Car wash soap

[Doc G]

What do you all recommend for car wash soap. I have been using Zaino and it works great but it kind of expensive for such a small bottle. Thanks for all recs in advance

[CottyGee]

Meguires Gold Class is cheap and good. I've found it for like $7.99 for a ½ gallon.

[E55 KEV]

I also recommend anything Meguiars. If you wash your car frequently use low sudsing soaps like the Gold Class or their "00" Hi-Tech wash.

High suds remove your protection.

[catchMEifUcan]

And... remember to only buy soap that closely matches the color of your car.

[ink]

Also look for soap that contains oils or conditioners.....these help protect the paint from scratching while removing dirt. I use the pinnacle Bodywork Shampoo and love it. Check out www.properautocare.com, there is lots of useful information there.

[AGGOST]

I make my own. also make wax, foamer, tire cleaner. I work for a carwash manufacturer and we make our own soap.

damon

[AWDRIVER]

:o So. what's the recipe...???? Hook us up..!.

[fatchance]

Meguires Gold Class, you can get it at Costco for cheap and it works well.

[CottyGee]

Just got done doing a mini-exterior detail with Gold Class using my microfiber wash mitt, the two bucket system, and waffle weave microfiber drying cloths. Damn, that car still looks soooo sweet!

[marlinspike]

A lot of people with newish cars really like Meguiar's, but the test of car care products IMHO is to see how good they can make a crap car look. After 20 years as a daily driver, spending the past 11 years of those 20 ousted from the garage, and with my being too young to take care of the car until just a few years ago, the paint on my 1985 MB looks pretty bad (right now it is in for collision repair, the front half is getting some new panels and a paint job, but since I don't have much money right now - poor college student - the rear half is just getting some wet sanding, but the front was bad enough that even wet sanding wouldn't have brought it back). So my car wouldn't look good with any of the things I could buy at an autoparts store, Meguiar's included. So I started ordering stuff and here is what I've found:

Best car shampoo: Sonax gloss shampoo, but it's no longer legal in this country. The second best is P21S bodywork conditioning shampoo (NOT the p21s total auto wash...that's a poorly translated product sometimes marketed as a car wash but in fact it's real purpose is to strip wax off black rubber and to prep a surface to be painted)

Best wax: Best gloss comes from P21S carnuba wax. It's also the easiest to apply and remove product ever. Sadly, if you park outside you'll have to wax every month (but indoors it will last 6 months). If you need better longevity One Grand Blitz Wax is the second best I've found, but P21S is WAY ahead in the depth of shine department. (I have yet to try the pinnacle stuff and griot's garage stuff though)

Best pre-wax paint cleaner: P21S gloss enhancing paintwork cleanser. This is just a cleaner. This is not for removing swirl marks or anything like that

Best wheel cleaner: P21S, they make two, one gel is for caked on stuff, the other more liquidy is for not-caked on stuff. (I have yet to try the griot's garage stuff though)

These products made my paint which was so bad that guys I know who do bodywork told me to experiment with it "because it's not like it could get any worse" look like this
http://Davidson.smugmug.com/gallery/431057/1/17306654