Best car cleaning kits according to redditors

Detailer here, skip the meguiar's bar or you're going to be there all day.

I like the purples : https://www.amazon.com/Maxshine-Detailing-Magic-Purple-Heavy/dp/B074WP1XZW , they're a little heavier grade. Then you just need a lube. The Quick Detailer from Meguiar's will work fine, then when you run out you can just fill the bottle with water and a little bit of car soap and use that.

Watch this video first as doing this wrong can scratch the ever-loving shit out of your paint and then you'll have to polish it, too (which isn't a bad idea anyway).

Ok, after four months with the car, here goes...

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Charging

• Wall Connector $500. Not necessary but I'd recommend biting the bullet before taking delivery, so you can keep the mobile charger in the car. The electrical work took 2 hours of time, at $130/hr. I highly recommend installing a dedicated 60-amp breaker and an efficient gauge wire which will give you 45 mi/hr of charge.
  
• Charging Adapters $35. Car comes with the 5-15 and 14-50. I strongly recommend buying the 5-20. If you plan to charge at someone else's house on a roadtrip, ask them to send you a picture of their dryer plug. So far, I've needed the 10-30 and 14-30.
  
• NEMA 5-15P to 5-20R Adapter $20. Strongly recommended in combo with Tesla's 5-20 adapter to "cheat" a 16-amp charge (33% faster charging). Must-watch this video, and must-read here, here, here, and here.
  
  Tesla OEM
  
  
• Cargo Mats for Frunk & Trunk $70 & $130. Must-have some sort of trunk mat, since the trunk material is generally poor quality for heavy use.
  
• Front Sunshade $75. Living in Florida, this is a must-have if you dont plan on tinting the top glass panel. The "front" is acutally the middle of the three glass panels, not the windshield.
  
• Paint Repair Kit $55. Nice to have so you're ready for rock chips. So far I've had one that made it through the black paint and silver primer.
  
  Detailing
  
  
• Aero Cosmetics Complete Car Kit $40. Highly recommended. Pricey but saves time for amazing results. Cheaper and better quality than CarGuys products. I liked it so much that I ended up buying this also.
  
• Invisible Glass Spray Cleaner $4. Recommended that you have some glass cleaner that's not Windex. This brand is one of the best.
  
• Wash Mitt 2-pack $16. Highly recommended compared to a wet rag.
  
• Tire and Wheel Brush $8. It's important to segregate parts you use on wheels from parts you use on paint. This product is solid.
  
• Grit Guard $8. Totally optional. Helps separate dirt in the bucket when cleaning. You'll see a difference in the water.
  
  Third-Party
  
  
• Tough-Pro Interior Mats $80. My opinion is that all-weather mats are a must-have. The stock mats are crappy, and all-weather mats make cleaning easier. These are cheaper than Tesla's all-weather mats. I'm happy with them but I'd buy the OEM Tesla ones if I could do it again.
  
• Upgraded White LED Lights $13-$77. Must-have for the trunk. Optional for others. I replaced all 7 non-footwell. Easy install with a credit card. As a bonus, I have one left over, so PM me if you want it.
  
• Kenriko Matte Wrap for Center Console $30. Must-have. Watch his install videos first. Customer service is excellent if you screw up the install like I did. The matte black matches the black leather interior perfectly. I'm sure the matte white is nice too.
  
• Pet Cover for Trunk $45. I couldn't find anything better for driving my dogs, so I use this one with the back seats down, along with Tesla's rubber trunk mat. I'd say my setup prevents 90% of dog wear, and keeps any dog smell to a minimum.
  
• Nomad Wireless Charger $130. Nice to have. Not available until end of November, but battery is integrated unlike the comeptitor's.
  
• Rubber Cupholder Liners $25. Optional, helps with cleaning.
  
• Drop Stop $20. Optional, makes life easier.
  
• Air Compressor $25. Optional but recommended. Look for one with automatic shutoff.
  
• Tire Plug Kit $8. If you're handy, this is a cheap solution to be ready for a flat. If you're not handy, get Tesla's tire repair kit.
  
• Card Holder $5. Optional. Keep in your center console so valet has a way to hang your card key.

