Free Auto Detailing Tips
Professional Tricks in Simplified Ways

My goal with these free auto detailing tips are intended for two type of situations:

• A person with a new (or relatively new car) car looking how to take care of it
• A person with a dirty car who finds themselves overwhelmed at the thought of trying to learn exactly what to do, as well as learn what might feel like an overwhelming amount of car care products to pick and choose from
  

If you are like most, you probably find yourself getting overwhelmed at the thought of learning all kinds of new information just to perform the basic requirements to keep your car clean, protect your investment, and retain the resale value of your car...without being overwhelmed by the thought of learning new products and complex techniques.

Many people suddenly take a look at their car and realize how they have neglected their car and instantly become overwhelmed at the thought of trying to clean tier car to an acceptable level, without feeling so overwhelmed by the thought of learning the endless products and techniques.

Regardless of which position you find yourself, if you are new to the world of cosmetic car care it can be an intimidating proposition for most people.

Any person such as yourself often looks at their car, then looks inside their car and quickly freezes at the intimidating awareness of all the many materials your car is constructed with.

This moment becomes quickly daunting to most people trying to learn how to take care of each material and the product knowledge they must learn in order to get the results they are looking for.

Just know that you do not have to tackle everything at once. I always recommend you start with the very basics, get a handle on those, build some confidence in the process, then move forward based on you and your abilities.

Free Auto Detailing Tips:
Simple solutions you can do at home

Any trip down the car care aisle will make your head spin in circles as you are overwhelmed by the many brightly packaged products, all claiming to be the best!

If you are like me, I go into anxiety mode just looking at all the brightly colored packaging of the endless choices in car wash soaps, car waxes, car interior shampoos, and the endless tire dressings.

• Learn what you absolutely MUST do
  
• Learn what you DON'T have to do
  
• Zero hype (none of the hype and B.S. found on other sites)
  
• Time saving tips (how to produce maximum results with minimal effort)
• Learn how to replace the 100 products you have been told you need
  

Free Auto Detailing Tips:
Detailing Made Simple

Chances are you wouldn't be here if you didn't have some basic interest in restoring, maintaining, and adding some additional beauty to your car.

You may have a new car you want to keep looking new. You may have an older car due for some cleaning and detailing due to deferred maintenance.

I will break this down for you as a person based on your needs and commitment to your car. regardless of whether you have a new car or a car with way too much dirt and neglect.

Free Auto Detailing Tips:
Car Washing

I will start here as washing your car is step one as this is the most basic of requirement, and also the starting point if you want to perform other duties of polishing and waxing of your car.

Basic Car Washing Kit

Chemical Guys Car Wash Bucket Kit on Amazon

About this item

• Complete Car Wash Kit:
  This all-in-one bucket kit combines Chemical Guys best-selling and newest car wash products, giving you everything needed for a professional-quality wash on any car, truck, motorcycle, or SUV.
• Reduces Scratches and Swirls:
  Traditional wash methods can leave behind fine scratches and swirl marks. This kit includes professional-grade tools and cleaners designed to minimize friction and protect your vehicle’s paint from damage.
• Specialty Car Wash Soaps:
  Concentrated, high-foaming soaps gently lift and separate dirt and debris from delicate paint surfaces, reducing the chance of scratching during the wash process.
• Premium Microfiber Mitts and Towels:
  Includes high-quality microfiber wash mitts and drying towels that safely remove dirt and water while leaving behind a spotless, streak-free finish.
• Trusted by Car Enthusiasts Worldwide:
  Chemical Guys is the go-to name in car care, known for premium products, expert support, and a community-driven passion for detailing that goes beyond a brand—it’s a lifestyle.

Ultimate Car Detailing Kit

Adam's Essential Car Washing and Detailing Kit on Amazon

About this item

• All-in-One Car Detailing Kit for Interior and Exterior:
  Cover every surface of your vehicle with one complete kit—paint, wheels, tires, trim, glass, and interior. This chemical-only bundle includes everything needed to clean, protect, and shine from top to bottom.
• Safe for All Surfaces:
  Formulas are pH balanced and safe for clear coat, chrome, plastic, rubber, vinyl, leather, and more. Delivers a polished, residue-free finish every time.
• Perfect Starter or Gift Kit for Car Enthusiasts:
  Ideal for beginners and professionals alike. Great for personal use or as a thoughtful gift for anyone who takes pride in keeping their vehicle looking its best.
• Versatile for Any Detailing Job:
  Use it for a quick weekly wash or a deep weekend detail. Effective for everything from light touch-ups to full paint correction prep.
• Made in the USA and Trusted by Professionals:
  Adams car care products are made with premium ingredients for top-quality results and lasting performance, trusted by both professional detailers and dedicated DIYers.

