Ever chucked money into an automated carwash or a jet wash only to be massively disappointed when you got home? Of course, you have. Want to save money, avoid a shoddy job and protect your paintwork? You’d best read our guide to the best car shampoos.
Although it’s tempting to wait until your thinking of adding your car one of the many cars for sale sites before bothering to wash it, it’s much easier to do it a little more often. That’s especially true if you’ve selected one of the superb shampoos we’ve shortlisted below.
There are a huge number of car washing products available, but all you really need for a good clean are a wash mitt, two buckets and a quality car shampoo.
Why bother with car shampoo?
You could just use water and a sponge to clean your car, but a good shampoo does so much more. Not only will it remove dirt and other nasties, it can also protect the paint against corrosion and degradation. A nice clean car won’t just make you happier and the backs of your trousers cleaner, it can also prolong the life of your car and boost its value, too.
Besides, you won’t get those stubborn stains like bugs, bird poo and tar off your paint with just water. Don’t be tempted to reach for the Fairy Liquid, either. Washing-up liquid is abrasive, stripping the paint of protection and damaging rubber seals.
On the other hand, a good car shampoo will usually create lots of foam to loosen any nasties and also lubricate the surface of your paint. This not only helps dirt rinse away more easily it also reduces swirl marks, giving you less work and keeping your car factory fresh for longer.
What’s the best car shampoo?
There are loads of different car shampoos out there, making for confusing times. However, we’ve tested all manner of different products to give you the best to suit different needs and budgets. We’re not just reading the back of the bottle, either. Everything you read is based on real-world testing, with all products giving great results without too much effort.
We’re ignoring fancy (read expensive) stuff used by detailers of priceless classics and hypercars. Instead, we’re focussing on more affordable options from basic shampoo to wash-and-wax and even ceramic options.
The best car shampoos in detail:
Gtechniq GWash
The best car shampoo
Price: RRP £13.99
You could spend loads on some fancy-pants shampoo, but in our experience, this affordable yet effective offering from Gtechniq is your best bet. You won’t find waxes or ceramic tech, it’s just good detergent that foams up brilliantly. Not only is it easy to use, but the cherry scent is also really rather pleasant.
Criticisms? They’re hard to come by, to the point that we’ve only really got one. Where some shampoos tell you how long they take to biodegrade, you won’t find that here. Still, as a boggo car shampoo, it’s largely faultless.
Pros
• Cleans exceptionally well
• Even when diluted heavily
• Easy to use
Cons
• No timeframe given on biodegradability
Autoglym UHD Shampoo
The best premium car shampoo
Price: RRP £16.95
Autoglym is to car cleaning what Hoover is to vacuum cleaners. Their UHD (ultra-high definition) shampoo is the brand’s premium shampoo, and even feels luxurious to use. Fancy packaging and a watermelon scent give a promising start, while the foam was incredibly slick.
Although it’s only slightly pricier than the above offering, a bottle of UHD at this price is only good for 25 washes. That said, it’s still far cheaper than a carwash and the deep gloss it left on the paint was deeply impressive.
Pros
• Smell
• Suds
• Shine
Cons
• Price
Autobead Ceramic Shampoo
The best ceramic-infused car shampoo
Price: RRP £17.95
Ceramic shampoos are designed to add a thin layer of ceramic protection to a car’s paint, with Autobead’s great to use and relatively affordable, too.
We’d recommend you use this on panels pre-treated with ceramic coating. Unsurprisingly given the relatively affordable price, it isn’t as effective at adding protection to an untreated panel as pricier options.
Pros
• Easy to use
• Good value
Cons
• Protection not as good as a wax
• Works best on ceramic-protected cars
Autobrite Direct Decon Shampoo
The best car shampoo for deep cleaning
Price: RRP £10
If you’ve got a particularly mucky car on your hands, we’d recommend this potent option from Autobrite. For removing tricky grime, nothing we’ve tried gets close and it’s even organic and fully biodegradable.
It’s easy to use too, with well-lubricated bubbles to avoid scratches and it even doubles up as a pre-wash when diluted enough. Our only gripe is that it’s overkill unless your car is absolutely caked in grime; those with a regular car washing schedule are unlikely to fully see all the benefits.
Pros
• Cleans exceptionally well
• Eco-friendly
Cons
• Overkill on moderately dirty cars
Soft99 Creamy pH Neutral Shampoo
The best shampoo for the summer months
Price: RRP £13.99
It’s not the best shampoo for cleaning, but this pH neutral shampoo is exceptionally slick which is great for protecting your paint. It’s possibly the foamiest of shampoos on sale with a dense microfoam that should prevent damage.
So why bother? This is a shampoo that can dry on bodywork and then be washed away without residue. That makes it perfect for summer car washing.
The big selling point is that this shampoo can dry safely on bodywork and then be washed away without
Pros
• A perfect summer scrub
• Good paint protection
Cons
• Not great on stubborn stains
• Not biodegradable