A car detailing kit is always a good go.

https://www.amazon.com/Meguiars-G55048-Ultimate-Car-Care/dp/B005A2R628/ref=sr_1_17?ie=UTF8&qid=1482155396&sr=8-17&keywords=car+detailing+kit

Or a 2 bucket car wash system.

https://www.amazon.com/Chemical-Guys-HOL121-Bucket-Items/dp/B017W5JS3K/ref=sr_1_37?ie=UTF8&qid=1482155428&sr=8-37&keywords=car+detailing+kit

or a dual action polishing system that attaches to a drill.

https://www.amazon.com/Meguiars-G3500-Power-System-Tool/dp/B009OBVRY4/ref=sr_1_41?ie=UTF8&qid=1482155428&sr=8-41&keywords=car+detailing+kit

Meguiars: https://www.amazon.com/Meguiars-G190526-Hybrid-Ceramic-Wax/dp/B06WVQ6MVR

Mothers: https://www.amazon.com/Mothers-01024-Ceramic-Spray-Coating/dp/B07K46RD7Y/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=mothers+cmx+ceramic&qid=1555014993&s=gateway&sr=8-1

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McKees: https://www.amazon.com/McKees-37-MK37-260-Coating-Enhanced/dp/B074WPDR4W/ref=sr_1_5?keywords=mckees&qid=1555015022&s=gateway&sr=8-5

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I don't have Meguiars. Just the Mothers and McKees and they're both spectacular in my experience so far. But too short to tell how long they both hold up long term. I was a bit peeved when I went to go use McKees again and the spray nozzle got clogged with hardened product, but on the flip side, I was really impressed that it really does harden quite well, so I'm pretty confident it will last a long time. Plus is pretty safe/easy to use.

you put it in someones exhaust pipe to make it whistle

here is one for sale on amazon

Yep, that's what I thought. That's 50mg and 90mg respectively. You're lucky you made that mistake with Memantine and not something more potent and dangerous. .5mg (or 500 micrograms) would be equivalent to a few grains of salt crushed into a powder and would be impossible to measure on a scale that can only weigh amounts down to .01g (10mg).

You should really get a .001g scale to weigh out compounds like this, as that kind of scale isn't going to be very accurate at anything below 100mg. This is a good one for if you're on a budget, I used this scale for years and it's accurate down to 10mg, anything below 10mg will be somewhat inaccurate, though: https://www.amazon.com/PoLLux-Precision-Portable-MilliGram-Digital/dp/B06XWBH633/ref=sr_1_3_sspa?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1539560773&sr=1-3-spons&keywords=milligram+scale&psc=1

This is a somewhat better one if you don't mind spending a little more money, it lets you adjust how it sits so you can keep it level which is a nice feature: https://www.amazon.com/Jewelry-Precision-Digital-Milligram-50gx0-001g/dp/B07DLKVL6X/ref=sr_1_4_sspa?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1539560773&sr=1-4-spons&keywords=milligram+scale&psc=1

Remember that when you set it to measure grams, it's displaying the weight in grams, not milligrams, so anything that's to the right of the decimal point is your weight in milligrams. There are 1,000mcg in 1mg, 1,000mg in 1g, and 1,000g in 1kg and so on. So if you have a display that's saying 0.05 and it's set to weigh grams, that equals out to 50mg. 5mg would be .005g and .5mg wouldn't register on milligram scales and would require a microgram scale.

Trick with the TV is you have to play along and be like "man I dunno, it's been doing that lately". Side fun would be to get a tv-b-gone (or a universal remote) and randomly shut the TV off when he's watching. Has to be ultra stealth tho.

As far as other subtle pranks, sky is the limit broski. I just looked up itching powder on amazon and the related products have some gems. For instance:

If he has a car, the whistles go woooo: https://www.amazon.com/Muffler-Exhaust-Whistle-Prank-Joker/dp/B005OKM0PE/ (when you wanna woo woooo)

If he has a car: https://www.amazon.com/Magnet-Cowboy-Magnetic-Bumper-Sticker/dp/B005JL2WCE/

Glitter bomb: https://www.ruindays.com/products/spring-loaded-glitter-bomb (but that's gonna wreck your place, so maybe not)

The other not so nice thing would be to get ahold of his email address and have fun on craigslist. Apply for jobs, find him a lover, etc.

> The only reason it got to this point is because he’s stepped it up in baby steps.

Yeah, I'm familiar with that. Then all the sudden you wake up and are like, wtf happened. Messing with him a bit will help alleviate the pain. But make sure it's all in good fun or you might bring out the crazy in someone. Good luck!

edit: basically, err on the side of /r/pettyrevenge to play it safe. It's more fun anyway.

For sure. And I know Chemical Guys gets a bad rep because of their marketing, but they have some legitimate stuff and their car care kit is very reasonably priced.

Definitely don’t delete unless you plan to:

(1) aftermarket your exhaust and ECU tune. I recommend Malone Tuning. BuzzKen sells kits for hardware.

(2) Or, you could get a LiquiMoly DPF professional cleaning kit online. https://www.amazon.com/Pro-Line-Diesel-Particulate-Filter-Cleaning/dp/B00O82GAGE

(3) Go to a truck shop and have them remove it and bake/ultrasonic clean it and reinstall it.

Cost-wise, option 2 and 3 might be best.

Long-term, a delete and tune might be best for longevity if you live in a state where emissions inspections won’t happen.

This is the gun, but it's way overpriced by itself. https://www.amazon.com/Chemical-Guys-EQP_312-Professional-Honeydew/dp/B00J5BUZIM/ref=mp_s_a_1_4?keywords=chemical%2Bguys%2Bfoam%2Bcannon%2Bkit&qid=1568080479&s=gateway&sprefix=chemical%2Bguys%2Bfoam%2Bcannon&sr=8-4&th=1&psc=1

I got it as part of this kit:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B07PGQTNR6?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_asin_title

I spent 100 USD on a detailing/wash kit from The Chemical Guys. There is easily enough product for several sessions. I've washed and detailed 3 times and there is still a lot left. The 2-3 hours of time it takes is well worth the peace of mind. I would hate to have my car scratched, dinged or otherwise damaged due to negligence at a detail shop. If you have the time try to go that route.

Edit: Link in case you are interested in the products I used.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06Y1MGNGC/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_LSBdBbDCDFC7W

one of these kits from Amazon has a lot of what you need, i.e. bucket/grit guard/wash mitt/car soap/microfibers/wax/detail spray for drying/

https://www.amazon.com/Chemical-Guys-HOL121-Bucket-Items/dp/B017W5JS3K/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1495559035&sr=8-3&keywords=detailing+kit

https://www.amazon.com/Adams-Essentials-Complete-Car-Detailing/dp/B001QV9XFU/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1495559056&sr=8-2&keywords=adams+polish+kit

personally my kit has accumulated alot of shit over the last two years but these are excellent places to start. Also if you are interested go over to r/autodetailing and read the wiki for beginners i learned a lot there

WD-40 is not meant to be used as a general lubricant. It strips most grease off of whatever it is sprayed on. I would use something like silicone spray or electronics grease to stop the squeaking.

Permatex 80070 Silicone Spray Lubricant

Super Lube(R) Multi-Purpose Grease


Since people are going to tell me I'm an idiot and that WD-40 is too a lubricant here is their own words on it.

WD-40® Myths, Legends & Fun Facts

Great kit. I bought the same one on sale from Amazon 2 weeks ago for $148.90. So it does popup for cheaper sometimes.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003V3XBCM/ref=oh_details_o00_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I have zero complaints with any of the products and I was incredibly impressed with the orbital. I had some nasty oxidation that I was able to remove with it when combined with a Meguiar's polish (nothing against Griots, I just happen to have some already). Though I've been using the kit polish on the rest of the car. I'm not a fan of the wax that came with it, as I found it very difficult to remove. Probably my own fault as I was learning as likely used too much product.

I liked clay in this kit more than the Meguire's I already had.

I don't have any advice on the dark color part though.

100% correct

Alright, sorry for the long post, but I'm a babbler and I always feel like I have to explain everything in detail.

You absolutely should, I had started to lose some of the love for my car because she was feeling a little older and imperfect. Doing this rekindled our relationship and reminded me that she's still beautiful inside and out. I could barely convince my good friend to come outside and check it out as I left his place one day, but when he saw it he immediately asked me to show him how to do his own.

I'm not sure how to answer your question, though. I didn't use an APC, although I would have if I'd had a good one at the time, I had some Purple Power degreaser laying around from an impulse buy at Autozone one day. But what really makes that harder to answer is that I didn't really didn't do a lot of spraying as you could if you aren't worried about spraying the exterior of your car. I was mostly spraying the rag and for a lot of it I was actually spraying the PP directly onto the toothbrush and scrubbing, then wiping it off. I don't recall any particular spot taking more than 1 to 2 wipes before it was as clean as it was going to get. The biggest problem I had when using the rags directly on the surfaces was the rags becoming too soiled and not cleaning well. Part of that was the low-quality cleaning rags I used, probably some cheap microfiber would have done a better job.