Darren's Tips: If you had to pick a single car detailing kit that delivers the most bang for your buck; this kit would be my free auto detailing tip to you!

Comes with the specific products needed for washing your car, cleaning your wheels, cleaning your windows, dressing your tires, etc.

The amount of money and time you will save through the purchasing of a quality and comprehensive detailing kit like this is more than most people can even appreciate unless you have spent the time and money trying to review and source all the products and tools individually.

Free Auto Detailing Tips:
Paint decontamination

The one thing neither of these kits include but is super important is a clay bar. Yes, you can achieve great results without using one of these —I just don't recommend it.

A clay bar will remove the bonded contaminants from your car paint that give your paint that gritty texture feel that is very unwanted.

The air you breathe is filled with all kinds of particles (too small to really be seen) that settle onto your car paint. Some of these particles (tail pipe emissions, brake dust, factory emissions, basic smog, etc.) will bond and etch into your car paint and glass.

It is not absolutely necessary to remove these bonded paint contaminants, but you would have to accept that you will officially be putting wax on top of these paint contaminants unless you do what is called paint decontamination.

If you want a complete understanding on the subject and more choices in clay bar kits you can see my page of detailing clay. But for now I will offer up a quality kit that will decontaminate your car paint, but not overwhelm you with endless options of the countless clay bars, and versions of decontamination "tools".

Chemical Guys Clay Bar Kit on Amazon

• There are many versions and types of clay bar or detailing clay kits
• This is a simple and effective kit (you don't really have to overthink this area of the detailing process)
• Many car owners want to skip this step they think is trivial. Don't underestimate not only how silky smooth decontaminating your paint will make it, but how much easier all your other car care tasks will be: car washing, car drying, car waxing, car polishing, etc.
• You use this clay bar on a freshly washed car AFTER you have washed away superficial dirt

Darren's Tips: Detailing clay (most commonly called the clay bar or claying your car) is a very important step in your car detailing efforts. As part of my free auto detailing tips I can tell you from experience that most people are completely amazed at how their paint feels once they have washed, clayed, and waxed their car.

I could overwhelm you with endless recommendations in detailing clay or clay bar kits like the one's below, but I am going to keep things simple here.

If you choose to take the necessary effort to use a clay bar on your car, you are in for a treat.

Your car will feel like waxed glass and will put a smile on your face bigger than you have probably experienced in a very long time!

If you do get the Adam's Ultimate Detailing Kit then you don't need to get this detailing clay separately as the Adam's kit comes with detailing clay.

Free Auto Detailing Tips:
Waxing your car

Very few subjects of car care are more accepted, but also more frustrating sue to the endless choices in car waxes and the endless opinions from people who claim to be offering the best car wax for your car.

While I could do the same at my best car waxes page, I am going to keep things super simple here with my number one, top rated car wax I use both professionally and personally on my own cars.

Turtle Wax Ceramic Graphene Paste Wax on Amazon

About this item

• Ceramic and Graphene Enhanced Protection:
  Combines advanced Ceramic and patent-pending Graphene technologies to deliver exceptional slickness, deep shine, and long-lasting durability.
• Low Dusting Formula:
  Easy to apply and remove without leaving behind any powdery residue or haze.
• Shields Against the Elements:
  Creates a durable barrier that protects surfaces from environmental and chemical contaminants while maintaining gloss, clarity, and water resistance for months.
• Multi-Surface Use:
  Safe and effective on wheels, headlights, clear plastics, and exterior metals such as chrome and aluminum.
• Application Tips:
  Can be applied in direct sunlight on warm or cool paint surfaces. Best when used on a freshly clayed paint surface.

