The Ultimate Detailer's Gift Guide

It’s that time of year again where we are all trying to secure the best gift for our family and friends within budget. We are big advocates of looking for the best present possible and avoiding pants, socks, and toiletry sets! 

We get quite a few calls from people trying to buy for their child, parent, or partner and they have no idea where to start. So, here are our top gifts in four price points for you to look at and consider as a gift for that special someone. Gifts are perfect for everyone, from those who have just got their first car, right up to the car obsessed person in your life!  

Presents from £1-£20 

1. Slim's Gift Voucher – from £10

Don't cop out and not read past the first option! However, our gift vouchers start at £10. We could put them in any category here but they make a great Secret Santa or an ‘I don’t have a clue what to get you' gift. 

2. Fragrance Spray or hanging Air Fresheners - from £1

A spin on the fragrance set from your high street retailer! If you have been in a car that smells more of takeaway boxes, gym kit, or modern football boots (they really do have a unique smell!) then how about picking a spray fragrance? See our range here. For really powerful smells try Malco Xtrax, maybe not the prettiest looking gift but will certainly hit the mark. Or, if you want one that looks like it has come out of a German science lab (because it has), try Koch Chemie Fu... yes really. It stands for Fresh Up so is perfect as a Christmas day gift. CARPRO have a nice looking, clip on the air vent freshener which smells great too and is below £10 called SkysBlu. 

3. Koch-Chemie Interior Brush Set – £19.80

This is perfect beginners and professionals alike. This set of three brushes come in a really nice box making them easy to wrap and the brushes are colour coded to help you get it right every time. Get them here.  

4. Car Shampoo - from £3.00

One of the biggest mistakes a lot of people make when cleaning their own car is to think all car shampoo is a con and a squirt of washing up liquid in the bucket will work just fine. Not true! Washing up liquid is highly aggressive to remove grease and dirt from plates and pots so is too aggressive for paintwork and trims. We have a small sample size CARPRO Reset Shampoo from £3! It is a mild foaming shampoo perfect to try. Or, go straight to Koch Chemie As which is great value at only £8.14 for a litre. Why not add a wash mitt to this as well to make your very own gift set? 

Presents from £20-£40 

1. Bucket Starter Kit – from £27

Great value for the beginner with little knowledge. Throw away the builder’s bucket, jumbo sponge, and crusty chamois leather. This starter kit is a great way of giving a gift that will put the receiver on the right road in their car care. Boasting a wash mitt, drying towel, wheel brush, bucket barrier and more this is all the accessories they will need to do the job correctly, all they need to do is add the right chemicals. If you want to go for the full £40 add either the shampoo or maybe a glass cleaner and glass cloth or two!  

2. Malco Blueberry Nanocare Paste Wax – from £30.78

Perfect for the person who already takes care of their car. A lot of people clean and maintain to a high degree but then miss out on adding a solid wax layer of protection and shine. Such a satisfying process applying wax to the car a panel at a time then buffing to a high shine. This great smelling wax is great value for money with pure Carnauba and Nano Waxes. Add an applicator and a soft cloth to make a great set good to go when the sun starts shining or to do in the comfort of the garage on a winter's evening.  

3. Koch Chemie Exterior Brush Set – £27.58

This premium set of brushes come in a nice box making them not only easy to wrap but a great gift to receive. The heads of the brushes can be angled with the clever 45 degree angle attachment or they can be left as straight brushes making them extremely versatile. The set ranges from coarse to soft covering any job outside and crossing over to inside too. No detailer would be disappointed to receive these brushes! 

4. Top Quality Glass Cleaner and Cloths – from £20

Genuinely a gift that can be given to anybody. Who hasn’t got a bit of glass that could do with a clean? This is not just great for windscreens but will clean any glass around the home as well. The secret is not just using the right chemical, but making sure the cloths are right for the job too. Spray and wipe on the glass with one cloth then use another to buff leaving a streak free finish. This is one area we want a hard cloth not a soft one which will leave a nasty streaky smeared finish. Try CARPRO Clarify and their GlassFibre cloth and GlassMitt. Wipe on with the mitt and off with the cloth to get perfect results every time.  