One thing that amazed me throughout the process was how well the toothbrush worked, even though it was inefficient as hell. I'd spray the cleaner on the brush, agitate, and wipe, and it would be perfect. I'm not certain whether to attribute that to the toothbrush doing a good job scrubbing, the purple power being effective, or the fact that it was mostly just years of dirt as opposed to oil and grease build-up like you'd see on older engines.

/u/cf2121 made an excellent guide to detailing your engine bay, located here that I highly recommend taking a look at. That said, if you're water-shy like I am my method DID work it just took a lot longer and I went through over a dozen rags, and the end result wasn't as thoroughly clean, it just looks clean on the surface. What you will absolutely want unless you don't care about getting the lower components clean, and even then I'd still recommend it, is some brushes. A toothbrush is great for small crevices, but it was very tedious to get the larger areas, and it doesn't give you any reaching ability. The Daytona Speed Master brush seems to be one of the best brushes out there, doubling as a great wheel-cleaning brush. This is the kit I'm looking forward to buying before I go at it again.

If you want to test the waterless method I used but aren't sure you want to commit because you're afraid it will take too much scrubbing and re-scrubbing, you can always try a small area and see how it goes. If it's mostly just dust like mine was it should come right off, but you'll still get a much better result following cf2121's guide. However, without using water you can always chip away at it over a few days if, like me, you have a hard time committing to such a project at one time.

I hope that helps, if you have any other questions, let me know and I'll try to answer them more concisely lol. Good luck!

So stuff like this? Also, how do you apply grease/lubricant to the bearings? The rails/worm gear I’m assuming it’s directly applied, then the axis is moved up/down/left/right to apply throughout.


Zoom-SPOUT Sewing Machine Oil Oiler ~ 4FL. OZ.(118ml)
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00BYCKTW2/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_6cPJBb3ZHQ8QH

3-IN-ONE Multi-Purpose Oil, 3 OZ
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0002JN5PG/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_HcPJBbYNBTFVR

Super Lube 51010 Oil Super Lube
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000BXOGHY/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_DdPJBbVT5E89G

Super Lube 21010 Synthetic Grease (NLGI 2), Blistered, ½ oz Tube
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000BXKZQU/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_-dPJBbN0D6KVT

https://www.amazon.com/Adams-Essentials-Complete-Detailing-Upgraded/dp/B07D9SZ1W9/ref=mp_s_a_1_2_sspa?keywords=Adam%27s+polishes&qid=1563197887&s=gateway&sr=8-2-spons&psc=1

This should work. The Lightning I didn't have too much trouble with because the paint was pretty well taken care of. My Suburban on the other hand still has some swirls leftover from improper washing (GRRR).

I'm using the pads that came with this package, and I believe 3m medium cut polish (might be heavier, but I don't have it with me right now). I'm told I can't burn through paint with this buffer, but I still worry about going with heavier polish.

EDIT: Also curious. What does a professional detail cost these days? There's an auto salon around me and I think it's about $400 for a true wash\clay\polish\wax on an SUV. Is that about right?

$6 and you can install the whistle on anybody's car as you walk by.

https://www.amazon.com/Car-Muffler-Exhaust-Whistle-Prank/dp/B005OKM0PE

How can i clean my center arm rest? https://imgur.com/a/JTLSe3z and is this product any good https://www.amazon.com/Turtle-Wax-50714-Clean-Microfiber/dp/B072HKH61F/ref=sr_1_6?keywords=car+fabric+cleaner&qid=1559168310&s=gateway&sr=8-6

Try this stuff, it works really well

Turtle Wax 50714 Clean and Fresh Kit with Microfiber Towel https://www.amazon.com/dp/B072HKH61F/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_F1z6Cb4J44SKF

When I was a kid, I bought one of these: https://www.amazon.com/Muffler-Exhaust-Whistle-Prank-Joker/dp/B005OKM0PE



I put it in my family's van exhaust before a long trip. My parents nearly killed me when they found it.

I have heard some good things about chemical guys. Would you recommend the rest of their products? I need it all, they sell a kit with the foam blaster and a bunch of product on amazon.

Thanks for your response; there's also this kit, which seems like it might be a good idea, since I don't have a DA, but I do have a drill. Any thoughts on the kit?

