People always ask me how I keep my car looking so good so I put together a comprehensive list of products that I have tried and recommend. While these are not the most expensive products on the market, these products in my mind represent a “best in class” for their respective areas at a reasonable cost. If money is no object, there are products that I can recommend for polishing for example that are upwards of $300 for 3oz. Please let me know if you have any questions about any of these products.

Wash
• Meguiar’s Gold Class Car Wash Shampoo & Conditioner
• Griot’s Micro Fiber Wash Mitts (one for wheels, one for car body)

Dry
• 100% Cotton Towels (I use Micro Fiber for all polishing, wax and quik detailing)
• Original 14” California Water Blade (make sure to get the water blade where the blade is wider than then handle – this prevents nicking your paint with the handle)

Exterior
• Clay bar: Meguiar’s Smooth Surface Clay Kit
• Polish: Meguiar’s Deep Crystal System Polish
• Wax: Griot’s Best of Show Wax
• Meguiar’s NXT Generation Glass Cleaner
• Griot’s 3” Foam Polishing Pads (I generally like foam more than cotton for polishing)
• Griot’s Metal Polish (don’t forget those exhaust tips!)

Wheels
• Armor All: Extreme Tire Shine Gel
• Griot’s Dressing Applicator and 3 Pads
• Griot’s Wheel Cleaner (35oz) with Finest Sprayer
• New Product I discovered while putting this together: Meguiar’s Quik Wheel Detailer (I am going to try this to maintain my wheels)


Maintain:
• Meguiar’s Quik Detailer (keep this in your car with microfiber towels)
• Griot’s Micro Fiber Cloths (There are a lot of sizes. I recommend not getting large cloths as it is easier to have more small ones and go through them so you always have a clean cloth when removing Quik Detailer, polish and was)
• Griot’s Speed Shine Wipes (100 Count) – Keep these in your car kit for bird droppings and touch-ups

Interior
• Meguiar’s Gold Class Protectant Wipes
• Griot’s Interior Cleaner - all non-leather (and even leather) surfaces (dries with a matt OEM finish)
• Griot’s Leather New Car Scent Spray (smells great and not too overwhelming)
• Griot’s Horse Hair and Leather Interior Brush
• Griot’s Car Care Cooler Bag (use it to store all of your Quik Detail Products and more so you are always ready for a touch-up)

 

^good post.

 

Quite a bit of OTC products in your list, there is a step up from the stuff you listed.

 

great thread. We need a "DIY detailing that doesn't break the bank" thread, collaborated by all of our great detailers.

 

I don't believe anything you've posted OP. I think you need to fly up here with all of your stuff and PROVE it. I say after 4-5 cars I will totally believe you and hence have complete Egg on my face. Further more I promise to post this egg on my face and admit to all you are the BEST ever car cleaning organizer on the planet.

 

Griot's products wouldn't be on that list.

Meguiar's has a professional line that's pretty dang good stuff though. It's priced very well to boot!

 

I've gone through my DIY detailing phases.

First it was Meguiar's stuff because I met him at Cars & Coffee once.

Second it was Zaino because it was all the rage on the forums a few years back. It is actually very good stuff for a novice to intermediate.

Third I moved to Zymol. Expensive as hell but used very good ingredients.

Fourth I graduated to the big time and started to use primarily Swissvax, 1Z, P21S and Menzerna. I even bought a FLEX orbital buffing unit.

Now I just say "the hell with it" and call the pros.

 

Great job Brickdawg. He is a great customer of ours, and I will back him up to say that he does an excellent job of detailing his Porsche. Now if he could only help us with our cars. I think we can partner up and start a EVS Detail shop too!

 

I would be very careful using that water blade on paint. If there is any contamination on the paint it tends to get drug across the paint creating swirls and light scratches. I would instead substitute in compressed air or small electric leaf blower and Waffle Weave MF drying towels, they tend to be the most gentle on the paint in my experience.