Dirty to Clean in 60 Minutes: Speed Detailing like a Pro

In this article you will learn:

How to detail your car in 60 minutes or less

The best products and tools for quick and easy detailing

Pro tips and tricks that will save you time in your car care routine

Before we launch into this speed detailing guide, let’s start with a quick disclaimer: a 60-minute detail is no replacement for a thorough, 4–5-hour detailing. Think of this as a mini detail routine or a quick touch up between sessions. However, if your car is especially dirty, or it’s been a while since you’ve given it a fresh coat of wax, we highly suggest you carve out more time to give your vehicle the attention it deserves.

Regardless of how busy our schedules are, most of us can set aside at least one hour of our week to do something nice for ourselves, whether that's hitting the gym, catching up with a friend, or even giving our cars some extra TLC. And, reality check: if you can’t find a spare hour during the week, think about how much time you spend browsing the web (after all, you’re here right now, reading this article!)

One of the best ways to keep your car looking fresh and glossy between detailing sessions is to spend an hour, give or take, giving it a quick clean and touching up that layer of shine and protection. If you’re someone who takes advantage of professional detailing services, doing a quick touch-up at home will help that showroom look last and even save you money the next time you take your car to the shop.

So, let’s not waste any more time and get right to it!

Grab your supplies

How long does it take to detail a car? You might be surprised to learn that, like we mentioned before, a full “professional” detail can take up to 4-5 hours to complete! To put that into perspective, that’s the amount of time it takes the average person to run a marathon!

With that in mind, know that this speed detail routine isn’t designed to cover all your bases; it’s simply a way to touch up your car and rejuvenate that sleek layer of protection to keep your car shining like new until your next detailing session. That being said, to complete this routine in 60 minutes or less, you’ll want to do everything you can to save time along the way.

One of the most effective timesavers is to gather all your supplies before you begin. That way you aren’t running back and forth looking for each product and tool you’re going to use. This includes a wheel cleaner, wheel cleaning brush, car wash soap, wash mitt, 5-gallon bucket, microfiber towel, spray wax, portable vacuum, all-purpose interior detailer and several microfiber cloths. You can keep all your supplies on a shelf in your garage or place them in a cart that you can wheel around your driveway for easy access.

Now that you have all your supplies, the clock is ticking!

Wash your wheels

Start by spraying your wheels and tires with a strong stream of water to rinse any loose dirt or soils. Then, apply a wheel cleaner like our All Wheel & Tire Cleaner directly to your wheels and sidewalls. Use a wheel brush like our sturdy, flexible Wheel Woolie to scrub every surface of your wheels and tires to remove as much dirt and brake dust as you can. Rinse again with your hose and towel dry.

Wash your car

Next, it’s time to wash your car. Depending on how dirty your car is, you have several options. First, if your vehicle is only a bit dusty or lightly soiled, you can use a waterless wash and wax like our Quick & Easy Exterior 1 Waterless Wash & Wax or Hybrid Solutions 3-in-1 Detailer to quickly clear the dust from your finish.

Simply spray each section of your car with 1-2 mists of your preferred detailer, wipe the product with a fresh, microfiber cloth, and watch our waterless wash and wax work its magic to clean and add a fresh layer of shine to your car!

If you have more substantial dirt and stains on the surface of your car, then it’s time to break out the hose and bucket. Rinse your car from the top down to get rid of any loose soils, then fill your bucket with your preferred car wash soap and a strong stream of water to produce a generous foam. We recommend our Hybrid Solutions Ceramic Wash & Wax to clean and protect your clear coat all in one step, or our M.A.X. Power Detergent to get rid of heavier stains and soils.

Dip a chenille or microfiber wash mitt into your cleaning solution and massage the soap into your car, starting from the roof and making your way down to the rocker panels. Be sure to rinse each section with the hose before moving to the next to prevent your car wash soap from drying onto the finish. Rinse your mitt often and change your water when it starts to look muddy.

Once you’ve washed your entire car, give it one last rinse with your hose.

Dry and wax

If you’re using a flexible wet wax like Hybrid Solutions PRO Flex Wax, you can spray it onto your car before you dry to wax and dry your car all in one step. Our spray wax only takes 5 minutes to apply to get the same, incredible protection and shine as any liquid or paste. Apply 1-2 sprays of PRO Flex Wax to one 2’ x 2’ section of your car and wipe the product across the surface with a clean, microfiber towel until dry. Repeat these steps until you’ve buffed the entire car to a mirror-like gloss.

Or, you can towel dry your car and then apply a quick spray wax like Hybrid Solutions Ceramic Spray Coating to give your vehicle a fresh layer of protection and a sleek, hydrophobic shine.

Vacuum the interior

By now, you should have 15-20 minutes left to spruce up the inside of your car. One of the quickest ways to improve the look of your interior is simply to vacuum. We know, it may seem too easy, but you’ll be shocked what a huge difference a little vacuuming can make. Even if you can’t get rid of every stain, with all those crumbs and loose soils gone, your car will look and feel a lot cleaner!

Remove and dispose of any trash inside your car. Remove your floor mats and vacuum them separately. Then, vacuum the carpet, seats and upholstery inside your car, using the upholstery attachment as needed to reach any tight, hard-to-reach spaces.

Spray and wipe

Finally, finish off your speed detail by wiping the dirt and dust from your dashboard, steering wheel, center console, windows and touch screens with an all-purpose interior detailer spray. We recommend Turtle Wax Oxy Interior 1 or our Hybrid Solutions Streak-Free Mist to clean, restore and protect every non-porous surface inside your car. Plus, our Streak-Free Mist dries down to a glossy sheen to give your interior that extra pop of shine!

And just like that, in 60 minutes you’ve transformed your vehicle into a totally different car!

Detailing your car regularly makes it easier to clean and helps to keep it looking like new in the long run. Regardless of what routine you follow, consistency is key, so be sure to give your car a thorough detailing at least once every season to maintain that flawless finish for years to come!