Everybody likes a shiny car — but it can take a lot of elbow grease to have your car as clean as you’d like.
Still, it’s not only pure effort that matters. A lot of it comes down to what kind of car wash liquid you use. And yes, a high foam car shampoo will make everything quite a bit easier than using some dish soap and a bucket of water.
With that in mind, we’re going to present you with some of the best car wash products on the market!
Here are the 10 Best Car Shampoos:
1) Cherry Bomb Super: Best Car Shampoo
One of the worst things you can do to your car is to use a subpar car shampoo alternative; leaving it vulnerable to swirl scratches from the washing.
And that’s why the Cherry Bomb Shampoo Super is our top choice when it comes to the best car shampoo the UK has.
Its pH-neutral blend allows you to easily remove any grime and dirt from your car during the pre-wash stage — without doing any sort of damage to your paint in the process!
Do visit the range of car shampoos JennyChem is currently offering.
2) Autoglym Bodywork Shampoo Conditioner
While there are bigger bottles of the Autoglym Bodywork Shampoo Conditioner — this half-liter is probably more than enough, seeing as you won’t need a lot of this car shampoo, to begin with.
This is a concentrated formula, so you’ll need to pour a couple of cups of it into a bucket of water before applying it to your car.
It’s definitely a bargain, seeing as one bottle can easily last you for more than 20 washes. Also, it’s usable for all kinds of car paint — that goes for matte finishes as well. Just like any respectable car shampoo, it contains a pH-neutral formula that quickly does away with any grime and grease.
3) Maxed Power Shampoo and Ultra Wax
A common staple of race circuits, this shampoo is definitely going to be a big help in getting rid of the grease and dirt that tends to build up around your wheels and on the bodywork — all without damaging your wax coating.
Plus, the Maxed Power formula tends to last throughout the entire wash and it leaves a thin wax finish to provide long-term protection from the elements.
4) Angelwax Shampoo
While Angelwax makes a bad first impression with its overly boastful marketing, it definitely makes up for this with its great level of performance — stopping just a bit shy of the manufacturer’s claim of the “purest formula” in the market.
However, we can’t deny that Angelwax gets the job done — and this car shampoo of theirs is no exception.
Plus, if you’re someone who suffers from allergies or has a particular sensitivity to chemicals, this is a great choice because it contains nothing but natural products.
5) Simoniz Protection Car Wash
This shampoo may seem terribly pricey if you compare it to the other price tags on this list — but only until you realize that this is a 5-liter pack. And that means you can use it for literally hundreds of washes!
The Simoniz Protection car wash is pretty much the best choice for multi-car families because of its cost-effectiveness.
And it’s practically effective as well, providing your car with the deep clean it needs without stripping away any of its existing wax.
6) Meguiars Wash & Wax Anywhere
This is another car shampoo that’s on the pricier side of the scale — but it’s well worth it to people who live in apartments and can’t regularly access water near their cars.
Also, it’s pretty handy to have in case that you just don’t have the time for a full wash.
You apply it by sparingly spraying the formula over your car, and then rubbing it in using a microfibre cloth. It’s capable of doing away with light dirt without any water, leaving behind a glossy finish that can provide additional protection for weeks.
7) Halfords Car Wash 2.5 Litre
This Halford’s shampoo definitely manages to make all of the other brands seem incredibly expensive.
And while their high-foam formula doesn’t lag behind others too much in terms of performance, affordability is definitely where Halfords truly shines.
Not only is this car shampoo cheap, but it also lasts you a while because you only need to use it in tiny amounts. And it leaves your car with a waxy finish, ensuring it will be streak-free once it dries off.
8) CarPlan Triplewax Car Shampoo 1 Litre
Triplewax Car Shampoo fans are thrilled with its combination of an approachable price and a decent performance.
The shampoo lasts you a stunning 30 washes with just one liter — because the formula comes with a powerful detergent capable of removing any debris and dirt from your bodywork and trim without doing any damage to the paint job.
9) Meguiars All-Purpose Cleaner
Our penultimate choice is a great all-purpose cleaner from Meguiars — it’ll become your best friend when you’ve got to clean up a specific stain quickly.
Whether your kids spilled something or you’re in another kind of hurry — this product will be there to help out.
It works wonders on a huge variety of material types and surfaces; definitely putting up a better find against dirt compared to your average household cleaner. And best of all — it’s perfectly usable both outside and inside your car.
10) Farecla G3 Body Prep Shampoo
This is a shampoo used by car professionals to remove any other detailing residue from a car and begin from scratch. Considering that, you can imagine what kind of high-powered cleaner this is.
While it won’t result in much foam, make no mistake — it looses grime and dirt like you wouldn’t believe. If you need to sanitize the surface of your car in detail, there’s nothing quite like it.
Best Way to Wash Your Car with Car Shampoo
If you have a pressure washer, you can truly make your car shine anew; though in the absence of that, a garden hose will have to suffice.
There are plenty of different methods that people use, but it all boils down to this: pre-rinse your car once to get rid of larger debris, then apply a decent dose of car shampoo with a wash mitt.
Finally, use the hose to rinse off the foam and then dry the surface of the car with a microfiber towel.
We stock Kranzle Pressure Washers to help you make car cleaning easy and smooth.
Car Shampoo Alternatives
For people whose car badly needs a wash, but don’t have any car shampoo handy — as funny as it may seem, dish soap is probably the best solution.
It’s guaranteed to have some effect on the dirt without being acidic enough to damage your paint job.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best car wash solution?
We’ve reviewed plenty of great car wash solutions here, though the Cherry Bomb Shampoo Super is probably our top candidate.
What is the best thing to wash your car with?
A pressure washer will help you clean your car most thoroughly with minimal effort — but a water hose with a spray gun extension isn’t a bad accessory to have either.
Can I just wash my car with water?
This isn’t a very good idea, seeing as you’re more likely to muddy the stains on the car than to actually get rid of them. Even though the car may seem clean for a short while, once everything dries off it’s likely to look even worse.
What ingredients should I look out for in a car shampoo?
Most car shampoos are made with a combination of distilled water (in order to prevent micro-damage from minerals or water spots), isopropyl alcohol that dissolves dirt, and sometimes coco diethanolamide — one of the most often-used commercial foaming agents.
Is it bad to wash your car everyday?
It all depends on how you wash it — if you do it properly, even washing it every single day won’t have any detrimental effects. On the other hand, an improper wash can do some damage even if it’s once a month.
Is it worth paying a premium for expensive car shampoo?
In our opinion, yes — a great car shampoo will not only help you clean your car thoroughly, but it will also keep it clean for a long time afterward.