Free Auto Detailing Tips:
Car upholstery cleaning

If you took the time to read through my free detailing tips above which have everything to do with the exterior detailing, care, and maintenance of your cars paint, I want to cover the interior of your car.

Anyone looking into their car will quickly realize what appears to be a display of endless materials. materials you likely think will require special products and processes to clean and detail.

Cleaning and detailing your car upholstery can seem more intimidating to people due to the endless materials in their car as well as the endless materials used to make modern day cars:

• Cloth
• Velour
• Leather
• Vinyl
• Plastic

While cosmetic car care manufacturers will make dedicated products for virtually every material within your car, it can be made much more simple than what you will try and be taught or have lead to believe by the endless bad information circulating on the Internet.

My free auto detailing tips will now help guide you through the process of cleaning, shampooing, and detailing the interior of your car so you can get professional results with minimal effort.

Free Auto Detailing Tips:
Car upholstery cleaning

When it comes to the interior of your car, one of the best free auto detailing tips I can offer is this:

"Your car interior can be very intimidating as you look and observe all the many materials. Just know I can help guide you through this and help you get the results you are after!"

I totally get it!

The inside of your car is filled with many materials that scare many people at the thought of trying to clean all these materials.

But continue to follow along as I break down the essentials car upholstery cleaners, tools, and steps that will take the scare factor out of detailing and cleaning the inside of your car.

Chemical Guys Fabric Clean &Drill Brush on Amazon

About this item

• Foaming Fabric Clean Kit:
  Designed for both professionals and car care enthusiasts, this high-foaming cleaner deep cleans and deodorizes carpets, upholstery, and floor mats while leaving behind a fresh citrus scent.
• Powerful Stain and Odor Removal:
  Effectively breaks down tough stains from coffee, soda, food, and pets while neutralizing odors at the source for long-lasting freshness.
• Drill Brush Attachment Included:
  The included drill brush agitates and lifts embedded dirt from fabric fibers, providing faster and more thorough cleaning with minimal effort.
• Safe on All Fabrics and Upholstery:
  The gentle yet effective formula is safe for use on both synthetic and natural fibers without fading or damaging surfaces.
• Easy to Use:
  Simply spray directly onto the surface, agitate with the drill brush or by hand, and blot or vacuum to reveal a clean, fresh-smelling finish.
• Not Just for Cars:
  Ideal for vehicle carpets, floor mats, and seats, as well as RV, boat, and household fabrics including furniture and rugs. Safe and effective on most textiles.

Free Auto Detailing Tips:
Car upholstery cleaning tools

What good is finding the best car upholstery cleaners if you don't have the right tools!

Don't underestimate the power of the right scrub brushes and detailing brushes to go from good to great. From marginal results to professional results!

I will cover what I consider the essentials of tools you will need to clean and/or detail the inside of your car.

From vacuuming to scrubbing, to moping up your dirt and grime with the right detailing and cleaning cloths.

Ridgid Detailing Vacuum on Amazon

About this item

• Powerful Wet Dry Vacuum:
  Professional-grade cleaning performance with a 5.0 peak horsepower motor that delivers the suction and blowing strength of vacuums three times its size. Ideal for messes, workshops, and job sites.
• Compact and Lightweight Design:
  The 4-gallon unit stands just 15 inches tall and weighs only 14 pounds, making it easy to carry, store, and transport while maximizing space efficiency.
• Convenient Onboard Storage:
  All accessories store neatly on the vacuum, including the 1-7/8-inch by 8-foot locking hose that stays securely in place, a car nozzle, noise muffler and diffuser, and a fine dust filter.
• Qwik Lock Filter Fastening System:
  Allows fast, tool-free installation or removal of the filter—no hardware or extra parts required.
• Ergonomic and User-Friendly:
  Designed with an extra-long 20-foot power cord that wraps neatly around the large, easy-grip carry handle, providing extended reach and comfort during cleaning tasks.

Darren’s Tip: While this vacuum is powerful enough to handle all your car’s interior cleaning needs—and even serve as a general utility vacuum apart from your household model—it falls short in one key area: precision attachments.

For true interior detailing rather than just basic vacuuming, you’ll want more specialized tools that can reach tight seams, vents, and crevices. The accessory hose kit below is my personal go-to setup for next-level interior cleaning—perfect for getting into the fine details that separate a good clean from a professional one.

