By Mahya Kamalvand
Searching for the best car wash soaps sounds like a job that can be done in a minute. There are, however, rules, tips and tricks that will guide you to shop for the best car soap. You do not want to end up with dish soap, instead! The best car wash soap brings the shine back on your car by removing surface contaminants.
You need to keep in mind that standard hand soaps or dish soaps are wrong choices when trying to clean your car. This can easily be true about many snow foam soaps, ceramic car wash soaps, etc. that actually claim to be the best car soaps on the market.
As experts, we’ve managed to come up with a list of the brand names for the best car wash soaps you should consider shopping. First, let’s take a look at the factors we looked at when testing the best car wash soaps chosen.
What To Look For In The Best Car Wash Soaps
There are some standard rules and factor to cling to when trying to choose the best soap to wash your car with:
PH Level
Never settle down for a soap that is too acidic. Acidic soaps are clearly your car paint enemy. opt for a neutral one, instead. The pH level of your car wash soap determines its acidity or alkalinity.
Scent
You should know that this feature does not directly influence the quality of the top soap for washing your car. However, If you are sensitive to odors, you’ll want to avoid the soaps that have a strong, chemical smell, and opt for the ones that are lightly scented.
Concentration
The best car wash soaps have dilution ratio instructions on them. It also means that you can increase or decrease the amount of water and soap to your car’s needs.
Foaming Action
The best car wash soaps are probably those with the best foaming ability. Lubricity saves your vehicle from scrubbing scratches. A soap that produces a thick foam will create that efficient lubricity enough to remove the dirt particles. It also decreases the risk of scratching your paint.
Included Wax
Choosing a top notch car wash soap means picking the ones that can protect your vehicle’s paint in the long run. Using a wash and wax car wash soap provides your car paint with a protective layer that will easily disrupt any oxidizing processes.
User Friendly
Even the best foaming car wash soaps can be left untouched due to their complicated instructions. Car wash soaps have to be designed in a way to ease up their application. Neither should they make the users insecure about whether or not they have damaged the exterior of their car because they didn’t have a specialty tool, or were not sure about an unknown method.
Car Formulation
Even the best car wash soaps can end up ruining the paint on your car if they are not compatible with your whole vehicle formulation. Keep an eye for the soaps that can damage materials such as rubber, plastic, glass, metal, or any other components.
Truth is that you shouldn’t worry about most car wash cleaning products safety. However, it’s always better to be cautious to choose the right soap for your vehicle; even if it means opting for the next best car wash soap.
Streak Resistance
We look for the best car wash soap for black cars because we know if the soap is the wrong one, we are left with water spots and streaks. These spots are more visible on darker colored cars.
A worse scenario than a dirty vehicle, is a vehicle detailed and washed but still looking dirty. To keep this from happening, opt for a car wash soap that advertises a no-streak formula.
Materials
When shopping for your car best wash soap, look for these beneficial ingredients:
Sodium Lauryl Sulphate (SLS) – An effective cleaning agent
Distilled Water – A preventer of white spots from appearing on your car post-wash.
Isopropyl Alcohol – A mighty disinfectant to break down dirt, grime and oil from the surface of your car.
There are also some car wash soap ingredients that do more harm than good. Try to avoid these two ingredients if they are listed on the packaging or the bottle:
Coco Diethanolamide – in case it may be a carcinogen.
Ethyl Alcohol – although very harsh, it may not clean away the grime effectively.
The 3 Types Of Car Wash Soaps
Most car wash soaps are, more or less, meant to be used the same way. However, when choosing the top notch ones, it’s good to know about your variety of different options, including but not limited to:
Concentrated
Concentrated car soaps or shampoos are the most common type of car washing products.
As the name shows, most concentrated soaps should be diluted with water, so it’s always best to read the guidelines before using.
You simply will have a nice and clean car after applying them. They are specially formulated and designed to work with wax and/or sealant applications.
