Pressure Washer Shampoos Tested

There’s nothing like a pressure washer to take the strain out of cleaning your car. Add a specialist shampoo, though, and you can make the job even easier. Blast away the heavy mud and grime, spray on a power washer cleaner, then rinse and you won’t have too much left to shift with a sponge or brush. 

Even if you’re not looking for the easy life, a pressure washer and specialist shampoo can help protect your paint – the less grime you have to shift from the car with a sponge or mitt, the less likely you are to scratch the finish.

These shampoos were once the preserve of pressure washer makers, but there’s now a big choice as car care producers and specialist detailers offer their own versions. They usually come in big five-litre packs, and represent better value than just filling the washer reservoir with standard car shampoo. Depending on the kind of washer and car you have, each clean could be done for less than 20 pence. So which shampoo is the one to give you and your paintwork an easy time? To find out, we blasted 10 on to a series of grubby motors.

The Test

Cleaning power is everything for these shampoos, so we tried them all, to the maker’s instructions, on three cars. Panels were sectioned off, and we rated the products on how much grime was left to be sponged off. We compared them to an untreated panel that had been cleaned with a pressure washer alone. Price was also a consideration.

Don’t ditch your sponge or mitt yet – these shampoos won’t move all the grime. But some get close and are far better than using the lance alone. Top dirt buster was Ultimate Snow Foam, which covered well and left only the faintest layer of grime. It’s expensive but effective. For those on a budget, look to Turtle Wax. Its Universal edges out the firm’s Car & Caravan version. Narrowly missing out on a podium was the powerful yet pricey Bilt-Hamber.