10 Best Car Cleaning Kits of 2023

A car is a pretty big investment, and it’s one of the most expensive things you’ll ever own. You spend a lot of money on it, so it makes perfect sense that you want to do your best to take care of it.

But when you’re looking into everything you need, it can all be a little overwhelming. That’s why a complete car cleaning kit can be such a lifesaver. They come with everything you need to get started, and then all you need to do is replace things as you run out!

But while some car cleaning kits claim to have everything you need, sometimes they’ll leave something important out. We took the time to highlight and review ten of the best car cleaning kits on the market today, and we came up with a comprehensive buyer’s guide that will walk you through everything you need to know to get your car looking great.

Disclaimer – This article may contain affiliate links, which means that at no cost to you, we may receive a small commission for qualifying purchases.

10 Best Car Cleaning Kits

We know you’re busy, which is why we wanted to dive right into the product recommendations and reviews for you here. If you still have questions after reading through them the buyer’s guide at the end should help clear everything up!

1. Meguiar’s Complete Car Care Kit – Best Car Care Kit Overall

If you’re looking for the perfect combination of price, quality, and quantity, then Meguiar’s Complete Car Care Kit is the way to go. It includes seven different cleaning products that work on everything from the car’s paint, interior, and even tires.

Not only that but multiple applicator tools give you everything you need to start the cleaning process. If you’re looking for a complete kit with everything you need and don’t want to spend a fortune, this is a great choice.

Even better, with Meguiar’s cleaning supplies, it’s not like you’re going with a cut-rate company to save a few bucks. They push out high-quality cleaning products you can trust to do a great job on your vehicle.

We wish there was a storage container of some sort to help you keep track of everything when you’re not using it, but our primary complaint is the number of microfiber towels that come with this kit. While it does come with one for you to use if you’re completing a total detailing job on your vehicle you’ll want a few more.

It’s not a huge deal, but you might want to order a few extras so you’re not left scrambling in the middle of the job.

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2. ArmorAll Premier Car Care Kit – Best Budget

If you don’t want to detail your car but don’t want to spend a ton of money getting everything you need, then ArmorAll’s Premier Car Care Kit is as good as it gets. Multiple different cleaning products allow you to detail every part of your vehicle effectively, and it comes with a wash pad that makes it easier to clean the exterior of your car.

With so many products coming from the largest name in the automotive care industry you might expect a much higher price tag, but with this kit that’s simply not the case. It’s extremely affordable, and that’s because while ArmorAll might be the biggest name in the automotive care industry, they don’t push out the highest quality products.

They’ll get the job done, but they won’t last as long as other options and they don’t deliver the same quality of results. The other issue is that while this kit comes with a wash pad, it doesn’t come with any microfiber rags.

You’ll want a few while you’re drying and detailing your vehicle, so you should order a few before you start the job. Still, at this price it’s hard to find much to complain about, especially since you won’t need to spend much to replenish the cleaning chemicals in the future.

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3. Chemical Guy’s HOL169 MAX – Premium Choice

Chemical Guy’s is one of the best companies in the automotive care industry, and if you want the best of everything they have to offer their HOL169 MAX is the way to go. There are ten different chemicals in this kit, and each one specializes in a different aspect of the car detailing process.

Not only do you get all these great chemicals, but you get microfiber rags, an applicator tool, a scrub brush, a foam cannon and so much more! This kit comes with everything you need to give your vehicle a professionally detailed look. However, it is important to note that if you want to use the foam cannon you will need to hook it up to a pressure washer.

If you want to detail your vehicle and leave no stone unturned or any surface uncleaned, this is the kit you want. However, while you’re not going to find a better-quality car cleaning kit out there, you’re also not going to find one that costs more.

This is not a low-cost kit, and you’ll need to keep purchasing chemicals as you use them to keep up with everything. But if you want the best of the best and you have a pressure washer, this is it.

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4. Chemical Guy’s HOL126

While this Chemical Guy’s car cleaning kit isn’t quite as comprehensive as their HOL169 MAX kit, it still comes with plenty. There are five different chemicals and tons of tools that make it easy for them to use on your vehicle.

From applicators to microfiber rags and a foam gun, it’s everything you need to do a phenomenal job the next time you’re detailing your vehicle. Everything is easy to use, and since you’re getting Chemical Guy’s products, you know you’re getting some of the best detailing products on the market today.

But it still is a more expensive option, and it doesn’t come with everything Chemical Guy’s has. You’ll get a great look for your vehicle, but if you’re looking for professional-quality results, you might find yourself heading out to purchase more.

