What Detailing Products Do Professionals Use The Most?

If you ever get a glimpse inside a Pro Detailer’s product collection - whether that’s in the back of their van or a fully equipped industrial unit - you’re bound to find a huge selection of different items, many of them aimed at specific specialist tasks. In fact, there’s no doubt that most pro detailers will have the best detailing product for each and every situation they’re likely to come across – that is, after all, their job.

But it’s also true to say that pro detailers will only use 25% or so of the products that they own day in and day out. So, while the best professionals will always have a supply of top products such as Eradicate Engine Degreaser, Hide Leather Conditioner, Mercury Metal Polish and many others ready to go when needed, there’s still the question - which detailing products do the pros use the most? We’re talking about the all-time great essentials used on just about every vehicle, no matter if it’s a routine maintenance wash, a deep cleaning valet or something a bit more in-depth like paintwork enhancement, correction and protection.

Well, you asked, so we’ll answer. Discounting the top equipment and accessories that all detailers need - such as Detailing Buckets, Wash Mitts, Microfibre Work Cloths, Detailing Brushes and of course our DPX Dual Action Machine Polisher - (and in no particular order) here’s our top 10 detailing products used most by the pros…

Imperial Wheel Cleaner

To prevent heavy soiling being spread to other (cleaner) areas of the vehicle, and with the exception of specialist detailing jobs that include engine cleaning or under chassis work, any detailer – a professional or otherwise - will always clean vehicle wheels first.

Imperial Wheel Cleaner is a master all-rounder for use on all types of alloy and steel wheel, even during routine maintenance on alloys with previously applied protection layers such as our high-temperature Mint Rims Wheel Wax or Caramics Wheel Protection Kit.

This acid free formula is packed with special surfactants designed to shift brake dust, salt and the toughest grime – the sort of heavy particle, corrosive contamination that your wheels encounter on a daily basis. But, as Imperial contains no acids this aqueous cleaning agent remains kind to surfaces, meaning it’s suitable for all painted, powdercoated and lacquered wheels. In other words, you get super intensive cleaning while causing no harm.

The versatility of Imperial Wheel Cleaner is one reason why it’s so renowned by the pros, but another great thing about this product is that is that we supply our 500ml bottles as a ready-to-use solution, with larger 1 and 5-litre sizes as a dilute-to-suit concentrate. These have proved supremely useful for professionals and enthusiasts that need the cost-effective solution for multiple rounds of cleaning. Imperial Concentrate is also ideal for use with our Pro Mixing Bottle or heavy duty Pressure Sprayer.

Citrus Power Bug & Grime Remover

No professional detailer will ever skip the pre wash and reach straight for their wash mitt, and neither should you. In fact, the pre wash stage is the most important part of the wet work because it’s here where we remove the largest particle grime without ever touching the vehicle. This process prevents you dragging grit and dirt across potentially sensitive surfaces such as paintwork and gloss plastics and is a vital part in avoiding scratches and swirlmarks during your wash.

Citrus Power Bug & Grime Remover is the pro go-to for this task, a surfactant-based, citrus-infused pre-cleaner designed to break away and lift the heaviest grit and grime, along with bug splatter and bird droppings. This product is not only wax, sealant and coating-safe, but it works by breaking down dirt particles and encapsulating them in the solution, allowing them to be safely rinsed away.

Citrus Power has been formulated to be safe to use over every exterior surface and on every single detail, whether that's maintenance, deep cleans or in preperation for more comprehensive polishing and paint correction details. This essential pre-cleaner is also supplied in 500ml and 1-litre trigger bottles or 5-litre trade sizes that are ideal for use with a Pressure Sprayer or Pro Mixing Bottle.

Avalanche Snow Foam

If your professional detailer isn’t using snow foam then, put simply, they’re not a professional… or a detailer for that matter. That’s not just a mantra to live by, it’s scientific fact!

In any case, snow foaming is the second part of a comprehensive pre-wash stage and carried out immediately after the using your stage 1 pre-cleaner to remove the largest particle grime. The difference between a snow foam and a spray-on pre-cleaner is that a snow foam is applied using a Snow Foam Lance which whips up the solution into a thick, lingering foam that’s designed to stay on the surface for as long as possible. This is how your snow foam tackles more bonded and partially-bonded contamination. While your snow foam lingers it breaks down stuck-on grit and grime trapping any potentially harmful particles so they can be rinsed off quickly and without causing damage. Snow foam is also a crucial part of the pre-wash because it works its way into any panel gaps and recesses cleaning away any dust or loose dirt that may come back to haunt you later.

Avalanche Snow Foam is a citrus-infused solution capable of removing the worst stuck-on grime and a product that must be used before any contact wash, no matter the type of detail. It’s also available in 500ml and 1-litre bottles, along with 2.5 and 5-litre trade sizes.

