13 best car shampoos

Review of the best according to the editorial board. On the selection criteria. This material is subjective and does not constitute advertising and does not serve as a purchase guide. Before buying, you need to consult with a specialist.

How to choose a car shampoo

When choosing shampoo, many car owners first of all pay attention to the cost attribute, bypassing all the other most important indicators. Choosing the wrong product, in terms of composition, can lead to irreversible consequences, such as damage to the paintwork or, as a slight annoyance, a 'zero' effect from the application. Therefore, when purchasing car shampoo in a car chemistry store, the online magazine recommends that you pay attention to the following parameters:

Composition. The standard composition of each car shampoo includes water, the acid-base balance of which should ideally be 6-8 pH units. If this threshold is exceeded or lowered, the liquid will have an aggressive effect on plastic, rubber and, to a greater extent, paint and varnish coatings, which will lead to their local destruction. The active substances are surface elements, the content of which should not exceed 30% of the nominal mass of the entire product. Allowed the content of complexing agents, which act as a surfactant enhancer without increasing the pH number and water softener for better foaming and dissolution of the product. In addition, shampoos may contain other impurities, for example, a foaming agent, wax or a whole complex of additives that form a stable anti-corrosion and repair film.

View. On this basis, car shampoos are divided into three categories:

1. summer – 'reveal' the mechanism of operation under certain conditions (at a certain temperature threshold in the summer season). As a result, they wash away the vast majority of organic contaminants (which include insects, bitumen and ingrained dirt);
2. classic – universal shampoos for non-contact car wash, the effectiveness of which is slightly inferior to summer ones. Nevertheless, an important advantage of this type of funds is the temperature regime – they show themselves perfectly both at plus and minus temperatures.
3. concentrates – the technical difference is that these shampoos cannot be used out of the box. Before use, they require dilution, while in what proportions to mix (this completely depends on the purpose of washing), only the user decides.

Marking. The marks of conformity to standards, the logo of the manufacturer, the date of manufacture and the expiration date, as well as the current addresses of the location of the company must be indicated as mandatory attributes on the labeling of the product.

Rating of the best car shampoos

Nomination	a place	Name of product	price
The best car shampoos for hand wash	1	Karcher Plug & Clean	–
	2	Pingo	366 r
	3	Golden Wax Superpena	93 rbl.
The best car shampoos for non-contact washing	1	HI-GEAR Hg8002n	198 RUB
	2	Karcher Ultra Foam Cleaner	702 RUB
	3	Grass Active Foam Pink	345 r
	4	ATAS DIMER	83 rbl.
The best car shampoos with wax	1	LIQUI MOLY AUTO-WASCH & WACHS	749 RUB
	2	Simoniz	RUB 150
	3	TURTLE WAX HOT WAX	309 r
	4	SONAX WASH & WAX	366 r
The best car shampoos with polish	1	Bizol autoglanz	448 r
The best car shampoos with conditioner	1	Meguiars G-17748	RUB 1,580

The best car shampoos for hand wash

Karcher Plug & Clean

Rating: 4.9

Car shampoo for a car body from a well-known manufacturer of equipment (including high-pressure washers), combining the functions of a cleaner and a protector of paintwork. The cleansing effect of Karcher Plug & Clean is tied to a secret component that actively affects not only oil and grease stains, but also atmospheric and even mineral pollution. The original composition has complete chemical neutrality (pH is 6-7 units), and therefore does not have a destructive effect on paintwork.

An important advantage of Karcher Plug & Clean is also the fact that the product contains biodegradable surfactants, maintaining the environmental label in such an important period for this. The shampoo is inexpensive, packaged in 1 liter bottles and is ready for use straight from the bottle.

Advantages

• actively affects various types of pollution (fatty, mineral-salt and atmospheric);
• high degree of environmental friendliness (degradable surfactant components);
• completely safe for paintwork;
• low price and optimal packaging.

disadvantages

• not identified.

Pingo

Rating: 4.8

The concentrated car shampoo of the German manufacturer Pingo is an effective remedy for combating particularly stubborn dirt on the body paintwork. Differs in abundant foaming, thereby minimizing the risk of scratching the surface of the car with particles of sand and solid dirt. Combined with the action of alcohol, the composition perfectly wipes off marks left by insects, or resinous stains (with the exception, perhaps, of liquid tar).

As for user reviews, the advantage of Pingo in them is very often a high degree of efficiency of the tool. According to the manufacturer's recommendations, the concentrate should be diluted in the proportion of 25 milliliters of product for each liter of water, however, excellent washing results can be achieved with much smaller 'infusions' of shampoo. As a result, the only nuance of Pingo is the ability to leave stains that will be especially noticeable on the black coating, but with a more thorough wiping, this can be prevented.

Advantages

• there is a pronounced polishing effect;
• good foaming;
• wipes off even complex dirt;
• the formation of a protective film during high-quality processing of the body;
• low price.

disadvantages

• leaves streaks (due to alcohol content).

Golden Wax Superpena

Rating: 4.7

Another nominee in the rating with a pronounced foaming function, which has a complex washing and protective effect on the car body. In addition, active additives with zinc ions create a strong polymer-zinc film that has a protective effect, simultaneously restoring minor defects in the paintwork (the effect of 'filling' microcracks and scratches with zinc). But that's not all: Golden Wax 'Superpena' works great as a polish, providing the surface with a water-repellent wax coating that overlies the protective film.

To the indisputable advantages of this car shampoo, users refer to the possibility of a solution in cold and hot water – the foaming effect will manifest itself regardless of its temperature. True, this situation also has some nuances: the only drawback of Golden Wax 'Superpen' is a bad effect on greasy spots, and therefore it is necessary to show remarkable diligence to remove them.

Advantages

• active foaming;
• low cost;
• the possibility of dissolving in cold and hot water;
• excellent polishing ability;
• a mechanism for creating a wax and polymer protective film;
• excellent efficiency.

disadvantages

• bad effect on greasy stains.

The best car shampoos for non-contact washing

HI-GEAR Hg8002n

Rating: 4.9

According to independent expert research, the HI-GEAR Hg8002n has a detergency of 98.4%, which is the best result in the entire wide segment of car shampoos. It is thanks to this that this composition climbs to the honorable first line, albeit slightly losing to analogs in an important component of cost for consumers.

Of the obvious advantages of a non-contact shampoo, a very abundant foaming can be noted, produced both in hot and cold water; the absence of any hints of smudges and stains, since alcohol is not included in a number of active substances; easy rinsing with water without the need for subsequent wiping dry. It is also worth noting the extreme delicacy of HI-GEAR Hg8002n in relation to paintwork, rubber and plastic, and therefore the shampoo can be used without any restrictions on concentration and duration of treatment.

Advantages

• the highest washing ability;
• the formation of several layers of protection;
• absolute safety for plastic, rubber and paint;
• trouble-free removal of any kind of dirt (up to bitumen stains);
• light polishing effect.

disadvantages

• insignificant loss in price relative to competitors.

Karcher Ultra Foam Cleaner

Rating: 4.8

Car shampoo made as a pouring agent into high pressure washers from Karcher models K2-K7. Has an accelerated mechanism of action on all known road pollution, as well as such troubles as oil, fuel oil and especially 'nasty' bitumen spots. With all its effectiveness, Ultra Foam Cleaner does not contain phosphates and aggressive acids, and therefore it seems to be a very delicate agent both for the preservation of the paintwork and for the environmental safety of the surrounding nature in general.

A thick blue concentrate turned out to be extremely economical, and therefore even a bottle of 1000 milliliters is enough for a long time of use. Economically, whatever one may say, Karcher Ultra Foam Cleaner surpasses the vast majority of competitors, and this property should be reckoned with.

Advantages

• absolute safety for paint (does not contain solvents and other aggressive components);
• high degree of efficiency of the composition;
• accelerated mechanism of action on pollution;
• compliance with the environmental safety framework.

disadvantages

• rather high cost of 1 liter of the product (leveled by the economic effect of use).

Grass Active Foam Pink

Rating: 4.7

One of the brightest representatives of the Grass trademark, the main advantage of which is expressed in the function of restoring the gloss of the paint-and-lacquer layer without negative effects causing its gradual destruction. For violent foaming, which perhaps surpasses any of the competitors considered, a special activator was introduced into the car shampoo, which allows starting the process of foam release regardless of temperature. By the way, for this, the consumption of concentrate does not exceed 10-20 grams per liter of water.

