The Best Soap To Wash A Car With A Pressure Washer

So you have your first foam cannon and you combine it with a High-Pressure Washer perfect for your car. But now you need to find the best car wash soap for your pressure washer that will take care of its finish.

Because, if you’re anything like me, you love your car. You rub it with a tender cloth, you always look at it on the driveway when you pass by the front window. Even rubbing little specks of dirt with the sleeve of your favorite hoodie. So yes, you won’t just use a junk cleaner.

I have searched for the best and no doubt you are also searching for the best options. Not all products are the same.

I have personally tried many brands of soap for my car, some of which were effective and some of which were not. Don’t you want the same hassle? Read on to find out everything you need to know about car wash soap selection. By the way, there are no wrong choices below, we have already removed “the weeds”.

1. Meguiar S Gold Class Car Wash Liquid

A well-known California-based company founded by Frank Meguiar Jr in 1901, the OG of the group. They have become one of the world’s leading surface care products companies, providing highly specialized products of almost every type imaginable. It started as a furniture polish but has been a mainstay in car care for decades. The family is real car enthusiasts, even hosting a few TV movies.

Meguiar’s Gold Class Car Wash offers shampoo and conditioner (I can’t even write that without smiling to myself and thinking of hair commercials, but it’s true!). It is a rich foam car soap. If you want a durable foam then this is the material you have been looking for.

This is in the If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it category. Although it saves the planet biodegradable.

Features

It works with an electric high-pressure washer and a foam cannon accessory also known as a foam lance, cleans well, is biodegradable, etc. Mix about 1/5 soap with warm water, this comes out as rich white snow that stays on the vehicle so you can clean it with a microfiber glove. It smells sweet, very pleasant, like something natural, nothing chemical.

If it is rinsed with hard water, it may leave some stains. This same company sells some fantastic soft towels to finish the job without staining. It works well, is gentle on the hands, and doesn’t damage the paint. It can even be used on aluminum rims. This is for the outside only.

It is a mild soap, especially when used with the right soft sponge. Cleans without removing wax protection. Removes tough dirt, road grime, and contaminants. Much more concentrated than other pressure washer car wash soaps.

It also saves you a lot of money, compared to a car wash. This is a great car soap for foam cannons. I hope this review has given you an idea of the product.

Meguiars seems to be the best choice for a quality/value balance. Good lubricity. The color of the car does not matter. Very soft, bubbles pleasantly, exfoliates, and degreases well. Will not discolor plastic or rubber trim, works well with soft or hard water. Washing or drying is incredibly fast.

2. Adams New Champ For Cars, 16-ounce

These guys started in South Cal in 2000 and are now located in Colorado. These incredible products push the limits of chemistry. I think this snippet from their site says it all:

Adam is the type of person who brings a sander on a business trip because he doesn’t want a dirty rental car. Recently, Adam took our forklift out of storage for two hours (stopping all progress on our equipment) so he could wash it outside with a pressure washer. After that, he also thoroughly cleaned the garbage container in front. Some call it crazy, but that’s normal every day around here.

You may have also noticed that Adams’s car shampoo review is one of the most searched for soap articles on YouTube.

It is a gentle car shampoo that maintains a neutral pH formula, meaning it will not remove wax, sealants, or degrade a ceramic coating. Safely and effectively remove dirt, debris, pollen, and other contaminants.

This product works great in your foam cannon, wash bucket, etc. 100% biodegradable and environmentally friendly.

Features

My favorite Amazon review:

Rub a dub, truck in the tub Love this car shampoo!! The suds last for the entire wash and the truck gets clean!! (reviewer: World Traveler)

This works well with a high-pressure washer. The Wildberry scent is amazing. This stuff is super slippery and even though I used it in direct sunlight it didn’t dry out or leave streaks. Produces a lot of foam and leaves no soap residue.

With Adams Detail Spray immediately after rinsing, you can further bring out the shine of the car’s paint. Adam’s foam had a slippery feel, leaves a clean slippery surface, and breaks down mineral deposits in the water. The vehicle seems to shine brighter than other automotive soaps. amazing!

You only need a little soap (1 oz) to create a lot of suds. Keeps the car clean for longer. Easy to use and works well. You get more uses out of this than you realize.

This is the best product I have ever used for a car wash. This is currently the highest-priced product reviewed here, but you get what you pay for and it will last you a while. Not to mention Adam’s guarantee: 110%.

