All In One: Unboxing the 10 Best Car Cleaning Kits for 2024

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When it comes to keeping your car looking its best, a good car-cleaning kit is essential. Whether you're a novice car owner or have been around cars for a while, you know regular maintenance is key to keeping your vehicle running smoothly and looking its best. While most other maintenance ensures your car will enjoy a long life, keeping your vehicle clean will ensure it looks as good on the outside as it's running on the inside.

But with the wide range of car-cleaning kits available on the market, it can be difficult to decide which kit is the best for you. That's where we come in. We've already tested a wide variety of cleaning products, such as car wash soaps, glass cleaners, carpet cleaners, and interior cleaners, but these kits combine car-washing products and accessories into convenient bundles.

Because we've already tested a ton of individual cleaning products, we're going to stick with the usability and functionality of the various kits listed below. We looked at some of the best kits on the market right now and evaluated the key components of each. Some are simple, with the bare minimum of products and make great gift ideas. Others are comprehensive and complete, designed to offer the full gamut of everything you need to detail a vehicle. We also give our top recommendations for the best car-washing kits available for a variety of needs.

Things to Consider When Shopping for Car Cleaning Kits

Looking only to get your wheels and tires clean and shiny? Or are you after a cleaning kit that has everything you need to detail your entire car? Different kits come with different components, so you'll want to make sure you're getting a kit with everything you need to get the job done right the first time.

You'll want a kit with any tools you might need. Buying tools in combination with the chemicals can save you some money and add extra convenience, since some of these kits have dedicated bags or buckets for storing the included tools and cleaning supplies.

To be sure, many of us already own many of the individual products included in some of these kits. If you're in the market for a car washing or detailing kit, you may want to check your own stock on your garage shelf before purchasing.

Pro Tip: Don't be fooled by the advertised size of a car-cleaning kit. For example, some kits may be advertised as including 20 pieces, but after opening them it is clear that to achieve that boastful number, the manufacturer has counted surplus components such as multiple air fresheners or the lid of a wash bucket.

How We Evaluated Car Cleaning Kits

Car-washing kits are far more subjective than other products with specifications that can be objectively measured and compared. Each cleaning kit comes with different products, tools, and accessories, making them better suited for some needs and vehicles than others. So rather than pick a single winner, we selected our favorite car cleaning kits for various jobs.

Specifically, we unboxed each kit, evaluated the quality of components such as spray bottles and tools, and came to a consensus on what kits were best suited for different needs and their value compared to the competition.

Relentless Drive Car Wash Kit

If you're starting from the ground up and need an all-in-one kit on a budget, you won't find a better solution than the Relentless Drive Ultimate Car Wash Kit. This 20-piece kit includes nearly every tool, accessory, and cleaner you'll need to make your car look good as new, short of a car vacuum.

Of all the kits we evaluated, Relentless Drive's had the largest selection of cleaning tools and accessories, including a microfiber air-vent cleaner and cleaning gel, which works like Silly Putty to pick up dirt and dust in hard-to-clean spaces. And the best part is all the tools come packed inside a well-built carrying case.

Each of the cleaning chemicals comes in a 16-ounce bottle, each with its own spray nozzle. Relentless Drive also includes a 3.5-gallon bucket that collapses when not in use. No heavy-duty wax or polish is included, but the package has everything you need to get your car sparkling inside and outside.

Kit includes:

• Car Wash Soap

• Ceramic Spray Wax

• Detail Spray

• Wheel Cleaner Spray

• Glass Cleaner Spray

• Interior Cleaner Spray

• Collapsible Bucket

• Large Microfiber Towel

• Small Microfiber Towel

• Microfiber Mop Glove

• Microfiber Tire Brush

• Hard-Bristle Brush

• Tire Brush

• Microfiber Vent Cleaner/Brush

• Squeegee

• Car Dust Cleaning Gel

• Air Freshener

Meguiar's Classic Wash & Wax Kit

You'd be hard-pressed to find a garage without at least one Meguiar's cleaning product in it, and this kit makes it clear why. Meguiar's Classic Wash & Wax Kit includes everything you need to keep your car clean and protected: sponges, a microfiber cloth, soaps, waxes, and more.

The included cloth is generously sized, and the 16-ounce bottles of cleaners and waxes are large enough to get you and your ride through a handful of washes. You'll need to bring your own bucket, but this affordable kit from an industry titan should get you up and running.

