaners & waxes
- Many different tools included
- Satisfaction guarantee
Our top pick is the Chemical Guys 16-piece kit simply because it covers all the bases!
This kit is so versatile and it's an amazing option for someone who wants a "one-and-done" purchase that will help them keep their car sparkling for years to come.
Not only is it reasonably priced for the amount of supplies included, but it offers some of the best products on the market, too!
Top 5 Best Car Detailing Kits
Check out our below list for a summary of our results. Keep on reading to learn more about your other options!
What Is A Car Detailing Kit?
A car detailing kit is simply an assembly of products that are used in conjunction with one another to detail a vehicle.
Detailing a car is the act of cleaning a vehicle in a concise and “detailed” manner. This process typically goes far beyond a simple car wash and vacuum.
On the contrary, detailing involves deep cleaning every element of a vehicle, to restore its cosmetic splendor to a state as consistent with that of the day that it was purchased as possible.
The detailing process involves cleaning of both the vehicle’s interior and exterior, with keen attention to detail. In some cases, this also involves the degreasing of a vehicle’s engine bay and associated components.
The detailing process itself is completed with the use of several specialized products that are designed to tackle the task at hand.
From washes to waxes, wipes to tire shines, all products contained within a detailing kit play their specific role in restoring your vehicle to its former glory. To read more about the detailing process, follow this link.
What Are The Different Types Of Detailing Kits
When it comes to automotive detailing kits, the difference between one product to the next often comes down to the contents contained within. Some detailing kits are more complete in the list of products that they contain than others.
As you might imagine, the less that is offered in conjunction with a particular kit, the less versatile and all-encompassing that its cleaning potential typically is.
Top market detailing kits will include every essential that is needed to completely detail your car from start to finish, leaving no stone unturned.
Several economy detail kits are available that offer little more than a basic wash, wax, and interior wipes. These kits leave much to be desired, and a complete automotive detail job is impossible to complete with only the items provided.
On the other hand, top tier detail kits commonly include multiple-stage exterior wash, high-grade auto wax, windshield cleaner, interior detailing solution, upholstery cleaner, wheel/rim cleaner, and tire shine products.
Read More >> How to Remove Car Scratches
How Do Car Detailing Kits Work?
Auto detailing kits work by both cleaning and reconditioning a vehicle’s interior and exterior.
While the detailing process itself can take quite some time to complete if done correctly, the use of quality products, such as those found in a reputable auto detailing kit, simplifies the various tasks associated with detail cleaning.
The use of these products also ensures that a satisfactory result is achieved upon the completion of the detailing process.
Complete auto detailing is a multi-step process, with each particular step being of just as much importance as the next.
If any such steps are disregarded, a close inspection will reveal shortcoming in the final results. Check out this link for more step by step instructions.
Washing Your Car’s Exterior
You first want to wash your vehicle’s exterior to free it of any dirt, pollen, and other forms of road grime with the use of car shampoo. For the best possible results, utilize the two-bucket method during the washing cycle.
This is characterized as using one car wash bucket, as well as a second bucket to rinse your scrubbing utensils free of abrasive grime.
Drying Your Car’s Exterior
After your car has been washed, it must be dried before proceeding. While some employ the use of a blow dryer to assist in this task, a large microfiber drying towel can be used as a worthwhile alternative as well.
Use Clay Bar If Included In Kit
After your car has been adequately dried, you can begin using a clay bar, if it is included in your kit to further remove exterior contaminants.
After you are satisfied with the extent of your clay bar application, wipe each section that has received clay bar treatment with a microfiber cloth to remove any existing residue.
Wax Your Car’s Exterior
At this point, you will now be ready to wax your car’s exterior. Wax kits are widely available and come in many forms, with some of the most popular being synthetic sealer, liquid wax, and carnauba wax.
Apply your chosen compound for waxing and buffing the car’s exterior, and begin polishing until a suitable look is achieved.
Clean and Treat Interior
You will now be ready to conquer your car interior. This often entails vacuuming and shampooing carpets, treating interior panels and dashboards with interior cleaner, and treating fabric surfaces with the appropriate cleaning compound or conditioner.
Clean and Shine Wheels and Tires
With your vehicle’s interior and exterior surfaces clean, you must not forget to detail your wheels and tires. Most detail kits come complete with both wheel cleaner and tire shine to complete these tasks.
Wipe Down Windshield
No one wants to have a spotless vehicle, only to be forced to peer through a dingy windshield. Apply a quality glass cleaner to your car’s windshield, and wipe it clean until free of all streaks, smudges, and runs.
Read More >> Best Car Spray Wax
What Do You Look For In The Best Car Detail Kits?
When selecting an automotive detail kit to suit your needs, several factors come into play. You first must consider the fact that a detail kit should be all-encompassing in the range of detailing products that it offers.
Don’t be fooled by market offerings claiming to be full detail kits, when in reality they include little more than a basic car wash and glorified wet wipes for interior care.
Kits of this nature do little more than waste a consumer’s money and time, while simultaneously yielding sub-par results.
It is also of note that detail kits should only be purchased from reputable companies within the car care field.
This ensures that you, as the consumer, get what you pay for in the way of quality cleaners and sealer that will ensure that no damage is done to your vehicle.
Lesser kits offered for sale through fly-by-night distributors can often feature sub-standard cleaning compounds that can damage a vehicle’s clear coat or scratch painted surfaces.
Read More >> Best Car Paint Protection
Top 5 Best Car Detailing Kits (2020 Review)
Today’s market is full of automotive car cleaning and detailing kits, of which not all are of as high quality as others.
When attempting to bring your car’s look back to that of showroom quality, you need a detailing kit that is up to the job. Here are our picks for the best car detailing kits.
This kit also includes all of the extras that a consumer could ever hope for such as a foam gun, wash mitt, scrub brush, wash bucket, and four microfiber towels.
If you could possibly need a product for detailing your vehicle, it is included in this 16 piece kit.
Pros
Cons
Pick #2 - Armor All Premier Car Care Kit
Also included is a washable, microfiber cleaning pad. Perhaps the best part about this kit is that it comes at a price point that makes quality auto detailing affordable on nearly any range of budget.
Pros
Cons
Not only does this kit come with all of the washes, waxes, interior treatments, and wheel/tire cleaning compounds that you could ask for, but also its immense range of microfiber towels, cleaning brushes, and applicator pads go unmatched among competing kits.
Pros
Cons
Pick #4 - MEGUIAR'S Complete Car Care Kit
The Meguiar’s Complete Car Care Kit borders in nature to many higher dollar professional-grade kits that are utilized by a number of professional detail shops across the world.
This kit is one of the few consumer-grade offerings that include items such as clay bars and detailer compound.
In addition to the waxes, washes, and sealers that are the cornerstone products of many similar kits.
This equates into a ready-made package for taking your detailing experience to the next level. After using this kit, you will have fellow auto enthusiasts flocking to you, consulting as to which detail shop you use.
Pros
Cons
Pick #5 - Turtle Wax Ultimate Car Care Kit
This kit keeps efficiency at the forefront of its model, featuring an array of washes, waxes, quick detailer, Interior detailer, and shines that are designed to speed up the detailing process by completing multiple tasks with a single application.
Also included is Turtle Wax’s Odor-X Odor Eliminator and Refresher Spray, designed to destroy offensive odors at the molecular level and keep your car smelling fresh for up to 30 days.
Pros
Cons
Our Top Pick: Chemical Guys 16-Piece Arsenal Builder Wash Kit
If a car that turns heads for its flawless appearance is what you strive toward, let the Chemical Guys 16-Piece Arsenal Builder Wash Kit turn your dream into reality.
With a full range of cleaning/finishing products and a laundry list of towels and other accessories, this kit leaves no bases uncovered when perfection is the end goal.
If I am going to be banking on an auto detailing solution to breathe new life into my vehicle’s appearance, I will be trusting the Chemical Guys Kit to see my endeavors through.
Read More >> Best Wax for a Silver Car
