# Shampoo - What we want - What they actually offer



## Otto (Feb 2, 2013)

Shampoos are always updating and changing. So with this in mind I wanted to hear an up to date opinion set on shampoos.

*Let's hear what it is you all want from your Shampoo and why?*

The big topics on shampoo which I think are raised the most are:

Suds/Foam
Lubricity
Cleaning Power
Glossing Power
Colour and Scent

*Also lets hear which shampoos have lived up to their claims.*

One major point I find is nearly always over-rated is their dilution rates.
With some of the key players including Spa, Car bath and CarChem offering high dilution rates (1:2000 with SV CB) have you found these accurate?

I know some will say this has been answered before but with new products always arriving and recipes always updating it would be good to hear an up to date opinion set. I think there has been a lot of rave about being able to customise your shampoo with a lot of hype around CarChem and Spa as well. It should be considered that our needs are always changing too. I would estimate that coatings are now becoming more and more popular which would more than likely dictate the use of specific shampoos in some cases with top up ability and less cleaning power being required in some cases with coating offering self cleaning capabilities over and beyond waxes.

So lets hear your thoughts on shampoos.
What you want from a shampoo and why?
What shampoos have lived up to their claims?

Thanks everyone
Otto


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## james_death (Aug 9, 2010)

Bilt Hamber Autowash... 5ml all thats needed cleans great and rinses off to leave nothing behind.

Plain simple does what i want, cleans and thats it.

Scent and colours im not bothered about if it smells nice its a bonus but all i want is a shampoo that simply cleans.


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## efib (Sep 18, 2012)

I want good lubricity, cleaning power while being wax safe and a really nice scent since it's the product I use most often if it's sudsy it's a nice addition too but I think that this is up to the PW you are using.
The last year I almost use m&k spa and I really like it.
I think that the dilution ratio is 1:1000, I use it that way and it never failed me :thumb:


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## mr v6 (Jun 29, 2007)

Autosmart Duet at about £12 / 5L does it for me, has done for the last 2 years.


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## Otto (Feb 2, 2013)

mr v6 said:


> Autosmart Duet at about £12 / 5L does it for me, has done for the last 2 years.


What is it you like about it and why??

Do you have any particular needs such as pro detailer needing to keep good margins or use on a daily driver etc etc?


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## CleanCar99 (Dec 30, 2011)

AB Banana gloss, just fastastic stuff. Smells nice and is very slick. I also love megs shampoo plus, again smells nice and is slick.


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## Blueberry (Aug 10, 2007)

My favourite for a long long time was CG CW&G. A great cleaner which does add a nice gloss. Correct dilutions are perfectly safe on your LSP. Tried many others but always went back to CG as nothing came close to it.

Recently a newcomer to my collection is running CG close and that's Car Chem 1900:1. You only need the tiniest drop. It suds nicely (if that's your bag), good lubricity but most of all an excellent cleaner. Used it today on my car which was extremely dirty having covered about 800 miles and not been washed since beginning of December.


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## cole_scirocco (Mar 5, 2012)

Poorboys Supersuds does me well, cheap and cheerful. Really works wonders. Wouldn't mind a coloured shampoo though.


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## Otto (Feb 2, 2013)

Blueberry said:


> My favourite for a long long time was CG CW&G. A great cleaner which does add a nice gloss. Correct dilutions are perfectly safe on your LSP. Tried many others but always went back to CG as nothing came close to it.
> 
> Recently a newcomer to my collection is running CG close and that's Car Chem 1900:1. You only need the tiniest drop. It suds nicely (if that's your bag), good lubricity but most of all an excellent cleaner. Used it today on my car which was extremely dirty having covered about 800 miles and not been washed since beginning of December.


Does the fact that you can customise colour and smell add the product for you if you went for this choice?


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## mike41 (Apr 5, 2011)

Megs Hyperwash 400:1 dilution,works well for me,suds and lubricity as I expected,can also be used as a snowfoam-2 pumps(60ml)filled to 3/4 litre water. 