Depending on how bad they are.

How do I get the paint on the right side of this picture looking like the left?

https://imgur.com/tL3kCaW

I bought the car used, neglected and abused. I've patched up the mechanical bits and I want to get my paint looking nicer, and hopefully uniform. My issue is that on certain parts of the vehicle the paint doesn't have much depth to it, but if I look on the inside of the doors, the paint is a deep beautiful color.

Would this be a good kit for it?

Mother's Clay Bar + Meguiar's Compound, Polish, and Wax

What do you think are the best products for someone to keep their car clean? I recently picked up this kit

Is this a good kit? Anything else I should be getting?

What do you think about this kit?

Meguiar's G55107 DA Power System Kit https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00A4ABF8W/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_KAm3Ab3212YHS


Thinking I build a two bucket was kit, clay then use the kit I linked above in order.

Is this it?

Meguiar's G55107 DA Power System Kit https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00A4ABF8W/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_WWXizb595BVRT

1 or 2 buckets, Lake Country sponge, Optimum No Rise & Shine, nice double mist sprayer, and like 10-15 micofibers and you'll be set.

buckets + sponge for monthly washes, sprayer + microfibers for touch ups every couple days.

I was looking at some stone/bug deflectors but it seems there's no consensus if they actually work either...I did apply this Turtle Wax Ice Sealant (http://www.amazon.com/Turtle-Wax-50578-Color-Sealant/dp/B00PKE6SNY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1458588009&sr=8-1&keywords=turtle+wax+ice+sealant) to my car last night when I got back into town, hoping that seals the chips enough to prevent rust for now.

What about a whole start up kit like this?
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00A4ABF8W/ref=mp_s_a_1_4?qid=1396239235&sr=8-4&pi=AC_SX110_SY165_QL70

And add the buckets with grit guards and wax.

Sounds like a fuel flow issue. It could be tank ventilation issues, or clogged fuel filter/line issues.

If you have a rusty tank, it's worth it to clean/seal it. I've used the POR15 cycle tank kit on almost all of my bikes.

http://www.amazon.com/POR-15-49229-Cycle-Tank-Repair/dp/B00J5947ME/

Part number 4 is the fuel filter sock that goes over the petcock. You can still buy them brand new for about $30.

Imgur

Three great deals on packages from Chemical Brothers, I would say these would be great for those who are starting out the collection.

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https://www.amazon.com/Chemical-Guys-HOL148-Arsenal-Products/dp/B06Y1MGNGC?ref_=Oct_LDealsC_15718281_0&pf_rd_p=74887ae2-8866-5189-bb73-e8b44707ba8f&pf_rd_s=merchandised-search-5&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_i=15718281&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=XWZDHY0E51DA2ZN5MJZJ&pf_rd_r=XWZDHY0E51DA2ZN5MJZJ&pf_rd_p=74887ae2-8866-5189-bb73-e8b44707ba8f

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https://www.amazon.com/Chemical-Guys-HOL133-Detailing-Bucket/dp/B01LXLTMUW?ref_=Oct_LDealsC_15718281_2&pf_rd_p=74887ae2-8866-5189-bb73-e8b44707ba8f&pf_rd_s=merchandised-search-5&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_i=15718281&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=XWZDHY0E51DA2ZN5MJZJ&pf_rd_r=XWZDHY0E51DA2ZN5MJZJ&pf_rd_p=74887ae2-8866-5189-bb73-e8b44707ba8f

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https://www.amazon.com/Chemical-Guys-HOL121-Bucket-Items/dp/B017W5JS3K?ref_=Oct_BSellerC_15718281_0&pf_rd_p=08cfd60e-0f9d-5c80-b340-c01792400bb2&pf_rd_s=merchandised-search-6&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_i=15718281&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=XWZDHY0E51DA2ZN5MJZJ&pf_rd_r=XWZDHY0E51DA2ZN5MJZJ&pf_rd_p=08cfd60e-0f9d-5c80-b340-c01792400bb2

Thank you.

This is what I ordered from Amazon with the products that came with it.


Chemical Guys HOL148 16-Piece Arsenal Builder Wash Kit with TORQ Blaster Foam Gun, Bucket and (6) 16 oz Care Products (Gift for Car & Truck Lovers, Dads and DIYers) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06Y1MGNGC/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_39xvDb51B9ERH