Car shampoo discussion.

[Col]

Right then freaks.

Whats best?

This is a cost vs performance debate.

My take on this is the expensive branded / designer stuff is a complete waste of money.

Saying that I do like the idea of snow foam but cannot justify the cost.

Anyway, I use and have been using for years Johnsons (spelling?) BABY SHAMPOO with the trusty two bucket method. It lathers up nice and most importantly cleans really well without leaving a residue OR removing your wax. Smells nice to.

I know people will say that the expensive and exotic stuff will be better but after all a wash is simply a base (for those who are serious about their car cleaning) for what comes after, i.e wax.

I'd recommend to anyone who is going to go to Halfords tomorrow morning, stand in front of the cleaning stuff, scratch their chin for ten minutes and then spend a tenner on some exotic stuff, to go to the supermarket instead and buy a bottle of baby shampoo.

Just think, if it is mild enough not to sting your little'uns eyes it is mild enough for your car. Try pouring some of the exotic stuff in your eyes if you dare to see what happens.

[MKV_BEN]

after spending numerous pounds on car shampoo ive settled with duragloss 901 as it leaves a real nice deep shine which is actualy noticable unlike some of the shampoos ive tried. But as long as it doesnt strip your wax and actually cleans your car theres nowt wrong with any car shampoo.

will have to give the baby shampoo a go myself tho!:biggthump

[elitedetailer]

Baby shampoo is ok but nothing special.

Try Zaino Z-7 Show Car Wash (http://www.elitedetailer.com/cgi-bin/hcat_catalogue.cgi?fa=display&id=2&crid=&cmrid=1&cmpid) , quite simply the best shampoo on the market.

Regards
EliteDetailer

[Col]

Baby shampoo is ok but nothing special.

Try Zaino Z-7 Show Car Wash (http://www.elitedetailer.com/cgi-bin/hcat_catalogue.cgi?fa=display&id=2&crid=&cmrid=1&cmpid) , quite simply the best shampoo on the market.

Regards
EliteDetailer

On a cost performance basis 12 washes for £9.00 might sit well with that gorg red Enzo but on my old shed a bit of baby shampoo makes more sense.

[Sam]

http://www.aabro.co.uk/facilities-30/janitorial-33/cleaning-products-443/fairy-liquid-washing-original-litres-vpgfal5-51369-119845.jpg

£17.93 (inc)

/runs and hides

[Hex69]

http://www.aabro.co.uk/facilities-30/janitorial-33/cleaning-products-443/fairy-liquid-washing-original-litres-vpgfal5-51369-119845.jpg

£17.93 (inc)

/runs and hides

Naughty boy.. 5274

[onzarob]

So Bigcol you use Baby shampoo to maintain shine and polish on the car, What do you use for the initial wash when you buy your car.

Reason I ask is I need to give my car a damn good clean, but its black and I want to do it right....oh and not spend a fortune either ;)


Try Zaino Z-7 Show Car Wash (http://www.elitedetailer.com/cgi-bin/hcat_catalogue.cgi?fa=display&id=2&crid=&cmrid=1&cmpid) , quite simply the best shampoo on the market.

This stuff looks good, i suppose i need a couple of bucket a mit and a towl as well that adds up...do you do a kit ? :)

[Eshrules]

So Bigcol you use Baby shampoo to maintain shine and polish on the car, What do you use for the initial wash when you buy your car.

Reason I ask is I need to give my car a damn good clean, but its black and I want to do it right....oh and not spend a fortune either ;)


This stuff looks good, i suppose i need a couple of bucket a mit and a towl as well that adds up...do you do a kit ? :)

Ideally, for an initial wash, a good foam lance would be ideal to remove the initial grime, but a decent quality shampoo and mitt would do the job just as well, with a bit more effort.

It depends on how far you want to go Rob. If you're intent on looking after the paint, make sure you adopt the 2 bucket method, use one for the shampoo/washing, use the second for plain water, to rinse off in after every wipe of a panel.

