When it’s time to clean your car, the humble bottle of washing-up liquid won’t cut it anymore. Not only do the powerful degreasers present in washing-up liquid cause damage to paintwork and rubber seals, but it also isn’t versatile enough to properly clean your car. What you need is to get your hands on the best car cleaning kit for your price range.
Car cleaning kits include everything you would usually need when cleaning a car in one huge gift bag. They’re ideal presents if you’re looking to treat an automotive enthusiast on a special occasion.
These kits vary from the basics to premium offerings teeming with enough bottles to stock a supermarket shelf, and that’s before we even consider the range of waxes and alloy wheel cleaners. Don’t forget, either, that these kits often offer better value for money when it comes time to clean your car.
We’re breaking down our favourite car cleaning kits for a whole range of budgets. From car shampoos to microfibre towels, these kits can have them all. The next time you clean your car, you’ll have the right products and get better results.
The best car cleaning kits at a glance:
- Editor’s pick: ShinyCar UK: Premium 8Pcs Car Wash Tool Cleaning Kit – Buy on Amazon
- The best car cleaning kit: Autoglym Luxury Bodywork And Wheels Collection – Buy on Amazon
- The best car cleaning kit for all areas: Autoglym Supreme Car Care Collection – Buy on Amazon
- The best simple car cleaning kit: Autoglym Polar Collection – Buy on Amazon
The best car cleaning kits:
Editor's pick
It's by no means the most exhaustive selection of car care accessories, but makes for a very solid foundation, covering all basics. With brushes, mitts and microfibre towels all neatly stored in a bag, you'll get better car cleaning in no time.
Pros
- A solid selection of basic accessories
- Good quality products
Cons
- No actual cleaning products
| N.O products included | 8 |
| Dimensions | 127cm x 127cm x 0.1cm |
| Package weight | 780g |
The best car cleaning kit
The bulk of the cleaning products are for bodywork. You get a good car shampoo, ceramic spray and glass cleaner to clean and protect the body. The wheels are cleaned with a wheel cleaner and finished with a tyre dressing. The kit also includes a single microfibre for buffing.
Pros
- Dependable selection of cleaning products
- Genuinely useful accessories
Cons
- Nothing for the interior
| N.O items included | Six |
| Dimensions | 32.3cm x 19.2cm x 28.7cm |
| Package weight | 3.09kg |
The best car cleaning kit for all areas
Pros
- A full selection of quality cleaning products
- Covers all bases
Cons
- You'll need more microfibres
The best simple car cleaning kit
Polar Wash is a shampoo applied in the same way to shift any remaining dirt and make sure the car is as clean as possible. The final and most impressive part is a spray-on sealant that you cover your car with before rinsing off to leave a hydrophobic coating for a quick and easy high-gloss finish.
Pros
- Fuss-free car care
- Very satisfying to use
Cons
- You'll need a pressure washer
| N.O items included | 3 |
| Total capacity | 1500 ml |
| Dimensions | 24.6cm x 13.1cm x 9.8cm |
| Package weight | 1.73kg |
The best ceramic car cleaning kit
The shampoo and spray wax will leave a lovely hydrophobic layer of protection, while the wheel cleaner works to thoroughly decontaminate mucky alloys.
Pros
- Ceramic protects as you clean
- Excellent quality
Cons
- Not the most stocked option
| N.O items included | 3 |
| Total capacity | 2.4 L |
The best budget car cleaning kit
You'll use more product than with other examples owing to the fact each item is used neat, but for the price, there's not much to grumble about. It even includes an air freshener and sponge for your money. The sponge won't be much cop on paintwork, but will be handy for cleaning your kitchen.
Pros
- Great value for money
- Interior and exterior coverage
Cons
- Ditch the sponge
The best premium car detailing kit
While it may have also lost the polish, this kit does include a liquid wax and fallout remover, two exceptional additions that really make this kit a premium choice.
Pros
- Packed with cleaning products
- Easy to use
Cons
- No polish included
| N.O items included | 9 |
| Total capacity | 4,500 ml |
| Dimensions | 33.5cm x 15cm x 24cm |
| Package Weight | 4.42kg |
The best car cleaning kit for polishing
The masking tape, pad brush and pad cleaner are also fairly advanced products but really handy to have, so long as you have a machine polisher.
Pros
- Almost all the polishing equipment you'll need
- Exceptional results
Cons
- You'll need a machine polisher
| N.O items included | 8 |
| Dimensions | 28.8cm x 22cm x 16.8cm |
| Weight | 2.66 kg |
What should I consider when buying a car cleaning kit?
To put it simply, different kits tend to cater for different purposes. These range from exterior washing, which may include wash spot removers, wax or alloy wheel cleaner, to interior detailing.
You’ll encounter plenty of different accessories because of this, from wash mitts to buckets. So, it’s best to decide which part of your car you want cleaned and choose accordingly. Pressure washers are a fancy gadget to most, but can enhance the car cleaning experience.
Then there’s the topic of protection for your paint. Most car cleaning kits consist of at least one bucket. But you should use two – one filled with car shampoo, the other for rinsing the wash mitt. This is to prevent dirt and grime from being reintroduced to our paintwork during washing.
Aaron Hussain is a commercial content writer at Bauer Media writing for Parkers and CAR. He is obsessed with classic cars and anything with a fascinating story to tell.
Sign up to the Parkers Newsletter to keep up to date with more of the latest reviews, news, and recommendations from the Parkers team.
Just so you know, whilst we may receive a commission or other compensation from the links on this page, we never allow this to influence product selections – read why you should trust us.
