Cars offer a lot of freedom and convenience, but they also require fairly constant maintenance and cleaning. Tune-ups, a run through a car wash, getting rid of old stickers — you’ll probably have to give your vehicle a proverbial scrub down sooner or later.
It won’t always be a simple matter of pulling miscellaneous items you may have forgotten were sitting in the backseat for weeks at a time, either. Sometimes, you’re going to want to really dig in and give both the interior and exterior a thorough cleansing. Several companies make various tools (powered and otherwise) to suit that purpose — even if they haven’t been designed solely for vehicular use.
The kinds of tools you’ll want to get a hold of to help you with your automotive beautification will depend on exactly what you intend to clean and how. So take a few moments to figure out what your car needs, then look at some of these offerings from Ryobi’s 18V One+ line to see if any of them suit you.
Vacuuming the interior
Every vehicle will collect bits and crumbs and whatnot over time, regardless of how careful you are about food and other potential debris-creators. We track dirt, wood bits, dust, and dirt in with our shoes — or maybe something accidentally spills all over a seat, the dashboard, or the floor. That’s where vacuums come in.
Your cheapest option for these situations is probably the 18V One+ Hand Vacuum, which retails for around $28.97 but isn’t as versatile as other models and doesn’t include a battery. On the other hand, the 18V One+ Hand Vacuum Kit includes a battery and can utilize a variety of attachments from the 1-1/4-inch Jobsite Hand Vacuum Accessory Kit that includes a flexible hose, crevice tool, floor nozzle, and extension wand. The tradeoff is this route will cost you $79.97 for the vacuum with battery and charger (or $34.97 for just the vacuum), and the accessory kit costs an additional $34.97.
Bigger messes (and also damp ones) will require something more along the lines of the $119 18V One+ 3 Gal. Project Wet/Dry Vacuum promises a compact design and includes a 6-foot hose, a crevice tool, and a utility nozzle. Or if 3 gallons aren’t enough, there’s also the 6 Gal. Wet/Dry Vacuum that retails for $139. It’s not as portable but more powerful and comes with two extension wands, a floor nozzle, a crevice tool, and a 7-foot hose.
Spot cleaners and scrubbers
Surface dirt is one thing, but if things have been collecting for a while, you’ll probably need stronger tools. Maybe something made for scrubbing or getting deep into fabric and carpeting.
For $59.97, the USB Lithium Power Scrubber Kit offers a handheld scrubber with a battery, USB charging cable, and a Medium bristle brush. It’s also cross-compatible with Ryobi’s Hex Shank attachments, so you can use the 3.5-inch or larger sponges ($11.97 and up) for more delicate surfaces or scour pads ($9.97 and up) for stuck-on grime on metal and the like. Also, for $119 ($79 without the battery and charger), there’s the more powerful One+ Power Scrubber Kit. The included 6-inch Medium bristle brush is also a bit larger, though, so it might be tougher to use in smaller spaces.
Consider a spot cleaner if you’re dealing with deep-seated spills or stains. The 18V One+ Swiftclean Spot Cleaner Kit is about the size of a hand vacuum and should be effective for fresh spills on car seats and upholstery. The full set includes a 6-ounce bottle of cleaning solution, a battery, and a charger for $159, but if you only want the tool and cleaning solution, it’ll set you back $119. Alternatively, the $169 ($129 with battery and charger) HP Swiftclean Mid-size Spot Cleaner is less compact but more powerful and claims to be far more effective at dealing with actual stains — as opposed to fresh spills.
Exterior polishers and buffers
Road dirt and other exterior wear and tear happen, and running through a car wash may not be enough. If you really want to make your vehicle shine, you’ll need a polisher or buffer (or both).
You can nab the 18V One+ 3-inch Variable Speed Detail Polisher/Sander — including wool, foam correcting, foam finishing, and hook and loop backer pads (though no 9.0Ah battery or charger) — for $129. It boasts up to 2,800 RPM for polishing, plus an optional auxiliary handle for more comfort and control when in use. Or try the 5-inch Variable Speed Dual Action Polisher for $159 (also with no battery or charger), which also includes an optional auxiliary handle, an assortment of 5-inch pads, and promises a more professional finish thanks to its adjustable speeds and reduced heat build-up.
If you’d rather buff than polish, there’s the 18V One+ 6-inch Two Speed Random Orbit Buffer Kit priced at $99 for the tool, applicator and buffing bonnets, 2Ah battery, and charger or $44.97 for just the tool (no battery, charger, or bonnets). It’s compact, offers two speeds, and promises a swirl-free finish thanks to a random orbit movement pattern. Alternatively, the 10-inch Orbital Buffer also costs $44.97 for just the tool — no option to include a compatible lithium battery or 8-10-inch Bonnet Set (which adds roughly $49.97 – $99 and $5.97, respectively). But it does claim up to 2,500 RPM and a similar swirl-free finish.
