Radiant Wax Polish Why: “Like all good play lists, you’ve got to start with a heavy hitter. Radiant Wax Polish is where it all began for Autoglym back in the 60’s and although the formulation has changed over the years it is still a massive product, cleans the paint, gives it great gloss and shine and even lays down a bit of wax protection afterwards too. A true all in one, works on any paint type, and a product that makes any gloss car look better.”
Rubber Plus Cleaner Why: “No matter how clean your paint is, if your tyres aren’t dressed it just doesn’t look right. I’ve enjoyed high gloss and matt look dressings in the past, and I really think that the finish depends on the car colour, and the wheel and tyre combo. Fortunately, Rubber Plus can give high gloss or low sheen results depending on the application method. Of course, many tyre dressings can do that too, so what sets Rubber Plus apart for me is the crazy durability and its ability to work on any tyre type of any age – because there really is a difference between tyres when it comes to dressings and when you are in the trade you need a tyre dressing that works on every car, every time.”
UHD Wax Why: “Do you even need to ask? Although it is definitely the age of ceramic car care, wax isn’t dead yet – despite what some people might tell you. Indeed, there has been a bit of a wax revival in recent years, as people reach to the back of their detailing shelves and pull out an assortment of colourful wax tubs. It takes longer to apply than a spray and wipe and will always feel the effects of detergents before a ceramic, but there are other benefits to paste wax that are often overlooked, such as the filling ability to help smooth out paint that a liquid products can never provide. Also, there is the process of waxing, it is a fun thing to do, and the finish is always worth the extra effort. Throw in UHD Wax’s legendary beading and you have one happy customer and detailer.”
Coat-It Why: “Coat-It changed the way we think about applying protection and considerably widened the scope of what can be protected, due to the foam cannon delivery. Apply gloss, shine and water repellency to all hard exterior surfaces in a few seconds. The car looks better and is so much faster to dry too. Applying a durable product in 10 seconds to a car is one thing but being able to protect a 40-foot truck and trailer in under 5 minutes is quite something else. We know most Professional customers are looking after cars, but there is a whole chunk of the market that are tractors, trucks, coaches etc. Paint, carbon fibre, glass, rubber, plastic and wheels can all be quickly coated with Coat-It.”
Heavy Duty Wheel Cleaner Why: “Truly one of my favourite products, this is a beast of a wheel cleaner. It can clean more without agitation than some wheel cleaner can with brushing. You can use it neat, or diluted 1:3, I use it diluted mostly and it does everything I need it to. It is a really nice wheel cleaner to work with, some other brands have a choking odour, and that was something we wanted to avoid with this as we want people to enjoy the results of the product but enjoy using it too. It foams up nicely and is even a great tyre cleaner. If you haven’t used this, add to basket now, you won’t regret it!”
Instant Ceramic Coating Why: “Ok, I’ll admit I have a lot of protection products on the list now, but that’s what we all love right? Things that impart shine, gloss and make the water run off. Instant Ceramic Coating has an additional party trick, extreme slickness. This makes the paint not only look good but feel good too. It is a doddle to apply, can be put on wet or dry surfaces and is very unfussy. No 'levelling' or 'high spots' top worry about here, just put it on and buff it off – simple as that.”
Glass Spray Why: “An Autoglym product you don’t hear about often, but for those in the know, it is an absolute gem. A liquid glass cleaner in an aerosol, suitable for all glass, mirrors and plastic glass substitutes like acrylic or Perspex. I challenge you to make it smear, this is the easiest glass cleaner to use and leaves a superb finish in no time at all. If I am in a hurry, I grab this can!”
Interior Cleaner Why: “There may be stronger interior cleaners in the range, but why use a sledgehammer when a claw hammer does the job just fine? Interior Cleaner is a super versatile detergent that can be used on every interior surface, including fabric, mats, rubber, door cards, headlining, Alcantara, plastic, trim, controls and even leather. This really is one of the greats and although might not be as exciting as an exterior protectant, it has earned its place in my list because it so consistently impresses”.
InstaDry Why: “Have I saved the best till last? Well quite possibly, it depends if drying vehicles takes up a significant portion of your day. If it does, then you are in for a treat, I don’t think it is overstating things to say the InstaDry has transformed how people think about drying cloths. In a world where towels were getting increasingly larger and fluffier, it was a bold move to release a comparatively small cloth that is in no way fluffy. However, what it could be described as was thirsty, the InstaDry hoovers up water at a phenomenal rate and crucially wrings out simply too. No more heavy, unwieldy towels to lug about, a light, easy to use nimble Ninja that helps you do the most boring of all car care tasks – dry it. It even caught the attention of Auto Express who awarded it their overall product of the year, beating not only other car care products but all sorts of things like dash cams, sat navs and other gadgets. Challenge the norm, try an InstaDry, you won’t look back."
Honourable mentions: Instant Tyre Dressing, Rapid Aqua Wax, Bumper Gel from the 90’s (Even though we have a new and improved version, Bumper & Trim Gel, the old thick green Bumper Gel will always have a special place in my memory, as it really blew my mind the first time I used it on my first car which had really faded plastic bumpers!)