Autobrite Banana Gloss 400:1 dilution,not quite as sudsy(?) as Hyperwash,lubricity the same and cleans about the same,by that I mean using the lightest of pressure with my washmitt for both.

AG BSC didnt feel as slick as the 2 above but cleaned as well IMO,surprise to me was Turtle Wax Ice Shampoo,mega slick and suds even more than the rest I'd say with about the same dilution rates. Wish I'd bought more than 3 bottles.

Im not too bothered about scent or colour tbh 


Mike


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## Blueberry (Aug 10, 2007)

I first tried a sample of this shampoo from a friend (Car Chem) and was so impressed decided to buy a full bottle. The fact that you can personalise it, only added to the experience but it's not the sole reason for using it. It doesn't require any gimmicks and you can just buy the normal bottle of you want. The fact remains it is a very good shampoo and with the dilution ratio will last for quite a long time.


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## k9vnd (Apr 11, 2011)

Blueberry said:


> My favourite for a long long time was CG CW&G. A great cleaner which does add a nice gloss. Correct dilutions are perfectly safe on your LSP. Tried many others but always went back to CG as nothing came close to it.


Will second this but recently been using blackfire shampoo and the sonus deep gloss shampoo, both work exceedingly well, I add 2 small cap's and it's more than enough. 
Think the reason for these to be my now fav are based on the car wearing the 22ple or the pa centurion sealant, where as id like to see the outcome of the wash if the car was wearing a wax.


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## Ebbe J (Jun 18, 2008)

If it's a maintenance shampoo, I'm mainly looking for: (other than a good ability to clean)

- LSP-friendly nature; doesn't interfere with the applied LSP and doesn't leave something behind which compromises the dirt/water repellency of the LSP. 
- Lubricity - a key component in avoiding wash marring IMO.
- Decent amount of suds, long lasting foam is more important than extreme suds that last for a second. I feel that suds helps with the lubricity, other than that, it's just suds. 
- Easy rinsing; even after it has dried a little. 

I'm avoiding those "1:10000002321" shampoos. They may clean well, but lubricity is non-existing if you're using a sponge compared to more conventional products like e.g. Poorboy's Super Slick & Suds, Lusso Autobathe, Sonax Glanz Shampoo(....).


Kind regards,

Ebbe


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## Spike_11 (Jul 2, 2013)

I have been using werkstat wash great product, leaves a brilliant finish and gloss. Not cheap I might add but well worth it.


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## Otto (Feb 2, 2013)

Ebbe J said:


> I'm avoiding those "1:10000002321" shampoos. They may clean well, but lubricity is non-existing if you're using a sponge compared to more conventional products like e.g. Poorboy's Super Slick & Suds, Lusso Autobathe, Sonax Glanz Shampoo(....).


Could not agree with you more about high dilution rates vs lubrication.
I have found that even some of the ones people rave about, you put say 10ml in 10 litres of water (which equates to 1:1000 ratio) and all I get is water which is a little frothy. You put your hand in, rub your fingers together and it dosnt feel very slick either. cleans okay but then I think most do, even a washmitt dipped in plain water will clean a treated car to a degree!! Considering the ratio is double the recommended and still dosnt go well makes me think it could be an overstatement with these high dilution ones.

Has anyone found any other 1:2000 odd shampoos that really work other than Blueberry and Car Chem?


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## Wax Tec (Jun 19, 2013)

Some good points raised here that we will definately be looking into for future developments.


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## DJ X-Ray (Sep 2, 2012)

Lubricity and cleaning power. Suds and smell doesn't interest me.. Tried and got enough to last a lifetime.. These two are my favourites
Autoglym BSC
3M C S.


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## Dan-SRi (Jan 30, 2011)

CG Maxi suds...
No gloss, no special fragrance. Just great suds and good cleaning power. I use around 10ml in 5L of water. LSP safe too!

It's one of my favourites to use as it ticks all the boxes in what you want with a shampoo and quite cheap!


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## LittleMissTracy (May 17, 2012)

Its got to clean the car, thats it. Smell and suds is just a bonus to me.
I got GC CW&G and DJ SN Shampoo about 18 months ago, I'll admit I fell into the marketing of DJ.
CG CW&G for me all the way, cleans very well, small dilution will clean Albartho brilliantly if not been bathed for a few weeks. Smells fab which is a bonus (and I'm a girl) And have used only about an inch out of the bottle so value for money.
DD SN Shampoo is ok for a maintenance wash on the dilution given.
Can't see me trying any other shampoos for a while


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## suspal (Dec 29, 2011)

LittleMissTracy said:


> Its got to clean the car, thats it. Smell and suds is just a bonus to me.
> I got GC CW&G and DJ SN Shampoo about 18 months ago, I'll admit I fell into the marketing of DJ.
> CG CW&G for me all the way, cleans very well, small dilution will clean Albartho brilliantly if not been bathed for a few weeks. Smells fab which is a bonus (and I'm a girl) And have used only about an inch out of the bottle so value for money.
> DD SN Shampoo is ok for a maintenance wash on the dilution given.
> Can't see me trying any other shampoos for a while


What about that new Head & Shoulders apple then? :lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol:


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## -Raven- (Aug 26, 2010)

Nice topic!

For me, I got a few shampoos for a few specific reasons! Just like polishes, there is no one shampoo for all jobs! 

*Dilution rates* - I love being able to use 30ml (easy to measure out with a shot glass) in 6-8L of water. No more, no less, easy to deal with. :thumb:

Interestingly the current Chemical Guys CWG BS 1:4000 dilution rate came from some thread on here where someone used a syringe with the tiniest amount and got some bubbles..... The old dilution rate was what, 1:500 or something? Got to love the CG marketing again, even when they can't get their volume conversions right! (3.8L is not 5 gallons, and 5ml in 3.8L is not 1:4000 hahaha!) 

*Suds/Foam* - I like a few bubbles, but hate massive amounts. I like to be able to see where im washing so i dont like massive suds. I've got some shampoos with no bubbles what so ever like Swissvax Car Bath and it is just weird to use. I like just enough to know that it's a shampoo! 

*Cleaning power* - The shampoos ultimate job right? I like different shampoos for different jobs. Got truck wash for filthy jobs, and use just regular shampoos for normal jobs. Usually cleaning power doesn't really matter to me, if the car is real grubby, I'll adjust my snow foam / pre soak to suit.

I got a few special shampoos to clean and freshen coatings, clean up mineral deposits, and freshen up hydrophobic effect. Pretty specialised stuff!

*Glossing power* - Again, need different shampoos for different jobs. From wanting absolutely no glossing power for use with coatings and fresh waxes etc, to maximum glossing power for use with sealants and old waxes etc.

*Colour and Scent* - Both I think are important just to let you know you are not just using water! Just enough colouring to change the colour of the water is needed, and a plesent scent is always nice.


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## LittleMissTracy (May 17, 2012)

suspal said:


> What about that new Head & Shoulders apple then? :lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol:


Ha ha, Apple!
H&S is a blokes shampoo (don't shoot me down) as every girl I know who uses it says it stripes their colour out of their hair. My brother uses it too.


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## focustjohn (Sep 12, 2013)

IV got dodo juice basics of bling and I think it's ok, just bought some AB banana gloss so I'm waiting to use that


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## nick.s (Dec 21, 2009)

I couldn't give a rats ass about the scent as long as it doesn't offend. Suds, I can take or leave. What is crucial to me is the lubricity of the solution. If it is slick and cleans well, I'll take it. 

I use a few shampoos that give me what I want. Some are dedicated shampoos, some are W&W type products. In particular, I like:

AB Banana Gloss - Slick and cleans well
3D Wash n Wax - As above, and is dirt cheap
Stjarnagloss Tangerine - More expensive, but certainly very good

There are more, but those are my goto products.


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## GreyLeonFR (Mar 17, 2012)

Prima hydro wash has been the best I've used so far. The lubricity is really good, smells fantastic and has good cleaning ability and leaves nothing behind, a real joy to use and everything I want in a shampoo. Dilution ratio could be better but I got 3.8ltr for £8 in shinearamas crazy sale. 

Carlack does a great shampoo too, I forgot how good this stuff really is until it was the only shampoo I had to hand. 

I've got the car chem 1900:1 too and to be honest I wasn't impressed with the lubricity on that, even when I upped the dilution it still felt a bit draggy and well, cheap. 

I've got about 20 other shampoos that are wax fortified or meant to aid sheeting (clean max) that are good shampoos but when you have a good LSP I can't see any point in using fortified shampoos especially. 

As soon as the recycling centre has an "old car shampoo" bin I'll get rid of the others as they just take up space.


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## adjones (Apr 24, 2013)

The carchem seems popular but they'll never be a let to do that to any scale. It seems weird really, you could see a niche brand doing it but they are big bulk manufacturers. It's an incredibly labour intensive product.


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## Otto (Feb 2, 2013)

-Raven- said:


> Nice topic!
> 
> For me, I got a few shampoos for a few specific reasons! Just like polishes, there is no one shampoo for all jobs!


A fantastic point raised by Raven here
Not only do each of us have different requirements but these will vary with each of us dependent on time of year period since last wax/lsp application etc etc.

Some attributes are a must yet others variable dependent on usage.

*Lubrication*- A must as it needs to slick to avoid dragging/marring etc

*Cleaning Power*- Dependent on LSP applied and usage as well as wash freq

*Suds/Foam*- Dependent of personal preference

*Gloss/Hydrophobic/Hydrophillic Top Up*- Dependent on your requirement and LSP on car

*Smell and Scent*- Completely personal preference with the exception that A Smell reassures us that there is a shampoo there

*Dilution Ratio*- This is often a key selling point where the price of shampoos is justified yet the theme seems to be that most of us exceed the stated dosage. Furthermore judging from the amount of responses ref the more expensive shampoos it would seem that regardless of high dilution and better value claims they are not that popular.


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## 123HJMS (Mar 13, 2013)

adjones said:


> The carchem seems popular but they'll never be a let to do that to any scale. It seems weird really, you could see a niche brand doing it but they are big bulk manufacturers. It's an incredibly labour intensive product.


They make a a lot of products for big/niche brands though so they supply what the brands want


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## Junior Bear (Sep 2, 2008)

For me it is good lubricity


But most off all I like a shampoo that leaves a thick residue on the surface. By this I mean something that allows the shampoo not to dry on too quick. Allowing me to do the whole car then rinse without suds or watermarks drying during the wash process. A massive help in the hotter months


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## 911jonny (Nov 9, 2013)

DJ X-Ray said:


> Lubricity and cleaning power. Suds and smell doesn't interest me.. Tried and got enough to last a lifetime.. These two are my favourites
> Autoglym BSC
> 3M C S.


Which auto glym shampoo is BSC?


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## mike41 (Apr 5, 2011)

Bodywork Shampoo Conditioner :thumb:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb...ords=autoglym shampoo&sprefix=autogly,aps,178

Mike


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## 123HJMS (Mar 13, 2013)

I've only used 2 shampoos mutliple times and they are AG BSC and AS Duet. The AG stuff just dried so bloody quick you'd have a  load of water marks where as the duet is a lot slicker and doesn't dry anywhere near as quick! Great price too! I've only got about 1L left of the Duet and will replace with a pure shamoo ... something like CarChem or AF Lather.


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## Sirmally2 (Feb 28, 2011)

Wolfs white satin for me. 

I want a shampoo that doesnt add anything but cleans well and this fits the bill. I never use shampoo buly its dilution ratios, it gets a good ol fashioned "Glug" so dilution ratios dont bother me either.

Just give me a shampoo which is lubey, cleans and doesnt affect my protection and im happy.


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## xJay1337 (Jul 20, 2012)

I don't belelieve the dilution ratio stuff to be honest.
I put "enough" in, never one have I measured out 30ml to x amount of water or whatever. All the shampoos I use are LSP safe though so it's not a problem for me. I prefer to use too much than not enough. I do like using a sudsy shampoo but it's not the most important thing, that would be cleaning power and slicknes.m

Normally I would say I use more like 50 to 75ml of shampoo in a 10L bucket, often I will add some directly to the mitt it's in there as well getting naturally moist.


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## sm81 (May 14, 2011)

-Raven- said:


> Nice topic!
> 
> *Dilution rates* - I love being able to use 30ml (easy to measure out with a shot glass) in 6-8L of water. No more, no less, easy to deal with. :thumb:
> 
> Interestingly the current Chemical Guys CWG BS 1:4000 dilution rate came from some thread on here where someone used a syringe with the tiniest amount and got some bubbles..... The old dilution rate was what, 1:500 or something? Got to love the CG marketing again, even when they can't get their volume conversions right! (3.8L is not 5 gallons, and 5ml in 3.8L is not 1:4000 hahaha!)


Yeah. I don't like either some manufacturers marketing hype....

*Dilution rates* - I like to use highly concentrated shampoos if they cleans well.

*Suds/Foam* - Are okay if suds doesn't dry too quickly and doesn't interfere rinsing.

*Cleaning power and lubricity* - Main priority when I chooce a shampoo.

So I like BH Autowash/AF Lather v2 and Prima Mystique.


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## AndyA4TDI (May 7, 2012)

Angelwax shampoo, very effective at dirt removal, you don't use much so economical and it smells amazing


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## lowejackson (Feb 23, 2006)

Dilution rates. For me, something very simple eg capfull per 5 litres. I am not bright enough and life is too short to work out 1:175 or other silly ratios.

Suds/Foam. Seem to be expected from shampoo's, after several years of using ONR I do not miss them.

Smell. Interesting area. As with other consumer or domestic products, many say smell is not important (including me) although the evidence suggests smell is important to us and can impact on sales


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## Leebo310 (Sep 30, 2013)

I agree, good topic for discussion! 
I just want shampoo to give a good clean and good lubricity that's it to be honest. Anything else is secondary!
Been impressed with the finishkare super concentrate. Cheap for a big bottle too so that's a bonus!


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## MitchB121 (Nov 23, 2009)

I've been using Valet Pro Advanced Poseidon all year and love it! I tried Dodo Juice Born To Be Mild last week and I found it brilliant as well.


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## Norman (Sep 5, 2006)

Lubrication anf cleaning power. BTBM is great, and is really all that I have used for years, unless I am planning to strip the LSP. On the other hand I could not get on with Dodo Sour Power at all


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## Leebo310 (Sep 30, 2013)

Norman said:


> Lubrication anf cleaning power. BTBM is great, and is really all that I have used for years, unless I am planning to strip the LSP. On the other hand I could not get on with Dodo Sour Power at all


What is a good one for stripping lsp mate?


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## Samciv (Jun 9, 2013)

Leebo310 said:


> What is a good one for stripping lsp mate?


Cg citrus wash and gloss is good.


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## Norman (Sep 5, 2006)

Samciv said:


> Cg citrus wash and gloss is good.


Or Fairy Liquid! Seriously I would use a TFR or even a dilute solution of IPA


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## DJBAILEY (May 7, 2011)

CG Citrus Wash Red is the higher concentration wash for stripping. 

I used to use 1Z Perls when I used to use waxes a lot, but now I just use the Duragloss 901. Simple and cheap enough. Smells like cherry. Cleans well and has sufficient lubricity. Seems to have gloss enhancers too so I don't use when a coating is involved.


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