I'd say £5 on buckets, approx £10 on a decent mitt, approx £12/15 on a decent shampoo.



the Z7 is an excellent shampoo and I much prefer it to my previously used CG citrus wash n gloss.

[Col]

For the / an initial wash I use TFR (traffic film remover). This will take everything off and provide a totally clean base for what is to come, i.e. a good claying, polish and then wax.

Once you have gone through the basic stages and have the car in wax, you simply need to maintain it. And this is where the Johnsons comes into its own.

Typically I'll go months on the maintainence cycle with monthly waxes before taking it all off with TFR then claying again.

I've tried all sorts of shampoos and quite honestly they all do one thing and that is to clean. How they do this though is the clever part, you want something that does not remove the wax and that does not create any residue. The Johnsons scores on both for me.

The expensive stuff quite obviously does this as well but at a price. It is what do after washing the provides the 'finish'. Getting the muck off with creating swirls is the easy bit.

Fine if people want to splash out on expensive 'poo' make from the secretions off the backs Amazonian Tree Frogs for ££'s per bottle but in my experience it is a case of Emporors New Clothes. If you want to believe the hype, believe it and pay for it. I'd rather use what I use for the 'poo' and spend more on the wax, which is where, in my mind, it counts more.

[Eshrules]

For the / an initial wash I use TFR (traffic film remover). This will take everything off and provide a totally clean base for what is to come, i.e. a good claying, polish and then wax.

Once you have gone through the basic stages and have the car in wax, you simply need to maintain it. And this is where the Johnsons comes into its own.

Typically I'll go months on the maintainence cycle with monthly waxes before taking it all off with TFR then claying again.

I've tried all sorts of shampoos and quite honestly they all do one thing and that is to clean. How they do this though is the clever part, you want something that does not remove the wax and that does not create any residue. The Johnsons scores on both for me.

The expensive stuff quite obviously does this as well but at a price. It is what do after washing the provides the 'finish'. Getting the muck off with creating swirls is the easy bit.

Fine if people want to splash out on expensive 'poo' make from the secretions off the backs Amazonian Tree Frogs for ££'s per bottle but in my experience it is a case of Emporors New Clothes. If you want to believe the hype, believe it and pay for it. I'd rather use what I use for the 'poo' and spend more on the wax, which is where, in my mind, it counts more.

the only argument(s) I have here are, the use of TFR instills fear in my mind, I dislike it's aggressiveness and rarely use it on anything other than badly soiled wheels.

as for the shampoo vs wax argument. A typical bottle of turtle triplewax shampoo will cost around £9/10 from an autofactor, a bottle of the (IMO) better quality shampoo will cost a few quid more and give you a much better 'slate' to start with.

As I've been told countless times, the key to a perfect finish is perfect preparation, if you skimp on the shampoo, clay or polish for example, applying an expensive wax is, for all intents, a waste.

[Col]

Agreed however,

TFR takes everything off.

It is looking at your car in its natural state and lets you know what it is really like. Liken it to seeing a woman without makeup ! If she looks good without it (that is the car and a woman) you know where you are and what you need to do. :p

On the Poo, this arguement could go on forever. I use what I use and would urge you to try it, as if anything it will open up the debate.

[Redzer]

Her indoors will kill me but i think i'll give the baby shampoo a try,

i might as well seing as tea towels, fairy liquid, oven cleaner, vinegar, knives e.t.c. have all been swiped from the kitchen in the past to get put to better use in the shed :D

[elitedetailer]

So Bigcol you use Baby shampoo to maintain shine and polish on the car, What do you use for the initial wash when you buy your car.

Reason I ask is I need to give my car a damn good clean, but its black and I want to do it right....oh and not spend a fortune either ;)



This stuff looks good, i suppose i need a couple of bucket a mit and a towl as well that adds up...do you do a kit ? :)

Hi yes,

Here is a basic kit:

http://www.elitedetailer.com/cgi-bin/hcat_catalogue.cgi?fa=display&id=74&crid=&cmrid=1&cmpid=2

There is also a kit with the buckets but the buckets are sold out and we are awaiting the delivery.

