Auto Detailing & Car Care

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FAQ

How do I detail my car at home?

Quick plan: set aside a few hours, work from top to bottom, and use the right supplies.

  1. Prep: remove trash and personal items, and shake out floor mats.
  2. Interior: vacuum seats and carpets, use a soft brush for crevices, clean upholstery or leather with appropriate cleaner, and wipe dashboards, consoles, and vents with a microfiber and a gentle interior cleaner.
  3. Exterior: rinse, two-bucket wash with a dedicated car soap, dry with a microfiber towel, then clean wheels and glass.
  4. Finish: apply a protectant or wax if desired and dress tires sparingly.

Protect yourself with gloves and good ventilation around cleaners. If you need supplies or pickup options, Walmart carries detailing kits and tools to get started.

What does an exterior car detail include?

An exterior detail focuses on restoring and protecting the outside surfaces. Most detail steps include:

  • Thorough wash: hand wash to remove dirt and grime.
  • Decontamination: clay or similar treatment to remove bonded contaminants.
  • Paint correction: light polishing to minimize swirl marks and oxidation.
  • Protection: application of wax, sealant, or paint coating for shine and temporary protection.
  • Trim, wheel, and tire care: clean and dress plastic trim, wheel faces, and tire sidewalls.
  • Glass and jambs: clean windows and door jambs for a complete finish.

Details vary by provider and vehicle condition; ask the service for specific inclusions before you book.

How often should I get my car detailed?

How often you detail depends on use, storage, and local conditions. Here are friendly guidelines:

  • Light use/garage kept: a full detail every 6–12 months can keep things fresh.
  • Daily use or harsh climates: consider a thorough detail every 3–6 months, and spot-clean more often.
  • In-between care: monthly quick washes and interior spot cleaning help extend professional results.

Look for signs like persistent stains, lingering odors, or visible paint dulling. If you buy supplies, Walmart stocks products to help maintain results between professional services.

What's appropriate to tip a car detailer?

Tipping shows appreciation for good service. Common guidance includes:

  • Typical range: many people tip about 10–20% of the service cost, depending on job complexity and quality.
  • Extra effort: tip more if the detailer handled heavy soiling, pet hair, or unexpected stains.
  • Practical notes: ask the shop about tipping policy (some include service charges or don’t accept tips). If you paid online and can’t tip that way, ask if they accept cash for staff.

Ultimately tip what feels fair for the level of care you received, and check with the provider if you’re unsure.

How do I pick the right car detailing kit?

Look for a kit that matches your vehicle and skill level. Key features to compare:

  • Core items: car wash soap (pH‑balanced), microfiber wash mitts and towels, wheel cleaner, and an applicator for wax or protectant.
  • Quality and quantity: multiple microfiber towels, a soft wash mitt, and separate cloths for glass and paint reduce cross-contamination.
  • Extras: a grit guard, drying towel, and interior cleaner are useful additions for a more complete kit.
  • Read labels: ensure cleaners are suitable for your interior materials (leather, fabric, vinyl).

Compare kit contents and reviews, and buy replacement towels or specific specialty items as needed—Walmart carries a range of kits and single items to build a setup that fits your needs.

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About Auto Detailing & Car Care - Walmart.com

Make Your Vehicle Shine with Car Detailing Products

One of the joys that many people take when they've purchased a new car, truck, SUV, or other vehicle is pampering. Their new vehicle is something they're proud of, want to show off, and want to keep looking like new as long as possible. Walmart has many auto detailing and car care products from which you can use to make your new vehicle maintain that dealer showroom shine, and give your older vehicle a much appreciated face lift. Whether you're looking for individual car care products or a complete kit, we have them available at low prices, every day, on everything.

Exterior care

The biggest part of maintaining your vehicle is keeping it clean and shiny. Although you can use dish soap to wash your vehicle, most manufacturers suggest that you use detergents that are specific for cleaning car finishes. These types of detergents not only protect your vehicle's finish but also help remove things like salt stains, brake dust, and tree sap that ordinary soap may not be able to remove. For this, you need access to water, a bucket, sponge or rags, and towels for drying.

There are cleaning products that target specific parts of the vehicle, such as the tires, glass, and chrome.

  • Glass cleaners often allow you to give your auto glass rain-repelling capabilities, which helps when driving in a rainstorm.
  • Tire cleaners not only make your vehicle's tires shine, but help them last longer as well.
  • Use a scrub brush for cleaning the tires and shop rags for the parts of the vehicle.

Car waxes and polishes take many forms. There are spray polishes that you can simply wipe off with a rag or rubbing compounds and paste waxes that require buffing, either by hand or with an electric buffer. Some waxes and polishes can help restore the shine to an older vehicle that has lost its luster.

Interior care

Once the outside of the vehicle is clean and shiny, it's then time to tackle the inside. The focus here is keeping the floor and upholstery clean and debris-free, making sure that the dash shines and is protected against direct sunlight, and keeping the interior glass and mirrors clean.

  • The first step is to vacuum the inside of the vehicle completely or at least use a whisk broom to clean the floor surfaces.
  • If the floor mats are dirty, you can use dish soap or the same soap you use to wash the vehicle to get them clean. A scrub brush and bucket is handy for this job.
  • If you have carpeting underneath where your car mats go, and there are stains, use a carpet cleaner to remove them choose cleaners made specifically for vehicle carpeting for easiest and best results.
  • For cloth upholstery, select spray cleaners to use to clean and keep it smelling fresh.
  • If you have vinyl or leather upholstery, use a cleanser specifically meant for those materials. Consider using leather conditioner to protect your upholstery against the heat that can build up inside a vehicle and the damage that direct sunlight can do.
  • The same glass cleaner you use on the outside of the vehicle is generally the same one you use for the inside.
  • These cleaners and conditioners can be applied and wiped away with rags.

Car detailing kits and accessories

If you want to simplify your shopping list, select one of our car care kits. These kits come complete with products that you can wash your vehicle with, wax the exterior, clean and brighten the tires, and clean and protect the interior. More detailed kits not only have the cleansers and wax, but also include compound, polish, quick detailer (for use when you just want to touch something up quickly), glass cleaner, wash mitt, drying towels, foam applicators, and other supplies. There are also kits that just have the towels, sponges, and applicators. Microfiber is the fabric of choice here.

Other trouble areas that you may want to tackle include the headlights and the finish.

  • If you have cloudy or yellowing headlight covers, we have lens restorer kits that make them look like new.
  • If you have scratches in your vehicle's finish, there are scratch fillers and removers that you can use to remove these blemishes.
  • If you want to create the kind of water pressure that you see at a car wash, you may want to add a pressure washer to your arsenal, complete with special QC nozzle to deliver that wand-like spray.

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