Every family has one. The person who washes their car on Sunday morning, notices a new stone chip from across the car park, and has opinions about microfibre. They are surprisingly hard to buy for, because anything car-related they really want, they have probably already bought.

The usual fallback is a novelty air freshener or a keyring with a car brand on it. This year, skip both. These are Christmas gifts for car lovers that will actually get used, at a range of budgets.

Gifts they will use every week

The safest car gifts are the consumables and tools that wear out or go missing. Car people go through them steadily and rarely buy the good version for themselves.

• Quality microfibre towels. A proper drying towel and a set of general-purpose cloths. Cheap ones shed lint, so this is one place where spending a little more is noticed.
• A wash mitt and two buckets. The two-bucket method keeps grit out of the wash water, which is kinder to the paint than a single bucket and sponge.
• Interior detailing brushes. Soft brushes for air vents, seams and around buttons, where a cloth cannot reach.
• A boot organiser. Less glamorous, but it stops the boot turning into a rolling mess of shopping bags and sports gear.
• A cordless handheld vacuum. Useful for quick interior clean-ups between proper washes, especially for anyone with kids or a dog.

Gifts for the road trip crowd

Summer in Queensland means a lot of people are about to load up the car, the 4WD or the van. Practical travel gifts tend to land well.

• A tyre pressure gauge and a portable compressor. Handy for anyone who lets tyres down for sand driving or tows a caravan.
• A good first aid kit for the car. Most people mean to put one together and never do.
• Recovery gear for 4WD owners. Recovery tracks, a snatch strap or shackles, if you know what they already carry.
• A phone mount that actually holds. A small upgrade that gets used on every drive.
• A cooler or car fridge. A bigger gift, but a genuinely useful one for long summer drives.

If the person on your list has a caravan, our guide on how to wash a caravan in a wash bay is a handy thing to pass along with the present.

Gifts that are an experience, not another thing

For the person who already owns every product, a clean car they did not have to wash themselves often means more than another bottle on the garage shelf.

A car wash gift card. Easy to give, and it gets used. You can buy a 57 Wash gift card online.

Our Brendale site has an Express Tunnel, a Combi Autowash with touch-free and soft cloth options, self-service bays, large bays for caravans, boats and 4WDs, and two 24 hour dog washes.

Interior detailing. Most people’s cars could do with a proper interior clean after a year of school runs, takeaway and beach trips. Detailing packages can be booked online through our detailing page.

What to avoid

• Cheap all-in-one cleaning kits. They are often full of products a keen car person would not use on their paint.
• Anything that hangs from the mirror. It can block the view, and most car lovers will quietly take it down.
• Branded products you are guessing at. Car people tend to be loyal to their own products. If you do not know their preference, a gift card is safer.
• Seat covers or floor mats without measurements. Fit varies by model, and a poor fit is worse than none.

Frequently Asked Questions

What do you buy someone who loves their car?

Practical gifts that get used regularly usually go down best. Quality microfibre towels, interior brushes, a tyre gauge or a car wash gift card are all good options. If they already own all the gear, something that saves them the work, like a wash or an interior detail, is often the better choice.

Is a car wash gift card a good Christmas present?

For anyone who drives regularly, yes. It is useful whatever car they own, it does not need to fit or match a product preference, and it covers something they would likely spend money on anyway. That makes it a good choice for people who are hard to buy for.

What are good gifts for 4WD and caravan owners?

Tyre pressure gear, a portable compressor, recovery equipment, a car fridge and a decent first aid kit are all useful. Anything that makes the holiday trip easier or safer tends to be appreciated more than accessories for show.

What car gifts should I avoid?

Avoid cheap cleaning kits, anything hanging from the rear-view mirror, and branded products when you do not know what they already use. Seat covers and floor mats only make sense if you know the exact make and model, since a poor fit looks worse than the original.

Can I buy a 57 Wash gift card online?

Yes. Gift cards can be bought online through our gift card page, so there is no need to visit the site to pick one up. It is a simple option for anyone on your list who drives in north Brisbane.

A gift that gets used

The best Christmas gifts for car lovers are the ones they reach for every week, or the ones that save them a job. Skip the novelty air freshener. Pick something practical, or give them the clean car without the effort.

If you want the easy option, grab a 57 Wash gift card online. If the person on your list washes often, the Unlimited Wash Club is worth mentioning too, with no locked-in contract and caravans included. You will find us at 23 Doherty Street, Brendale.