Lather Car Shampoo

There are specialist car shampoos that contain extra ingredients for specific tasks such as topping up protection layers, and there’s no denying that these are a great solution if you’re looking to strengthen a previously-applied ceramic coating. Our Caramics Enhancing Shampoo is a good example, this potent cleaning solution contains Si02 that’s capable of prolonging the life and performance of all ceramic layers, it’s that powerful that it can even install a coating on its own.

But not every job requires protection, some cars may have wax protection already installed or are being prepared for polishing. There may also be different types of protection and enhancement products such as a paint glaze, hard wax or sealant. In many cases professionals need an effective all-rounder that can be used to contact wash any surface no matter the type of protection already there, or the next stage of the detail. This is doubly important if they don’t know the history of the vehicle so you’ll find that professionals will nearly always reach for the Lather Car Shampoo.

Lather is classed as a ‘pure’ cleaner, and by that we mean it cleans effectively without doing anything else. This fast-foaming solution contains no waxes, coatings or fillers so it won’t leave anything behind that may interfere with protection layers or the rest of your detail.

What Lather Car Shampoo does contain though (apart from a whole load of powerful surfactants designed to lift and safely encapsulate any small particle grime left on the vehicle after your pre-wash) is a specially formulated blend of advanced lubricants. The lubrication proprieties of this product mean it’s actually classed as a lubricant as well as a cleaner. This is important because it’s the lubrication that further helps particulates glide across surfaces, and off the car, without causing damage. Lather is also a dilute-to-suit concentrate, meaning you can use a little less in your Detailing Bucket for light cleaning jobs, and a little more for heaver bonded grime. Again, Lather can be used on every exterior surface and is supplied in 500ml and 1-litre bottles, along with 2.5 and 5-litre trade sizes.

Iron Out Contaminant Remover

Iron Out Contaminant Remover is specifically designed for the chemical removal of ingrained ferrous deposits in paintwork. This type of contamination chiefly comes from brake dust (along with proximity to train tracks and other environmental sources) and is essentially made up of tiny metal particles that embed themselves in your paintwork. This is extremely common and won’t just come from your own brakes, either. With all the brake dust flying around on the roads, the contamination can be a problem that covers every part of your vehicle from the roof and glass to the rear end and wheels.

This type of harsh, corrosive contamination can only be removed through chemical reaction, it’s impossible to eradicate by washing alone. But it’s vital to remove these pieces of metal shrapnel before any polishing can take place because you don’t want them being pulled out and moving around the paintwork on your pad. A sure-fire way of inflicting unwanted swirls and scratches.

Our advanced fallout remover is the answer. Iron Out promotes a chemical reaction, essentially dissolving metal fallout into the solution, allowing it to be safely rinsed away. You can actually see the reaction take place as the solution turns blood red when metal is present. So, while you won’t need Iron Out For every single maintenance wash, it’s a professional-level essential when there’s any embedded metal particles are present and vital when performing a full 3-stage paintwork decontamination (decon wash) in preparation for polishing or application of protection layers.

Finally, Iron Out also has a few other uses favoured by professionals. For starters it’s ideal for cleaning the dirtiest stainless exhaust tips during your wash stages. And, although it isn’t designed as a stand-alone wheel cleaner, it’s packed with degreasers meaning it’s ideal for periodic decon of alloy wheels. Especially those with the worst embedded brake dust.

Iron Out is available in 500ml and 1-litre trigger bottles, along with 5-litre trade size containers, and no detailer should ever be without a bottle or two in their kit.

Lavish Ceramic Foam

We’re not saying that you need Lavish Ceramic Foam on every single detail, but over the years this advanced ceramic coating product has proved to be a handy tool in just about every professional detailer’s arsenal.

The purpose of Lavish is to install an SiO2-based coating in the wash stage, particularly on vehicle exteriors that won’t be undergoing subsequent detailing stages such as polishing or adding wax protection. This a process performed immediately after your contact or decon wash, while the car is still wet, and Lavish is applied to the whole vehicle using a Snow Foam Lance to install ultra-hydrophobic ceramic protection that lasts for up to 6-months. Spray on, rinse, dry and that’s about it. Simple.

What makes Lavish even more popular with professionals is that it can also be used to top up any previously-applied ceramic coating during routine maintenance. This not only enhances the gloss and extends the life and performance of the coating, but it keeps keeps your car cleaner for longer and makes the cleaning process easier the next time around. Particularly useful if you happen to have repeat maintenance clients, eh?

Professionals also love this product because it’s extremely easy to use, and a very cost-effective way of adding a or topping up ceramic coating in the shortest amount of time.

Lavish is available in 500ml, 1-litre and 5-litre bottles. For more on Lavish and the science of ceramic coatings, and to see how they work, check out our article – What Difference Does A Ceramic Coating Make.

Verso All Purpose Cleaner

It’s pretty safe to say that every professional detailer will have an APC in their kit – and it’s also true that our product, Verso All Purpose Cleaner, has been formulated to be the best in the business.

