Your Favorite Car Shampoo?

[lbls1]

Mother's California Gold Car Wash. It is a trusted staple that I've used for many years, and it provides a smooth, clean result for all of my cars.

[Tom And Cheryl]

OK, not to sound like an Adams commercial but since we brought the Camaro we have used a lot of Adams products on it and have been very happy. The one product that failed (wool wash mitt) they took care of making things right. I really like the detail spray when drying and detailing at shows.

[Joe M 2012 2SS]

Originally Posted by lbls1

Mother's California Gold Car Wash. It is a trusted staple that I've used for many years, and it provides a smooth, clean result for all of my cars.

Didn't have enough lubricity for my liking, clean rinsing was fair, took a bit longer than others. Price is good though.

Originally Posted by Tom And Cheryl

OK, not to sound like an Adams commercial but since we brought the Camaro we have used a lot of Adams products on it and have been very happy. The one product that failed (wool wash mitt) they took care of making things right. I really like the detail spray when drying and detailing at shows.

I have used both the older Red version and the newer Blue version of Adams. Excels at clean rinsing for sure, lubricity is good, it does struggle though on a really dirty car.

Adams does have excellent customer service, Dan @ Adams is great to deal with.

You won't find a better smelling detail spray for sure. The cost is just hard for me to justify, when I can get an alternative that is less than 1/10th of the price, that works just as well.

If you go to car shows, I'd recommend Kenotek Showroom Shine Detail Spray after the wash the day before you go. It leaves an anti-static surface, so dust wont cling to your car. It's a little expensive @ $22/liter, but no other detail spray I know of will keep dust off your car the way it does.

[lbls1]

Originally Posted by Joe M 2012 2SS

Didn't have enough lubricity for my liking, clean rinsing was fair, took a bit longer than others. Price is good though.

I've used Mother's Car Wash for perhaps more years than I can recount. I have tried other car wash solutions, and while other brands had merit, I've always found myself returning to my trusted staple. Mother's car wash solution also provided itself as an excellent clay lube.

Mothers products in general tend to be mild; All or most of their products are environmentally safe and useful to most buyers. Not all of Mother's products are super keen or advant-garde in terms of prowess. I believe Mother's intentions are to provide an easily reachable array of products that can get the job done.

To that end, since my curiosity has been triggered, I may try Zymol's Car Wash solution. It is said to be a very good product, and as much as I like Zymol's products I've yet to try their car wash soap. Mother's Car Wash will still remain as a car care staple in my array of products.

[snarky]

blue coral wash & wax concentrate. 100oz jug about $3 at walmart

[Syclone]

CG's Mr. Pink, works awesome in my foam gun.

[Joe M 2012 2SS]

Originally Posted by lbls1

I've used Mother's Car Wash for perhaps more years than I can recount. I have tried other car wash solutions, and while other brands had merit, I've always found myself returning to my trusted staple. Mother's car wash solution also provided itself as an excellent clay lube.

Mothers products in general tend to be mild; All or most of their products are environmentally safe and useful to most buyers. Not all of Mother's products are super keen or advant-garde in terms of prowess. I believe Mother's intentions are to provide an easily reachable array of products that can get the job done.

To that end, since my curiosity has been triggered, I may try Zymol's Car Wash solution. It is said to be a very good product, and as much as I like Zymol's products I've yet to try their car wash soap. Mother's Car Wash will still remain as a car care staple in my array of products.

I haven't used the Zymol so can't comment on it. If the Mother's provides you with what you want from a soap, by all means, continue to use it.

My car is an un-garaged daily driver, and even though I live close to my work, it does get quite dirty in between weekly washes from time to time depending upon the weather.

Over 3 years ago I spent 30 hours doing a full paint correction on it, so I want to preserve the finish on it. For me when it comes to soap, 3 things are key.

Cleaning power while being safe on LSP's...I've used several soaps that leave some dirt on the car. I don't want to wipe dirt into my paint and scratch it. If a soap leaves this, I throw it away, or give it away.