3. Chemical Guys Honeydew Soap And Snow Foam Car Cleaner

Now we come to the 800-pound gorilla in this space, one of the best foam cannon soaps. Although they started small, they dominate the soap category. On Amazon, they are the top 3 products in terms of monthly revenue and 7 of the top 10 products also come from their arsenal!

This US-based brand (actually another California-born company, what’s soapmaking in the Southwest all about?) has been making worthy soaps since 1968 and has gone international ever since with the research and development of soap products. car care chemicals, car wash accessories, polishing. machines and so on.

I have to say this is another great brand.

Features

Back to business, this specialty car detergent is formulated to create millions of tiny, clumped cleaning bubbles.

This ultra-foaming car wash removes dirt, grime, and contaminants, yet is gentle enough on paint as well as all waxed and sealed surfaces. It can safely rinse away dirt and grime from paint because of its neutral pH formula.

Honeydew Soap & Snow Foam Car Cleaner is developed to be safe on all vehicle surfaces including paint, rubber, vinyl, glass, and plastics. It is improved for thickness and slipperiness than before with powerful hyper-surfactants. A streak-free shine is guaranteed and it is safe to use in direct sunlight.

It is easier to use compared to others. For a generous amount of foam, simply mix 1 ounce of Honeydew Snow Foam in 5 gallons of water.

Honeydew Soap & Snow Foam Car Wash is specifically designed to create large amounts of cleaning foam in a foam cannon or foam gun, and can also be used in your pressure washer tank. It adheres to the vehicle like glue and slides off slowly. When rinsed off, it leaves an amazing, clean, smooth surface.

If you put your foam cannon in awesome mode, it will break a bottle in no time. The foam you get and the quality of cleaning are worth topping up! Thanks for the great material, guys! It’s not a huge bottle, so if you use it often, you may want to go for a larger size.

4. Chemical Guys Soap And Snow Foam Car Cleaner Citrus Base

Well, these are chem guys again. This product is pretty impressive too, so here are the specs:

As described above, a dominant American brand in the space and one that pretty much keeps its promise of providing one of the best car wash soaps around. A yellow shampoo that weighs about 1.1 pounds has some special features. It has been around since January 21, 2011, and sales are still high.

Features

This citrus car wash is unique in that it is derived from hyper shampoo and citrus extract. This product is diluted from 1 to 4000, which makes it the highest concentration soap in the world (from what they say, I haven’t been able to review all the soaps in the world yet :)). The company claims that this soap is completely surface-friendly and has a biodegradable formula. Acts on hazardous solvents and surface cleaners.

Its special concentrated citrus extract is formulated to break down heavy dirt, grime, contaminants, and grease on your vehicle in the fastest and easiest way.

So for a delicious car wash, you need millions of foaming suds from your car soap. And this Citrus Wash & Gloss from Chemical Guys is formulated to create tons of foam with any foam gun or foam cannon. The thick bubbles of foam do their thing to remove those dirty particles.

Unique gloss-enhancing formula to bring the shine back to your car and does a decent job of improving your vehicle’s gloss. I especially love the sweet smell of lemon.

A little goes a long way. This is an excellent car soap and is on the recommended list.

5. Mothers 05674 California Gold Carnauba Car Wash & Wax

This is another Top car wash soap that is amazing for pressure washers. This brand also originates from America. It can wash your car quickly and easily. This is the fluffy shampoo that doesn’t affect the paint and comes out with your car’s amazing shine. Boost your existing wax and easily dissolve and remove all dirt, grime, contaminants, and grease from your favorite car.

Features

Its neutral pH formula gives you wash-free protection against the paint. Excellent soap for cars due to its super soapy behavior. I find it powerful and friendly to nature due to its biodegradable state.

I would have no problem using it anywhere in the car. I haven’t noticed any residue if I polished it. This product can be pressure washed with a foam cannon. It may be a bit thick for the detergent tank. Due to its neutral pH formula, you can use it for other purposes.

It gives you more than you thought before you bought it. I mean, it’s definitely worth the price. I have used other soaps as well, but have been using this product for a long time in my vehicles. The shine and protection it leaves on vehicles meet my expectations.

Gold Carnauba Car Wash & Wax was the first Mothers product we used. I was so impressed that I now use some of their other products. The company takes pride in what it does.

This is a fantastic car soap. Smells good, goes a long way with a small amount, and works very fast and great. Especially it leaves a nice shine and leaves no residue. I think you will be delighted with this article.

