The Best Car Cleaning Kits, According to Motor Experts
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Regular maintenance chores like oil changes and brake pad replacements are essential to keeping your vehicle running. But keeping the vehicle clean inside and out is important, too.
A car with a stained or poorly maintained interior is going to take a heavy hit for resale or trade-in value — plus, when selling a car, first impressions make all the difference. (An obviously dirty car is going to get passed over.) A great car-cleaning kit with a comprehensive number of products and tools, for both the interior and exterior, is an essential addition to any car owner’s garage.
“A clean car is more than just the sum of the components,” says Anne Mauler, VP of Marketing at Soapy Joe’s Car Wash, a family-owned and operated business in San Diego County, CA. “Regular cleanings keep car sensors working smoothly, have a better resale value, and are actually part of people’s self-care routines.”
What the Experts Say
Car cleaning and detailing kits can work absolute wonders on the filthiest of vehicles — think of the Mom Van that’s spent years transporting toddlers — but the real key to keeping a vehicle clean is having the right products and using them regularly instead of needing to catch up when the gross-out level becomes intolerable.
Amy Brooks, National Sales Executive at Chase Auto, has great advice on how to keep things looking (and smelling) good. “Regular cleaning and maintenance of your car seats can significantly enhance the overall appearance, lifespan, and value of your car,” she says. “Every time you get in and out of your ride, dirt, germs, and debris are introduced and quickly accumulate on your seats. Routine cleaning maintains your car’s interior hygiene and helps prevent odors and increase the upholstery’s longevity.” (Keeping a car’s interior — and the trunk — organized can help, too.)
How often should you clean a car’s interior? According to Brooks, every one to three months is ideal. From there, regularly wiping down your seats keeps them looking and feeling fresh. Also, don’t let any spills sit, and complete a thorough cleaning every six to 12 months using specialized car upholstery cleaners or steam cleaners. Also, declutter the interior, shake off floor mats, wipe the windows down with glass cleaner, and polish hard-to-reach surfaces to ensure a thoroughly refreshed interior.
These tips, however, are only as good as the cleaning kit you use while following them. The experts have spoken — these are among the best car cleaning kits you can buy.
BEST OVERALL
Adam's Polishes Arsenal Kit
This kit from Adam’s Polishes gives you everything you need and in the ideal amounts. Many “basic” kits can be too basic, while others can go overboard if you’re just cleaning one vehicle. But this kit hits the sweet spot, says professional car detailer Jack Riggins from Troy, NY. “This kit has everything you need to keep your car’s paint looking great, as well as some interior detailer,” he says. “The addition of a foam gun that can be hooked up to a standard garden hose for easy at-home use is another great selling point.”
Of the seven products included, five come in user-friendly hand-spray bottles, which makes them easy to use. The washable and reusable towels and chamois are the icing on the cake of this great car cleaning kit.
BEST BUDGET
Meguiar's New Car Kit
Budget car cleaning kits can be fraught, as the truly bargain-bin ones usually contain questionable products in tiny quantities. But Meguiar’s is one of the leading names in car care, and Collin Morgan, head of testing for Hearst Autos, which includes Car and Driver and Road & Track, has put their products through the paces and gives them his expert thumbs-up.
The New Car Kit from Meguiar’s comes with a generous 64-ounce bottle of its Gold Class Car Wash Shampoo & Conditioner, plus other products to tackle interior and exterior detailing, including a high-gloss tire coating. A three-pack of reusable microfiber towels is perfect for worry-free DIY washes.
BEST UPGRADE
Adam's Polishes Essentials Detail Kit
Take the Best Overall kit from this list and zhuzh it up with a bucket, a brush, and a few more choice cleaning accessories, and you get the Adam’s Polishes Essentials Detail Kit. The best way to look at this kit is that it represents a step up from cleaning your vehicle to truly detailing it. Again, think of the potential resale or trade value of a vehicle either now or down the road — a clean car will look good to a buyer, but a detailed car may seal the deal.
“This kit is great for someone just starting to get into detailing their car,” Riggins says. “It comes with pretty much everything you need to start out as a detailer: a bucket for car washes, a wheel brush, a wheel cleaner, a car wash soap, an interior cleaner, as well as a bucket and some towels to get you started.”
PRO-LEVEL PICK
Griot's Master Car Care Kit
Many car cleaning kits are aimed at consumers who have one of two vehicles and are just looking for basic maintenance and care. True car enthusiasts, however, often have several vehicles, and for quality control reasons or just out of love for their collection, opt to keep an entire fleet in as close to pristine condition as possible. Griot’s Master Car Care Kit is aimed at them.
“This is a good gift for any person who has or is devoted their life to keeping their cars good and clean,” says Nate MacLellan, a professional auto detailer from Plymouth, Michigan. “Best of Show Wax makes your car shine very well with the ease of putting it on and removing it without scratching and swirling the paint. The Car Wash Soap does a good job cleaning your car up on the outside but for any hard stuck-on grime, you may need to use another soap or cleaner to remove it entirely.”
FOR TIRES + WHEELS
Rev Auto Complete Wheel Cleaning Kit
When it comes to cleaning a car, details do matter. No part of a vehicle absorbs more dirt and grime than the wheels and tires, which is why a fresh set is such an eye-catcher. Even if there’s no time for a full wash or detail, a quick shine on the wheels and tires improves the vehicle’s look significantly.
This kit from Rev Auto covers the basics and does so at an accessible price point. The wheel cleaner paired with the provided brush cuts through grime, caked-on road salt, brake dust, and almost everything else. Once that debris is removed, a coating of tire dressing with the included applicator finishes the job.
Frequently Asked Questions About Car Cleaning Kits
If I’m Washing My Car in My Driveway, Should I Be Worried About Run-Off From My Cleaning Products?
In a word, yes. But it depends on what kind of products are being used. Not all car cleaning kits consist of potentially hazardous ingredients. “The best car cleaners don’t just cut through dirt and grime,” said Mauler. “Look for biodegradable cleaning agents, which are effective at giving a great clean, and are also better for the environment.”
He recommends using a natural product like carnauba wax, which is renewable and great for protecting the car’s paint and finish against elements like UV rays, storm runoff, and road surface materials that can get kicked up during weather events. “Biodegradable, pH-balanced soaps are the safest options, both for your vehicle and the planet,” says Mauler.
My Car Looks Great, But it Kind of Reeks. How Do I Get Rid of the Smell?
Car air fresheners are a whole other product category, and they’re great at masking foul aromas. But you need to get to the core of the problem first, and while many car cleaning kits provide antibacterial cleaners and other effective means, there are also some common-sense solutions. “To help keep your car smelling fresh, remove any trash buildup, wipe down surfaces with antibacterial cleaners, and occasionally air it out by opening the windows,” Brooks says. “For stubborn odors on fabric seats, sprinkle the area with baking soda, let it sit overnight, then vacuum it away.”