When fully washing one car with Grass Active Foam Pink, the required minimum consumption will be 100 grams of concentrate, which makes it very economical. The active additives introduced into the composition make it possible to achieve the formation of a protective layer, and also actively influence the decomposition of ingrained dirt. And even though he removes bitumen from paint in a not best (read, fast) way, the positive effect of the application remains very noticeable.

Advantages

• low consumption for washing one car (100-150 grams);
• a foam activator that provides vigorous foam production;
• supply to the market in volumes of 6-10 liters;
• the presence of a complex of protective additives.

disadvantages

• to remove particularly stubborn dirt, it is necessary to keep the composition on the body.

ATAS DIMER

Rating: 4.6

Car shampoo for non-contact washing in an 'aggressive' canister fully justifies the first impression of yourself. Positioned on the market as the most powerful, it provides almost trouble-free removal of bituminous stains and stubborn dirt, and at absolutely any temperature of diluted water. Dissolving ATAS DIMER promotes abundant foaming without causing problems with subsequent rinsing.

Despite its powerful action, bordering on extremely aggressive methods of removing particularly difficult dirt, this shampoo is absolutely neutral to the paintwork of the body, which is its main 'charm'. A small nuance of using ATAS DIMER can only be considered the need to change the proportions for dilution, depending on the purpose of use, whether it is a desire to simply knock down settled dust or to carry out a full-fledged body treatment to remove stubborn stains.

Advantages

• efficiency in cold and hot water;
• extensive experience of use among professionals;
• not the most expensive shampoo option;
• the ability to wash even stubborn bituminous stains.

disadvantages

• to achieve the desired effect, it is necessary to maintain the belly before rinsing.

The best car shampoos with wax

LIQUI MOLY AUTO-WASCH & WACHS

Rating: 4.9

The most fastidious car shampoo in the collection, surprisingly combining extreme effectiveness of use. In addition to the washing function, LIQUI MOLY AUTO-WASCH & WACHS provides the formation of a durable protective layer, the mechanism of action of which is partially aimed at restoring the paintwork from micro-damage.

The second side of the development of the protective layer is the alignment of the color, giving it brightness and shine, bordering on a flawless factory paint. With such an intense influence on the condition of the body, it is time to expect a rather sharp chemical aroma coming from the shampoo. However, this is not at all the case: the concentrate has a pleasant peach aroma, quite persistent and perceptible even after washing. The final advantages of LIQUI MOLY AUTO-WASCH & WACHS are the cost parameter and ease of dissolving the liquid in water.

Advantages

• absolute neutrality to various types of surfaces (from rubber and plastic to glass and varnish with paint);
• environmental friendliness;
• preparatory, but sufficient effect of polish (for further instrumental polishing);
• the strongest mechanisms for protecting the body from negative environmental factors.

disadvantages

• requires storage at strictly defined temperature parameters.

Simoniz

Rating: 4.8

A rather rare phenomenon in the domestic auto chemistry market, the main advantage of which is its economy, and, consequently, a high efficiency of action even at a low concentration. Supplied in bottles of 500, 1000 and 2000 milliliters, requiring no more than 25 milliliters of flow per bucket of water. From this calculation it becomes clear that even the minimum packing volume is enough for 20 buckets.

As the manufacturer notes, Simoniz shampoo has a pronounced polishing effect that does not require additional processing after washing and drying the car. The surfactants included in the product are biodegradable, which indicates a high degree of environmental friendliness and compliance with international quality standards. The only caveat to such a jar is the high cost, since the product comes directly from the UK.

Advantages

• excellent action in hard and soft water;
• strong polishing effect, restoring shine and original color to the coating;
• good profitability, resulting in a good benefit from use;
• environmental friendliness.

disadvantages

• high price.

TURTLE WAX HOT WAX

Rating: 4.8

According to the statements of competent specialists, of all the shampoos presented in this segment of the rating, the longest effect of the wax coating is recorded precisely in Turtle Wax Hot Wax. Even with intensive exposure to unfavorable factors, the residual effect of the agent is observed after 4 weeks of vehicle operation.

