A waterless car wash cleans your car using special spray products instead of a hose. It’s convenient, but you still have to use the right method and tools so you don’t scratch the paint.
A carpet extractor is a machine that cleans carpet by spraying cleaner in and then sucking the dirty water back out. It’s great for deep cleaning, but you don’t always need it right away.
A pressure washer is a machine that shoots water out really strongly. It helps wash off dirt much faster than a regular hose, which can make car cleaning easier and more effective.
A garden hose is the normal hose you use for watering. It doesn’t spray with as much force as a pressure washer, so it often takes longer to get the car really clean.
A hose reel is the mounted mechanism that stores and retracts the pressure-washer hose. If it unwinds when you don’t want it to, it can tangle, waste time, and make setup/cleanup less convenient.
A pump sprayer is a hand-pumped bottle or tank that sprays cleaner. It can work for car cleaning, but it usually doesn’t foam or rinse as effectively as a pressure washer.
Microfiber towels are special soft cloths used for washing and drying cars. They grab dirt and soak up water well, which helps reduce the chance of scratching the paint.
Costco is a store the host recommends for buying microfiber towels. They’re using them for cheaper, disposable-style jobs like windows and interior cleaning.
An XL drying towel is a bigger microfiber towel for drying your car. Because it’s larger, you can dry more of the car at once and potentially rub the paint less.
“Single use” here means using a towel for one kind of job and then not reusing it for paint. That way, you don’t accidentally spread dirt that could scratch the car.
“Foaming a dry car” means you spray foam onto the car before you rinse or scrub. The foam starts loosening dirt right away so you can clean it with less rubbing.
It means you use the soap’s cleaning power to break down dirt, rather than scrubbing hard right away. This can make washing easier and help reduce the chance of scratching.
“pH neutral” means the soap is designed to be gentle and not too acidic or basic. But being gentle doesn’t always mean it cleans well, especially if you’re not using it the right way.
Super Soaper is a particular car-wash soap the host recommends. They’re saying it works better than basic soap because it helps the dirt release when you foam the car first.
A lug nut brush is a small brush for cleaning around the lug nuts on your wheel. It helps get grime out of tight spots that larger brushes miss.
Term
black rim brush
A black rim brush is a brush people use for cleaning certain types of wheel finishes. The host is saying you usually don’t need a bunch of specialized brushes to get the job done.
Rim cleaner is a special cleaner made to break down brake dust on wheels. The host is warning that if you’re not careful, it can still cause damage to surfaces.
Tire shine is a product you put on tires to make them look darker and cleaner. It’s usually applied carefully so it doesn’t get onto the wheel or paint.
This is a strong cleaner made to break down brake dust and dirt on wheels. Since it uses acid, you usually have to dilute it and use it carefully so it doesn’t harm the wheel’s finish.
A clay bar is a tool you rub on the paint to pick up tiny stuck-on contaminants that soap and water miss. It makes the paint feel smoother before you polish it.
Polish is what you use to make the paint look shinier and to reduce minor scratches or dullness. It’s usually done after cleaning the paint surface and before adding protection.
“Medium clay” means the clay is in the middle of the aggressiveness range. It’s meant to remove stuck-on grime without being overly harsh on the paint.
Brand
McCullough
McCullough is the name of a steamer tool the host recommends. The point is that a steam/vapor tool can help you clean without needing a bunch of extra gadgets.
VX5000 is a specific steamer/vapor machine model the host recommends. They’re saying it’s lasted them a long time (about 15 years) and still works well.
A detailing vacuum is used to remove loose debris from the cabin before deeper cleaning. The host emphasizes starting with vacuuming plus cabin cleaner and brushes to cover most interior surfaces.
A cold water extractor cleans using cooler cleaning liquid instead of heated liquid. It can work, but heated setups often help loosen tougher dirt faster.
An all-purpose cleaner is a general chemical meant for lots of surfaces. In a car, it can be too harsh or not the right formula for interior materials, which is why it can stain fabric or harm plastic and screens.
A cabin cleaner is made specifically for car interior surfaces. Using the right kind of cleaner helps prevent stains and damage that can happen with generic cleaners.