Wash and Wax
Wash and wax soaps are a step up from the basic. They will not only clean your car but will provide a protective layer of wax.
As it was already mentioned, what wash and wax products offer is the extra benefit of having a layer of protective wax, which is highly recommended for folks living in hot climates. Keep in mind, though, that this is only a supplement on top of full wax jobs and can’t replace it.
Waterless
One of the best car wash soap choices are the rinseless and waterless washes. Being in the It is the same price range as traditional ones, these are the best options for those who don't have the time or aren’t in a place where they can do a full wash.
Although they are well-known for being eco-friendly, their drawback is that they aren’t a replacement for a full washing. Not to forget that they may leave streaks and scratches if they are not lubricant enough.
Is There A Difference Between The Best Car Wash Soaps And The Best Car Shampoos?
This is a very common type of question among customers. An automotive shampoo is a luxury or higher-quality line of a traditional car soap.
Car wash shampoos are great products to be used in high-end auto spas because they produce a superior washing experience, and an elevated sensory. These products are famous for their marvelous colors and unforgettable cool fragrances.
Best Car Wash Soaps And Shampoos
Without any further ado, there is a list of our tested favourite car wash shampoos, and best car wash soaps:
The Best Overall Car Wash Soap Is Mothers California Gold Carnauba Wash And Wax
The brand is quite well- known for issuing quality products that make a huge difference when it comes time for the show of the before and after. Mothers California Gold Car Wash is super-sudsy which makes it very affordable compared to other brands. The pH is leveled so you do not need to worry about water spotting. Another pro added to its merits, it won’t remove wax or spoil the paint if used properly.
The Best Car Wash Soap To Use With Power Washers Is Chemical Guys MR. Pink Super Suds
Always the number one pick on the basket of Shiny, Mr. Pink Super Suds Car Wash is designed to be gentle on sealant and wax coatings. With a pressure washer and foam lance, it's easy to make washing your car look like an automatic car wash.
Mr. Pink offers a pH-neutral formula that proves to be completely safe for all vehicle parts. The foam soap is incredible, making it an ultimate pairing for folk who wash their cars with a power washer and foam lance. The scent is close to a fresh not perfume which makes Mr. Pink an unforgettable product.
At Shiny, we pamper your car with the best of the best and that includes Chemical Guys Mr. Pink Super Suds Car Wash.
The Best Car Wash For Pressure Washer Is Karcher's Car Wash And Wax Soap
Designed to be used in a pressure washer, KARCHER will leave you amazed by its cleaning power. This is one of the concentrated formula car wash soaps which is also eco-friendly. It acts very fast and leaves no residue behind after being rinsed away.
Although safe to be used on a variety of vehicles, if you do not use it with a pressure washer, it may act up intensely.
The Best Car Wash And Wax Soap Is Maguire's Ultimate Wash And Wax
Your car absolutely needs the ultimate wash and wax from Meguiar’s. Meguiar’s car wash soap could definitely come as the best overall car wash soap because of its affordable price and dual-function formula.
Although, two-in-one products are a bit of a compromise, we assure you that you’re not losing the proper and actual shine of a wax you were seeking with this product. If only the citrus scent didn’t seem like it was trying to cover up the chemical smell.
The Best Waterless Auto Wash And Wax Is Optimum
Optimum’s No Rinse Wash and Wax is made for you, if you’re looking for waterless car wash products. This eco-friendly car wash soap can easily and speedily take care of dirt, debris, dust, and dropping only with one bucket of water.
The company's wash and wax combo is safe to all kinds of vehicles, thanks to its ultra lubricating polymers. However, it’s better not to expect a very shiny finish from it to save ourselves from disappointment
This list is an ongoing and somehow bottomless one since we want to cover all our tested and proven products with a fair review. That is why there is going to be a PART II to this article.
If you want to make sure your car will see its best car wash soap companion, make your appointment with Shiny now and find us at the convenience of your house with everything you’ll probably need. To finish nit better with the beautiful words of Cecil Beaton:
