I do not intend to sound like a proverbial know-it-all regarding automotive detailing products, but there are so many threads featuring similar questions regarding advice on what detailing products are recommended that I thought I'd provide a list of what I currently use just in case anyone might find it informative or helpful.
Just a brief background... I began detailing cars @ new car dealerships during summer college breaks. I prepped new cars for delivery to customers & reconditioned used cars/trade-ins for resale, so I learned quite a bit about what to do & what not to do.
Once I graduated from college, I became actively involved in car shows with both classic & late model Mustangs & other Ford models (Thunderbird, Galaxie, Torino, Contour). I honed my detailing skills, using & rejecting various manufacturer's products over the decades. Probably many of the awards my vehicles have won over the years may have been due to the extra attention to detail than those with whom I was competing.
Anyway, here is my current preferred product list:
Engine compartment - Simple Green to clean/degrease followed by Griot's Garage Engine Gloss spray. I also use Meguiar's Vinyl & Rubber Cleaner/Conditioner on the rubber & plastic hoses & parts.
Interior - Griot's Garage Interior Cleaner for cleaning all the cloth surfaces including floor mats as well as leather surfaces. I follow up on the latter with Meguiar's Gold Class Leather Wipes. On vinyl & plastic surfaces, I wipe them with a cloth dampened with a dilution of Interior Cleaner & water. I use Griot's Garage Window Cleaner on all windows & glass surfaces.
Exterior - Armor All Car Wash concentrate (only because it came in a large container on sale). I use The Absorber for drying the overall exterior, but use cotton towels for doing door, trunk & hood jambs. Meguiar's Gold Class Trim Detailer for all hard or rubberized black trim (I've also used Turtle Wax Black Chrome with good results). Currently I use Meguiar's Gold Class Liquid Wax on my Saleen Cobra but have also used Meguiar's NXT Next Generation Tech Wax on my wife's Focus; both with excellent results. Griot's Garage Window Cleaner for windows & mirrors.
Wheels & Tires - Griot's Garage Rubber Cleaner for cleaning tire sidewalls. Griot's Garage Wheel Cleaner for cleaning aluminum wheels (painted, clear coated, etc.). Depending upon the vehicle, I use either Meguiar's Rubber & Vinyl Cleaner/Conditioner or Gold Class Endurance to detail the sidewalls.
General Cleaning - Meguiar's Final Inspection for on-site show & in between washing clean-ups.
That's my list FWIW.
Just a brief background... I began detailing cars @ new car dealerships during summer college breaks. I prepped new cars for delivery to customers & reconditioned used cars/trade-ins for resale, so I learned quite a bit about what to do & what not to do.
Once I graduated from college, I became actively involved in car shows with both classic & late model Mustangs & other Ford models (Thunderbird, Galaxie, Torino, Contour). I honed my detailing skills, using & rejecting various manufacturer's products over the decades. Probably many of the awards my vehicles have won over the years may have been due to the extra attention to detail than those with whom I was competing.
Anyway, here is my current preferred product list:
Engine compartment - Simple Green to clean/degrease followed by Griot's Garage Engine Gloss spray. I also use Meguiar's Vinyl & Rubber Cleaner/Conditioner on the rubber & plastic hoses & parts.
Interior - Griot's Garage Interior Cleaner for cleaning all the cloth surfaces including floor mats as well as leather surfaces. I follow up on the latter with Meguiar's Gold Class Leather Wipes. On vinyl & plastic surfaces, I wipe them with a cloth dampened with a dilution of Interior Cleaner & water. I use Griot's Garage Window Cleaner on all windows & glass surfaces.
Exterior - Armor All Car Wash concentrate (only because it came in a large container on sale). I use The Absorber for drying the overall exterior, but use cotton towels for doing door, trunk & hood jambs. Meguiar's Gold Class Trim Detailer for all hard or rubberized black trim (I've also used Turtle Wax Black Chrome with good results). Currently I use Meguiar's Gold Class Liquid Wax on my Saleen Cobra but have also used Meguiar's NXT Next Generation Tech Wax on my wife's Focus; both with excellent results. Griot's Garage Window Cleaner for windows & mirrors.
Wheels & Tires - Griot's Garage Rubber Cleaner for cleaning tire sidewalls. Griot's Garage Wheel Cleaner for cleaning aluminum wheels (painted, clear coated, etc.). Depending upon the vehicle, I use either Meguiar's Rubber & Vinyl Cleaner/Conditioner or Gold Class Endurance to detail the sidewalls.
General Cleaning - Meguiar's Final Inspection for on-site show & in between washing clean-ups.
That's my list FWIW.