Regards
EliteDetailer

[povar]

Baby shampoo is ok

[quattroturbo10v]

after spending numerous pounds on car shampoo ive settled with duragloss 901 as it leaves a real nice deep shine which is actualy noticable unlike some of the shampoos ive tried.

i agree 100%, i too have tried some other expensive produts but the Duragloss 901 is what i've settled on too, it leaves a really deep shine unlike the others i tried, and it smells brilliant too :D

[davelincs]

Do any of the forum members use dodo juice (born to be mild)shampoo on there cars, i have been using this for the past 6 months now, i used to used meguairs gold class shampoo,but find dodo juice is better

[netherfield]

Hoe does the Auto Glym range stand up,I was given a bag full of stuff by the VW dealer by way of an apology for making a **** up.

[curiousgeorge]

Hoe does the Auto Glym range stand up,I was given a bag full of stuff by the VW dealer by way of an apology for making a **** up.
Is that the "Immaculate Collection"?

I'm going to try the shampoo this weekend and I'll let you know.

[paul b]

I use Autoglym "bodywork shampoo conditioner".

Can't fault it. I've not tried what Zaino have to offer, but the Autoglym is certainly 100x better than the Car Plan stuff I have used in the past. :o

[netherfield]

Came in a Green zip up bag,label says 'Lifeshine'

Sponge,polishing cloths,chamois,super resin polish,interior shampoo,car glass plish,quick clear screenwash,bird dropping wipes,bodywork shampoo conditioner,extra gloss protection,vinyl and rubber care and custom wheel cleaner.

[curiousgeorge]

Came in a Green zip up bag,label says 'Lifeshine'

Sponge,polishing cloths,chamois,super resin polish,interior shampoo,car glass plish,quick clear screenwash,bird dropping wipes,bodywork shampoo conditioner,extra gloss protection,vinyl and rubber care and custom wheel cleaner.
That sounds like the full works. Mine's just a box with SRP, Glass Cleaner, Rubber & Vynil Cleaner and Shampoo Contioner.

[elitedetailer]

Came in a Green zip up bag,label says 'Lifeshine'

Sponge,polishing cloths,chamois,super resin polish,interior shampoo,car glass plish,quick clear screenwash,bird dropping wipes,bodywork shampoo conditioner,extra gloss protection,vinyl and rubber care and custom wheel cleaner.

Hi

You can use it, it wont do any harm but I wouldn't use the chamois and sponge. You would be better off with a lambswool wash mitt and a proper drying towel. See here: http://elitedetailer.com/cgi-bin/hcat_catalogue.cgi?fa=catlist&pid=2&cmpid=2&cmrid=1

Regards
EliteDetailer

[skolapper]

anyone got any preferences on washing shampoo??ive been using autoglym but am prepared to try others.also is there any difference in quality between premium products and cheaper brands??thanks

[elitedetailer]

anyone got any preferences on washing shampoo??ive been using autoglym but am prepared to try others.also is there any difference in quality between premium products and cheaper brands??thanks


Hi

Yes there are quite a few differences between shampoos. Some are stronger than others, some have "gloss enhancing" properties, some produce more suds than other, some are better for sheeting etc etc.

For example the Autoglym shampoo does not produce many suds in comparison to some of its competitors. One of the reasons for this is that its contains certain ingredients which help with the rinsing and sheeting element when you give it the final rinse. These ingredients have an effect of the amounts of suds that are produced.

The Zaino Z-7 Show Car Wash (http://www.elitedetailer.com/cgi-bin/hcat_catalogue.cgi?fa=display&id=2&crid=&cmrid=1&cmpid) produces far more suds and smells great. It also provides better sheeting when rinsing and will produce a finer finish after drying. It is about £3 more but is highly concentrated so you do not need much of it in a bucket.

It is also important for a shampoo to be pH neutral balanced, the reason for this is because it will reduce the chances of you stripping any wax protection that you may have applied before hand.

Regards
EliteDetailer :beerchug: