Like many things in life, our detailing process and collection of products is continuously evolving. Not only is the detailing industry supplying a constant flow of new products, but how we use and combine these products is always changing for various situations. Through these years of iterations, we have found some products and tools that have made a big difference in our detailing process. These products either offer superb results and/or significantly speed up the detailing process. Every once and a while we come across a product that does both of these things so well that we will not have to try other products for quite a while. Our recent purchase of the Festool CT 26 vacuum is definitely one of these - we can't imagine there being a better solution for vacuuming the interior of your car. This made us think of putting together this article - what are our top 5 detailing products at the moment?
(1)Festool CT26 Vacuum This vacuum is the Porsche of vacuums. Yes, it is hard to fathom spending this much on a vacuum, but we must say that it was well worth it. We had been on the fence about this vacuum for a few years - especially having trouble justifying the cost. Now that we took the plunge, we wish we had done it sooner. There are other vacuums that are more powerful, quieter, etc. but none that are this well rounded - hence our comparison to Porsche.
The CT 26 is the smallest size in the CT series, while keeping the more powerful motor. It comes with an 11.5 foot hose, which enables us to reach all the way into the car while keeping the vacuum away from the body panels. It has a parking brake that prevents the vacuum from moving around - and yes, it actually works! With its variable speed motor, it has plenty of suction, while being quiet, for any job. It also has a HEPA filter, so it is not spraying dust everywhere. This is a vacuum that we do not need to wear a mask when operating.
Pair this vacuum with the Festool compact cleaning set for the versatile assortment of tools for most cleaning situations. We would also highly recommend getting the Festool Bluetooth remote - which allows you to turn on and off the vacuum while you are upside down in the back seat trying to vacuum under the seats!
(2)DeWalt 20V Battery Brushless Blower Although it seems strange to purchase a leaf blower for washing your vehicles, this is a tool that you will wonder what took you so long to buy (at least we did). After doing the final rinse during a wash, using this to blow off water (especially in between body panels and lights) reduces the chance of water spots. It has also significantly reduced the amount of time we spend drying a car. Once you have a few layers of hydrophobic protection on your car, this blower will remove the majority of the water.
We would add that this blower is not as powerful as a gas powered Stihl for example. This just means it takes a little longer to completely dry off the car. On the other hand, not having to use a loud gas blower for drying, is well worth the extra time during drying.
(3)MTM Hydro SG28 Pressure Washer Trigger Gun The pressure washer gun is an integral part of the exterior washing process. Like most people, we didn't even realize there could be such differences in pressure washer guns. We started out using the wand that came with our pressure washer. Other than a general feeling of "lack of quality," the biggest pain was when using the foam canon. The foam canon would attach to the end of the roughly two foot long wand, causing us to have our arms spread out trying to control the foam canon and the trigger at the same time. We purchased this MTM SG28 pressure washer gun for the intent of solving this "stretching" problem, but quickly realized the increase in build quality.
The MTM SG28 pressure washer gun is made in Italy using solid plastic and many stainless steel parts. The quick disconnects work flawlessly with no leaks and quick changes between the spray nozels, extension wands, and foam canons.