Lubricity...A soap with high lubricity will keep dirt from scratching while washing. A must for keeping wash marring to a minimum.
Since I wash the car every week, weather permitting, it's going to get some light wash marring over time, this is unavoidable, but keeping it to a minimum, so only finishing polish is ever needed is the goal, so far, I haven't had to use compound again.

Clean rinsing....I like to wash the entire surface (when it's cool, in the shade) before rinsing. You can't do this with some soaps, they will leave streaks/smears. Some others take a lot of rinsing to remove. I like a soap that rinses off easily.

I've tried a ton of soaps trying to find one that excels at all 3 of these things.
Britemax Clean Max is the first one I've used that's great for all 3 of my preferences in a soap.

Carpro Reset is absolutely fantastic as a pre-cleaner. No matter how much film/road grime that is on the surface, after foaming and letting it dwell for a few minutes, and rinsing, there is very little dirt left on the car. I used to polish once every 6 months, since using Reset, I now only have to do it once a year. I don't use it in the bucket though, because your not supposed to allow it to dry on the surface. Again, this is for a coated car, or a car that has a silica sealant on it.

Everyone's situation and preferences are different, and by all means, if you have a product that works well for your needs/situation, I'd continue to use it.

I have found that most people who correct their paint want the same things that I want in a soap. If so, the Clean Max and Reset are fantastic compared to the plethora of one's I've tried.

[Joe M 2012 2SS]

Originally Posted by snarky

blue coral wash & wax concentrate. 100oz jug about $3 at walmart

I threw a bottle of this away!

[Joe M 2012 2SS]

Originally Posted by Syclone

CG's Mr. Pink, works awesome in my foam gun.

A lot of people like this soap, it isn't the best if your car is fairly dirty, but for a garaged car that doesn't get very dirty, I'm sure it's great. I just need a little more cleaning power sometimes.

[lbls1]

Originally Posted by Joe M 2012 2SS

I haven't used the Zymol so can't comment on it. If the Mother's provides you with what you want from a soap, by all means, continue to use it.

My car is an un-garaged daily driver, and even though I live close to my work, it does get quite dirty in between weekly washes from time to time depending upon the weather.

Over 3 years ago I spent 30 hours doing a full paint correction on it, so I want to preserve the finish on it. For me when it comes to soap, 3 things are key.

Cleaning power while being safe on LSP's...I've used several soaps that leave some dirt on the car. I don't want to wipe dirt into my paint and scratch it. If a soap leaves this, I throw it away, or give it away.

Lubricity...A soap with high lubricity will keep dirt from scratching while washing. A must for keeping wash marring to a minimum.
Since I wash the car every week, weather permitting, it's going to get some light wash marring over time, this is unavoidable, but keeping it to a minimum, so only finishing polish is ever needed is the goal, so far, I haven't had to use compound again.

Clean rinsing....I like to wash the entire surface (when it's cool, in the shade) before rinsing. You can't do this with some soaps, they will leave streaks/smears. Some others take a lot of rinsing to remove. I like a soap that rinses off easily.

I've tried a ton of soaps trying to find one that excels at all 3 of these things.
Britemax Clean Max is the first one I've used that's great for all 3 of my preferences in a soap.

Carpro Reset is absolutely fantastic as a pre-cleaner. No matter how much film/road grime that is on the surface, after foaming and letting it dwell for a few minutes, and rinsing, there is very little dirt left on the car. I used to polish once every 6 months, since using Reset, I now only have to do it once a year. I don't use it in the bucket though, because your not supposed to allow it to dry on the surface. Again, this is for a coated car, or a car that has a silica sealant on it.

Everyone's situation and preferences are different, and by all means, if you have a product that works well for your needs/situation, I'd continue to use it.

I have found that most people who correct their paint want the same things that I want in a soap. If so, the Clean Max and Reset are fantastic compared to the plethora of one's I've tried.

I've had experience with both non-garaged and garage queens and, believe it or not, some detailing techniques will be similar. Those are some interesting attributes that you've raised with soap. Your best methods against marring will be a combination of properly washing the car, using a high quality wax or sealant, and properly isolating the car from the elements or rascals (in the case of garage queens). Its easier to get an occasional mar mark on an outside car, but even here if you take the right steps and use excellent products then you should be able to mitigate those occurances to almost a standstill.

One thing I'll agree with you is that a high quality soap has to properly clean a surface without stripping wax or your wax qualities. As long as you don't get hampered by intentional sources of damage, your exposed and stored cars will bring years of good looking results.

[Joe M 2012 2SS]

Originally Posted by lbls1

I've had experience with both non-garaged and garage queens and, believe it or not, some detailing techniques will be similar. Those are some interesting attributes that you've raised with soap. Your best methods against marring will be a combination of properly washing the car, using a high quality wax or sealant, and properly isolating the car from the elements or rascals (in the case of garage queens). Its easier to get an occasional mar mark on an outside car, but even here if you take the right steps and use excellent products then you should be able to mitigate those occurances to almost a standstill.

One thing I'll agree with you is that a high quality soap has to properly clean a surface without stripping wax or your wax qualities. As long as you don't get hampered by intentional sources of damage, your exposed and stored cars will bring years of good looking results.

What is takes to keep a garage queen clean vs. a non-garaged daily driver are very different. The garage queen is mainly getting light dust on it from sitting in the garage. It's not driven in the rain so it gets no road film, it doesn't get pollen on it, tree sap mist, bird droppings, bee poo, or any of the other things that nature will deposit on the surface.

Using a pre-cleaner that removes the majority of this stuff off your paint on a non-garaged car is by FAR the most important step to minimizing marring when washing. If most all the dirt is gone before you touch the surface, the chances of causing marring are greatly reduced. A garage queen doesn't need this, because it doesn't have anything on it that requires it normally. A rinseless or waterless will do for it.

Since a garage queen isn't exposed to the elements, a carnauba wax will last 3-4 times longer on it vs. a non garaged daily driver, because it isn't exposed to the elements except on occasion. On a non-garaged daily driver, wax is a waste of time. You'll be lucky to get 1-2 months from it.

A soap needs good cleaning power. The soap that you use to touch your paint with needs to be able to remove whatever your pre-cleaner didn't easily. If dirt remains on the paint after you wash it, the chances of marring are significantly increased when drying. I always first test out a soap on the wheels. They will be the dirtiest part of the car. If it can handle them, it can handle the paint. A garage queen is going to have much cleaner wheels.

Lubricity is key to reducing marring as well, the higher the lubricity, the less chance of causing marring when your wiping dirt off your paint with it.

Clean rinsing is also key to reducing marring. If a soap leaves spots/streaks/smears all over the paint, you then need to apply something else to remove these, and touch the paint all the more, giving more opportunity to cause marring.

If a soap doesn't have these 3 attributes, it will cause more marring over time using it vs. one that does.

Most soaps are PH balanced, so they won't strip LSP's, but they vary in cleaning power, lubricity, and clean rinsing.

[lbls1]

Originally Posted by Joe M 2012 2SS

What is takes to keep a garage queen clean vs. a non-garaged daily driver are very different. The garage queen is mainly getting light dust on it from sitting in the garage. It's not driven in the rain so it gets no road film, it doesn't get pollen on it, tree sap mist, bird droppings, bee poo, or any of the other things that nature will deposit on the surface.

Using a pre-cleaner that removes the majority of this stuff off your paint on a non-garaged car is by FAR the most important step to minimizing marring when washing. If most all the dirt is gone before you touch the surface, the chances of causing marring are greatly reduced. A garage queen doesn't need this, because it doesn't have anything on it that requires it normally. A rinseless or waterless will do for it.

Since a garage queen isn't exposed to the elements, a carnauba wax will last 3-4 times longer on it vs. a non garaged daily driver, because it isn't exposed to the elements except on occasion. On a non-garaged daily driver, wax is a waste of time. You'll be lucky to get 1-2 months from it.

A soap needs good cleaning power. The soap that you use to touch your paint with needs to be able to remove whatever your pre-cleaner didn't easily. If dirt remains on the paint after you wash it, the chances of marring are significantly increased when drying. I always first test out a soap on the wheels. They will be the dirtiest part of the car. If it can handle them, it can handle the paint. A garage queen is going to have much cleaner wheels.

