Whether you’ve recently bought your first car or are tired of paying for expensive car washes, our guide to the essential products you need to clean your car at home has all the products you need for great results.
Maintaining the look and feel of your car isn’t difficult, but you will need the right tools for cleaning the interior and exterior. So, to help you put together the right kit, we’ve listed the essential products and tools for cleaning your car inside and out.
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Exterior Car Cleaning
When it comes to cleaning the paintwork, water alone isn’t enough. Dirt, sap, bird poo and salt from the road can be tough to remove, so you’ll want to get the right products and equipment to clean exterior surfaces thoroughly and safely.
Let’s take a look at what you’ll need.
Car Shampoo
Used for: Cleaning the paintwork and removing tough deposits, such as tree sap and bird poo. Car shampoo is typically diluted with water and provides a safe way to clean paintwork as part of a weekly or fortnightly wash.
We’d recommend: Simoniz 2 in 1 Shampoo & Snow Foam. With a PH neutral formula and added carnauba wax, our original car shampoo is tough on dirt but gentle on paintwork, helping to enhance your car’s shine.
Supplementary tools: To wash your car with shampoo, you’ll need a good quality car sponge and two buckets; one for the shampoo mix and one for rinsing your sponge. We’d also recommend a pressure washer or hose for rinsing the paintwork before and after shampooing.
Car Wax
Used for: Sealing the paintwork against harmful road deposits, for long-lasting protection and a brilliant shine. Car wax helps restore the protective layer of your car’s paintwork, safeguarding it from rust and corrosion and ensuring a showroom shine.
We’d recommend: It can only be Simoniz Original Wax, our original car wax that’s been protecting paintwork since 1910. Applied to clean, dry paintwork, our Original Wax offers lasting protection and a deep shine, keeping your car looking its best for longer. As a minimum, you should apply wax at least twice a year to ensure it’s protected through all four seasons. This is a hard wax though so it can take a long time to apply, so if you want something quick but effective, try our Quickshine Detailer. You’ll need to top up more often, but it’s an easy to use spray on wax.
Supplementary tools: Applying wax requires no specialist tools; all you need is a couple of clean microfibre cloths. Tip – dampen the application cloth to make the wax easier to apply to your paintwork.
Car Polish
Used for: Removing light scratches, swirl marks and other minor abrasions from your car’s paintwork, preparing the surface for a fresh coat of wax. Polish helps to even out the paintwork, to make it smooth and get rid of faded areas and light imperfections that you may have picked up out on the road.
We’d recommend: Our Scratch and Swirl Remover is ideal for when your car’s paintwork is looking a little tired, creating a smooth and even surface for waxing. Use it whenever you notice any light marks on the paintwork, for a simple way to improve the appearance of your car’s exterior.
Supplementary tools: As with wax, a couple of microfibre cloths are all you need to polish your car’s paintwork. However, if you’re dealing with large areas and want immaculate results, an orbital polisher could help to thoroughly buff your car’s surface.
Car Glass Cleaner
Used for: You guessed it – for cleaning the windscreen, rear window, side windows and mirrors on your car. A dedicated glass cleaner offers enhanced visibility as it gets rid of all marks without leaving streaks or smears, and there are both spray-on cleaners and disposable wipes that you can use to quickly clear glass surfaces from smears and dirt.
We’d recommend: Simoniz Clear Vision Glass Cleaner is the only car glass cleaner you’ll ever need. With a powerful cleaning formula, it removes all dirt and residue, and leaves a streak-free finish to ensure all-round visibility
Supplementary tools: A trusty microfibre cloth or some kitchen roll will take care of cleaning glass surfaces. And for on-the-go cleaning, keep a pack of Glass Wipes in your glovebox.
Interior Car Cleaning
How often do you clean inside your car? It’s easy to neglect the interior, but with daily use and wear and tear, things can quickly get dirty, cluttered, and unsanitary.
Cleaning your car’s interior might sound like a chore, but with the right tools and products, it needn’t be. Here’s everything you’ll need.
Dashboard Cleaner
Used for: Cleaning the dashboard and other hard surfaces around the cabin, including the centre console, door pockets, and other plastic/metal trim. There are lots of different dash cleaners out there, including products for both glossy and matt finishes.
We’d recommend: Simoniz Matt or Gloss Dash Cleaner. With its powerful cleaning formula and inviting fragrance, it’s ideal for removing dust, dirt, and marks from interior surfaces.
Supplementary tools: A dry cloth or pad is ideal for applying dash cleaners. You can also buy packs of disposable dashboard cleaning wipes, which are great for storing in your glovebox.
Upholstery or Leather Cleaner
Used for: Cleaning your car’s seats and trim. You’ll need to buy the right product depending on whether your car has upholstered or leather seats, to make it easy to remove stains, bad odours, and generally help to keep the cabin fresh.
We’d recommend: Simoniz offers a range of interior cleaners for both upholstered and leather surfaces, including cleaning sprays and conditioning creams, and handy disposable wipes that are ideal for day-to-day cleaning.
Supplementary tools: One of the essential tools for interior cleaning on both leather and upholstered surfaces is a vacuum cleaner. A household cable version is OK, but a portable, handheld vacuum will make your life much easier when it comes to removing dirt and debris from the seats and carpet.
Car Sanitiser and Hygiene Wipes
Used for: Day-to-day cleaning and maintenance, ensuring that your vehicle controls and door handles are kept free from harmful germs and bacteria. Antibacterial cleaners have become a glovebox essential since the start of the pandemic, so it’s well worth having a quality sanitiser on hand to keep things hygienic and germ-free.
We’d recommend: Simoniz Car Sanitiser is a revolution in interior cleaning, providing a simple way to remove odours and bacteria from inside your car. The spray formula circulates through the system, removing odours and disinfecting your car in under 10 minutes.
Supplementary tools: A pack of antibacterial wipes are always handy to have in your glovebox, while a Multi-Surface Interior Cleaner is also great for general cleaning and maintenance around the cabin.
So, there you have it, our essential products for cleaning your car inside and out. At Simoniz, we offer a wide range of car care tools that make looking after your car simple, including day-to-day cleaning products and professional detailing accessories. For more information and our full product range, visit the homepage.