Paint correction is the step where you improve the paint’s look by removing surface problems like dullness and fine scratches. It’s done with polishing products and careful technique so you don’t remove too much clear coat.
Oxidation removal is fixing the dull, faded look that happens when paint gets worn down by sun and air. Detailers usually do this with polishing products that smooth the surface back out.
A medium-to-firm foam pad is a polishing pad that’s not super soft. It usually cuts better than a soft pad, helping remove swirls and scratches more effectively.
A finishing pad is the last tool you use to make the paint look nicer and smoother. “Soft” just means it’s gentler, so it’s less likely to leave marks while you polish.
A cutting pad is the “stronger” polishing pad. You use it first to remove scratches or dull spots, then you switch to a softer pad to make the paint look glossy.
A consistent system means you use the same basic setup each time—like the same pad and polish—so you know what’s working. If you change everything at once, you can’t tell what caused the result.
In this context, troubleshooting means figuring out why your polish isn’t giving the look you want. Instead of changing everything at once, you try to figure out whether the pad or the product is the issue.
Term
limited number of options
This is basically saying: don’t use a huge variety of products. If you stick to a few proven ones, it’s easier to figure out what’s going wrong and fix it faster.
Paint correction means polishing your car’s paint to remove visible imperfections. After you polish it, you should protect it so it stays looking good and doesn’t get dirty or damaged again quickly.
A ceramic spray is a spray-on product that adds a slick, protective layer to your car’s paint. It helps water bead up and makes the paint easier to keep clean, and it’s usually simpler to use often.
Direct sunlight can make some car protection products dry too fast. When that happens, it’s easier to end up with streaks instead of a clean, even finish.
This is a Turtle Wax product people put on their car to make it look shiny and add some protection. The host says it can leave streaks, especially on dark paint, so it’s annoying to apply.
Tuffa Shell is a car product used to protect your paint. The host likes it because it’s easier to use and lasts longer, so you’ll actually apply it regularly.
These are ceramic-type paint protectants you apply by wiping on. They’re meant to last longer than simple waxes, but you still have to keep up with regular care so the protection stays effective.
Gloss Boss is a ceramic coating product you put on by wiping it onto the paint. The host says it’s especially easy, which matters because the best protection is the kind you’ll apply regularly.
“10 year coating” is a promise that the protective layer will last for about a decade. The host’s point is that most people can’t really judge or plan for that long-term, so it can be misleading for beginners.
“Lifetime coating” is a claim that the protection will last forever or for the whole time you own the car. The host is saying that beginners often don’t really understand what that means in practice.
A mobile detailing rig is basically the kit of tools a detailer hauls to a customer’s driveway. The host says beginners shouldn’t overspend on a fancy setup before they know how to get customers.
Concept
business acumen
Business acumen is knowing how to run the business side—like finding customers and pricing your work. The host’s message is that tool upgrades won’t help as much as getting good at getting customers.
Foaming wax is a wash-and-protect product that comes out as foam. The foam helps loosen dirt and makes it easier to rinse off, and it may leave a protective coating afterward.
A foam cannon is a tool you attach to a pressure washer to spray soap as thick foam. The foam clings to the car longer and helps loosen dirt before you rinse it off.
DI water is water that’s been cleaned of minerals. Using it for the final rinse helps prevent ugly water spots from forming on the paint.
Term
multi-purpose dressing
A multi-purpose dressing is a product you put on to improve the look of surfaces and help protect them. It’s meant to work on more than one area, not just one specific material.
Term
scrub buddy pad
A scrub buddy pad is a rough cleaning pad for scrubbing. It helps loosen dirt so the cleaner can lift it away more easily.
A drill brush is a cleaning brush that you attach to a drill. It scrubs faster than hand cleaning, but you have to be careful not to damage softer materials.
A rotary polisher spins very aggressively. It can be harder to control, so it’s easier to accidentally damage paint if you’re not experienced.
Term
burgundy, black foam
Polishing pads are made from foam, and different foams are meant to do different jobs. The pad you choose changes how strongly you cut the paint and how smooth the finish ends up.
LIVE
I've been talking to a lot of you
that are either beginners into detailing
or you have an issue with your car,
faded paint, oxidized paint,
and it's kind of led you down a rabbit hole
into this whole car detailing world.
