Which Products Do You Really Need to Start Valeting Cars?

Thinking about starting your own car valeting business but not sure what products you actually need?

With so many car cleaning products available, it’s easy to end up with a huge shopping list when you’re just trying to figure out the basics. And if you’re starting on a budget, it’s even more important to know what you actually need and what can wait.

In this article, we’ll look at the essential products you need to start offering professional car valeting services.

No fancy extras. Just the basics to get out there and start cleaning cars.

1. All Purpose Cleaner (APC)

• All purpose cleaner can be used on almost every part of the car

• Use it to clean dashboards, wheel arches, door shuts, fuel flaps and more and can even be used as a prewash.

• Look for one that’s safe, versatile and good value for money

All purpose cleaner is every car valeter’s best friend. As the name suggests, APC can be used on almost every part of the car, including paintwork, hard plastics, vinyl, rubber and carpets.

Think of it as your go-to cleaner. You can use it on dashboards, door sills, pedals, wheels, tyres and plenty more.

The key is finding an all purpose cleaner that’s safe to use, lasts well and offers good value for money. After all, you’re going to need a lot of it.

Best All Purpose Cleaner

Our G850 General Purpose Cleaner ticks all the boxes. It’s versatile, high-foaming and available in sizes ranging from a 5-litre bottle to a 1,000 litre IBC. Simply dilute it at the right ratio to suit the job.

For interior cleaning, for example, we recommend a dilution ratio of between 1:5 and 1:10. In simple terms, that’s around 100ml of product topped up with water in a 1-litre bottle. 

A 5-litre bottle can make around 50 litres of ready-to-use cleaner at a 1:10 dilution ratio, giving you plenty of cleaning power and helping keep down the cost of starting your valeting business.

You can also customise the colour and fragrance if you buy 200 litres or more. 

How to Use All Purpose Cleaner

To use APC in interiors, all you really need is a few decent microfibre cloths. Spray the APC on to the surface and wipe clean. Then give it a final wipe with a separate damp and frequently rinsed microfibre cloth. For exteriors spray on to the surface and gently brush if necessary before rinsing.

2. Car Shampoo

• Car shampoo is essential for washing cars safely

• Use it with two buckets, a wash mitt and ideally a grit guard

• Choose a pH-neutral shampoo with a strong dilution ratio to save money

A good car shampoo is another essential product for any valeter. You’ll need it alongside a couple of buckets and a wash mitt.

How to Use Car Shampoo

Fill one bucket with your diluted shampoo and use the mitt to wash the car. Then use the second bucket to rinse the mitt as you go. Always start at the top of the vehicle and work your way down. Also try not to let the solution dry. You might also want to add a grit guard to the buckets for a bit of extra protection.

Best Car Shampoo

Our Economy Shampoo is one of the most budget-friendly shampoos on the market. It’s high-foaming, pH neutral and safe to use on all exterior surfaces. Despite the name, it is a premium quality product purpose designed for safe cleaning of all automotive surfaces.

With a 1:250 dilution ratio, you only need a small amount of product per wash. It’s available in sizes from 5 to 1,000 litres, even the smallest 5-litre bottle will go a long way and cover plenty of cars.

3. Wheel Cleaner

• Dedicated wheel cleaner makes cleaning wheels quicker and easier

• It tackles brake dust, iron fallout, grease and road grime

• It’s better at breaking down stubborn dirt than APC

Although you can technically use APC or shampoo to clean wheels, a dedicated wheel cleaner is recommended. It makes the job easier and can produce much better results.

Wheel cleaners are specifically designed to tackle stubborn contaminants that build up on wheels, including brake dust, grease and road grime.

Unlike all purpose cleaners, which do not actively target brake dust and usually require a lot of scrubbing, a dedicated wheel cleaner can do much of the hard work for you. Simply spray it onto the wheel, leave it to sit for a few minutes, agitate and rinse off.

Best Wheel Cleaner

Our Alloy Wheel Cleaner is a powerful acidic cleaner that can cut through even the toughest wheel grime. It quickly tackles brake dust, traffic film and greasy residue, leaving wheels looking fresh and clean.

Like most of our products, it’s available in 5 to 1,000 litres and can be diluted with water for all but the very worst jobs. This means a 5-litre can potentially give you anywhere from 10 to 50 litres of product, which can cover plenty of valet jobs.

4. Leather Cleaner

• Leather seats need a product made specifically for leather

• Avoid using strong APCs and interior cleaners which can dry out and damage leather

• A good leather cleaner safely cleans leather seats without causing damage or stripping essential oils.

A dedicated leather cleaner is a must for interior leathers. Some all purpose cleaners can strip the natural oils from leather, dry it out and potentially damage the protective coating, which can lead to cracking over time.

The last thing you want is to turn up for a job with a leather interior and not have the right products to clean them properly.

Best Leather Cleaner

Our Leather Cleaner And Sanitiser product is a safe, easy-to-use interior shampoo specifically formulated for leather to avoid drying it out, removing dye or stripping essential oils. It is also suitable for use on carpets, fabrics and hard plastics, rubber and vinyl, so makes a versatile interior shampoo for all applications.

Like most of our other products it's available in 5 litres right through to a massive 1000 litre IBC and can be customised when buying anything over 200 litres.

5. Glass Cleaner

• Always finish exterior glass with a dedicated glass cleaner to remove any stubborn marks, water spots or streaking.

• A good glass cleaner will effortlessly remove finger prints, nicotine residue and greasy films from interior windows, screens and mirrors.

A spray glass cleaner is another must-have for your mobile valeting kit. After cleaning a car, there can often be remaining contaminants or streaks and spots visible from earlier washing processes.

It is also important that interior glass is properly cleaned as part of any interior valet. Clear glass improves driver safety and has a massive impact on the overall look of the finished vehicle.

A quick spray and wipe with a dedicated glass cleaner is a simple way to finish off a valet and leave the final touch. It’s a small task which makes a big difference to the overall look.

Best Glass Cleaner

Quickglass is an award winning glass cleaner which can be sprayed using a trigger bottle and cleans in a single wipe operation. It's a unique, non smearing formula which leaves all glass crystal clear and only takes a few seconds per window.

Final Thoughts

Getting the right products is one of the most important steps when starting a car valeting business. If you’re new to valeting, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the huge range of products on the market, all designed for different jobs.

Hopefully, this guide has helped you understand the absolute basics you need to get your business off the ground and start taking on clients.

Once you’ve got some revenue coming in, you can start reinvesting in more advanced products such as wax, tyre dressing and trim dressing. These extras can help you offer a more premium service and increase what you charge.