Lubricity is key to reducing marring as well, the higher the lubricity, the less chance of causing marring when your wiping dirt off your paint with it.

Clean rinsing is also key to reducing marring. If a soap leaves spots/streaks/smears all over the paint, you then need to apply something else to remove these, and touch the paint all the more, giving more opportunity to cause marring.

If a soap doesn't have these 3 attributes, it will cause more marring over time using it vs. one that does.

Most soaps are PH balanced, so they won't strip LSP's, but they vary in cleaning power, lubricity, and clean rinsing.

A garage queen also gets oxidized, not quite as heavily as an outside car, but its there non the less. A lot of people are amazed at this when I tell them (some don't believe it). All you have to do is to look at excellent digital photos of a car at the start after a detail vs. the same car at the end of a detail the following year. That's why I find myself detailing my garage queens every year, despite the fact that they are clean and shiny. A daily exposed car, of course, you'll see the issues after a good winter or after 6-7 months of exposure; But both car examples usually can stretch a detail to once a year (one of their similarities). Also, with a well cared for outside car, I've gotten away with just a paint cleaner machine detail (this requires a previous thorough paint correction process), with a very good paint cleaner. Its also been my experience that although paint cleaners are supposed to be mild, that really good ones exhibit just a hint of cutting power, which is great for stubborn oxidation.

As far as the soaps, it goes without saying that they have to cut all of the dirt and grime without stripping wax. Wheel grime can be one of the hardest forms of car dirt to clean (some wheel oxidation spots have to be handled by special polishes); If your car cleaning solution can make short work of wheel dirt, then you are in good hands. If you're not careful washing then you could pick up mar marks (shampoo and methods), but IMO your best defense against mar marks is the quality of your lsp; As mar marks can come from quite a few sources. BTW I think we have different opinions about carnauba wax and outside cars. I've had wax surfaces last an entire year on outside cars......believe it or not. Its not easy though. It takes an extremely good lsp, a few doses of an application, and dilligent car care. Its certainly true that the finish may dullen a bit after awhile, but your wax surface (most times) will still be there...defending your car against the elements. Carnauba wax is a lot tougher than a lot of people think, but its slick wet properties can be fleeting. The wax itself doesn't go anywhere...in fact it has to be removed and re-applied (polish detail). I am a wax aficionado(did I spell that right??) so I'll spare you the boring details but in a phrase I love carnauba wax and wax finishes in general.

Ehh..just some tidbits.

[Joe M 2012 2SS]

Originally Posted by lbls1

A garage queen also gets oxidized, not quite as heavily as an outside car, but its there non the less. A lot of people are amazed at this when I tell them (some don't believe it). All you have to do is to look at excellent digital photos of a car at the start after a detail vs. the same car at the end of a detail the following year. That's why I find myself detailing my garage queens every year, despite the fact that they are clean and shiny. A daily exposed car, of course, you'll see the issues after a good winter or after 6-7 months of exposure; But both car examples usually can stretch a detail to once a year (one of their similarities). Also, with a well cared for outside car, I've gotten away with just a paint cleaner machine detail (this requires a previous thorough paint correction process), with a very good paint cleaner. Its also been my experience that although paint cleaners are supposed to be mild, that really good ones exhibit just a hint of cutting power, which is great for stubborn oxidation.

As far as the soaps, it goes without saying that they have to cut all of the dirt and grime without stripping wax. Wheel grime can be one of the hardest forms of car dirt to clean (some wheel oxidation spots have to be handled by special polishes); If your car cleaning solution can make short work of wheel dirt, then you are in good hands. If you're not careful washing then you could pick up mar marks (shampoo and methods), but IMO your best defense against mar marks is the quality of your lsp; As mar marks can come from quite a few sources. BTW I think we have different opinions about carnauba wax and outside cars. I've had wax surfaces last an entire year on outside cars......believe it or not. Its not easy though. It takes an extremely good lsp, a few doses of an application, and dilligent car care. Its certainly true that the finish may dullen a bit after awhile, but your wax surface (most times) will still be there...defending your car against the elements. Carnauba wax is a lot tougher than a lot of people think, but its slick wet properties can be fleeting. The wax itself doesn't go anywhere...in fact it has to be removed and re-applied (polish detail). I am a wax aficionado(did I spell that right??) so I'll spare you the boring details but in a phrase I love carnauba wax and wax finishes in general.

Ehh..just some tidbits.

Carnauba wax evaporates completely at 180*F, it begins this process at 140* F. Take a temp gun and use it on a car, especially one with a darker base color, in the late spring/all summer/ early fall (at least where I live) and see what you get. Yes, your wax is evaporating. Road salt they use, or Magnesium Chloride, in the winter, where you live, will strip carnauba wax off.

This is for a "true" wax. Not one with polymers in it, but an all natural one. No natural wax will ever last a year, unless it's put on, car is covered, kept indoors in a temp. controlled environment, and never driven for the year. Outside car? 1-2 months tops. Acidic things like bugs/bird bombs, and mineral deposits like calcium and lime will go through wax quickly.

Sealants evaporate around 300*F. If the temp outside ever gets hot enough to bring your paint to this temp, you'll be dead pretty quick so it won't matter anyway. A good sealant on a properly prepped surface will last 6 months plus. Good sealants are highly resistant to acids and mineral deposits.

Coatings can withstand temperatures to around 800* F. This is part of the reason why they last 2 years.

You can have the best LSP in the world, but if you wipe dirt into it using a shampoo that has lower cleaning power, lower lubricity, and requires something to remove residue it leaves, your going to have more wash marring over time. Plain common sense.

If you want to use wax on your non-garaged car that's your choice. Can it withstand everything that's done to this car?, no way. Will it last as long?, impossible.

My car has never had any oxidation on the paint, light wash marring, yes, oxidation, nope. When clear coat is oxidized it's basically dead paint. This occurs on cars that don't have proper UV protection on the paint. Especially in the summer, when the wax evaporates off the paint, this can occur. Another reason why wax isn't a good choice for a non-garaged car.

[lbls1]

Originally Posted by Joe M 2012 2SS

Carnauba wax evaporates completely at 180*F, it begins this process at 140* F. Take a temp gun and use it on a car, especially one with a darker base color, in the late spring/all summer/ early fall (at least where I live) and see what you get. Yes, your wax is evaporating. Road salt they use, or Magnesium Chloride, in the winter, where you live, will strip carnauba wax off.

This is for a "true" wax. Not one with polymers in it, but an all natural one. No natural wax will ever last a year, unless it's put on, car is covered, kept indoors in a temp. controlled environment, and never driven for the year. Outside car? 1-2 months tops. Acidic things like bugs/bird bombs, and mineral deposits like calcium and lime will go through wax quickly.

Sealants evaporate around 300*F. If the temp outside ever gets hot enough to bring your paint to this temp, you'll be dead pretty quick so it won't matter anyway. A good sealant on a properly prepped surface will last 6 months plus. Good sealants are highly resistant to acids and mineral deposits.

Coatings can withstand temperatures to around 800* F. This is part of the reason why they last 2 years.

You can have the best LSP in the world, but if you wipe dirt into it using a shampoo that has lower cleaning power, lower lubricity, and requires something to remove residue it leaves, your going to have more wash marring over time. Plain common sense.

If you want to use wax on your non-garaged car that's your choice. Can it withstand everything that's done to this car?, no way. Will it last as long?, impossible.

My car has never had any oxidation on the paint, light wash marring, yes, oxidation, nope. When clear coat is oxidized it's basically dead paint. This occurs on cars that don't have proper UV protection on the paint. Especially in the summer, when the wax evaporates off the paint, this can occur. Another reason why wax isn't a good choice for a non-garaged car.

This is an old argument for and against carnauba wax; I know we won't resolve this in this thread. My statement stands based on my personal experience and my years of experience in detailing and using a variety of products. IMO carnauba wax is one of the best products to use for paint protection and enhancing the look of paint.