And I think there is so many options
and so much overwhelm that people get overwhelmed
and they're not sure what to do.
They know that there's great products out there.
They know that there's great methods out there
but they really get confused
because they're over complicated.
And so this over complication is kind of done on purpose
from brands because the more complicated they make things seem
and the more they could charge for those things
and also the more product they can get you to buy, right?
So where most people stumble or get it wrong
or struggle with is because there's so many tool options.
There's so many product options
and they just don't know what to do.
So in this video, this podcast,
what I'm gonna do is because I've been in this industry
for 18 plus years,
I've done everything from mobile detailing
to a shop based detailing business.
I've worked for multiple chemical manufacturers
that make the products that these brands
that over complicate things sell.
I worked for Turtle Wax on a global scale for five years
on their global product development team.
And so I've seen this industry
from just about every single angle.
I'm an influencer if you wanna call it that.
So I've seen other influencers,
I've hung out with other creators
that you guys watch behind the scenes
and seen their true personalities.
I've just had the really unique opportunity
to see this industry from a multitude of different angles.
And so everything from actually doing the work
and having to make a living doing it
to being in this weird world of online
talking about doing the work.
And so what I really wanted to kind of break down
is for each kind of segment of the car,
tools that are kind of what I deem like must haves,
tools that are kind of like nice to haves,
and then tools that are like,
you should kind of focus on maybe upgrading to these.
And so, but the whole idea is to really make things simple.
And so, again, I think most people get into detailing
because they like it or they enjoy it,
but then they quickly are met
with this very complex world
and it doesn't need to be complex at all.
You really don't need 40 buckets and 18 wheel brushes
and to spend 30 minutes on each wheel and tire,
especially if you're trying to do this for a living
and make money doing it.
So kind of wanted to break down each thing,
but just know that the overarching theme is like,
if it doesn't make sense,
if it doesn't make your life easier,
if it doesn't make your life faster,
if it doesn't make your life more simplified into a system,
it's a tool that I don't want.
So the way I look at things is that everything
has to serve a purpose and multiple purposes,
and it has to also make my life easier.
This kind of came out of crossroads for me
when I was in my mobile detailing business
because I'm in what I would deem like an oversaturated area
for mobile car detailing.
And so I really was at a crossroads
of where I needed to make more money,
but I did feel like I was kind of tapped out
at the higher end of what my market would be willing
to pay for and would be willing to afford.
And so I realized that I had two options.
I could either try to charge more
or I could get more efficient with my time.
So if it was $300 for full detail,
but it normally took me six hours,
if I could knock that down to three hours,
I would essentially double my earnings, right?
And so I went on a mad dash to kind of clean up my rig,
systematize everything and just get way more efficient
with everything, and it really worked.
Now it arose a new problem of people thinking
that I was going too fast,
but that's a whole subject for another day.
So as we get into the exterior of the car,
you know, again, I'm talking with everyone
from people who are looking to start a detailing business
that's kind of like a side hustle
to kind of people that are taking this as a serious hobby.
And so there's a lot of different tools even within this
and you have to really judge kind of where you're at,
what your finances are like, what you can afford,
and then what you plan to do with it long term, right?
There's a lot of tools and chemicals that I'll talk about
that are kind of like nice to haves.
And I deem those nice to haves of like,
you don't technically need them in the beginning,
but they will make your life significantly easier.
And then beyond that, there's some tools and chemicals
that are nice to haves that are a priority.
I'll deign as water would be one of those, right?
Like it is extremely nice to have and a high priority, right?
A carpet extractor, and we'll get into all this,
but I wanna give you some meat.
A carpet extractor may be a nice to have
way down the list on the priority, right?
Like way, way down, probably the bottom of the list, right?
But a steamer, it might be like middle of the road, right?
So to get into it like a pressure washer or a hose,
that might be a big one, right?
And what's awesome about how this industry is evolving
and I think it's awesome that more people
are coming into it as a hobby is because
as more people come into it as a hobby,
we get better options.
So I think whereas before, if I was recording this podcast,
maybe five years ago, your options were extremely limited
with pressure washers, but nowadays for a couple hundred bucks,
you could pick up a pressure washer
and going from a garden hose to a pressure washer
is like a significant jump.
