Keeping your car in good condition is easier said than done for some of us. Some of us may take our ride through the car wash and let that be it, others want to roll their sleeves up and do it themselves. We don’t blame them. That’s why in this list we’ll cover the ten best car wash soap and shampoos for you to use at home. These don’t just clean your car, but they offer a protective layer of wax against the elements and can restore the paint used on your car. Most of these products below can last you over a year.

10 Chemical Guys CWS_301 Citrus Wash

This is said to be one of the best car wash soaps because of the base of citrus and is known for being environmentally friendly. It comes in a gallon bottle, and it can last you up to a year if you’re only planning on cleaning one car.

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It will outshine most any other wax you can buy and even acts as a gloss enhancer that leavers your car glowing. The citrus keeps it from being hazardous and its made with a biodegradable formula. It is also free of artificial colors and additives and leaves a pleasant scent on your car.

9 Meguiar’s G7101FFP Gold Class Car Wash

This is one of the more acclaimed names when it comes to shining up your automotive tools and machines. This is designed specifically for ultra-modern-style cars, to shampoo and condition them all at once. The formula eats away at dirt and grime as well as other contaminants to effectively clean your car. You will also have some decent wax protection with this brand to make sure that your car isn’t damaged in any way. It is more than easy to use and is often the preferred choice by professionals and fellow car enthusiasts. It comes in 128 ounces that will leave you with eight to ten washes.

8 Adam’s NEW Car Wash Shampoo Gallon

This company has been around since the early days of 2000. It has been vigorously tested and researched with every product as the concentrated formula acts as a foaming wash. It makes a thick layer for the deep cleansing process that is pH balanced, and the layer lasts for a pretty long time. This ensures cleaning is the best it can be without stripping off the wax as it eats away at the dirt particles. The formula makes the wash biodegradable, so you don’t have to worry about hurting the environment. It comes in a gallon container that can last you up to a year.

7 Meguiar’s G17748 Wash & Wax

We know we already told you this was a go-to brand for keeping your car clean, but just one entry wouldn’t be enough. It is perfect for adding that extra little kick in the wax department for your car and even works well for restoring the old paint job. But it doesn’t just make your car shine, it also adds an extra layer of protection. So you don’t have to worry about the pH balance stripping away the car over time. It comes in a bottle, which will net you a few times to properly keep your car in a pristine condition.

6 Mothers 05674 California Gold Carnauba Wash & Wax

We would recommend this to both beginners and professionals, or really anyone just trying to buy the best for washing their car and save a few bucks. It will give your car a beautiful, glossy result that keeps you from having to buy a separate wax, but removes all dirt gently. The washing aspect of the job may not be filled with suds, but it does its job well enough when tackling dirt. The pH balance here assures you that there won’t be any streaks or watermarks left over, and the entire formula is biodegradable and comes in a 64-ounce bottle.

5 T-472R ICE Car Wash from Turtle Wax

This company offers a wide variety of car washing products. They claim their formula integrates the most innovative technology so they can deliver the best results possible. It uses trademarked ICE technology to provide an intense shine that protects your vehicle’s finish.

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There are interlinked polymers that build an invisible barrier that provides weather protection and gives off a rich lather that kills all the grime and dirt particles on your car. The pH level means you do not have to scrub on your car as aggressively as you may have used to, taking away the potential for watermarks, and it comes in a 48-ounce bottle.

4 Griot’s Garage 10866 Car Wash

This is the way to go in terms of using special brighteners that only intensify the finish on your car. It is said to work best with bold colored cars and it leaves them looking freshly painted. Because of its formula, you really only need an ounce of the stuff to get a protective layer. It comes in 64 ounces, so the stuff can last you well over a year. It is safe to be used on all car finishes and offers a streak-free cleaning solution to road grime particles. You can rest assured your car's wax will stay intact.

3 Turtle-Wax T-79 Zip Wax Liquid Car Wash & Wax

This is the last time you’ll see Turtle Wax on this list, but they are going out with quite the bang. This is safe on all forms of glass, metal, paint, rubber trim and plastic. It’s also completely environmentally friendly, meaning the formula is still biodegradable. It can be used to clean any part of your car, and it washes away the dirty bits of your paint job. You don’t have to worry about dirt or swirls either. Even better, the product offers a shine that looks like you just had it handled by a professional. It comes in 64 ounces and offers you a year's worth of washing.

2 Nanoskin NA-CSS640

 

Nanoskin offers one of the best products for keeping your car clean. The suds are super concentrated, which helps it give off it's signature thick layers that are excellent for hand or automatic washing systems. It is environmentally friendly, and like all the other entries, it is also biodegradable. It comes in 5-gallons jugs, so make sure you really dilute the soap with enough water. It works great when kicking grime off your car, and there's enough for you to clean your car for a little over a year with the amount that you get. You can even hand wash your car with this, just make sure you dilute it enough.

1 3M 39000

 

You don't need that much when using this product. An ounce of this stuff will get the job done, and that’s typically a cap full. Drop it in a bucket of water and you won’t have to use it again throughout the entire car wash. The formula allows you to get the particles that would otherwise scratch or strip your car if you tried to get ahold of them. It prides itself on being a gentle cleansing liquid that won’t remove your wax, but restore it instead. It is 100 percent safe for all clear coats and it comes in a 16-ounce bottle.

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