AutoBead All Purpose Cleaner is a concentrate you dilute to the job: 10:1 for heavy soiling inside the car and up to 30:1 for general interior cleaning, and 5:1, 10:1 or up to 30:1 outside. Spray it on, agitate with a brush or applicator, then rinse or wipe off. Keep it off leather, and see the rest of our all purpose cleaners.
What is AutoBead All Purpose Cleaner for?
Most of the car that is not paint or glass. AutoBead describes it as a highly concentrated formula for interior and exterior surfaces, and lists interior plastics, carpet, upholstery, engine bays, door shuts, window sills, wheel arch linings and tyre rubber. That makes it the bottle you reach for when something is grubby and a dedicated cleaner would be overkill.
How do you dilute AutoBead All Purpose Cleaner?
By the job and the dirt. These are AutoBead's own ratios, parts of water to one part of cleaner:
| Where | How dirty | AutoBead's dilution |
|---|---|---|
| Interior | Heavy soiling | 10:1 |
| Interior | General use | Up to 30:1 |
| Exterior | Heavy soiling | 5:1 |
| Exterior | Medium soiling | 10:1 |
| Exterior | Light soiling | Up to 30:1 |
A marked bottle such as the CarPro Dilute Spray Bottle makes this easy, because its printed ratios from 1:1 to 1:30 cover every AutoBead ratio above, and CarPro says to pour the water in first. Our guide to dilution ratios explains the maths if you are mixing in a plain bottle.
How do you use it, step by step?
Dilute it for the job, apply it, agitate it and then rinse or wipe it off. The method is the same inside and out; only the ratio and the way you remove it change.
- Mix and label: make up a bottle at the ratio for the job, and label it so you know what is inside.
- Test first: try it on a small, hidden area, especially on interior plastics and fabrics.
- Apply: spray the surface, or spray onto a brush or applicator for dashboards and anything near electrics.
- Agitate: work the cleaner into textured plastic, carpet pile or grime with a soft detailing brush or applicator, as AutoBead advises.
- Rinse or wipe: rinse with water outside, or wipe away with a clean microfibre cloth inside.
- Let it dry: leave carpets and upholstery to dry fully before the car is closed up.
What do you need with it?
Every item below is in stock with us, and every claim comes from the maker's own website or the product listing.
The concentrate itself, which our listing carries in 1L, 5L and 25L.
A 1 litre bottle with printed ratios from 1:1 to 1:30 and a chemical-resistant spray head.
A 600ml trigger sprayer that its listing says is made for chemicals including all-purpose cleaners and alkaline products, and sprays at any angle, even upside down, which helps on lower panels and arches.
Better Synthetic Short Detailing Brush
A 17cm ultra soft brush that its listing describes for vents, switches, trim gaps, badges and other tight areas.
Better Synthetic Long Detailing Brush
The 24cm version, for vents, grilles, wheel faces and engine bay plastics.
Our own brush with stiff nylon bristles for scrubbing tyre rubber.
FibreKing Premium Microfibre Cloths
Single microfibre cloths that work wet or dry, for wiping away the cleaner inside the car.
A pH neutral cleaner and conditioner for all leather types, for the seats and trim the all purpose cleaner must not touch.
Which jobs suit an all purpose cleaner, and which need a specialist?
Use it on plastics, fabrics, carpets, engine bays and other hard-wearing surfaces, and switch to a specialist product for leather, glass, heavy brake dust and protected paint.
- Good jobs for it: interior plastics and door cards, carpets and mats, door shuts, engine bays, window sills, wheel arch liners and tyre sidewalls, all on AutoBead's own list.
- Use a specialist for: leather (a leather cleaner), glass (a glass cleaner), heavy brake dust (a wheel cleaner) and protected paintwork (a pre-wash or shampoo).
For a full interior clean, our guides to the best car interior cleaner and how to clean car seats and carpets go further.
Common questions
Can you use AutoBead All Purpose Cleaner on car paint?
Only diluted, and with care. AutoBead cautions that it may strip exterior wax and sealant protection if used undiluted. On door shuts, sills and arch liners that is rarely a worry, but on protected paint use the weaker end of the exterior ratios, or a product made for paint such as a pre-wash. For bodywork grime before a wash, use a citrus pre-wash.
Can you use it on leather?
No. AutoBead says it is not suitable for leather. Use a dedicated leather cleaner such as AutoBead Leather Cleaner instead, and see our guide to the best car leather cleaner.
Is AutoBead All Purpose Cleaner safe on interior plastics?
Yes. Interior plastics are on AutoBead's own list of surfaces for it, at 10:1 for heavy soiling and up to 30:1 for general cleaning. Test on a hidden area first and spray onto a brush near electrics.
Need help choosing?
Tell the TDHQ team what you are cleaning and how dirty it is, and we will tell you the ratio and the brush to use. You can also browse every all purpose cleaner, detailing brush and the full AutoBead range.
Last updated 14 October 2026.
