Mobile detailing equipment list by service

Buy tools for one service you can perform safely and sell consistently. Verify payload, water, runoff, and power first. Upgrades come second.

A vehicle, water tank, pump, pressure washer, extractor, polisher, chemicals, and accessories are categories on a list. Pick each one from the service you sell, the job's water and power, and your vehicle's capacity.

The list comes in two working copies: the printable checklist (TXT) and the spreadsheet version (CSV). Track owned, rented, and deferred items in the CSV. Rows with example in the first column hold hypothetical load arithmetic. Ignore or delete those rows when tracking.

For basic wash and interior purchases, use the first detailing kit guide. For the wider mobile setup, start at the mobile setup overview. The sections below cover one job: service kits plus the load, power, and water checklist.

Choose your first services

Pick the service you can already perform to a standard you would show a paying customer. Buy the kit for that service. Day one does not require a self-contained van, a generator, a large tank, or every service. Add the next kit when demand is steady and the first kit is paid for.

Start with maintenance washing or an interior reset if those are the services you can perform safely. Extraction and paint work need more skill.

If you have not sold a detail yet, start with how to land your first paid detail. Spend on gear second. Use the business start guide for the non-equipment steps.

The shared mobile utilities kit

Every service uses the same support items. Buy this kit once and keep it loaded. No item on this list is claimed as a legal requirement. Ask your customer, site, or insurer about their requirements.

• Chemicals in original or clearly labeled containers, with the manufacturer instructions kept with the product
• Microfiber, wash media, and brushes separated by use for paint, glass, wheels, and interior
• Buckets with grit guards, or a rinseless wash setup when water is limited
• Hoses, quick connects, spare fittings, and washers
• Extension cords only when the tool manual allows them, in its stated gauge and length
• Gloves, eye protection, and a checked first aid kit
• Shade, drinking water, and work lights for interiors and door jambs
• Spill, containment, and waste supplies such as absorbent pads, a drip tray, and containers
• Load securement hardware: straps, tie downs, and anchor points rated for the load

Optional upgrades are a folding table, wheeled cart, hose reel, and labeled bins. The kit needs no water on its own. Its power need is limited to lights.

Verification step: drive a short loaded route. The kit passes with no sliding, tipping, or leaks.

Maintenance exterior wash kit

The essential kit has these items:

• A water source or tank
• A way to move water such as a pump or pressure washer
• Hose and nozzles
• Wash media
• Dedicated wheel and tire brushes
• Drying media
• A written runoff plan

Optional: a foam cannon, a filtered final rinse, and a blower for drying.

Some maintenance services need no pressure washer. A lightly soiled car can often take a rinseless or low water method, which reduces runoff.

Rinseless washing uses a product made to clean without a final hose rinse. It does not suit every dirty vehicle, so follow the product label. Heavy soil and first time details may need more water and pressure.

Water need is the highest of the four kits, so size it against the vehicle. Power need depends on the machine, so read your own manual. The DEWALT DWPW2400 manual gives these rules for that unit:

• Test the built-in GFCI on the plug before each use.
• Plug the unit into a working grounded outlet without an adapter.
• Do not use an extension cord.
• Do not use a damaged cord or defeat a safety feature.

Other machines differ. Verification step: finish these checks before any water hits the ground.

• Confirm the runoff path.
• Test the electrical protection your manual describes.
• Pressure test the hose and fittings away from the customer's vehicle.

Interior reset kit

The essential kit has these items:

• A wet/dry vacuum with a filter and accessories suited to the work
• A crevice tool
• Interior brushes in soft and stiff grades
• A low moisture interior cleaner
• Glass cleaner
• Towels sorted by surface

Optional: a blower or compressed air for seams and vents, and a steam tool.

Treat steam as optional. No sanitization claim is made here for steam or any interior product. Check the surface type and the vehicle or upholstery manufacturer instructions first. Apply heat, moisture, or cleaner second.

Water need is low and mostly for rinsing towels. Power need is a vacuum outlet.

Verification step: run the vacuum on the actual power source at the job. Check the filter for loading and damage. Confirm the accessories seat tightly on the hose.

Upholstery and carpet extraction kit

The essential kit has these items:

• An extractor
• An upholstery tool
• A low foam or non foaming solution
• A plan for handling recovery water
• Drying or air movement so the vehicle is returned dry

Optional: extra air movers, a second hand tool, and a longer hose set.

Extraction changes your power plan. As one example, the Mytee Lite Model 8070 manual lists 19 amps at 115V. It also lists a single 25 ft 12/3 cord and a grounded 20 amp outlet.

The same manual says to use recommended attachments and low-foam detergent. It says to avoid outdoor or wet-surface use and to check upholstery instructions. These requirements apply to that model.

Water need is fresh solution plus enough recovery capacity to avoid dumping mid job. Recovery water is dirty water. Follow local disposal requirements for it, and confirm them with the local authority.