Factors In Selecting A Car Wash Soap

Easy To Use

It is necessary to use a product that is not troublesome to use in our busy daily life. Therefore, you must inform yourself that it is exactly what you need. It is not recommended to opt for a product that requires other supplies for its use.

Brand

Brand selection is one of the intellectual tasks for getting the best products for you. Some brand claims that their products are the best of all sides, but you can understand the real fact of the performance of the soap. You should purchase the products from the trusted and best manufacturer.

Foam Capacity

The more foam soap provides, the less effort you will have to put into washing your car. It is useful to easily remove dirt and other contaminants. Soap will be considered better if it creates more foam. More bubbles will help you wash your car smoothly and without stains. So before you buy soap, make sure it has foam.

Price

The most important factor in buying car wash soaps is the price given. People look for the best product at the best price. Again, sometimes the price doesn’t matter if the product is beyond desire. Some companies advertise many products saying that their product is better at a reasonable price, but at the end of the day, they can satisfy the customer’s desire. So you have to be confirmed the price of the product.

PH Balance

pH is something that controls the protective surface of the environment. If you have a neutral car pH, you can clean your car or other surfaces without hesitation.

Biodegradable

To keep the environment safe, soap must be biodegradable. If not, after washing soap residue on the floor. It will then mix with the soil and water destroying the soil and water structure. That is why soap should be biodegradable.

Size

If you clean your car, then you know the required portion of regular washing soap. Then you can decide the size.

Protection Capacity

The pressure washer you are using must have the ability to protect the environment and must not contain any harmful ingredients that may be toxic to humans, children, plants, and even pets. And have the ability to wash off without damaging paints and such.

Final Verdict

I’ve only included the good picks, but still, I only recommend you pay for Adams mild car shampoo. It performs extraordinarily well, meets all the specs and some, and well, its biodegradable formula keeps the environment clean and mother nature healthy.

It breaks down mineral deposits in the water so it can scrub and clean in sunlight. Its pH formula helps you wash without damaging your car’s paint. Will not discolor plastic or rubber trim, works well with soft or hard water. Quick in the washing and drying section.

This product can make your car shine like new and offer extra protection for your paint, so your car will look just like it just pulled off the lot.

If you are looking for the perfect car wash machine, check out comparative car wash pressure washers.

FAQs

1. What If I Don’t Have A Pressure Washer?

If you don’t have a pressure washer, or maybe just don’t feel like breaking it out the Foam Gun option is probably best for you. Do not be confused with Foam Cannons which are for pressure washers, and Foam Guns you can use with your garden hose. It’s fast and easy but as you can imagine, you sacrifice some in performance. Whereas a Foam Cannon will lay down a thick shaving cream-like layer on your car, a Foam Gun attached to your hose just doesn’t have the pressure to create foam that thick. But you’ll still get thick suds that will help to loosen and lift dirt more easily.

2. Why Foam? What’s The Big Deal?

Think about sandpaper. What is it essentially? Paper with a high concentration of dirt. This is what is used to remove paint! The dirt on your car is not as concentrated as sandpaper, but even a minimal abrasive effect is going to hurt your paint job. This is why foam is so awesome! Foam attaches and clings to residual dirt and crud and contamination. The thicker the foam the more pillow-like the surface becomes and the less likely you are to scratch the surface as you are removing the foam and dirt.

3. What Is The Difference Between Shampoo And Soap?

Now in this article, like the rest of the world, we have used these terms fairly interchangeably. But depending on the context, they are not always synonymous. There is a surprising amount of chemistry in soap and shampoo formulation. We could talk about combining surfactants with co-surfactants etc, or we could just say shampoo is sudsier and gentler. Some soap is harsh eg: Lye.

4. Can You Use This In A Pressure Washer Detergent Holder?

And it is. These items are great for foam cannons to generate great foam. Having said that, it also works perfectly in pressure washers onboard detergent tanks. Just read the direction of proper concentration to mix properly.

To Wrap Up

I know they look fantastic in their pretty packages and fancy labels, but all these soaps, shampoos, detergents, and washes, just don’t all perform the same.

This is why I recommend you read this article thoroughly or maybe even ask around We love shopping online and getting our stuff the next day, but there is something to be said about going down to the auto parts store and asking the parts guys for their best suggestion. They’re as good as your barber for car stuff gossip 🙂

If you are getting more water than foam then check out the exact soap ratio for thicker foam from this article.