Which detailing product is the best?

 Which detailing product is the best?

Many people ask me which is the best detailing product for me. This question very often appears when it comes to compounds, but also about other types of products. Overall there is no simple answer. Since starting my venture with detailing, I have constantly tested various products. I do that because car care product producers invent new solutions, upgrade formulas, etc. Overall, technology is going forward at all times. It often happens that a product that I was using ten years ago and was my go-to product today has very little or no use for me. That’s because I find newer, better alternatives. Of course, there are also products that, even after ten years, are very hard to find better options.

What is the best detailing product for me? It is a product that makes my job easier in most cases. The product has to be entirely or relatively safe for the surface. Ideally, if the product speeds up my work compared to other products, it is easy or fairly easy to use. A pleasant smell is a bonus. And, of course, the quality and price ratio should be right.

In this blog, I will introduce you different detailing products. I often use these products when it comes to various aspects of detailing. However, to find the best products, you must test them yourself, as everyone has different experiences, skills, expectations and tasks to do. So let’s start:

1. Vasco Prewash contactless tar remover.

 Vasco prewash is a product for removing tar but also works well for initial prewash. When I started my detailing venture removing tar was one of those jobs I hated. The reason for that was that I had very little knowledge about detailing products. After some time, I found decent tar removers that were doing their job well. But I couldn’t find one that would suit me 100%. All the tar removers I was using at the time were solvent based. A few times, I noticed some reactions on the delicate surfaces of cars that I was working. So I was still looking for an effective tar remover that is also entirely safe for vehicles.

When I came across Vasco Prewash, I was very sceptical about it, but it was well worth trying. First, I wanted to see whether the product was safe for the paint. I sprayed the product on my testing panel and left it overnight to test it. In the morning, I wiped off some of the product to see if the paint was still OK. There was no sign of any reaction, so I decided to leave the product for a bit longer. So I topped up the product and left it until the following day. After about 36 hours of dwell time, I wiped off the product, and the was no sign of any reaction. Then I knew I had a detailing product for tar that was 100 times safer than any tar remover I had used.

Safety is my biggest concern when removing tar, and Vasco offers it at the highest level. This product saves me a lot of time. Vasco is contactless, so that you can use it on a dirty car. Vasco requires a minimum of one hour of dwell time. But I usually spray cars with it in the evening, so it is ready to rinse off in the morning. This way, I don’t need to wait a minute for the product to work. I rinse the car slowly in the morning, starting from the bottom. Thank Vasco I have the initial prewash and tar removed within 10-15 minutes.

2. ADBL Tire and Rubber Cleaner.

Why would you bother with a detailing product like that? Use an all-purpose cleaner. Many people say that, but they only say it because they haven’t used this product. Did you know that ADBL was one of the first companies to make a dedicated product for cleaning rubber surfaces? I saw the first product for this purpose years ago from a brand called Duragloss. But their product wasn’t as effective as ADBL Tire & Rubber Cleaner. Since the product from ADBL started to be popular and detailers noticed the difference between a dedicated product for cleaning rubber and APC, most companies started to create their own. However, up to now, even though I tested quite a few of them, no one has come near ADBL Tire & Rubber Cleaner.

What do I use tire and rubber cleaner for? Of course for cleaning tires, but I find it also excellent for other tasks. One of them is cleaning dirty rubber floors in vans or pedals. It also does an excellent job on rubber seals around windows. However, you can also use it to clean rubber surfaces, floor mats, rubber pipes in the engine compartment etc. ADBL Tire & Rubber Cleaner is powerful and manages with the toughest dirt. However, when you use it right, it will not bleach the surface, which may happen when you use a very strong all-purpose cleaner. This product is not entirely safe for very delicate surfaces, so I only use it for cleaning rubber or, in some cases, plastic surfaces. ADBL tire and rubber are another must-have detailing product.

3. Brayt R1 long-lasting trim restorer.

A few years ago, when I introduced a product on the Irish detailing market, very few believed that there was a product that lasted for months, not weeks. These days, Brayt R1 is one of Ireland’s most-known detailing products. It is a resin-based product that bonds to the surface, not just sitting on top of it like typical trim dressings. Is this the best detailing product for trims? Of course, you can achieve similar results with trim coatings, but no coating will beat the price ratio of the Brayt R1.

4. ADBL Beetle Juice Squeezer.

Why would I pick a bug remover as one of the best detailing products? The reason is simple. Bugs are pretty hard to remove. Years ago, I was trying to find a good product for this. But some bug removers weren’t working, and some were only a little. The better solution for that was citrus prewash or a stronger all-purpose cleaner. At some point, I gave up trying new bug removers. When I got the ADBL Beetle Juice Squeezer first, I couldn’t believe how effective this product was. The name of this product is 100%. When you spray it on bugs, you will see the “beetle juice” squeezed from the bugs. Overall, it is very hard to find a better detailing product for bugs; in my opinion, it is one of the best.

5. Polytop Rapid One Step +- all-in-one polish.

This product definately stands out from the rest. Why do I think it is one of the best detailing products? Even though I don’t use it that much, finding a better product for light freshening up the paint is hard. Polytop Rapid One Step  has abrasive properties similar to or, in some cases, better than medium-cut compounds. With the right combination of the polishing pad and machine, the results with this product are excellent. Of course, it’s not a product for paint correction, but when used right, it does way more than any other all-in-one polish I have ever tried. Polytop Rapid One Step  has some filling properties as an AIO product, but overall it removes more than masks like most AIO. Ease of use on most paints is also a feature that I highlight.

6. ADBL Cut Pro  Heavy Cut Compound.

This compound is my go-to compound. Does that mean this compound will do everything you need regarding machine polishing? Of course, no! For me, this compound works in about 90% of cases for the heavy cutting stage. So obviously, it is great to have a variety of compounds. And that’s what I have, roughly around 30 different compounds. This lets me adjust compound to the task I am dealing with. ADBL Cut Pro compound is on my best detailing list because it provides excellent cutting power, even on hard paints. The correct technique leaves an excellent finish and very low dusting.

7. Aqua ONE – one-year coating
I have access to many different coatings from some top brands. Why do I rate this one as one of the best? The reason is simple, ease of application. Of course, I rate many other coatings very high, but Aqua ONE is my favourite to apply. Most people use hard waxes for their services. I use them only for pleasure. When it comes to even my entry-level service, I want to offer my customer actual protection that lasts. And this is what AQUA ONE offers. The coating isn’t expensive, and the time of the application is not much longer than a proper application of hard wax.