Quick detailers are incredibly multifaceted car care products. They are manufactured to enhance gloss, remove small bits of muck (like dust), and even add a thin layer of paint protection. A good quick detailer is an appealing prospect.
It’s the versatility that makes these quick detailers so appealing. Not only can the majority of quick detailers work as spray waxes, but they can often work as clay bar lubricants and even as a waterless wash. This versatility, combined with a relatively affordable price makes them essential for anyone who wants to keep their car clean and looking at its absolute best.
We’re huge fans of the humble quick detailer here at Parkers and are breaking down the very best examples you can buy. So grab a bottle and chuck it in the boot of your car ready for some extra gloss at any time.
The best quick detailers tested 2024 at a glance:
The best quick detailer: Gyeon Quick Detailer – buy from Amazon
Editor’s pick: Bilt Hamber Auto QD – buy from Amazon
The best for a glossy shine: Auto Finesse Finale – buy from Amazon
How we tested the quick detailers
At Parkers, the editorial team perform a lot of photoshoots with press vehicles. In order to shine for the camera, quick detailers are almost always used to get rid of little flecks of dirt, dust, or bug splatters. Detailing firms will almost always advise that these products are best used after you give a car a full detail first. But time constraints can restrict us from doing that.
To put the quick detailers to the test, we had three test subject vehicles to try them on as well as a set microfibre towels for application and buffing. We had two staff members’ cars: a Mazda MX5 and BMW 520D Touring, as well as an Abarth 500e press vehicle. All three were roughly in the condition that we’d expect before a shoot: just been washed, but the remaining little bits needed dealing with – hence the need for quick detailers.
We picked a panel or two at a time to test all nine detailers, and three standout products would be used to give the rest of the car a quick going over. The weather conditions were very warm, which is favourable as a lot of people would’ve freshly washed their cars under this climate, and plenty of people would be prepping their vehicles at a show with some quick detailer to get rid of light bits of dirt or dust.
What we look for in quick detailers
Primarily, a good quick detailer should add a bit of shine and gloss to your paintwork. People use them to achieve this effect as a nice finishing touch to the end of a detail. Slickness is also part of it, as we ideally want a sense of protection on our paintwork, albeit we know it’ll be nowhere near the level of car waxes or a ceramic coating.
An important thing we look out for is the ease of use. If a detailer requires more effort than others in its application and buffing and light dust/dirt lifting, then it will lose some points. However, some points can be regained if a detailer represents good value for money. It’s not an absolute essential in your car cleaning kit, so it can be nice to have one that doesn’t break the bank.
The best quick detailers tested 2024
The best quick detailer
It also felt very slick when wiping across the microfibre cloth during application and buffing. Packing the product in a slightly smaller (400ml) bottle than the rest deducts a few points, which is a bit of a shame. But if it performed that well on a car with a bit of dust left on it, I can imagine it would be outstanding at finishing up a freshly washed and detailed vehicle.
Aaron Hussain
Pros
- Perfect for paint protection after a detail, or a quick freshen up
- Very easy to apply and incredibly effective against light dirt and dust
- Feels wonderfully slick and enhances the paint slightly in terms of gloss
Cons
- Smaller bottle size of 400ml, which is slightly below what the rest can offer
| Volume | 400ml |
| Purpose | Quick clean between touch-ups, drying aid, protection |
| Suitable for | Paintwork |
| Ceramic based | No |
The best quick detailer for versatility
It left the paintwork feeling fresh. Enriched. Spotless. Any bits of dust or light dirt was so easily dealt with, and if I needed a quick detailer to use in between car washes, I'd opt for a bottle of Auto QD.
It does lose out the winning spot because of one slight drawback I found. It leaves some relatively noticeable streaks - with most quick detailers, you're advised to use two microfibre cloths; one for applying, and one for buffing, and I found that this solution was one of the trickier ones to buff to leave a shiny finish that's enriched in what was the cleanest surface that was sampled. With the equipment and method properly sorted out though, this works extremely well as far as quick detailers go - you just need that little bit of extra elbow grease.
Aaron Hussain
Pros
- Extremely versatile car care product that can be used between washes
- Helps protect paintwork as well as give it a nice finishing touch shine
- Very good at lifting off dust and light dirt on paintwork
Cons
- Requires a bit more buffing effort to achieve a streak-free, high gloss finish
| Volume | 500ml |
| Purpose | Adding gloss, waterless wash, light cleaning, protective qualities, clay lubricant, drying aid |
| Suitable for | Paintwork, glasswork, alloy wheels, exterior trim |
| Ceramic based | No |
The best quick detailer for bug splats
This isn't principally what quick detailers are for, but I couldn't help but try it out for myself, as that's what happens with a press vehicle before a shoot. And it works very nicely in that respect.
Out of the detailers tested, it was one of the best cleaners if you intend to use it that way. I also found the spray to be one of the most efficient out of the lot. Most of the others managed to run half-empty quite easily, but the Gtechniq bottle was still relatively healthy in capacity after concluding the test. In terms of gloss and slickness, it also deserves a lot of points for simply leaving a spotless and shiny finish. It just sits behind the Bilt Hamber for this on, but I reckon that overall, they're pretty much tied.
Aaron Hussain
Pros
- Excellent cleaning abilities and left a dust-less and slick finish on the paint
- Affordable at just £10 for 500ml of product
- Very efficient in its usage, which only adds to the value for money aspect
Cons
- Finish wasn't quite as glossy aor spotless as what the Bilt Hamber quick detailer left
| Volume | 500ml |
| Purpose | Enhance gloss, light cleaning, protective qualities |
| Suitable for | Paintwork, glasswork, alloy wheels, exterior trim |
| Ceramic based | No |
The best quick detailer for all exterior surfaces
It did however, require a it more effort to use than the Gtechniq detailer for dust and dirt lifting. It's standout feature is that it works on all exterior surfaces, and after feeling just how slick and shiny the surfaces were afterwards, I would put this one in my top list for detailers to use when protecting your paint rather than hastily cleaning it up.
As a waterless wash, it's not as useful as most of the others. It didn't lift up as much dust as I would've liked, and it didn't quite feel as strong as I expected. It felt very slick as I wiped it across the bodywork of our test vehicle, and that's largely the aim of the Rapid Detailer. The bodywork even felt slick after buffing out the detailer. But as a cleaner, others can do it better.
Aaron Hussain
Pros
- Affordable option at just under £11 for 500ml of product
- Excellent slickness and shine that also protects your paintwork
- My most recommended one to use after a full detail
Cons
- Takes a bit more effort to lift up dust and dirt than the others
| Volume | 500ml |
| Purpose | Adding gloss, light cleaning, clay lubricant, protective qualities |
| Suitable for | Paintwork, glasswork, alloy wheels, exterior trim |
| Ceramic based | No |
The best quick detailer for protection
This essentially means for a mere £15, you can add a very mild, thin layer of ceramic wax to your vehicle's paintwork as a finishing touch. This is pretty clever stuff, and it helped bring out a noticeable shine from the bodywork. Although if I was being critical, the gloss and shine didn't match that of some of the others.
However, after washing a car fully and applying the finishing touch, it works well as a final touch detailer with a ceramic touch integrated within. It's just a shame it isn't as versatile as I would like from a quick detailer.
Aaron Hussain
Pros
- A very affordable way of giving your paintwork some ceramic protection
- Enriches paintwork of gloss and slickness, albeit not quite on the same level as some others on test
- Perfect to use after a full detail, if you don't wish to use spray wax
Cons
- The lack of cleaning capabilities means it isn't as versatile as others
| Volume | 500ml |
| Purpose | Ceramic wax coating and light dirt lifter |
| Suitable for | Exterior surfaces, predominantly paint |
| Ceramic based | Yes |
The easiest quick detailer to apply
It's cleaning performance was more impressive than the brand's ceramic detailer. In fact, it was more impressive than a few of the others we had on test as well. It was a pleasant surprise of how much light dust could be lifted by the Mist Detailer, and it didn't do a bad effort towards bugs as well. Overall, I liked this detailer and the fact it stands out from the crowd a little bit. In terms of value for money, it's a little bit pricier than the others, but for an easy wash and wax, it's one of my top recommendations for it.
Aaron Hussain
Pros
- Continuous spray trigger makes it the easiest of the quick detailers to apply
- An impressive quick cleaning performance and lifts up dust and light dirt very well
- Can get rid of bug splatters, if you intend to use it that way
Cons
- Gloss and shine are a bit further behind the others on test
| Volume | 591ml |
| Purpose | Dust repellent and protect the paintwork |
| Suitable for | Exterior paintwork |
| Ceramic based | No |
The best quick detailer for waterless washing
It felt the wettest of the lot, which meant great agitation towards bug splats and light dirt on the bodywork. If given enough effort, you could go around a whole car without the need of a hose or pressure washer. In terms of gloss and slickness, I feel it loses out on some points compared to the top performers. But as a quick cleaner of light bits on the bodywork, this would probably be the one I'd opt for.
Pros
- The most effective of the lot at waterless car cleaning
- Really good at loosening up dirt and some bug splats
- Ideal if you're ever faced with a hosepipe ban
Cons
- Doesn't provide as much gloss or shine as the others
- Quantity isn't as generous as others at 400ml
| Volume | 400ml |
| Purpose | Waterless car wash, paint enhancement |
| Suitable for | Exterior paint surfaces |
| Ceramic based | No |
For bits of dust and giving the paint a bit of gloss however, I liked it very much. It felt quite slickest and smoothest as I applied it, and at no point did I feel like I was struggling during the application. It's a very efficient spray that'll more than happily make your vehicle look stunning after a full detail.
After analysing the tested body panels after the test, I felt the Finale had added the most gloss and shine to the paintwork out of any of the others - which is a great effort overall. And it can be used on all exterior surfaces from bodywork, chrome trim, hard plastic, and even glass. It's just a shame it isn't as versatile as some of the others which manage to blend in even more capabilities in one bottle.
Aaron Hussain
Pros
- Left the glossiest and slickest finish to the paintwork out of the lot
- A very efficient spray that didn't take much effort to apply and buff in
- Suitable for all exterior surfaces, never mind just paint
Cons
- Isn't my recommended choice for waterless car cleaning
FAQs: All you need to know about quick detailers
What is a quick detailer?
A quick detailer at its core is a water-based spray that primarily adds gloss to a car’s paintwork through the power of oils. It’s possible that some contain waxes and sealants to aid gloss and provide protection, but these additions aren’t essential.
You may have seen quick detailers also referred to as detailing sprays or even drying aids. Quick details and detailing sprays are the exact same thing, just under different names. Drying aids (also known as rinsing aids) on the other hand are more concentrated quick detailers designed to provide better lubrication during the drying stage of a car wash, safely lifting away remaining dirt without causing scratches.
What to look for in a quick detailer?
Versatility – Quick detailers are general purpose, meaning they can work effectively for other cleaning duties. Check below for a more detailed breakdown of the secondary uses for quick detailers.
Dilution – Linked to versatility, look at what dilutions a quick detailer can be used at. This will not only open up more uses, but it’ll also give you more bang for your buck.
Anti-static properties – Something that will keep your car cleaner for longer, an anti-static charge will stop dust from settling on a treated panel.
Scent – Not crucial in any sense, a nice-smelling product will be more pleasant to use.
What else can quick detailers do?
You’ll probably be aware now that quick detailers are versatile cleaning products. Depending on the individual product, let us break down the other uses that quick detailers can be used for.
Light cleaning – A quick detailer can clean small bits of dirt without risking a serious scratch risk. Things like dust, fingerprints and even water spots can be tackled by a quick detailer with no fuss.
Clay lubricant – A common second use for a quick detailer, clay lubricant ensures a body panel is slick enough for a clay bar to smoothly pass over the surface without causing damage. The affordable nature and slickness of all quick detailers offer this an obvious second use.
Spray wax – Increasingly common in quick detailers, waxes and sealants help enhance gloss and provide a really thin layer of protection. Some manufacturers will even claim a wax-laden quick detailer removes the need for proper wax. In reality, a quick detailer is best reserved as a top-up for applied waxes, helping keep everything in order and glossy.
Interior detailer – Some quick detailers will also work perfectly well on the interior of a car, providing some shine and even light protection to interior trim. Some can even be used to enhance the look of leather.
Waterless wash – On the more extreme end of the spectrum, a couple of quick detailers can double up as waterless washes. These are often stronger dilutions and make use of dirt encapsulation technology to remove contaminants without leaving too many scratches. Good in a pinch, but stick to proper buckets and water.
Who tested the quick detailers?
This quick detailer test was performed by Aaron Hussain. He is a commercial content writer for Parkers and its sister site, CAR. As a classic car owner, he is persistent about ensuring paintwork is as best protected as it possibly can, and is a thorough tester when it comes to finding out which automotive products are worth it, and which need improvement.
Ryan Gilmore is the Deputy Autos and Tools Editor for Parkers and CAR, specialising in car cleaning and hand tools. With an MA in Automotive Journalism, when he’s not testing buckets he can be found looking at old Porsches.
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