Kit includes:

• Gold Class Car Wash

• Interior Detailer Cleaner

• Quick Detailer Cleaner

• Six-ounce Wheel & Tire Cleaner

• Cleaner Wax

• Microfiber Towel

• Wash Sponge

• Wax Sponge

Chemical Guys 16-Piece Arsenal Builder Kit

Chemical Guys' Arsenal Builder Kit is a perennial bestseller on Amazon, and it's clear why: The company's premium starter kit has all the tools and chemicals needed to keep your vehicle looking great. The included bottles are substantial, the spray nozzles are sturdy, and the entire kit fits inside the provided five-gallon bucket.

In addition to six soaps and sprays, Chemical Guys also includes a foam cannon for sudsing up your car with minimal effort. There's also a collection of microfiber towels and brushes, rounding out one of the more comprehensive sets we tested.

Kit includes:

• Heavy-Duty Detailing Bucket (with Grit Guard)

• Speed Wipe Quick Detailer

• TORQ Foam Cannon

• Diablo Wheel Gel

• Honeydew Snow Foam

• Butter Wet Wax

• Signature Series Glass Cleaner

• Silk Shine Protectant

• Three Microfiber Towels

Adam's Polishes 21-Piece Arsenal Builder Kit

We were going to say Adam's Polishes threw everything but the kitchen sink into its Arsenal Builder kit, but the reality is the included 3.5-gallon bucket could probably double as a sink if needed. While the "21-piece" label is slightly misleading (three strawberry-scented air fresheners count toward that total), this is one of the most comprehensive kits we evaluated.

The tool and towel collection is the best of the bunch. There are 16-ounce spray bottles of almost every type of cleaner. And the foam sprayer, in particular, highlights just how serious Adam's is about getting your vehicle back to its former glory.

Unfortunately, not everything in the kit fits inside the bucket. If you don't mind this kit taking up the space, you’ll have a tough time finding a better all-in-one solution.

Kit includes:

• 3.5-Gallon Bucket with Grit Guard

• Foam Spray Gun

• Soft-Bristled Brush

• Hard-Bristled Brush

• Large Microfiber Chamois

• Three Microfiber Towels

• Microfiber Sponge

• Three Air Fresheners

• Total Interior Cleaner

• Glass Cleaner

• Car Shampoo

• Wheel & Tire Cleaner

• CS3 Formula

• Tire Shine

Car Gods Car Detailing Kit

Despite the absence of cleaning tools, Car Gods' Car Cleaning Detailing Kit was one of the more impressive kits we evaluated. It features all the main chemicals you'll need in a quality package.

The 16-ounce bottles are made of thick plastic and feel good in the hand, particularly when paired with the soft-squeeze spray nozzles. Car Gods uses squared-off bottles instead of the more conventional cylinder shape used by other manufacturers. This design allows the bottles to stack much more efficiently inside the included carrying case, which is padded with individual netted compartments for each particular cleaner.

The bottles are numbered for the chronological order in which you're supposed to use each chemical throughout the wash process, but stage three is absent. That's because the third step in Car Gods' cleaning system is to use its Clay Bar Kit—but it's sold separately.

U.K.-based Car Gods doesn't manufacture cleaning tools. But if you don't mind bringing your own gear, this kit is second to none in selection, product quality, and presentation.

Kit includes:

• Fall Out Eliminator

• Pure Shampoo

• Diamond Carnauba Wax

• Black Angel Tyre Serum

• Speed Shine Detailer

• Wheel Perfection Cleaner

• Glass Perfection Cleaner

• Interior Detailer

Griot's Garage Car Care Kit

Griot's Garage Starter Car Care Kit eschews nearly all the tools and accessories to keep it simple. It includes five 16-ounce bottles: two pour bottles and three spray bottles.

While it might seem like a small detail, the sprayers on these bottles were the nicest of the bunch we used. They felt sturdy, and the extra-large levers made them easy to squeeze, even with gloves on. The generously-portioned containers are a nice bonus, especially considering the car-washing soap is "super concentrated" and only requires 0.5 ounce of soap per gallon of water.

The sole accessory included in the kit is a well-made circular sponge for the Best of Show Wax. As long as you have cleaning tools and towels on hand, this starter kit gives you everything you need to revitalize your ride.

Kit includes:

• "Best of Show" Wax

• Wheel Cleaner

• Vinyl and Rubber Restorer

• Speed Shine

• Concentrated Car Wash

Invisible Glass Treatment Kit

As the company's name suggests, this kit is designed to keep all the windows on your vehicle clean and protected from Mother Nature. The largest bottle in the kit is Invisible Glass's tint-safe glass cleaner. This 22-ounce bottle is a do-it-all solution for cleaning your windows, windshield, mirrors, and more.