It makes things significantly more enjoyable, right?
And for me, that's what it is.
If things are enjoyable, the products work,
how they're supposed to work, you will do it often.
And that is the goal, especially for a hobby,
you wanna be able to do it often, right?
And so with that, depending upon if you do a pressure washer
or a garden hose, and again, there's tons and tons
of people that do reviews on pressure washers.
I think if I were starting over
and I had like a garage or a fixed location,
I'm probably going for the Active 2.0 currently.
I just love the whole, it's smooth, it's consistent.
I've heard some issues with the hose reel,
the hose unwinding when you don't want it to,
and I've heard some little works about it,
but overall, I feel like for the power
and for the whole setup, I think it's very, very great.
So I would definitely upgrade to a pressure washer.
That would definitely fall in the bucket
of high priority, but if you don't have a,
because if you have a pressure washer,
then we could start talking about a foam cannon, right?
If you don't have a pressure washer,
you're more so like a pump sprayer, which is totally fine.
You can get the same kind of general idea,
but again, a pressure washer is gonna be
so much more enjoyable than you could have a foam cannon
that's way more enjoyable than a pump sprayer,
but really you could do either one, right?
I'm definitely gonna have some high-quality
microfiber towels, but I'm also going to have
Costco microfiber towels for like single use stuff
for windows that are annoying.
So I'm definitely gonna have some premium wash towels.
I'm definitely gonna have the XL drying towel that I offer.
Don't worry, I'll link all these things below,
but I'm also gonna have just Kirkland microfiber towels
or Sam's Club or whatever.
I'm not going Home Depot, I'm not going Walmart,
I'm just going Costco for the deal, for the money,
way better, and again, single use towels or interiors,
stuff you could throw away and you don't feel bad
about throwing away the towel because it's not that expensive.
Maybe having a couple buckets around to kind of hold stuff,
and then definitely, I'm definitely,
I personally started from the very beginning
renting deionized water tanks,
because I think it's one of the single biggest upgrades
that you can make that just make a huge difference
in everything, it's gonna make your soap foam better,
it's gonna make your machine run better,
it's just gonna give you an overall better experience
because you're not fighting those minerals on the car.
I don't know why it's one of those things
that it's kind of under talked about,
but whether you are a mobile detailer
and so you're buying water from a local detail supply store,
or if you're a home hobbyist,
I would definitely invest in a tank,
some sort of deionized water tank.
You could look to the RV industry
for kind of suggestions on tanks,
but I think it's just one of those upgrades
that makes a huge difference, right?
You could either buy your own, you could rent tanks,
I rent tanks, I rent deionized water tanks,
and I always have, it's very inexpensive to rent.
Obviously you don't need DI water to wash a car,
but I think whether you're on well water,
city water, whatever, it is honestly
one of the smartest, biggest upgrades that you can ever make.
When it comes to using a foam cannon,
again, it's just gonna make your foam cannon work better,
and stuff like that.
I would also make sure that if you're just starting out,
you're up with the latest and greatest
when it comes to wash techniques,
so foaming a dry car when I didn't like the dry foam method,
like foaming a dry car,
and kind of making the products work for you,
letting the chemistry work for you,
and not worrying so much about everything else,
creating the system around what works,
and how to work most efficiently and most effectively.
So a perfect example is like,
I'm not getting a run-of-the-mill car wash soap anymore,
I'm just not doing it,
because you'll realize after you use something
like the Super Soaper that a run-of-the-mill
pH neutral car wash soap does nothing.
It really does nothing.
In fact, it makes you do a lot of the work,
but if you had a soap like the Super Soaper,
you're foaming a dry car first,
you're letting the chemistry do the work,
and you're aligning yourself with a brand
that is totally invested in proper modern technology chemistry,
you're gonna realize how much more enjoyable washing a car is.
So the Super Soaper, I'm gonna have the massive drying towel,
I'm gonna have Toughest Shell, which is my ceramic spray,
I'm gonna apply that on the paint,
because it applies easily, it is so easy to apply,
and then it's gonna make your wash next time better.
And so yeah, so that's kind of how I'm handling
the exterior paint work.
When it comes to wheels and tires,
you definitely do not need 15 brushes to start.
I have seen videos where there's just a tire brush,
a lug nut brush, a barrel brush, a black rim brush,
you don't need it, you just need a tire brush,
maybe one brush for the wheel faces and a barrel brush,
and that's it, right?
This is where you could also use your pump sprayer,
if you bought it for the paint work,
this is also where you could use your foam cannon.
And again, this is where a lot of people,
there's so many different surfaces when it comes to rims,
that people, even when you're using a dedicated rim cleaner,
people get messed up, those can damage surfaces of the car.
So what I would say is,
have something like Pure Magic Cleaner, right?
Which is gonna be a multi-surface cleaner,
but also it's gonna serve multiple uses.
You're gonna be able to use it to clean rims, nasty rims.
It's gonna help you clean the barrels of the rims
almost without touching them,
but it also is gonna remove water spots
from the glass paint work everywhere, right?
And so Pure Magic Cleaner is great for that.
But what I often tell people,
especially if you are washing your car often,
when you foam the car with the Super Sober,
another benefit of having a really good cleaning soap,
is you probably are not gonna need any wheel or tire cleaner.
Just while the foam is on the car, scrub your rims down then,
and if you maintain your car often,
you're probably never gonna need a more aggressive cleaner.
This also saves you a ton of time,
because you're not having to have more cleaners.
It's saving you money
because you're not having to have additional cleaners,
and it really streamlines the process.
So on the exterior of the car, what I would do
is I would foam the entire dry car,
including the rims and tires.
I would let the soap dwell for three to five minutes,
rinse it all off, then I would foam the car again.
On that second foam is when I'm going in
and cleaning the rims real quick.
Again, couple brushes, no big deal, right?
Scrub the tires if you feel like it.
Wiping down, doing a contact wash if you need to,
and rinse it, and your car is gonna be virtually clean,
rims are gonna be clean.
Used one product, one foam can in,
and this is where I think having a pressure washer
is a big upgrade, and then having deionized water
above that, if you're gonna do this frequently,
is a massive, massive upgrade.
So that's what I would do.
And then of course, you have your,
maybe another brush for tire shine application,
like a green bristle brush for tire shine application,
maybe a couple applicators for doing
the black trim around the car, things like that.
The microfiber towels that we already talked about.
And that pretty much has you covered
for the exterior of the car.
Again, a pressure washer, nice to have, not a high priority.
Deionized water, super nice to have, high priority.
Dedicated wheel and tire cleaners, low priority.
High quality soap, high priority.
A multi-purpose acid-based wheel cleaner
that can serve multiple purposes,
can even be diluted down to different dilution ratios,
depending upon where you're at, in pure magic cleaner, boom.
But super sober, pure magic cleaner,
that's all you're gonna need for the exterior of the car.
Obviously, maybe a clay bar,
if you're doing this seriously, a polish, definitely.
But again, one polish, you don't need
a ton of different polishes.
One medium clay, towel, clay, mitt, clay, sponge.
Pick whichever one, see if you like it, right?
Some people like a towel, some people like a sponge,
some people like a mitt.
It's just a preference thing.
And that is another point of why you don't wanna go too crazy
with this thing, this out of the gate,
is because you need to learn your preferences for things.
Everyone has a different style for detailing.
That's why there's so many different videos,
so many different opinions on things.
This whole video is just my opinion, obviously.
But my opinion was formed out of my preferences, right?
And so this is the best way I think to do it.
Obviously, you want a ceramics brand there,
but Teffa Shell will have you covered on that.
But this is my preference in doing things
and how I think things are done the best.
This is not maybe your style of detailing.
Maybe you do like to have a garage full
of unnecessary chemicals, that's up to you.
But until you develop your preferences and your style,
take it slow, right?
When it comes to interior, kind of same rules apply,
I have one interior cleaner, the complete cabin cleaner.
I obviously have it in the gallon format
because the gallon is a full concentrate
and then I dilute it down into how I want it to be used.
So obviously you're gonna need a vacuum,
that's high priority, kinda need to start there.
Some sort of interior scrub pads,
like the scrub buddies are great.
A couple soft detailing brushes you can pick up on Amazon.
Again, the microfiber towels,
I'd probably just use the Kirkland Costco microfiber towels.
