Just curious on the names of the products everyone uses on cleaning their vehicle(s). If this doesn't belong here or if there was another post that mentions this question, please point me in the right direction.

 

cleaning Vehicle means sooo many things, Exterior, Engine Bay, Interior, etc.

what i use for Wheels:

1. a good Wheel Tire cleaner every month or so...usually i just wipe them off because no matter what sort of Automatic car wash you use, you gotta put hand to wheels to get the grime off esp. in 4 season States...when i was in CA, less so...mostly weekly dust build up


Eagle One makes good stuff...choose from Aluminum, Mag, or Chrome Wheel formula depending on your wheel



or



or




2. for Tires, Black Magic Tire Wet was by far the BEST stuff for many years...if you still use this, get the Gel and not Spray or Foam....less product and in any wind, just gets everywhere...Gel is best:

Gel:


Foam and Spray:


&





3. i have never been a fan of anything made by ARMOR ALL...usually convenient but usually bottom of every category from personal use of their products. However, i wanted to try their new EXTREME Tire Shine Gel...and it isn't extreme but it does last longer than even Tire Wet which usually last at least 2 weeks




For Exterior:
1. I always go to Coin/Self Serve washes...no one is going to care about your car more than you unless you wanna pay a professional...most of the time, i just look for a good pressure SOAP and RINSE setting. I ALWAYS skip the brush in states like CO or anywhere that Big trucks go mudding. One tiny little pebble embedded into that brush from a previous user can cause a lot of damage. if its that semi-burst squirt Foam stuff that usually looks like a my Little Pony Movie...good to go:

Quick and Easy - Wax & Spray:


Instant Detailer spray:



Self Serve/Coin/"Texas style Wash" for those on the East Coast
This:


make sure it Sprays out looking like these colors:


Never this:



For Interior:

i use this for Dash pieces first BEFORE applying Shine or Protectant:



if you have Kids and/or stubborn stains on anything Cloth:


for Protectant on Dashboard, Interior panel pieces, etc. i go with Supreme Shine but for those who don't like the Shine, there's Natural look too:



Exhaust Systems or Exhaust Tips (monthly or bi-monthly)
i use:




i've had so/so results with these by hand application:






Hope this helps keeping your Ride clean & shiny!

 

Meguiars gold class for a simple wash of exterior and wheels.

303 aerospace on interior and plastics.

Leathique for leather.

Poorboys spray and wipe for a quick detailer after wash.

Meguiars hot shine tire foam.

For more detailed operations...

Porter Cable 7424xp random orbital buffer w/:

Nanoskin autoscrub and fine grade clay bar with Poorboys spray and wipe

Lake Country orange and white pads in 4.5" and 5.5" with Meguiars M105 cut and M205 finish compounds

Lake Country blue pad with Collinite 845 for wax.

 

The 303 stuff wasn't too great from my experience and i really wanted to like it being from Colorado


How long does the Shine last on Meguiars? they make a lotta good stuff but any Tire Care product in Foam or Spray, i usually make more of a mess...lol

 

I use a combination of pretty much everything that GR3Y5H3ART recommended, with one exception. I don't use anything to clean my FSport wheels. Someone posted a picture a while back and their FSport wheel finish was all ****ed up from wheel cleaner. I'm sure there are several products which are safe to use, but I simply use water and some elbow grease to wipe them clean.

I started using this during the fall and have been very happy with it. I've put several coats down so far.

 

I have been using

• Rain-X car wash solution
• No-Touch tire shine
• Meguiar's Quick Detailer (for exterior)
• Chemical Guys' Heavy Metal Polish
• Lexol Leather Cleaner (and Conditioner)

for three years now and haven't seen any reason to switch. Though I will say either I am using it wrong, or the Lexol stuff doesn't really clean our specific steering wheel leather that well. Also note, I only use the Lexol on the shift **** and steering wheel. For the seats, since they are not leather, I occasionally wipe them down with a damp cloth and vacuum-clean.

 

I probably wouldn't buy it again either considering the price of it. But I have a big bottle and it last quite a while so I'll just use it until its gone.

I can't really say because I usually wash my car once a week due to all the construction around my area.

 

A Detail Garage opened up near me and I've started using Chemical Guys products from them. Pretty much everything I've used is a step up from standard Meguires, Mothers, etc. I also like Griot's Garage but I prefer to use the Chemical Guys products so I can support the local shop.

 

303 and chemical guys stuff are awesome but I have been trying the new turtle wax ceramic spray as a top off after I I ceramic coated my car and it's been outstanding, I have no doubt it will add months I'd not like years to the ceramic coating I applied.

For the interior i use Maguire gold interior detail spray, for the wheels I use eagle one "color change" which basically means it has some iron remover in it.

 

Here is my car after clay bar, minor polish, and ceramic coating.

 

Great thread. I am kind of a fanboy of chemical guys.

I use their VRP for leatherette Fsport black seats, side door panes, center console and dash- pretty much any interior plastic or fake leather. My Fsport almost has a matte black interior and I was worried the shiny black from the VRP would keep it shiny, but after a day or so it returns to original colore and looks great. ALSO use the VRP on the back plastic fender. Makes it black again instead of the faded black look. Edit: With a black interior, dust is an issue, but this also helps repel- especially with A/C on lol

Chemical Guys Waterless wash by them is great when I do not have time to do a real wash. Was actually shocked- water repellent in it is great as well, no water spots and it has been raining in Atlanta for 3 weeks

Chemical Guys Interior Quick detailer - great for screen and quick wipedowns as the VRP takes more effort.

 

 

No, I'm in Raleigh, NC. The Detail Garage is technically in Cary (next town over) but it's only a 15 minute drive.
Over the last year I've been building up my arsenal of detailing goods. I tend to find excuses to visit Detail Garage :-)
I'll take a look in my garage when I get home and post the products I've been using.

 

Thank you so much for this, I'm definitely going to take all these recommendations!

 

What about products for removing bird crap, and tree sap? Just out of curiosity.