Degreasers

Cleanliness is next to godliness as far as engine bays are concerned. Leave grease and grime under the bonnet and you not only get filthy when performing routine level and belt checks, but it's also very difficult to spot problems such as leaks, cracks and excessive wear and tear. A few minutes with a degreaser can make a huge difference, and once the oil has gone it's easy to keep the suspension, gearbox and other parts clear from dirt.

But which is the best one to maintain your motor's sparkle? We tested a variety of liquid cleaners - both conventional petroleum distillate-based degreasers and the environmentally friendlier biodegradable versions - in order to find the top choice.

Verdict

Our minor irritation at having to buy a larger pack of the Meguiar's cleaner was more than offset by the product's performance, which was nothing short of outstanding. Gunk's new engine degreasant formula proved highly effective, but Autoglym was close behind, with price alone pushing its product into third place.