A drill brush or a drill attachment
to your drill for dirty carpets,
high priority, very inexpensive.
Where our nice halves that are higher priority
would be a steamer, right?
You could start with like the McCullough.
There's a vapor, I think is another one
that's kind of inexpensive.
The VX5000 is kind of the Cadillac,
kind of the world's roice of it.
I've had mine for 15 years and it still works
without any issues at all.
But I would start with a good vacuum,
start with the complete cabin cleaner in the gallon,
towels, scrub pad and a drill brush in a vacuum.
That is going to get you covered
on the vast majority of surfaces, right?
Even rubber mats, carpet, liners, anything.
Obviously, things that are also nice to have
is a tornador, but then you need an air compressor.
So that adds another, you know, some complexity.
Is the tornador, a tornador is an air driven machine
that kind of helps significantly,
but it is kind of a very nice to have, right?
Same with an extractor and everyone thinks
an extractor is a must have.
The reality is it's not.
And the reality is, is that extractors work really good
on flat surfaces and nothing else.
So I would pick a steamer before you get an extractor.
Again, my preference, my experience,
I've had everything from a cold water extractor
to multiple hot water extractors.
I think they serve their purpose, they have a purpose,
they are not a necessity.
That is my opinion, definitely not a necessity.
And one thing I would definitely not do
is I would not use an all purpose cleaner
on the inside of your car.
I just would not do it.
I've seen it discolored carpets.
I've seen it damaged plastics.
I've seen it damaged infotainment screens.
I would not use an all purpose cleaner on the interior.
I've done it, I've used it a lot.
You create more issues than you solve.
Just have a dedicated cleaner,
like the complete cabin cleaner.
So when it comes back to paint correction tools,
if you want to do oxidation removal,
I'm talking with someone right now
who the hood of their car is oxidized
and they're talking about doing paint correction.
They've never done paint correction before.
They've never run a buffer before.
They're looking for tools to use.
Here's my biggest thing, don't start with a rotary.
There's no, absolutely no reason
to take on all that risk of a rotary.
You simply don't need to do that.
You need a dual action polisher.
You need a couple pads, one good polish,
maybe some sort of inspection light
in some microfiber towels.
That's it, but you already have the microfiber towels, right?
One good polish is all you need,
like the picture perfect polish, right?
This is why I created the picture perfect bundle
because I think the pads that it comes with
are the pads that you're gonna need
the vast majority of the time.
Obviously there are outliers.
You have microfiber pads,
you have all these different pads
that create confusion.
You really don't need all those.
You need two good pads,
kind of like a medium to firm foam pad,
and then a soft finishing pad.
That's all you need and one liquid to get started.
That is gonna solve the vast majority of situations
that you're gonna be in, right?
The one good polish is all you need,
pads to change the level of cut or finish.
Start with a cutting pad and a finishing pad.
Just keep the system simple.
That is my overarching thing.
Keep the system simple,
and then as you develop your preferences
or you get into situations
where you really need to troubleshoot,
then you already know what your baseline is.
Learn the technique before you buy more chemicals
or more liquids because it just adds confusion
and then your head's in a dizzy
and you don't even know what you're trying to fix.
I think I heard Jason Rose with Rupes say this one time
of you really need a consistent system
because sometimes when you are doing paint correction
and then you're trying to troubleshoot
because you're not getting the result that you want,
you start changing your pad
and start changing your liquid at the same time
and then you don't even know what is causing the problem.
But if you have a limited number of options,
you start to work troubleshoot within that sphere
and then you get to the result that you want a lot faster.
So picture perfect polish bundle,
softer than soft microfiber towels,
that's all you need.
And we've really only talked about four chemicals
in this whole process, right?
When it comes to protecting the paint
after you've paint corrected it,
whether you choose to paint corrected or not,
you should protect the paint often.
You need a ceramic spray, some applicators,
more microfiber towels,
and maybe a really high quality wipe on ceramic coating
if you even choose to go there.
Excuse me, so I want a ceramic spray
that's easy to apply that I can apply often
because easy products get applied more often.
Consistency beats complicated protection, right?
If you have a product that can't work out in direct sun,
you've got to apply it upside down and backwards
with your shirt hanging off your shoulder
to not get streaks,
that's a product that you're not going to use often.