Ridgid Detailing accessory Kit on Amazon

• Longer hose is extremely convenient and useful for reaching into your car while leaving the main vacuum outside your car
• Especially useful extension hose and attachments for mini vans and trucks
• From bigger detail attachments for vacuuming larger areas of your car/truck/van, to smaller detail attachments for those hard to reach areas

Darren's Tips: When you start adding up all this equipment and products just to clean and/or detail your car it can get expensive quickly. Many of you will try and vacuum your car with your household vacuum. While many household vacuums now come with more useful accessories and longer hoses, you will still struggle to use your household vacuum to clean and detail your car.

If you are a beginner, you will most likely underestimate how important vacuuming in general is (specificity to all those proofs materials in your car) which only mans having the right kind of vacuum is that much more important.

It's not about the power of a vacuum specifically that makes a dedicated detail vacuum so important, it is far more about a vacuum that is not only made for these types of vacuuming jobs, but a vacuum designed for use on these types of jobs.

Trust me when I say (this is directed specifically to any true beginner) that cleaning and detailing your car takes a lot of energy. While there are many of us (yes; me specifically) that finds cleaning our cars therapeutic, most people consider it a necessary evil.

And because of this it is a job made up of many smaller jobs that are easily kicked down the road. Down the road over and over until your car is a disaster and you are faced with a daunting challenge you might feel completely incapable of tackling.

And this is the very specific reason having the right products, the right tools and breaking the process down by starting with the basics is so important.

Because you are going to want to keep kicking this can down the road and the problem is only going to grow!!

Car Upholstery Scrub Brush Set on Amazon

• My favorite upholstery cleaning brush set
• Not labeled for automotive use, but perfectly suited for all your major car upholstery cleaning and detailing
• Comes with a soft, natural horse hair brush and a stiffer, synthetic scrub brush
• Use the natural hair brush for more delicate surfaces or materials: car leather, headliners, velour, etc.
• Use the stiffer synthetic brush for more durable materials: floor mats, cloth seats, plastic door panels, etc.
• I have used these and they are the most versatile scrub brush set I have come across so far

Chemical Guys Vent Brush Set on Amazon

• For anyone looking to enhance their arsenal of detailing tools
• These brushes are super fine and ideally suited for anyone dealing with ultra fine and/or delicate areas of detailing
• Ideal for anyone super fearful at dusting delicate areas of your car
• I love these brushes and are only part of my very comprehensive line of detail brushes
• I assign each brush a specific detailing task so I can select based on the requirements of the moment. This allows you to keep one dedicated brush in pristine condition for those ultra-sensitive components of your car —I simply use a permanent marker to mark them as needed.
  

Amazon Basics Microfiber Cleaning Cloths on Amazon

• I only use micro-fiber cloths for any and all detailing and cleaning duties
• Micro-fibers are the winning combination of features: softer than any other type of cloth, more absorbent, and lint free!
• When it comes to much of the detailing duties, you don't have to over-think your micro-fiber cloths
• You can spend far more on micro-fiber cloths and some duties of detailing certainly justify spending serious money on serious micro-fibers, but for now, I highly recommend these
• So inexpensive I almost treat these as disposable cloths

Darren’s Tips: I use these virgin microfiber cloths for the more delicate detailing tasks—things like applying or removing wax, using quick detailers on paint, or cleaning car leather.

As they age and go through several wash cycles, I gradually downgrade them to dirtier jobs—wiping interiors, door jambs, or other heavy-cleaning areas. Eventually, when they’re too stained or rough for even that, I retire them to the garage for messy cleanup work like spills, grease, or oil. At that point, they’ve reached the end of their life and become truly disposable.

Free Auto Detailing Tips Summary

We are buried in choices when it comes to proper paint care. Many people express their frustration by being overwhelmed by so many choices and so many other free auto detailing tips.

It is my attempt with these free auto detailing tips, to offer a simplified approach of proper paint care that not only covers the required basics, but if followed will provide a level of visual enhancement most people lack the ability to get.

If you did nothing else but the above recommendations, you would be ahead in knowledge and results of 98% of people out there with regards to proper car paint care.

Regards,

Darren Priest