Finding the Right Cleaning Products for Your Competition Car or Tow Rig Can Be Tough – This Will Help

Many of us can align cars, pull engines, reinstall transmissions, and finetune a car’s handling, but when it comes to buying something to clean the wheels of your competition vehicle, tow rig, or daily driver, you stand in the cleaning aisle at the auto parts store like a deer in headlights. There are SO many choices. Reading labels doesn’t help, either – all you want is a clean car! It doesn’t have to be this way – and in fact, hopefully by the end of this article, it isn’t.

Last year, SCCA® welcomed Malco Automotive Detailing Products to the fold. If you don’t recognize the name, it’s for good reason – Malco has long concentrated on the professional detailing market (like, for the last 70-plus years), but this came at a price of ignoring the general consumer. Selling its cleaning products in large quantities, Malco containers have had the potential to be a little unwieldy for the average shopper. But that’s changing, with the company now offering many of its popular products in easy to carry (and pack along with you to an event) containers.

Since, like you, we often find ourselves staring down a wall of cleaners and not knowing what’s right for our vehicle, we asked Malco’s Technical and Partnership Marketing Manager Jason Yard to create a few “grab bag” lists, allowing us to more easily shop for what will work, rather than researching what we need.

“Cleaning cars is easy if you have the right tools, but when it comes to cleaning a car, simply knowing which tools to use can become an unnecessarily difficult task,” Yard explains. “The truth is, SCCA members want to spend less time cleaning and more time driving – these items will help accomplish that.”

Before you purchase any of the products below, however, SCCA members should check out the SCCA Member Benefits page, because there you’ll find a discount code for 20% off orders from malcoautomotive.com.

Wheel & Tire Care

It’s amazing how clean wheels can make the car. Even if the body’s dirty, a set of clean wheels will make a vehicle look a thousand times better. Clean wheels also help with wheel maintenance, as you should be regularly inspecting wheels used for competition for cracks or damage, and giving a thorough inspection can be tricky when you’re dealing with track grime or brake pad dust.

What are Yard’s recommendations?

“Complete removes road grime, tar, and dirt from your wheels and tires – it’s your trusty do-all wheel cleaner,” he says. “But depending on how dirty your wheels have become, you’ll want to start the process with Iron Blaster 2.0, which breaks down metallic brake dust from wheels and fenders. Then finish off the job with EPIC CR2, a ceramic spray that helps keep wheels clean and, possibly more importantly, easier to clean in the future.”

Iron Blaster 2.0 is an intriguing product, as it involves spraying it on, letting it soak, then rinsing clean. You can actually see it working! To ensure you’re using it right, check out Malco’s YouTube channel where the company has walkthroughs of many of their products.

Quick Car Cleanup

“If you begin an SCCA weekend with a clean car, mid-event touchups can be a breeze,” says Yard.

Yard recommends packing three items with you: a waterless wash, glass cleaner, and a rubber remover.

OTG is Malco’s waterless wash, and it’s designed to remove the schmutz that makes a car look dirty. Wiping away light dust and dirt, this cleaner will leave your car with a slick gloss – in other words, it’s perfect for a mid-event touch-up.

Seeing through the windshield and in mirrors is important, and for that, glass cleaner is called for. Malco’s Ammonia Free Glass Cleaner gets the job done. Did you know this is also perfect for cleaning your helmet, too? Because it is!

Finally, there’s the Citra Clean Aerosol – arguably the most valuable tool of this trifecta. This cleaner is a great all-purpose spray that makes quick work of removing rubber and (heaven forbid) cone marks from paint and vinyl.

Master Detail Kit

If you’re not going to win (and let’s face it, most of us aren’t going to win), your car better look good heading into the weekend.

“Cleaning your car thoroughly prior to competition weekends sets the stage for success,” says Yard. “Having a clean car not only makes at-event touchups easier, but any mechanical maintenance you have to do to your vehicle during an event will be easier if you’re not dealing with unnecessary accumulated dirt.”

First, though, check this out. Here, a Malco detailer cleans a track-going 996 Porsche owned by Brad Brownell, co-founder of the RADwood car shows who has now created car shows called Superfly.

Inspired? Here’s what you’ll need to detail your own ride:

Ultra-Violet – A wash and wax to clean and shine your car in one step.
SLIK – This wet or dry spray wax can be used during the drying process to speed up drying. It also leaves an ultra-slick protected surface for up to two months.
Clean & Shine – Great for removing dirt and leaves a non-greasy OEM finish, this can be used on leather, plastic, and vinyl.
Duplex – Cleaning wipes are invaluable at events – IYKYK. These two-sided cleaning wipes are great for cleaning hands, tools, parts, and more. You know you get greasy – this is the solution.
A&L Cosmoline Remover – Struggling to remove old decals or adhesive on your car’s paint? A&L is the tool you need.
Velocity – A one step polish and wax that removes swirls and light scratches while protecting and shining paint.
Ultra-Soft Microfiber Towels – Over 400 GSM softness. No clue what that means? You don’t have to! All you need to know is that these microfiber towels are perfect for cleaning, applying spray wax, or drying your car.