Striving for an excellent auto detail for your vehicle is rewarding. That said, if you don’t have the right supplies for it, you’ll have a hard time achieving the results you want. Fortunately, you only need a few essential tools and products to get things going, and we’ve listed them in this brief guide.

Microfiber Towels and Mitts

When delving into the different types of car cleaning tools, it’s best to start with the most essential. And when it comes to automotive detailing, microfiber towels and mitts should be at the top of your supply list. Ideally, you want to avoid using standard towels or sponges when handwashing your vehicle. These tools are great in the bathroom or kitchen, but their materials are often coarse and may hurt your car’s paint job.

For this reason, you want to ensure that you have a top-quality microfiber mitt to lather your vehicle with. Then, keep a couple more on hand for when it’s time to dry. These products are made with much softer fabrics, so they can thoroughly clean your car without damaging the paint.

Buckets, Hoses, and Grit Guards

Washing anything well requires water, and your car is no exception to this rule. That’s why you’re also going to need a source of fresh, clean water and some receptacles to hold it in. Of course, the simplest way to achieve this is to fill at least two plastic buckets with water from your hose before you begin working.  

You’ll use this two-bucket system to keep your microfiber mitt clean and lathered as you scrub. You could even get an extra glove and switch it out halfway through your wash to keep things extra clean. And if it seems like a straightforward process, that’s because it is.

If you want to get extra fancy, consider adding grit guards to your two-bucket washing system. Essentially, you’ll put these guards at the bottom of your buckets. Then, as you wash, they’ll ensure that any grit or grime that does make its way into your lather can’t contaminate it.

Wheel and Rim Brushes

We would be remiss if we discussed the different types of car cleaning tools without mentioning the benefits of wheel and body brushes. Like your microfiber mitts, these brushes remove grime, dirt, and other harmful residues from your vehicle’s wheels and rim features without causing damage.

They’re typically made up of high-quality wool and have relatively long handles. These features make wheel brushes excellent for lathering up even the smallest nooks and crannies of your wheels. Plus, they’re soft enough that they won’t scratch or scuff up your wheel wells and rims.

Shampoos, Waxes, and Polishes

Of course, you can’t perform a thorough detailing with just a few scrubbing tools and some water. Even the upper echelon of detailing tools is nothing without the help of the right cleaning products. If you hope to make that paint job sparkle from all your lathering and scrubbing, you’ll need an excellent pH-balanced auto shampoo.

The same is true for those wheel wells and rims you plan to scrub down. Moreover, if you want that lustrous and vibrant coat to last, buy a high-quality polish and wax that will provide a bit of extra protection. Whatever your detailing process looks like, remember that the products you use to clean your vehicle are just as essential as the tools.