Who is Kurt and why does he have a Corner? Well, it’s a pretty safe bet that when you contact us by phone/e-mail with a product question, I’ll be the one to answer! Now that they gave me my own ‘Corner’ and having never met a keyboard I didn’t like, I’ll be dropping some product information into your Inbox with some regularity. Pertinent topics I either come up with myself (dangerous, I know!) or topics derived from the conversations we have when you contact us. Additionally, if you have some specific questions or comments, get ‘em to me and we’ll delve into them the best way I know how, that being assaulting them with a barrage of excess verbiage!

In all sincerity, we hope you find this series interesting and useful. We truly appreciate you, our customers, and clients, who share the same automotive enthusiasm that we enjoy here at ESOTERIC. Todd Cooperider founded ESOTERIC with the mission “To help auto enthusiasts live their passion with exceptional auto preservation products and services!” and being able to share that is extraordinarily rewarding for all of us here. For allowing us that opportunity, we are in your debt.

With all of that said (and with the ‘Smart Brevity’ book that someone laid on my desk in mind), below you’ll find a few of my favorite products. There are many great products on our shelves, but I’m reaching for these as, for me, they offer just a bit more in either form or function. They get the job done and I find them enjoyable to use, something I place significant value on. And, embarrassing as it might be, it’s a pretty safe bet I can fondly recall the first time I used most of these products.

Kurt’s List of The Best Detailing Products

 

POLISHANGEL
Mint Wheel Cleaner

Able to be used on any type of wheel surface, Mint gets a nasty job done with ingredients to remove dirt, grime, and iron deposits. Yes, it smells nearly as bad as all iron-removing chemicals so despite its name, there’s no minty freshness when using. What it does do, though, is leave behind a light carnauba layer for an extra visual reward at the end of a generally nasty task.

POLISHANGEL Supersport PTFE Wheel Coating

Even when coated, wheels take such abuse and bring so much to the overall appearance of a vehicle that there is no such thing as too much ‘rotational appeal’. POLISHANGEL makes another appearance with regards to rolling stock by bringing a bit of additional ‘frosting’ to a wheel, be it chrome, painted, aluminum, or anodized.

Fun and easy to use with the traditional ‘gloopy’ POLISHANGEL character when you peer into the bottle, the mist of blue goodness that comes from the spray head with each trigger pull not only adds a bit more protection but also some of that POLISHANGEL ‘look’ we’ve come to know and love!

Kamikaze Collection KMKZ Tire Dressing

I like tires with a clean, fresh, OEM look. No need for excessive gloss, must be easy to apply, quick to cure, and lasts through the rain. KMKZ Tire dressing meets those desires without the need for excessively heavy or repeated application(s). Michelin tires have occasionally protested with uneven looks after some dressings/coatings but KMKZ never blinks at previously troublesome encounters. Winner!

POLISHANGEL Glasscoat Shampoo

While not a shampoo I’d use every day, it’s a nice treat for the occasions when I may be washing a car for the sole joy of the process. While not excessively ‘sudsy’, it is nicely slick so no worries there. The added protection and gloss are a nice bonus and the increased water behavior goodness makes for an exceedingly entertaining final rinse.

From the mysteriously pleasing aroma (which I have not yet been able to place) to how the product squirts out of the bottle, it’s just a treat from start to finish.

Kamikaze Collection Over Coat Liquid

Having first tried Over Coat back in 2016, it has always had a place on my shelf. From the awesome aluminum bottles of versions 1 & 2 through the current version 5.x, it has eventually eclipsed the countless other products I’ve tried in this space. A few of the early versions could be a bit tricky in application but the results were worth the effort and the latest version is so blindingly easy to use, that it requires little effort and the results speak for themselves in both sun and rain.

Kamikaze Collection Infinity Wax

Sometimes I just want the joy of waxing a vehicle; the pleasing manner in which wiping away the wax residue leaves a slick, glossy finish, the slickness to the touch afterward…it’s just uniquely satisfying. With ceramic-coated cars, waxing is generally considered blasphemy, something not to be done so as not to mask the beneficial properties of the underlying coating.

Used as either a stand-alone product or as a compliment to a ceramic coating, it combines the look and feel of high-end carnauba wax with coating chemistry and leaves a deep, slick, ‘relaxed high gloss’ finish. Tiny jar but a little goes a long way! Don’t put wax on a coating? With this one, you can have your cake and eat it too.

Kamikaze Collection Kamiwaza Towels

When looking for a towel with a shorter nap, I find the heavier density and weight of these to be pleasing both inside and outside the vehicle; I’ll use them with Overcoat, glass cleaners, and interior cleaners. They don’t leave lint and they’re heavy enough that they don’t quickly get saturated.

Gyeon Interior Detailer

It’s simple, it can go on nearly any surface and it cleans while leaving nothing behind. Leather to touch screens, it does it all nicely with no fanfare. Sometimes, simple is best!

So these are some of the things that I like, obviously, I have PLENTY more favorites on our shelves in other areas such as coatings, waxes, and sealants but that’s for another time!