This is the biggest gripe that we had
with turtle wax sealant shine.
It's a phenomenal product that streaks really bad
on dark color cars.
Therefore, people don't use it often, right?
So if you don't use it often, it needs to be stout,
it needs to last a long time,
which sealant shine does,
however, it's just aggravating to use most times.
So something like Tuffa Shell, easy to use,
you can use it often and is also very stout.
So you have the best of all worlds.
It's probably the fifth chemical we've talked about.
Wipe on ceramic coatings are a step up
when you want longer term protection,
but honestly, maintenance, maintenance, maintenance,
maintenance, maintenance,
making sure that your systems are in place,
they're easy to use products
and you will use them often is huge.
So obviously wipe on coatings are there when you want it.
I sell the Gloss Boss.
It is by far the easiest wipe on ceramic coating ever.
I have first time people,
they've never applied a ceramic coating,
they're applying ceramic coatings
and talking about how easy it is
and they feel like a pro
and that is music to my ears.
That's the goal.
When you can use my products
and you get pro level results and you're a newbie,
we've nailed it.
We've totally nailed it.
So I never sell people on a 10 year coating,
a lifetime coating, people don't understand it,
people don't can't see that far in the future.
I think you wanna give something that people understand
they can maintain and they could have
really, really good results
and be happy with those results.
So that is what my whole focus on.
If you're selling ceramic coatings,
I think no one can really see beyond five years.
So I don't sell anything beyond five years.
A couple of tools that I think are just overrated
for beginners, multiple buckets,
too many brushes, huge chemical racks, extractors,
random Amazon gadgets that you might just use
like once or twice.
I think even a tornado might be a little like,
it works really good, it is awesome,
but I think it teeters into that gray area.
I think extractors are way overrated,
way overrated on extractors.
I think overbuilt mobile detailing rigs
are way overrated.
I think they look nice.
I think everyone feels like they need to have
the latest and greatest in this really expensive setup.
I just think it's overrated for beginners.
I think you don't need to.
I think you need to get out there
and learn how to get customers
before you get a super fancy setup.
I don't think a super fancy setup
is going to get you more clients.
I think your business acumen
is gonna get you more clients.
I also think that it's overrated how little
we talk about deionized water
and then getting into a shop.
Getting into a shop quicker is huge.
So if you're a mobile detailer,
taking detailing serious
and you wanna actually grow this into a business,
not a side hustle.
I think car detailing as a side hustle,
staying as a side hustle,
is arguably one of the most underrated things.
It is the best side hustle you can do
because you can literally start making money today.
However, so I think a mobile car detailer side hustle,
phenomenal.
Do it on the weekends at night
and you just wanna keep it as a side hustle, awesome.
You wanna grow it into a business,
a real business where it's your full-time gig.
You gotta get into a shop as soon as possible.
People just take you way more serious.
There's less priced shoppers
and you seem way more professional, right?
So yeah, but again, a fancy setup, a fancy mobile setup.
These guys are spending $20,000, $30,000 on a mobile setup.
That is really not gonna get you any better results
than a $5,000 setup, right?
You're just in more debt,
which is gonna take you longer to get out of.
It's gonna take you longer to get into a shop.
But 30 grand, you can do a lot with the shop, right?
More products make the process confusing.
So try to limit, it's counterintuitive,
but try to limit the amount of products that you talk about.
Beginners just need reps, reps, reps.
You need experience, experience, experience,
not clutter, clutter gets in the way, right?
Only by tools when they solve a real problem.
That's also why I'm kind of anti,
and I think it's overrated to have a big mobile,
fancy mobile detailing setup,
because that ultimately isn't gonna get you a customer.
Customer's gonna see and go,
oh wow, that looks really nice.
That's it, right?
It's not gonna get you a customer.
You need reps, you need to figure out
how to get customers, all those things.
So I think the detailing industry loves
to make beginners feel like they need a garage full of stuff,
a new fancy rig, but that's honestly
how people get overwhelmed, and then they end up quitting.
So I think products should simplify the process.
The chemistry in the bottle should fit the method,
not the other way around.
And that's something that I wanna talk about way more.
I think a lot of these overcomplicated systems
and a device that we get are because the chemistry
in the bottle is old.
