A good car shampoo makes light work of even the toughest dirt, and our guide will help you pick the best car shampoo.
You might think that all car shampoos are equal, but that’s definitely not the case. Our list of the best car shampoos out there will help you to choose the best product for all your car-washing needs. These are all pure shampoos with no added wax, which makes them perfect if you want to apply your own protection afterwards. Be sure to check out our step-by-step guide on how to wash your car properly. And if you’re looking for more detailing advice, visit our ultimate detailing guide.
The Best Car Shampoo in 2023
Gtechniq W1 GWash
Gtechniq makes some of the finest and most impressive car cleaning products around, and its W1 Gwash shampoo is no exception. It’s pH neutral and has been designed to deliver loads of foam to help shift stubborn dirt. Its high lubricity means all that grime is safely lifted away from the surface. This minimizes the chance of causing any damage to the paintwork. 20ml is enough for light dirt, while particularly mucky cars will want 40ml of shampoo in a 23-litre bucket. Considering most of us use quite a lot less water, that means you’ll actually get far more washes from W1 than you might think.
The icing on the cake is the lush grapefruit flavor, and this is a shampoo that doesn’t disappoint.
Size: 250ml, 500ml, 1 litre, 5 litres
Bilt Hamber Auto Wash
Bilt Hamber Auto Wash is super-concentrated and salt, wax and additive-free. Its anti-corrosive properties make it especially good for washing older cars that might have stone chips and exposed bare metal. Its super-concentrated formula means you need just 5ml in a 10-litre bucket, meaning you’ll get up to 100 washes from the 500ml bottle. This makes it incredibly good value for money, as well as being a simply superb shampoo that performs exceptionally.
Size: 500ml, 1 litre
Gyeon Q2M Bathe
Gyeon Q2M Bathe is a thick gel shampoo that is naturally water-soluble and has a pleasant smell, as well as delivering a long-lasting foam. 15-20ml is all you need in your bucket, so it goes a long way. This pH-neutral shampoo makes light work of dirt and grime but won’t affect any coatings or sealants already applied to the bodywork. It’s also gentle on delicate and highly polished finishes. Its combination of cleaning power, along with a gentle touch, makes it a superb choice.
Size: 400ml, 1 litre, 4 litres.
Dodo Juice Born to be Mild
Dodo Juice Born to be Mild pH neutral shampoo is a wax-friendly offering. This shampoo has been a staple of the company’s cleaning lineup since its launch. As well as delivering superb cleaning power, Born to be Mild also boasts limescale inhibitors that help soften your wash water. This makes washing your car in hard-water areas that bit easier, and that’s a huge selling point. Throw in its high-foaming properties, and high slickness, which will help your wash mitt to glide across the paintwork. All of this makes Born to be Mild is a shampoo that’s hard to beat.
Size: 500ml, 1 litre, 5 litres.
Autoglym Foaming Car Wash
Of course, Autoglym has to be on this list as the British company makes some of the best and best-known detailing products on the market. While its Bodywork Shampoo and Conditioner might be one you’re more familiar with, its pure Foaming Car Wash is our choice here. Even the smallest bottle is a hefty 1 litre in size, meaning you get loads of product for your money. With two capfuls recommended in a 10-litre bucket, that means you get a generous 50 washes from even the 1-litre bottle. Its pH-neutral formula means it’s gentle, while its rich foam makes short work of dirt. This is an excellent offering for Autoglym.
Size: 1 litre, 2.5 litres
Meguiar’s NXT Generation Car Wash
Everyone who’s into detailing knows Meguiar’s, and the American car care giant produces a dazzling array of products. This means it can be easy to get confused, lose track of what’s good, and overlook some gems. That’s exactly the case with NXT Generation Car Wash. While Meguiar’s makes some exceptional wash and wax offerings, NXT Generation Car Wash is a superb pure shampoo offering.
First of all, it’s pH-neutral, meaning it’s gentle on paintwork. Then you’ve got its high-foam formula for masses of suds, along with the power to emulsify even the toughest road grime. Then there are the synthetic lubricating oils that deliver exceptional slickness. It’s all topped off with engineered water softeners that help reduce deposits in hard-water areas. This helps you achieve a spot-free finish, and it’s this combo of features that makes it a seriously good shampoo.
Size: 532ml, 1892ml
Auto Finesse Lather Car Shampoo
Designed with nothing but pure cleaning in mind, Auto Finesse Lather combines advanced surfactants with highly-concentrated lubricants. This combo ensures washing your car is easy and safe. Its pH-neutral formula is all about breaking down all the dirt and grime that’s stuck to your car’s paintwork, and then lifting it away and lubricating the surface. This makes sure it doesn’t cause any marring, capturing the dirt particles within the solution, to safely carry them away from the surface. This means there’s far less risk of causing swirl marks on paintwork and gloss plastic surfaces. It’s just one of the reasons why Lather is well worth your attention.
Size: 500ml, 1 litre, 2.5 litres, 5 litres
Car-Chem 1900:1 Pure Shampoo
Car-Chem might not be a brand you’re familiar with, but this British company doesn’t get enough attention. It makes some sensational products, like its 1900:1 Pure Shampoo. This award-winning car shampoo does exactly what it says on the bottle. It delivers exceptional cleaning power that cuts through even the toughest dirt and grime with ease. It is also gentle enough to not strip any existing wax protection on your paintwork. Long-lasting suds help to lift dirt away safely, while lubricants make it feel super-slick on bodywork. Its super-concentrated formula means just 15ml is all you need in a 25-litre bucket, meaning one bottle will go a long way. In terms of cleaning power and value for money, Car-Chem 1900:1 Pure Shampoo is hard to beat.
Size: 500ml, 1 litre, 5 litres, 25 litres.
Adam’s New Car Wash Shampoo
American brand Adam’s might not be one that you’re too familiar with here in the UK. The company has been around since 2000 and makes a huge range of excellent detailing products. Its New Car Wash Shampoo is one of our favourites, and it has a lot going for it. There’s the gorgeous Wildberry scent, and the pH-neutral formula that won’t strip any wax protection. Then there’s the masses of foam it generates, the exceptional slickness that keeps paintwork safe from scratches and the excellent cleaning power. All that makes this an excellent shampoo. But none of that is the main reason why we love Adam’s New Car Wash Shampoo so much.
What makes this shampoo so special, is that it can be used in direct sunlight. This is something which just about every car shampoo warns against doing, and will not leave water spots behind. It makes washing your car on hot sunny days so much easier, and it’s our go-to summer shampoo, and it should be yours, too.
Size: 455ml, 4.6 litres
Autobrite Direct Citrus Pearl Ultimate Cleaning Shampoo
Autobrite Direct makes a huge array of excellent products that perform well and won’t break the bank. Its Citrus Pearl Ultimate Cleaning Shampoo is a top choice of shampoo. Citrus Pearl has been designed to power through even the toughest of dirt and grime, and it’s got some serious muscle to it. Its 400-1 super-concentrated formula means you only need three-four capfuls to 18 litres of water. Its excellent lubricity means your wash mitt will glide across your paintwork effortlessly, while the citrus fragrance makes it a delight to use.
Citrus Pearl Ultimate Cleaning Shampoo isn’t pH neutral, though, and it will strip wax from your paint, but if you’re going to be waxing anyway, that’s not a problem. The trade-off is incredible cleaning power, which makes it the perfect choice for when you want to get your car clean with minimum effort.
Size: 500ml, 5 litres