Presents from £40-£60 

1. Scangrip Pen Light – £48

This is our entry level light for the detailing enthusiast. It highlights imperfections in paintwork and makes it clear what needs doing on the panel in front of them when working away, there are two light settings: cool and warm. Fits nicely into a pocket and is always to hand, it does double as a torch if needed and is rechargeable. Have a look at the features here.  

2. Koch Chemie Car Cleaning Kit – from £57.98

The perfect stock up or starter set of products to take on most of the basic functions of a wash process. Comes in under the £60 mark and delivers a 750ml Nano Magic Shampoo, 750ml Dirt & Insect Remover, 750ml Glass Cleaner, 500ml Quick Detailer and all important 750ml Reactive Wheel Cleaner. Great value bought in this set and will hit the spot don’t be surprised if they go straight outside Christmas day and start playing with their new products, beats washing the dishes! 

3. Gtechniq Basic Maintenance Kit – From £44.00 - £61.00

Gtechniq have some great products and if you know somebody who loves this brand and maybe has their car coated with a ceramic coating then this kit gives them the perfect maintenance kit in a nicely branded storage bag. Kit includes 500ml Shampoo, 250ml Quick Detailer, 250ml Tyre Dressing, 1 x Microfibre Drying Towel, 2 x Microfibre Cloths and the bag it all comes in. Why not add a Slims Bucket and Grit Guard to make up a really nice wash set? 

4. CARPRO Maintenance Bag – £60

Bang on budget here with the CARPRO Maintenance Bag bursting full of products that any car would benefit from having applied to them. This bag is more for the competent car cleaner and not so much the beginner. The bag is nicely branded and comes with 100ml CARPRO PERL Silica Coating, Reload Spray Sealant, Bug Out, Reset Shampoo, ECH20 Waterless wash, 2 x Microfibre Cloths, 2 x triggers and 2 x empty bottles. These are some of the bestsellers from the CARPRO range and a great sample or top up set to carry in the boot.  

Presents from £60 Upwards  

1. Scangrip Minimatch – £81.60

As a detailer's inspection light this is a great gift to open on Christmas day. For the person who strenuously cares for and wants to maintain their car, this versatile little light will take their detailing to the next level. With two light settings, warm and cold, which can be turned up or down. The magnetic base allows the light to be fitted anywhere on a panel to direct to the spot being worked on. Currently at a reduced offer price so get it quickly!  

2. Slims Detailing Dual Action Polisher – from £100.80 upwards

Our best-selling entry level polisher. We have sold hundreds of these machines and we like to think they have started lots of you on the road to next level paint correction skills. The Dual Action or DA makes this a very safe machine to use in inexperienced hands. This is the base kit however, if your budget will stretch a bit further, then buy the polisher and Koch Chemie polishing kit with all the pads and compounds - colour coded to make life oh so easy! We have others available too if you want to take a look at your options. 

3. Slims Detailing Ultimate Bucket Kit – From £72.00

For the person who has it all, including a smooth driveway! This bucket dolly set takes out the strain of moving the full bucket around the car as you go through your wash process. Comes with grit guard and lid for the ultimate bucket set up. Choose your favourite colour too with a white or grey bucket, 4 colours of grit guard, plus a black or red lid.  

Choice of 4 dolly colours too. Not to confuse you, but you could upgrade the grit guard to the Detail Guardz Dirtlock if you want. Comes in multiple colours, and why not add a Scrub Wall while you're at it? 

4. RUPES Cordless Bigfoot iBrid Polisher – £612-£675

Finally, going large for the person with literally no budget that wants to see the biggest smile they can get Christmas morning. The brand new, just launched RUPES Bigfoot iBrid HLR15 cordless polisher is at the top end of the budget and the ultimate gift for the keen or professional detailer in your life. Comes as a basic polisher or as a starter kit with compounds, pads, and cloths.

Merry Christmas! And happy shopping...