A feature of the composition is that, referring to the category of cleaning agents, it does not give any foam at all, remaining in a state of such an emulsion. Nevertheless, the effect of treatment with such a 'unprepossessing' shampoo is quite noticeable: in addition to removing complex dirt, the wax provides the restoration of the 'healthy' color of the coating, simultaneously giving it a shine. In other words, Turtle Wax Hot Wax acts as a quality polish that can be used to prepare a vehicle for subsequent sale.

Advantages

• instant mechanism of action (there is no need to withstand the composition on the surface before washing off);
• insensitive to temperature changes;
• neutralization of reagents that cause local defects in the paint layer;
• optimal price.

disadvantages

• requires washing with water and then wiping the surface with a rag;
• quite rare shampoo in the range of domestic auto chemical stores.

SONAX WASH & WAX

Rating: 4.7

Car shampoo, created on the basis of carnauba wax, intended for contact (hand) car wash. According to consumers, SONAX WASH & WAX is characterized by a mild cleansing action followed by a massive wax treatment, which gives the coating a rich shine and gloss, very presentable in its state.

In addition, the high concentration of wax contributes to a number of protective functions such as repelling water and preventing dust from sticking. Bodywork professionals recommend the use of SONAX WASH & WAX not only as a shampoo for routine vehicle treatment, but also when preserving the vehicle for long-term seasonal storage. The penetrating ability of the composition received a lot of approval among competent users, but its features led to the identification of one impartial moment. The fact is that the treatment of the body in the winter season does not give any profit in terms of protecting the body – all the useful properties of the shampoo are completely lost under the influence of low temperatures.

Advantages

• triple mechanism of action (cleansing, color restoration, body protection);
• lack of solvents and phosphates that negatively affect paint and varnish;
• the presence of a dosage cup and recommendations from the manufacturer;
• great 'saving' functions.

disadvantages

• subject to loss of beneficial properties under the influence of low temperatures.

The best car shampoos with polish

Bizol autoglanz

Rating: 4.8

Bizol Autoglanz is a shampoo with a mild polishing effect achieved through the use of a complex of special additives that have a positive effect on the color of the body coating. The smallest soft particles, which in no way fit the description of abrasive ones (but in fact perform similar functions), ensure the 'scraping' of microscopic old layers of varnish, at the same time eliminating defects such as cracks and scratches, as well as washing out all stale dirt.

Removing the defective layer, when drying, Bizol Autoglanz replaces it with a freshly formed film, which has a repulsive effect and increased protection of the coating from various kinds of negative factors. An important advantage of the composition is the fact that all surfactants contained in it are biodegradable – only 10% of the total substance does not lend itself to rapid decomposition. Taken together, the voiced advantages form a picture of an ideal tool for use – and, in fact, this conclusion is not far from the truth.

Advantages

• actively fights against tarnishing of the body coating;
• provides comprehensive cleaning and subsequent protection of the body from contamination;
• biodegradable by 90%;
• excellent polishing ability.

disadvantages

• not found.

The best car shampoos with conditioner

Meguiars G-17748

Rating: 4.8

Meguiar's G-17748 is an elite product of the GOLD GLASS series, aimed at providing high-quality protection of paintwork from adverse environmental conditions. Providing cleaning of the body from dirt, salts and dust deposits, when drying, the car shampoo ensures the restoration of the color of the paintwork, and also creates a dense polymer film to protect against the abrasive action of polluting particles.

The official shampoo consumption recommended by manufacturers is reduced to a proportion of 30 milliliters per 4 liters of water. In this form, the solution will ensure the flow of all its inherent processes, however, consumers argue that in order to save the amount of concentrate for dilution, it can be reduced. If you look at the market more extensively, you will find that Meguiar's G-17748 reigns supreme in the segment of conditioner shampoos. In the absence of competitors, this composition is the best, but who knows where the manufacturers' priorities will shift in a year.

Advantages

• reduces to a minimum the influence of negative environmental factors;
• low consumption;
• 'refreshes' the color of the paintwork;
• forms a stable polymer film on the surface;
• complete absence of divorces.

disadvantages

• some aggressiveness to plastic and rubber;
• quite high cost.

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Attention! This rating is subjective and does not constitute an advertisement and does not serve as a purchase guide. Before buying, you need to consult with a specialist.