Still, for a starter kit, this is great, and if you’re not entering your vehicle into a car show competition, it’s probably all you’re going to need.

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5. Adam’s Arsenal Builder

While Adam’s Polishes isn’t quite as big of a name as ArmorAll or Chemical Guy’s, they’re not a small company either. And with a kit like their Arsenal Builder, it’s not hard to see why they’re so successful.

This kit has 21 items total, including six different chemicals to clean different surfaces. This kit includes car wash soap, spray wax, tire shine, a wheel cleaner, an interior detailer, and a glass cleaner – covering any surface your vehicle might have!

It also comes with microfiber rags, a bucket, a foam gun, applicators, scrub brushes and more. If you go with this kit you won’t need to order anything else to detail your car, you’ll just need to supply the effort and water!

It’s all easy to use and there’s plenty of product in each bottle so you shouldn’t need to reorder anything any time soon. The kit itself is a little more expensive, but it’ll last a long time and you’ll only need to order the chemicals in the future.

It’s not our top choice, but it’s pretty close. You could do far worse than Adam’s Arsenal Builder when you’re shopping for your first car cleaning kit.

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6. Chemical Guy’s HOL169

This is yet another Chemical Guy’s kit you should consider. This kit comes with their wheel cleaner, speed wipe, wax, interior detailer, glass cleaner, and car wash soap.

But not only does it come with those six great cleaning chemicals, but you also get a bucket, a foam cannon, microfiber rags, an applicator, a brush, and more! This kit has everything you need to detail your vehicle like a pro, and since you’re getting Chemical Guy’s products you know they’ll all do a great job.

The only real complaint with this Chemical Guy’s kit is the price. It’s a more expensive option, especially considering you’ll need to replace all the chemicals before too long. It’s not a bad deal, but it fell to the bottom half of the list for a reason.

You can do far worse than this kit for sure, but we also feel you can do better if you pick one of the options farther up the list.

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7. Griot’s Garage 11131 Starter Car Care Kit

Griot’s Garage is another company out there that makes some pretty great car care products. This kit is an outstanding quality of price and quality, giving your five different chemicals for various detailing activities without breaking the bank.

But while you don’t have to spend to get these chemicals, they’re still all high-quality and will give you a professionally detailed look if you take your time and use them effectively. They give you plenty of products with this kit too, so you shouldn’t have to order more any time soon.

But at a great price with great products the Griot’s Garage 11131 Starter Car Care Kit still fell down our list a bit for a reason. One of the primary reasons for this is that they only give you one applicator tool. While that’s better than nothing, that’s all they give you in addition to the chemicals.

If you’re looking for a starter kit, you’ll need to purchase more to use their chemicals. Microfiber towels, foam cannons, brushes, and more are all things you’ll want to make the detailing go a bit easier. It’s not a huge deal, but once you purchase all these tools and this kit, you might end up spending more than if you just went with a kit that already had everything.

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8. Chemical Guy’s HOL148 MAX

We promise this is the last Chemical Guy’s care cleaning kit on our list! While we keep highlighting Chemical Guy’s products, there’s a good reason for it. These kits come with everything you need to do a great job detailing your vehicle, and with so many kits you can get exactly what you want.

The only real difference between the HOL148 MAX and the HOL169 MAX is that this kit gives you a foam gun that works with a garden hose, not a pressure washer. It comes with 14 different products to clean your car with, allowing you to specialize on each component you’re cleaning.

Every product is of the highest quality, giving you professional-quality results when you finish. Not only does Chemical Guy’s give you a ton of great cleaning chemicals with this kit, but you also get microfiber cloths, an applicator tool, a bucket, a brush, a foam gun, and more.

However, it’s a very expensive option, costing just as much as the HOL169 MAX. If you have a pressure washer, go with that one, but if you don’t the HOL148 MAX is a great choice.

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9. Relentless Drive Car Wash Kit

This kit doesn’t come from a large car detailing company, but that’s part of the reason it’s so affordable. It comes with six different cleaning products and tons of rags, brushes, and other tools to help you use them. And to ensure you never lose anything, there’s a convenient carrying case that holds everything in this kit.

Even with all these tools and chemicals, Relentless Drive’s Car Wash Kit is still one of the most affordable choices out there. That’s in large part because while it has tons of products and tools, the chemicals themselves aren’t quite as effective as the other options on our list.

Not only that, but while there are six different chemicals with this kit, none of them come with all that much. If you’re lucky, you can clean your car a few times before you need to order more, but it won’t be long until you need to purchase more cleaning supplies.

