I was just picking up some car soap yesterday and I always have interesting time picking out new detailing stuff. Now when it comes to soap is there really any difference between car soaps? Waxes and polishes I can see big differences but with soap, all of it seems to be just about the same?

Lets hear from the pro's and other users.

Meguiar’s Gold Classic car wash.

http://www.meguiarsdirect.com/imagesEdp/p84744b.jpg

http://www.meguiarsdirect.com/detail/MEG+GOLD+1

(http://www.meguiarsdirect.com/product_detail.asp?T1=MEG+NXT+64)

http://www.thedetaildude.com/dude/choice.jpg

CliffNotes® Version
No; there are many differences between car wash saops


Car Wash Concentrates

A good quality car wash (Zaino Z-7™ Show Car Wash or Groit’s Car Wash) provides a slightly alkaline pH-7.5 and balanced blend of active biodegradable ingredients, to provide lubrication to prevent scratching, to lift and encapsulate dirt, road grime and oils.

Water quality (pH value, lubrication, mineral content, harness, etc) and other characteristics will affect how well a car wash concentrate works. As well as conditioners to maintain the shine without stripping the paint of essential oils (the way detergents do) and dispersing them in the rinsing process, warm water (not hot) will improve the cleaning abilities of wash concentrates.

The amount of foaming produced has nothing to do with its cleaning efficiency (although it does provide a means of encapsulation as well as acting a cushion between the paint surfaces and cleaning tool) when laundry was done with soap flakes; suds level was an indicator of cleaning performance. Many people still equate a good rich level of suds with cleaning; however, this is no longer true.

Today's quality car wash concentrates are formulated with anionic surfactants that have a very low suds level without affecting cleaning performance. One of the advantages of this formulation is that road dirt and grime are encapsulated in its structure (micelles), which makes for very easy and efficient rinsing.
Harsh detergents found in some car wash soaps contain sodium silicate or sodium hydroxide may etch the surface of the clear-coat leaving white residue or dulling the entire finish. Car wash concentrates that contain a high foaming (suds) agent can be corrosive, if sodium (salt) is used as an agent to create the foaming.

The usual dilution is l oz per two gallons water (using a lesser dilution will leave a film on the paint surface) Avoid products that contain harsh detergents as they will emulsify and leach out any oils or waxes that provide protection and/or flexibility (See also Alkalinity, pH Values, Hard Water, Water Filtration


Author of 110 in-depth, unbiased “Technical Detailing Papers” and a 560 page "Automotive Detailing, Inside & Out" a knowledge base for the perfectionist TOGWT ™ Ltd copyright 2002-2009, all rights reserved.

http://www.thedetaildude.com/dude/choice.jpg

I've tried alot of stuff in the past and this stuff is good too!

i like the turtle wax ice series, the wax is so easy to use and you can even put it on in direct sunlight and it wont haze up when you get it on your plastic like other waxes.definite plus

Meguiar’s Gold Classic car wash.

http://www.meguiarsdirect.com/imagesEdp/p84744b.jpg

http://www.meguiarsdirect.com/detail/MEG+GOLD+1

(http://www.meguiarsdirect.com/product_detail.asp?T1=MEG+NXT+64)

I use this stuff too...:thumbsup: