The Best Car Wash Soap for a Cleaner Car

Jason Siu
by Jason Siu
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When it comes to washing your car, you'll want to invest in a proper car wash soap.
The best car wash soaps provide you with a thick layer of foam to easily wipe away all the dirt and grime. Photo credit: Jason Siu / AutoGuide.com

Just as you don’t get great results washing your hair with dish soap, when it comes to washing your car, you’ll be a lot happier using a proper car wash soap. Dish detergents and other household soaps are designed to remove grease, which means they will strip wax or any other protective coating from your car.

Car cleaning products are specially formulated to be used on paint surfaces and clearcoat, with added lubrication so dust and grime glide right off your paintwork when you’re washing. You have lots of options for how to use them, from a bucket and a was mitt, to a garden hose attachment, to a pressure washer and foam gun if you really want to clean your car properly.

Environmentally Friendly Car Washing

As with any automotive care project, you should be aware of the potential for harmful runoff from your cleaning. Lots of people like to go to a local do-it-yourself car wash, where wastewater is controlled, but if you can’t, don’t let water flow into storm drains or other waterways. Gravel and soil make a good filter, especially if you’re using biodegradable, phosphate-free soap, and dump your wash buckets down a sink or toilet so that municipal wastewater treatment (or your septic system) can take care of it. All the soaps on our list are phosphate free, and many claim to be biodegradable.

How We Chose The Best Car Wash Soaps

We combined our personal experience with specific car wash soaps (like the #2 pick that we use in the AutoGuide Garage), past experience with reputable brands, and our metric for calculating weighted user reviews from Amazon and other retailers. We compared those results against against a suite of publicly accessible tools we use to help eliminate fraudulent review patterns, and researched which of the results were best.

There are hundreds of varieties of car wash soaps on the market, so if you’re having a tough time deciding, we’ve got you covered.

Why You Should Trust AutoGuide's Product Reviews

We drive the latest new cars, trucks, and SUVs, but did you also know the team at AutoGuide.com tests tires, waxes, wiper blades, and pressure washers? Before we recommend a product as a top pick in one of our popular product lists, our editors put it to the test. We run through all its features, test the claims that the brand makes about each product, and then give an honest opinion on what we like and don’t like from our personal experience. As experts in all-things automotive, from minivans to sports cars, and from portable jump starters to ceramic coating, we want to make sure you buy the product that’s right for you.

1. Editor's Pick: Chemical Guys Mr. Pink Foam Party

For years, I considered Mr. Pink Super Suds from Chemical Guys the best car wash soap. But recently, Chemical Guys released the new Mr. Pink Foam Party, and after using it for over a month now, I can confidently say it's my new top recommendation. In my review, I praised the soap for the amount of suds it produced, despite using a household garden hose and the Torq Blaster 6 Foam Gun, rather than a pressure washer and foam cannon. The biggest benefit over the standard Mr. Pink Super Suds is the mix of wax in the soap. I was skeptical when I first used the soap, but now I'm convinced that it does leave behind some protection. Not only does the water noticeably bead compared to before, the wax protection doesn't seem to disappear after a week or two, which might be the bigger surprise.


While many people will argue that most quality car wash soaps are similar, I prefer products that create a truly slick surface that makes car washing easier. More importantly, the best soaps require less effort for a better wash and always rinse clean.

Pros

Safe to use on all surfaces, pH balanced, extra slick, rinses clean, phosphate-free, leaves behind a layer of wax protection

Cons

Can be considered relatively expensive, prefer the bubble gum scent of the original Mr. Pink

Believe it or not, a pressure washer and foam cannon wasn't used here, just the Chemical Guys Torq Foam Blaster 6. Photo credit: Jason Siu / AutoGuide.com

Promoted Product – Malco Ultra-Violet Premium Wash ‘N Wax

Save 20% at MalcoAutomotive.com with the promo code AG20.


Having to wash and wax your vehicle takes a little more effort than most of us feel like putting in. Fortunately, Malco’s Ultra-Violet Premium Wash ‘N Wax lets you do both in one simple step.


Ultra-Violet is a 2-in-1 product that provides a durable, high-gloss shine without the extra work. It boasts advanced cleaning agents that produce thick suds that help break down dirt and grime without leaving any streaks behind.

After you rinse the Ultra-Violet off your vehicle, the wax in the formula leaves behind a thin, protective coating that allows water to simply bead away and not leave behind any spots. Once it dries, you are left with a freshly waxed look and a high-gloss shine.


You can use Ultra-Violet with a foam gun or cannon and it is safe for all trim and plastic.

2. Ceramic Protection: Meguiar's Hybrid Ceramic Wash & Wax

The truth is, you might have a hard time seeing the difference in results between our top pick and Meguiar's Hybrid Ceramic Wash & Wax. This ceramic-infused car wash soap leaves behind a noticeable difference on your car's surface in terms of shine and touch. It's a highly concentrated formula, so you'll want to dilute it if you're using it with a foam cannon. From my experience, I found it to be a fantastic car wash soap, and I wouldn't complain if it was the one I had to use for every one of my washes. I personally do find my top recommendation to leave behind a thicker layer of foam that makes for an easier wash, as this Meguiar's soap's suds doesn't seem to last as long.

Pros

Highly concentrated, two-in-one formula, offers ceramic protection

Cons

Not as sudsy as some of the competition

3. Best for Hand Washing: Adam's Car Wash Shampoo

One of the highest-priced car shampoos available comes from Adam’s Polishes. The company’s car shampoo uses a blend of advanced cleaners and polymers to create a rich, thick head of foam during your entire washing experience. Expect to see thick, clinging lather when using this car wash, which won’t strip away any existing car waxes or sealants. It is also pH neutral, so it works on all types of materials and is gentle enough not to dry out rubber trim or plastic components.

We don't quite understand why so many car detailing products are fruit scented, but if it matters to you, Adam's Car Wash Shampoo has a wild berry scent that the company claims “will have you wanting to drink the bottle.” Please do not do that, even though Adams says their cleaning product is "100% Biodegradable and Earth Friendly."

Pros

Ultra-premium car shampoo, thick suds, pH balanced, good for direct sunlight

Cons

Expensive

Recent Updates:

  • April 12, 2024: To offer a more streamlined and better shopping experience, we've reduced the number of recommendations to three. After more thorough testing and evaluation, we have decided to change our top recommendations.
  • January 24, 2024: Added original photography for our top recommendation, Chemical Guys Mr. Pink Super Suds and updated our description/review for the product.
  • April 26, 2023: Added a new promoted product recommendation.
  • January 10, 2023: Updated product links.
  • June 14, 2022: Updated hands-on review and photo of Meguiar’s Gold Class Car Wash.
  • May 24, 2022: Removed unavailable Griot's Garage and Armor All car washes. Removed discontinued Rain-X Wash & Wax, added Rain-X Spot Free Car Wash, and Awarded Best for Foam Guns to Meguiar's Gold Class. Updated introduction and product descriptions. Updated product links.
  • March 4, 2022: Added a promoted product recommendation.
  • June 7, 2021: Removed the promoted product recommendation.
  • March 11, 2021: Updated with a new promoted product recommendation.

We are committed to finding, researching, and recommending the best products. We earn commissions from purchases you make using the retail links in our product reviews. Learn more about how this works.

Jason Siu
Jason Siu

Jason Siu began his career in automotive journalism in 2003 with Modified Magazine, a property previously held by VerticalScope. As the West Coast Editor, he played a pivotal role while also extending his expertise to Modified Luxury & Exotics and Modified Mustangs. Beyond his editorial work, Jason authored two notable Cartech books. His tenure at AutoGuide.com saw him immersed in the daily news cycle, yet his passion for hands-on evaluation led him to focus on testing and product reviews, offering well-rounded recommendations to AutoGuide readers. Currently, as the Content Director for VerticalScope, Jason spearheads the content strategy for an array of online publications, a role that has him at the helm of ensuring quality and consistency across the board.

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