Verification step: clear each line below.

• Confirm the outlet and circuit meet your model's stated requirement.
• Confirm the upholstery manufacturer cleaning instructions for the material in front of you.
• Decide where recovery water goes. Fill the tank second.

Paint enhancement and protection kit

The essential kit has these items:

• A dual action polisher
• A backing plate
• A pad set
• Compound and polish
• A panel inspection light
• Masking tape
• Dedicated towels
• The product instructions for every chemical in the kit

Optional: a paint thickness gauge, more pad sizes, and a second light angle.

Paint work needs training and surface inspection before the machine touches the car. Defect removal is not promised for any panel. Paint condition, prior repairs, and coating history change what is possible and safe to attempt.

Inspect first. Agree on the scope with the customer. Test a small area.

The RUPES LK900E manual describes the tool as intended for professional polishing, including auto detailing. It states that voltage must match the nameplate and accessories must meet the tool's speed rating. It also says to disconnect power before accessory changes. Confirm these checks in your own manual.

Water need is low, limited to prep wipe downs. Power need is a matching outlet at the nameplate voltage.

Verification step: match voltage to the nameplate and confirm the pad and backing plate speed rating. Disconnect power before every accessory change. Document panel condition under the inspection light before you start.

Water weight, vehicle load, and power

Water weight and load

USGS puts one U.S. gallon of water at about 8.34 pounds. Formula: water weight in pounds = tank gallons x 8.34. Add the empty tank, equipment, supplies, occupants, and any trailer tongue load to that result.

Hypothetical load: 40 gallons x 8.34 = 333.6 pounds of water. Add a 100 pound tank, 150 pounds of equipment, and a 180 pound operator for a total of 763.6 pounds. The tank, equipment, and operator figures are invented for the demonstration. The total is arithmetic only and does not recommend this load or show that any vehicle can carry it.

Your vehicle's carrying limit is on the tire and loading information label and in the owner's manual. NHTSA gives the method.

Find the combined weight of occupants and cargo on the placard. Subtract the occupants. Keep cargo at or under what remains. That remainder is the budget line for cargo.

Do the subtraction first and shop for a tank second. The water tank calculator converts gallons to pounds.

Tank manufacturers may also specify transport features. As one example, Norwesco states that its flat bottom utility tanks are used in trucks and trailers for mobile washing. It says some models include slosh guards. It also says bands are necessary for the listed tanks to retain their shape and integrity.

The same page says the tanks may be used with or without bands, and it marks bands optional on some sizes. Do not apply one model's requirements to every tank. Read the documentation for the tank you actually buy.

Power

Never size a generator from a generic equipment list. Add each tool's running demand and its starting or nameplate demand. Compare the total with the power source at the job: a customer outlet, a shop outlet, or a generator. Each tool's manual outranks a rule of thumb.

A generator is one optional power path. If you use one, CPSC identifies carbon monoxide poisoning, electric shock, electrocution, fire, and burns as hazards.

CPSC says never to use a generator inside a home, garage, crawlspace, shed, or similar area. Place it outdoors, far from openings, with exhaust pointed away from buildings. Read the generator manual too.

Wash water and runoff

Decide where the water goes first. Buy the machine that produces it second. EPA's stormwater best management practice on vehicle maintenance and washing is informational guidance. It says municipalities communicate best practices and waste requirements through local ordinances, and state and local requirements may apply.

The EPA document gives an example prohibiting unpermitted commercial wash water from entering storm drains or streams. Wash water can carry pollutants.

Requirements vary by location. Check local stormwater and sewer rules before the first wash. Do not assume grass or gravel is acceptable for commercial work. Record your recovery or containment method and confirm it with the local authority.

Buy in this order

1. Scope and safety. Choose the one service you will sell. Buy gloves, eye protection, lighting, first aid, and load securement first.
2. Core kit for that first sellable service. Buy only the essential items listed for that kit. Skip every optional line.
3. Consumables and containment. Stock chemicals, towels, brushes, waste containers, and spill supplies. These are the items you replace, so build a reorder habit early.
4. Utilities and load verification. Run the water weight arithmetic against your vehicle's loading label. Add up tool amps against your real power source. Confirm your runoff plan locally.
5. Optional upgrades after demand. Add a larger tank, a second machine, a generator, or a new service kit once bookings show the need.

Run your kit through the setup builder to see what your chosen services demand. Then size water against payload with the water tank calculator. Keep the checklist or the CSV open while you work.

USGS supplies the 8.34 pounds per gallon figure. The 19 amps at 115V figure applies to one extractor model. The 763.6 pound total is hypothetical. Use your vehicle label, tool manuals, and local authority for your numbers.

About Elena Mercer

Elena brings nine years of detailing experience to guides on equipment, pricing, and starting a business.

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