The great thing about Verso is its versatility, the clue really is in the name. This highly concentrated dilute-to-suit cleaning solution can be used for a multitude of tasks on any vehicle, inside and out. Because this concentrated solution can be diluted anywhere between 1:2 and 1:20, this powerful degreaser and surfactant-based cleaning agent can be used to cut through the worst grime on everything from tyres and arches, to carpets and plastic trim. This product can also be used as a pre-cleaner, wheel cleaner, degreaser and for all manner of other specialist tasks. It really is a supremely versatile all-round cleaning solution. In fact, there’s way too many uses to list here, so to find out more, have a look at our article – The Many Uses Of Verso All Purpose Cleaner.

Professional detailers will never be without their Verso APC because it's a product that can solve a whole host of problems they run into on a day to day basis and effectively replace many other cleaners designed for smaller specialist tasks. All this and a 1-litre bottle can make up to 20-litres of powerful cleaning solution. So it's super cost effective, too.

We also supply Verso concentrate in 5-litre containers and this product is ideal for use with any trigger bottle, including our Pro Mixing Bottle.

Pro Series Compounds

Okay, we will concede that machine polishing is a specialism performed by top professional detailers and enthusiasts, rather than an everyday occurrence like car washing. But using abrasives to eradicate defects in paintwork and gloss plastics is an important and integral part of the detailing world. For many observers it’s the process that makes a detailer a detailer. In fact, while maintenance washes are undoubtedly the bread and butter of many a professional detailer and valeter, polishing is the more specialist filling in the whole sandwich.

Anyway, effective polishing is all about using the correct detailing products and accessories to enhance and restore surfaces over a range of common defects, and often on a variety of different vehicles. This is also where is where our Professional Series Compounds come in. This full range of compounds - which covers all correction processes from heavy cutting to fine refining - is certainly popular with detailing professionals, and that’s probably because they took us over 3-years of rigorous testing to develop. They’ve also been engineered in conjunction with over 50-independent specialists to achieve results to the highest professional standard. Not that you have to be a pro to use them, of course - these can take any machine polishing process to the next level.

Able to perform single and multi-stage corrections, our Pro Series Compounds include our coarse Heavy Cutting Compound, Medium Polishing Compound and Fine Finishing Compound, all of which are available separately, or as part of our comprehensive Professional Series Kit.

The Auto Finesse Professional Series also includes a range of Machine Polishing Pads and Hand Polishing Pucks to offer the ultimate correction combo for each compound, no matter the level of defects you’re aiming to correct. For more on these next-generation products, check out our full article – The Auto Finesse Professional Series Range.

Total Interior Cleaner

When it comes to freshening up vehicle interiors, Total Interior Cleaner is the surfactant-based cleaning agent that really can do it all. This powerful, ready-to-use solution is suitable for the removal of the heaviest grime, make up stains, fingerprints, food residues and body oils over every one of the different surfaces you’ll find in any vehicle cabin. But while Total is super potent, and leaves nothing in its wake but a fresh lime scent, it’s mild enough to be used safely time and time again on even the most sensitive materials. Leather, plastic, carpet, vinyl, rubber, cloth - you name it - Total will bring it back to a subtle factory look in no time. And without abrading soft fibres or causing damage on hard surfaces.

Of course, the sheer grime-shifting performance is one of the reasons Total is used every day by Professional detailers and valeters the world over, but there’s yet another practical reason it’s so loved - they never have to go back to their van or the shelf for anything else. No, with Total you can complete a whole interior valet or deep clean with ease. And we all know that this service is a crucial part of any pro-detail, right? It’s the place where the customer spends most of their time after all.

Total is supplied in 500ml and 1-litre trigger bottles, and 5-litre containers ideal for use with our Pro Mixing Bottle.

Finale Quick Detailer

For professionals final finishing is everything, simply because this is where they create the impact for the customer, the bit they first see when they’re handed back the keys… along with the bill.

It stands to reason that a final wipe down is an essential part of any detail, even if you’re not in the trade yourself, because it’s here when any stray water marks, fingerprints, polish residues and dust can be quickly and safely removed. These are all imperfections that may crop up while you’re busy completing the rest of your detail. And, put simply, you don’t want them detracting, or drawing the eye, from the overall job.

In short, that’s exactly what Finale Quick Detailer is all about – perfecting the final finish on paintwork and trim. This product not only cleans away light contamination safely, but the solution contains an infusion of the finest Brazilian carnauba wax to leave behind a little protection, a whole load of deep gloss, and the kind of warm glow that can only be achieved using a natural wax. In fact, this all-round master finishing spray can also be used over any protection layer, including waxes and sealants, and even ceramic coatings.

Finale has a maraschino cherry scented formula that’s also extremely forgiving and easy to use. In fact, many will say it’s a pleasure to utilise for quick and easy enhancement in the final finishing stages. That concept alone makes the pros love it even more.

With this detailing spray - which is available in 500ml and 1-litre trigger bottles, along with 5-litre trade sizes - all it takes is a spritz and a wipe on each panel, followed by a quick buff to a high shine. Finale also offers the perfect partner to our other professional-finishing products such as Crystal Glass Cleaner and Satin Tyre Crème. Essentials for every single detail.