Detail Chemicals: Consolidate your chemical collection for big savings.

When I started my detail shop, I invested in specialized tools and specialized chemicals that I rarely (if ever) used. As the years passed, I actually found that my tool and chemical arsenal SHRUNK instead of GREW. There were certain tools (carpet brushes, for example) that were so simple and so reliable that I got rid of supposedly specialized tools like pneumatic carpet brushes (too bulky to get into tight spots, and too slow to hook up to air lines).

The same was true of my chemicals. In time, I found that there were only 4 essential chemicals I needed, and one company that–top to bottom–had the best performing product.

1. Wheel Cleaner. An acid-based wheel cleaner is an absolute must. I understand that newer detailers are hesitant to use acid, but after about 6 months you’ll pick it up and won’t look back. Don’t bother with non-acid based wheel cleaners. They require lots of manual scrubbing to get a wheel clean. Acid gets it done with just a hose…no touching. And as long as you wet the wheels prior to applying the acid, it’s just as safe as the non-acid based wheel cleaners. Without a doubt, Meguairs Professional Line “Wheel Brightener” is the best wheel cleaner available.
2. Degreaser. Use it as an engine degreaser (cut 4:1) or interior cleaner (cut 15:1). I used to buy interior cleaner but found it was essentially engine degreaser cut down to 15:1. Switching to 15:1 degreaser cut my interior cleaning chemical costs in half! Again, Meguiars Professional Line delivers the best available degreaser: “Super Degreaser.”
3. Water Based Dressing. Lots of plastic trim out there. Dressing it with a non-greasy water based dressing gives your work the professional touch that your customers are paying for. I tried a lot of water based dressings, and again found that Meguiars Professional Line had the best available h20-based dressing: “Hyper Dressing.” Cut it 4:1 and it dries without streaks or puddles. Engine plastics come out gorgeous. Smells nice too…no Armol “musky” scent.
4. Tire Dressing. This is the most expensive chemical you will buy, so buy in the largest quantities possible. I tried many brands and found that the longest-lasting brand with the least amount of “sling” (splatter off the tires above 60 MPH) was Meguiars Pro Line “All Season Dressing.”

Conclusion. Reduce your shop chemicals to the above Meguiars products. They’re excellent products and you won’t need specialized chemicals for wheels (like non acid wheel cleaners), interiors (such as leather cleaners), or dressing. Find a Meguiars distributor who sells the Professional Line in your area and buy in 5 gallon containers. Once I made the switch to Meguiars’ Professional Line, my shop was far less cluttered, our process was streamlined, and I saved a lot of money and headache by not tracking down supposed “specialized” detail chemicals.

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