Recommend best car shampoo?
- Thread starter M K J
- Start date
4u2nvinmtl
New member
I've tried many car soaps by the gallon and my favorite so far is Meg's Hyper Wash hands down. The foam lasts forever, the dilotion raito is super high (1:400) and it rocks in a foam gun or foam cannon. It smell is great also.
4u2nvinmtl
New member
No offence intended but this is the car soap I liked least out of the many brands of soap I've tried.
Why, because I felt:
- It left a film (not wax) on the paint.
- It didn't clean well.
- It doesn't lubricate as well as all other soap's I've tried (could feel the way the mitt grabs the paint).
- Smell and dilution ratios were also less than desirable.
RaysWay
Autopia Specialist
I hope that everyone is taking the time to properly dilute car shampoo by measuring the amount of shampoo added to the water. I think most guys guesstimate on how much shampoo they're actually using in a bucket and that can change the way the shampoo acts tremendously.
Just the other day I was guilty of this as I just poured a random amount of 3D Pink Car Soap into the bucket, and when I started to use it as a lube for my Nanoskin Wash Mitt; the wash mitt wasn't performing as it normally does. I thought about it and ended up dumping the bucket and remaking it with a measuring cup and I had no problems afterwards.
Just the other day I was guilty of this as I just poured a random amount of 3D Pink Car Soap into the bucket, and when I started to use it as a lube for my Nanoskin Wash Mitt; the wash mitt wasn't performing as it normally does. I thought about it and ended up dumping the bucket and remaking it with a measuring cup and I had no problems afterwards.
Bunky
Detailing Gnosis
My statement was comparative. I have used lots of soaps and some rinse so cleanly and quickly. It is not a deal breaker. As I said, it has been a favorite.
Bill D
Hooked For Life
I don't use buckets at all,just strictly a foam gun and I eyeball the amount I'm using without issues. I have Griots and Dura gloss now and have used the 3D. I would recommend it to anyone
Swanicyouth
New member
Griot's just felt to me like there was little to nothing in the water. There was no lube or bubbles to it. It just felt week. I'm not too sure I believe when people post about "cleaning power" of soaps. But, Griot's soap just didn't seem to have much going for it. It just felt cheap.
Accumulator, don't you mix Griot's soap with something? I dunno, but I'm not using a soap I have to mix with something.
This is prolly a silly discussion - as I am guessing most these soaps are 95% similar. But, perception is reality. If something feels cheap - it is cheap.
I'm not trying 3Ds soap because I have enough soap to last me until the grave. Quite frankly, it doesn't seem to offer much hat we haven't seen before according to reviews.
Accumulator
Well-known member
Wow, that is....just completely different from my experiences with it (over 25 years or so). I honestly wonder if you got a bad bottle. Mine has such great lubricity that I add it to the 3D pink for that reason.
I mix it with the 3D Pink. The GG adds lubricity and the Pink cleans a little better (just IME). I was happy with the GG straight, but it's pricey compared to a 5gallon pail of the 3D.
I don't think it's a silly topic as I credit better shampoos with *drastically* improving my results...utterly amazed me.
Heh heh, you sound like me talking about anything *except* shampoo
Thanks for the detailed explanation. Hey, so our experiences differ....I still like talking shampoos.
Bill D said:
I'm still using rinse/shampoo buckets despite being so foamgun centric, but then my vehicles get a lot dirtier than yours.
Accumulator
Well-known member
You might oughta try Ultima. I'm so impressed with 1) reviews by people I respect and 2) its cost, that I'm afraid to try it
As are mine, and my vehicles can get *dirty*.
I think we're on the same page, and I agree how this stuff can be hard to verbalize.
My previous shop had hard water while my current shop has soft. The rinsing was different and in weird ways- the hard water rinsed away the suds better but the soft water leaves things seeming "rinsed cleaner". Part of that might be how I have to rinse more/longer with the soft though.
No worries..hey, I probably came across as defensive (heh heh.."what, my gallons and gallons of shampoo are all [crap]?!?")
Hey, if something's a PIA to rinse off I wouldn't like it either
Tell me, of the ones available in gallons (I use *a lot* per wash), which shampoo do you like best?My foamgun-centric approach might be a real wildcard here, besides just needing to buy in bulk. My current approach is: ~3.5oz Griot's + ~3.5oz 3D Pink + ~121oz water; fill foamguns with that, use two strongest foamgun dilution setttings.
4u2nvinmtl
New member
How does Meg's Hyper wash stack up in your opinion?
Not completely impressed with Ultima—doesn’t want to rinse away nicely. (both 2BM and foam gun) Also, it doesn’t seem too slick for me either. It’s grabby for me with every wash media I have. (zymol sponge, meguiars MF mitt, MF Madness Incredimitt, standard synthetic wool pad)
Plus it irritates my skin.
