About Detail Dose & how we choose products
Who we are
Detail Dose is a car care site for people who wash, polish and protect their own cars at home. The Detail Dose team digs through spec sheets, safety data sheets, independent tests and long-term owner reports, then turns them into plain-English advice for detailing your own car.
The goal is simple: tell you which product to buy for each detailing step, why, and when you don’t need it at all.
How we choose products
We don’t test every product on our own cars. Instead, each recommendation comes from research we can show you:
- Start with the job, not the product. Every guide begins with the detailing step (wash, decontaminate, polish, protect) and the mistakes people make doing it.
- Read what’s actually in the bottle. Manufacturer spec sheets and safety data sheets tell us the pH, dilution ratio, what “ceramic” really means on the label, and what is safe on coatings, trim and wheels.
- Weigh independent evidence. Long-term tests by professional detailers and independent reviewers, and owner reports after months of use, count for more than launch-week hype or star ratings.
- Compare like with like. Products in a guide are compared on the same specs, so the comparison tables line up.
- Say who should skip it. Every pick has a “skip it if”, because the best product for one car is the wrong one for another.
If we have used a product ourselves, the article says so.
Keeping guides up to date
Formulas change, products get discontinued and better options appear. Each article shows when it was last updated, and we revisit guides when the facts change.
How we make money
We choose products from research, not brand deals. If you buy through our links, we may earn a commission from Amazon at no extra cost to you. Brands can’t pay for a spot on our lists. Read the full affiliate disclosure.