So I think a lot of brands build systems
based on this outdated chemistry,
instead of doing it the other way around,
of building a product to serve a need.
I see that with the new foaming,
which I think I'm gonna open up for presale this week.
The new foaming wax that I've developed,
like the protector style wax,
I built a product based on what I needed, right?
Needs to work in direct sun, needs to last four to six weeks,
needs to foam good.
I built a product based on what my specs were,
not the other way around, right?
So anyway, if I was starting over today,
here's kind of the setup I would build, okay?
Simple, simple, simple setup.
Pressure washer or hose, a foam cannon or a pump sprayer.
I'd probably go pressure washer with foam cannon.
The super, super, I'd use microfiber towels
for washing the car.
So my orange wash towels,
I would use the massive XL drying towel,
a DI water, 100% toughest shell, okay?
I'd use pure magic cleaner.
I'd have a tire brush, a wheel brush, and a barrel brush,
all dressed up as my multi-purpose dressing, right?
It'll work on tires, highly dilutable,
can actually work on interiors, right?
For the interior, I'd have a vacuum,
complete cabin cleaner in the gallon, scrub buddy pad,
a drill brush, 100%, more microfiber towels,
and I'm using all dressed up.
What are we at?
We're at two different products right now,
three different products, okay?
For paint correction, I would use a DA polisher.
Do not get a rotary.
For God's sake, do not get a rotary, okay?
Two pads, burgundy, black foam, picture-perfect polish.
Boom, that's four products so far.
More microfiber towels, right?
And then inspection light, definitely.
I would just get a cheap one, it'll be fine, right?
Again, I would maybe get the gloss boss.
There'd be our fifth product.
What else am I missing?
Five products, that's it.
So the goal is not to own the most detailing tools,
the fanciest rig, whatever.
The goal is to have a simple proven system
that works time and time again so that you can get the reps.
You can figure out how to get customers.
You can get your process down.
You could find what you like, what your preferences are.
So start simple, get good at the process,
then only upgrade your tools when they actually
solve a problem.
Because again, I think a good detailing setup
should make the job easier.
Not make you feel like you need to second-guess yourself.
Not only do you need to second-guess yourself
but get a second garage, get a storage unit to solve,
to store all your products.
I think we're doing it wrong if we do that.
So make detailing fun, make it simple,
make a repeatable system, support brands
that you know, like, and trust and love
that help you make your system simple
and that are also there for support.
So if you want all those things,
that's what I offer with Jimbo's Detailing.
But that is the system that I would create
if I was just starting over.
Again, you can upgrade as needed
but sometimes you don't even know what upgrades you need
until you start developing your own system
and your own preferences.
So if you want to support the Jimbo's Detailing brand,
I will link everything below.
Everything is also up on Amazon as well.
Thank you guys for the support.
Hopefully you found that useful.
Let me know in the comments below
what products you deem most necessary to get started.
So we'll start a fun discussion in the comments below.
So with that, I will catch you guys on the next one.
Thanks for watching. See ya.
About this episode
Beginners get overwhelmed because brands make detailing sound complicated “from brands because the more complicated they make things seem,” and the host pushes back on tool overbuying. The episode lays out a simple, repeatable system: prioritize a pressure washer over a hose, foam a dry car, use DI water, and keep the workflow efficient (even cutting full-detail time from six hours to three). For paint correction, start with a dual action polisher, then protect with easy ceramic sprays and the right microfiber towels.
Most beginner detailers buy way too many tools because the detailing industry makes everything feel more complicated than it needs to be. In this video, I'm breaking down the car detailing tools you actually need, the tools that are nice to have, and the ones I think most people waste money on.
We'll cover exterior washing, wheels and tires, interior cleaning, paint correction, ceramic protection, drying tools, microfiber towels, polishers, brushes, foam cannons, pressure washers, and more.
The goal is simple: build a detailing setup that actually works without overcomplicating the process.
car detailing tools, auto detailing tools, beginner car detailing, essential detailing tools, detailing setup, car wash tools, foam cannon, pressure washer detailing, microfiber towels, paint correction tools, car detailing for beginners, detailing products, Jimbo's Detailing, best detailing tools, tools you actually need, detailing tips