But for a beginner that needs all these tools, this is a great kit that doesn’t require you to spend a ton of money to get everything you need.

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10. Turtle Wax 50825

Turtle Wax is a great brand, and the only reason they can’t climb any farther up our list is that they don’t have a complete car cleaning kit. This complete carnauba wash & wax kit is as close as it gets, but it still only comes with everything for the exterior of your vehicle.

It’s a comprehensive wax and wash kit that does a great job cleaning and protecting the exterior of your vehicle, but that’s all it does. There’s nothing for the interior, and outside of a single microfiber rag, you don’t get anything else to help you use these products.

It is a more affordable choice though, and if you’re not worried about detailing the interior of your vehicle or the wheels, this Turtle Wax kit does a great job with the paint. It’s also easy to apply, which makes it far more likely you’ll keep using it consistently after you get it.

We like this car wash and wax kit, but without anything else for the rest of the vehicle we can’t elevate it up the list any further.

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Car Cleaning Kit Buyer’s Guide

With so many great car cleaning kits out there, it can be challenging trying to narrow it down to just one. We understand, and that’s why we came up with this guide to walk you through everything you need to know to get the right car cleaning kit for your vehicle the first time.

Know What You Want

This might seem a little counterproductive here. If you knew what you wanted, you wouldn’t be here looking for recommendations right? But we don’t mean that you need to know what product you want, we mean that you need to know what level of results you want.

Are you cleaning your daily driver and just want it clean enough, or are your preparing your car for a car show? If it’s a daily driver, there’s no reason you can’t save yourself a ton of cash and go with the ArmorAll products.

While they won’t deliver the same signature shine as some of the Chemical Guy’s options if you’re driving your car down the road each day that stuff won’t last all that long anyways. The ArmorAll products will protect your vehicle and keep it clean, which is what’s important!

However, if you are taking your vehicle to a car show, chances are you want everything perfect. You’re going to put more time into getting every crevice of the car perfectly clean, and you want a car care product that will make your vehicle stand out.

In these situations, you want to go with something like our premium choice. It’s going to cost a little more, but it has specialized products for each surface on your vehicle, and it’s going to leave everything looking absolutely perfect.

Know the quality of results you want, and then pick a product that matches. Also, be realistic about how much time you will spend detailing your vehicle. Will you invest a few hours every other week, or do you want something that lets you get the job done quickly?

If you don’t have to keep switching products for each surface you can get the job done faster, even if it won’t look quite as great. There’s nothing wrong with going with a more convenient product, especially if it means you’re going to do a better job of keeping up with the cleanings!

RELATED: How To Remove Water Spots From Car

The Cost Factor

If you’re looking into cleaning and detailing your vehicle yourself, you’re likely doing it for two reasons. First, you want a sharp and clean-looking vehicle. And second, you don’t want to spend a ton of money having someone else clean and detail it for you.

And considering it can cost anywhere between $75 and $300 to have someone professionally detail your vehicle for you, it’s no wonder that so many people are willing to put the work in themselves.

Because while you’re going to spend between $50 and $200 upfront to get everything you need to completely detail your vehicle, you also get enough chemicals and supplies to detail your vehicle at least four or five times before you need to order anything again.

And even when you do need to order more cleaning chemicals, you won’t need to order all of them, and you won’t need to order the cleaning tools. You should be able to get your detailing costs down to between $15 and $40 depending on what products you use, the size of your vehicle, and how much of each product you use during each cleaning.

It doesn’t take long for that to add up to some serious savings, and you still get a great-looking vehicle!

How Often Should You Detail Your Car?

This really depends on how well you take care of your vehicle, but most owners should complete a deep detailing of their vehicle every 4 to 6 months. We’re not talking about everyday cleaning here.

Instead, we’re talking about taking the time to clean out all the nooks and crannies and leave your vehicle looking like it’s brand-new. It’s a bit more work, but not only do these in-depth details help keep your vehicle looking great, but they also help protect your vehicle.

Keep up with your frequent cleanings but do yourself a favor and completely detail your vehicle 2 to 3 times a year.

Parts of Your Car to Detail

If you’re new to detailing your car it can be a lot. There are tons of different surfaces, and the best way to clean each one will vary. That’s why we wanted to take the time to highlight some of the different surfaces you’ll want to clean – that way you don’t miss anything and do a great job!

1. Wheels/Tires

If you really want your car to shine after you detail it, you need to take your time around the wheels and tires. The wheels themselves are a little more time-consuming to clean, but if when you do it right it makes the rest of the vehicle really pop.

Meanwhile, a tire shine product will put everything over the top. However, only put tire shine on the outer surface of the tire. There’s no reason to put tire shine on the tread!

2. Paint/Exterior

When you’re washing your car, this is what typically comes to mind. You’ll want a high-quality soap to clean everything off, but don’t forget about a top-notch wax too!

A great wax will protect the clearcoat and paint, and it’ll help keep your car clean longer. There are tons of wax products to pick from, but you don’t want to skip it entirely.

3. Plastic/Vinyl Interior

If you look inside your vehicle, you will find quite a bit of plastic or vinyl. This could be around the dash, door panels, floorboards, or just about anywhere else in your vehicle.

Multi-purpose cleaners typically do a great job on these surfaces, but if you want something that will clean and protect them, you should go with a specific cleaner for vehicle interiors. Not only will this clean the surface, but often they’ll help prevent future scratches or fading from UV rays.

4. Cloth

If your vehicle has a cloth interior it can be a little trickier to clean. While you can just vacuum off the surface, liquids and odors can work their way into the cloth. A great cloth cleaner will help with this.

They penetrate the cloth, bubble up, and then clean the foam off the surface. Just know that you’ll have a damp seat for a little bit until it dries, so it’s best not to do this if you have to drive your vehicle soon.

5. Leather

Not every vehicle has leather, but if your vehicle does, you’ll want to invest in a leather conditioner to keep it in tip-top shape. This is true whether you have leather upholstery throughout or just a leather-wrapped steering wheel or shifter.

Leather is pretty easy to care for, but if you don’t take the time to condition and protect it then it can quickly start to show its age.

6. Glass

When you’re shopping for chemicals to clean your car with, the glass is one surface that many people overlook. But if you’re taking the time to clean everything else, you want to get perfect streak-free glass too.

Many of the kits we highlighted here come with a great automotive glass cleaner, but if you get one that doesn’t, you’ll want to consider purchasing one separately. Not only will the glass cleaner help clean the windows and windshield, but it can help clean the screens inside many newer vehicles.

Getting the Right Tools

While all of our kits feature great cleaning chemicals for your vehicle, you’ll also notice that many of them feature tons of great tools too. While these brushes, foam cannons, buckets, and rags, might seem like small things, they’re going to make everything a lot easier for you.

They’ll save you hours of work getting into every nook and cranny of your vehicle, and they’ll give you a better-looking finished product. There’s a reason professional car detailers use tools like the ones in the kits we highlighted, and if you want similar quality results, you need to use them too.

The Importance of Microfiber Rags

With so many different tools and chemicals out there, one that’s easy to overlook is the rag. But before you run into the kitchen or bathroom to grab something you have there – read this.

You need to use a microfiber rag, as other rags can end up scratching the paint or clear coat, creating more problems than they solve. Microfiber rags won’t damage the paint or clear coat on your vehicle at all, and they do a great job.

Another important thing to note is that when you’re washing microfiber rags you need to wash them only with other microfiber rags. Simply washing microfiber rags with regular rags or clothing can ruin their microfiber qualities.

This goes for any microfiber product in your car care kit – only wash them with other microfiber products.

What products do I need to clean my car?

The products you need to clean a car depend on the type of cleaning you will be doing. If you’re going to do a quick exterior cleaning, you may just need some car shampoo, a sponge, and some water.

What is the best product to clean a car?

If you’re looking for the best products to clean a car, you should look at a kit from one of the major detailing companies like ArmorAll, Chemical Guy’s, or Meguiar. If you choose any products from them, you know that you will get high-quality products.

Do microfiber cloths scratch cars?

If you buy high-quality microfiber cloths, there is no risk of scratching the paint. However, some cheap microfiber cloths may scratch the paint. The best way to avoid scratches is to first test the cloth in an inconspicuous place on the car.

If you’re still trying to figure out what car cleaning kit is right for you after reading through the reviews and buyer’s guide, don’t overthink it. There’s a reason the Meguiar’s Complete Car Care Kit is our top choice, as it comes with everything you need to start detailing your car.

Of course, if you’re on a tighter budget the ArmorAll’s Premier Car Care Kit is great for daily drivers, while the more expensive Chemical Guy’s HOL169 MAX will give you show car quality results. Just don’t put off purchasing your car care kit, because no cleaning kit won’t do a thing for you or your vehicle!

Learn more:

• 10 Best Car Waxes
• 10 Best Steering Wheel Cleaners
• 10 Best Car Buffers & Polishers

Categories: Cleaning & Detailing, Reviews