The Real Truth About Car Detailing Products, Straight from MartiniWorks
These days, it feels like everything is rebranded, influencer-backed, and overhyped. Car care products? No different. Walk down an aisle or scroll through ads, and you’re hit with a rainbow of bottles, flashy influencer promos, and gimmicky products like color-changing soap that do… absolutely nothing. We’ve all been there, falling for the hype, only to realize we bought into marketing, not quality. It’s frustrating.
When we launched MartiniWorks, we made a promise: we wouldn’t touch detailing products until we found ones that actually work. Products that could stand up to aftermarket wheels, fresh paint, and everything in between. After endless testing, we finally found a brand we believe in: Malco Automotive.
Now let’s be clear, we tested about dozen or so brands before deciding on Malco. Why? Well, we’ll get into that but the biggest thing we wanted to make sure of was that the cleaners worked well for aftermarket wheels, stayed properly good for a long time, and weren’t completely overpriced.
This article dives into Malco’s history, their product evolution, and our top picks after testing them on Porsche’s, Skyline’s, Honda’s and more. No BS, just the facts to help you detail your car and some tips if you want.
When you think car detailing, Malco is one of those names that carries serious weight. They’ve been in the game since 1953, starting small but making waves with innovative, high-quality products. Over the decades, what began as a niche operation for car enthusiasts grew into a global leader, with over 150 products sold in 70 countries—all proudly made in the USA.
Their lineup includes everything from cutting-edge ceramic coatings to professional-grade cleaners, and they’ve stayed true to their roots as a family-owned business. That’s rare these days. And in 2023, MartiniWorks joined forces with Malco after 18 months of rigorous testing. We didn’t just slap our name on their products—we put them through hell on the kind of mods you buy from us every day. Only the best survived.
With that said, you might be wondering why this is the first time you’ve ever heard of Malco Automotive. Simple enough, it’s because they’ve spent more time focused in the professional detailing space than in the “Garage Enthusiast” space. Good for us, because if you talk to anyone who’s been in the detailing space professionally for over 20 years; chances are they’ll tell you that they use Malco Automotive Products.
So why are we hyping them up? Why not another brand like a white label chemical company we’d find in China? Well simple. Because those products suck. There is nothing more annoying than overly concentrated products, or others that smell good but do nothing. From September 2022 to July of 2024, we tested brands from across the board to figure out just what would work best for a quick shine at a car show to a detail in your garage at home. Out of the 15 brands we tested and invited to our shop, only one checked all the boxes. Malco Automotive not only came up to teach us about their products, but also let us try their stuff with our own hand. It was rad.
Not only did we break down the misconceptions about detailing, but we spend time learning about how certain chemicals react to old paint vs. new. We learned about why some competitor products are naturally streaky, while others seem to be watered down. Out of everything we tested, Malco truly was the best brand that offered everything we needed.
Everything was tested was done on our 1999 Nissan Skyline, 2001 Honda S2000, 2022 Toyota GR86, or 2010 BMW 3 Series. All the cars we used were in drastically different conditions, and vastly different mileage.
Every detail was scrutinized: how well ceramic coatings protected, how wheel cleaners handled grime, and even how upholstery sprays worked on everyday spills. If a product didn’t perform, it didn’t make the cut. Here’s what we focused on:
| Product Category | Tester | Key Focus |
|---|---|---|
| Ceramic Coating | Dakota | Protection and Shine |
| Wash Soaps | Gels | Cleaning Efficiency |
| Aftermarket Wheel Cleaner | Gels | Surface Safety |
| Upholstery Cleaner | Alex | Interior Care |
| Carpet Cleaner | Alex | Textural Integrity |
Let’s be clear. We’re not professional detailers and it’s important you hear that. More times than not, we’re the guys cleaning our car AT the car show because we forgot to the night before. So for us, we wanted the products we offered to do the best in the heat of the moment; not what needed to be perfectly developed in a temperature controlled environment.
If you want to become a professional detailer, there’s so many others out there that frankly, know way more than us. Our job was simple, learn about these products, try them in different environments, and test how long they’d last against the elements. Simply put, these exceeded our expectations.
These are the products we believe in, and we’re proud to offer them at MartiniWorks:
We typically bring loads of products along with us to car shows like Slammedenuff Gatlinburg and Riverside, but we found that while we wish 1 bottle could do it all, you typically need a few to razzle dazzle the ol’ single coat Miata paint. With that said, here are a few kits we made specifically for you in case you want to prep up for the season.
We’ve tested quite a bit over the last few months and while we don’t want to talk too much smack, here are some of the brands we found to simply be the worst.
At MartiniWorks, we don’t just sell car parts and detailing products—we live for this stuff. If you’re ready to ditch the gimmicks and level up your car care game, check out our full lineup of Malco Automotive products. Your ride deserves better.
My name is Alex, or Alex Martini (Alex.Martini__) and I love building unreliable cars. From track, road, drag and drift, there really isn't a motorsport I love. PS if you're reading this, just know that we've got some WILD builds coming for MartiniWorks that we're really excited to share with you :)
