As well as testing and our experience using multiple car shampoos, we also carried out plenty of research and considered several factors. Some of the factors that we took into consideration included the shampoo’s cleaning power, additions in the formula such as wax or conditioners, bulk buy options and also their value for money. Conclusion Yes, it looks like washing up liquid but the Holts shampoo has good cleaning power, working well on most general dirt and then rinsing away easily. The wax aspect of it doesn’t seem to do much, mind, as there’s not the same water repellent finish that you get with some others here. Even so, it does a great job of rinsing away the dirt, and at this price it’s a great option for a budget shampoo. Investing in a quality car shampoo allows you to clean your car more effectively and also prevents a streaky finish. No pressure washer? Citrus pre-wash, traffic-film remover (TFR) or fallout decontaminant can be applied through trigger bottles or pump-up sprayers.

It really depends on how much pride and joy you have in your car, and how much time and effort you’re willing to spend keeping it clean. Serious detailers will happily spend a small fortune, but a mid-range car shampoo will be perfectly fine for most of us. The good people of the world are washing their cars on their lunch break, hosing and scrubbing as best they can in skirts in suits,” once sang Sheryl Crow. And with the best car shampoos as part of their cleaning arsenal, thousands of people around the country continue to wash their cars themselves – despite a proliferation in automatic and hand car washes. As often as you can. During the winter, it’s worth doing two or four times a month to prevent grit promoting corrosion or scratches in the clear-coat should someone brush against your car accidentally. In the summer, washes can be less frequent – though when you do wash your car, try to avoid doing it in the heat of the day.Whilst using many of the different types of car shampoo, you may notice that some foam up more and also cling to the paintwork better than others. Below is an example of the Turtle Wax suds clinging onto the paintwork. Remember to look beyond the per-bottle price: some highly concentrated shampoos might look expensive, but if you only need 5ml, the per-wash price could be surprisingly small.

To give you an idea of how we test the car shampoos, below is a video that we posted on our YouTube channel that shows us testing the highly rated Meguiar’s Ultimate Wash & Wax. Graphene and ceramic solutions represent the cutting edge of car shampoos. They contain graphene or ceramic resins which bond to your car’s paintwork to create a protective hydrophobic layer, allowing water to bead off without leaving dirt behind. Carnauba wax is still used in many car shampoos: it is more cost-effective, and leaves that all-important showroom shine. Is it worth paying a premium for expensive shampoo?Once the car is clean, rinse it with clean water before drying it with a cloth or a chamois leather. An application of car wax or a car polish will help seal in your hard work, add a layer of shine and will help protect your paintwork from damage. How often should I wash my car?

All of our recommendations are produced by top detailing brands in the UK and have been thoroughly tested for the best possible results. However, if you haven’t got access to a hose pipe, you could try out some of the latest waterless car wash products that simply spray on and wipe clean. TFR and pre-washes tend to be more aggressive than foams, so can be used on heavily soiled areas before covering the car in ‘snow’. Remove with a pressure washer after leaving to dwell.

Using ceramic coatings or waxes can help increase the gaps between washes. And when it comes to bird droppings, you should remove these as soon as possible, as they are extremely corrosive.