Mine don’t get too dirty…mostly because I do sometimes clean panels here and there with rinse-less washes as well. When I’m bored or if I have 15-20m to spare, I’ll go clean the hood nicely, or front bumper, etc…yeah I’m weird.
Interesting and noted.
Yeah that’s not what I meant, so I apologize for the word ‘terrible’. Nothing seems to be too terrible except Chemical Guys’ Glass Cleaners….crap I did it again. J
Probably Optimum’s Car Wash would be my top choice for recommendations.
Garry Deans The Perfect Soap: Only used it twice so far. Loved it both times, but didn’t quite test it. (only have the, I think, 8oz bottle)
Adam’s New formula Shampoo (Old Formula was just as good if not better than Optimum IMO), I liked it, but I’m not sure if I love it—the new formula. The old formula to me was flawless, but I haven’t used the new formula enough to get a good feel yet.
Poorboys Super Slick and Suds: Just recently bought this one and have used it a handful of times. I liked it a lot, but haven’t put it to the tests yet.
Meguiar’s Hyper Wash- Just a great all around performer.
Oh ok, so a mix. I’ve never really thought about mixing shampoos, maybe I’ll try it.
I would recommend it to anyone. All around great performer.
Swanicyouth
New member
Accumulator, I don't *think* I ever posted the last statement you have attributed to me. For one, I don't think I've ever spelled Duragloss as ""Dura gloss". I don't "eyeball" my soaps either.
Anyway, no big deal. Basically, most soaps are pretty decent - some stand out as great. My Griot's experience was from an 8oz bottle I got at Advance Auto Parts and a 4oz sample of their wash n wax I got at Detail Fest.
Anyway, no big deal. Basically, most soaps are pretty decent - some stand out as great. My Griot's experience was from an 8oz bottle I got at Advance Auto Parts and a 4oz sample of their wash n wax I got at Detail Fest.
PA DETAILER
DETAILED TODAY?
PRIMA HYDRO WASH is a great soap for maintaining a hydro max finish. Again, i have used quite a few over the years, and hyper wash is a stand out. Very good in the foam gun and bucket. And the dilution ratio is a money saver.
Accumulator
Well-known member
Swanicyouth- Ah, OK...guess I'm getting mixed up trying to reply a bit too quickly 
Kacz- Thanks for the detailed explanations!
That's funny about the Ultima's rinsing, maybe it gets back to the water or some other wildcard variable. And I agree, if something irritates your skin use something else! (note that I wear gloves anyhow..)
Optimum's Car Wash always seems to get good reviews, so hey..if that's working then that's that
Kacz- Thanks for the detailed explanations!
That's funny about the Ultima's rinsing, maybe it gets back to the water or some other wildcard variable. And I agree, if something irritates your skin use something else! (note that I wear gloves anyhow..)
Optimum's Car Wash always seems to get good reviews, so hey..if that's working then that's that
Did a wash tonight with 3d Wash and Wax. $18 a gallon is a nice price.
Has nice lubricity. I can't determine how well it cleans yet since washing my Explorer recently coated with FK1000 nothing sticks to it.
It rinses off nicely too.
Looks like I'll be buying a gallon of 3D Pink that Accumulator suggested.
Has nice lubricity. I can't determine how well it cleans yet since washing my Explorer recently coated with FK1000 nothing sticks to it.
It rinses off nicely too.
Looks like I'll be buying a gallon of 3D Pink that Accumulator suggested.
Accumulator
Well-known member
As with the FK1000P, I'll be interested in how it works for you and I hope my recommendation doesn't turn out to be waste of your money.
rlmccarty2000
Active member
Since Vega was nice enough to put some soaps on sale for Spring detailing I thought I would revive this thread and say that my new favorite is Ultima Paint Guard. It's a little pricy but it's concentrated so you can use less. It's great for coated cars because it rinses clean. Just use the recommended amount in your foam gun and it will produce an amazing amount of suds. I prefer it to CarPro Reset on coated vehicles due to the sheer volume of foam, and it looks like it provides more lubrication to keep the swirls away.
Accumulator
Well-known member
With the exception of Kacz, it sSeems that *EVERYBODY* who tried the Ultima loves it.
How did you find its lubricity and rinsing? (There are a few potential wildcard-variables that might explain differing experiences with it, but ever since Kacz posted his lukewarm take on the Ultma I've been keeping a closer eye on the topic.)
rlmccarty2000
Active member
Both lubricating and rinsing are top notch. The wool mitt I use just glides over the paint and after rinsing there is no film that I can see or feel left. Of course the coating probably helps with the rinsing properties. I think it would be difficult to say there is a better wash media than Ultima if you are looking for one that leaves nothing behind. DoDo Supernatural Soap is good but it does not have the same lubricating properties of Ultima. Ultima just seems to be more concentrated than any other soap I have used.