Recommendations for a travel detailing kit?

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DigiDan

New member
I`m the type (and I`m guessing lots of you are!) that likes to maintain the shine on the family truckster even on vacations.

I like to take the following as a minimal kit:
- Meg`s interior cleaner wipes (door jambs, cup holders, ice cream cone wipe-ups, etc)
- Meg`s Ultimate Quik Wax and microfiber towels for after a coin-op car wash
- Glass cleaner (either a bottle and towel approach, or some type of plastic tub of glass wipes)
- Chamois (Absorber) for wiping down car after a wash
- Maybe place everything in a small bucket with a sponge so I can work on the road-crusted bugs at the car wash
- Small can of Ozium to get the funk out...lol...I mean the french fry and sweaty kid smell

Does anyone have suggestions for other items to help on the road?
 
-Substitute the chamois for a soft quality drying towel .
-Bottle of ready to use rinseless and/or waterless wash for bird bombs and to save you from having to find a coin op wash station.
-Poorboy`s bug squash.
 
Good call on the bird bomb cleanup. I`ve actually got Griot`s Speed Shine that I use for that...going in the bucket now!
 
Heh heh, this is probably another area where I`m an Autopian Heretic. While I do sometimes take a spray bottle of IUDJ and a plush MF, all I really need is stuff to clean the windshield. With the right protection I don`t have to care about bugs/birds and I`m not spending any road trip-time on detailing if I can help it.

I did experience an *AWFUL* bird bomb event with the Crown Vic (think "flock of seagulls") but I just dumped a few bottles of water on it to get the worst off and all was well once I got home and washed it properly.
 
Thanks Accumulator...I`m trying not to overthink it and keep myself in a "relaxing" mindset...but having a filthy ride is not relaxing...I have issues, I know...
 
Exterior, for me, doing anything but a proper wash with the proper tools, is just asking for scratches. I don`t wash the car all winter here in NH. If it gets bad, I spray it down and then drive fast, but never in an automatic car wash, never, ever. My black Audi`s paint didn`t need to be corrected for 5 years with this mentality. I sold the car used at 11 years old at 2x blue book. It looked that good after just a proper wash.

All I would do is keep a spray bottle with distilled water in the trunk for a bird bomb. Otherwise just wait till you get home. Don`t touch the paint, and mind where you park it.
 
Great idea and very simple. ONR will work inside, outside, door jambs, windows...everywhere. ONR and towel for me from now on too. Or D114
 
jester7677 said:
Exterior, for me, doing anything but a proper wash with the proper tools, is just asking for scratches...
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We`re in complete agreement there!
I don`t wash the car all winter here in NH. If it gets bad, I spray it down and then drive fast..
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Heh heh, we`re *not* in agreement on that one as even my aluminum Audis suffer from the effects of salt unless I meticulously clean the undercarriages on a regular basis. Some of the finishes under there can deteriorate (cosmetically) after surprisingly little salt exposure and simply cannot be brought back to 100% as-new condition..learned that the hard way.

... never in an automatic car wash, never, ever. My black Audi`s paint didn`t need to be corrected for 5 years with this mentality....Don`t touch the paint, and mind where you park it.
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Right, that`s the way! Though occasional runs through a touchless while she`s travelling haven`t done anything detrimental to my wife`s A8. I tell her she can just let it go until she gets home, but sometimes she wants to run it through anyhow. Note that she`s familiar with the touchless place in question.
 
+1 for the ONR and towels. When I travel, space is at a premium - I only have a tiny trunk, and a little bit of space behind the seats, so for me, it`s ONR, a bunch of microfibres in separate ziplock bags (once they are wet, I put them back in the bags, as I only use them once before washing), and hope for the best. I have even resorted to putting ziplock under the seats, to take advantage of the space underneath!
 
My travel kit. Everything shown fits into that padded Targus computer bag. I take no washing items except for a pair of waffle weave drying towels. While on the road, I seek out and use a Laser Touchless wash.

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DigiDan said:
I`m the type (and I`m guessing lots of you are!) that likes to maintain the shine on the family truckster even on vacations.

I like to take the following as a minimal kit:
- Meg`s interior cleaner wipes (door jambs, cup holders, ice cream cone wipe-ups, etc)
- Meg`s Ultimate Quik Wax and microfiber towels for after a coin-op car wash
- Glass cleaner (either a bottle and towel approach, or some type of plastic tub of glass wipes)
- Chamois (Absorber) for wiping down car after a wash
- Maybe place everything in a small bucket with a sponge so I can work on the road-crusted bugs at the car wash
- Small can of Ozium to get the funk out...lol...I mean the french fry and sweaty kid smell

Does anyone have suggestions for other items to help on the road?
Click to expand...

Great post! I`ve always carried a little bit of stuff with me, but I think you`ve just inspired me to throw together a better "to go" kit for the car!
 
Poorboy`s Spray and Wipe
Poorboy`s Glass Cleaner
Optimum Power Clean
Wolfgang Microfiber Wash

5 WW towels - Chinchilla`s
5 QD towels - Eagle Edgeless
2 Glass Towels - Cobra

You should be able to deal with most of the things you want with the above. I wouldn`t try to have enough stuff to do a full on detail.
 
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