What is a shampoo
Written by: Vinnie van Rooij
Car shampoo is a specially formulated cleaning liquid that is used in combination with a washmitt to clean a car in a safe way. It is recommended to wash a car with a proper car shampoo and the 2 (or 3) bucket method.
Contents
Difference between car shampoo and household cleaning liquids
Household cleaning liquids (like all purpose cleaning or dishwashing soap) doesn’t rinse off easily, has a negative effect on wax and similar products, can actually dry out the paint and doesn’t remove all the dirt a car comes into contact with.
Car shampoo has a very different formulation. Combined with water, it creates a slightly slippery liquid that allows for the washmitt to glide over the paint, decreasing the risk that dirt is rubbed over the paintwork. It also allows for much easier rinsing, which decreases the risk of dried up soapy substance.
Wrong terminology
The word ‘shampoo’ actually means a product that is designed for washing hair. Since a car doesn’t have any hair, the term ‘shampoo’ isn’t really correct terminology. However, the word is so common among detailers and valeters, that perhaps the meaning of the word should be adjusted.
A more correct term for this product would be ‘car washing liquid’. Some people have even tried to make the term CWL a popular term, with no luck.
To compromise, most manufacturers call it ‘car shampoo’.
Additives
Shampoo can contain certain additives to achieve a certain result. There are shampoos that contain gloss enhancers, glaze oils or extra cleaning abilities such as fallout removers. Other shampoos can also contain rinsing agents, anti-watermarks agent or have a certain quick detailer effect. A difference between shampoos can be that one is a bit more slippery, others are thicker, some can be diluted a lot more. Most shampoos are very similar in cleaning abilities, the biggest difference is in how they feel, smell, rinse off, dilute etc.
Snowfoam
Shampoo and snowfoam are not the same products, although some shampoos can be used as snowfoam, they don’t offer the same cleaning properties. Snowfoam is designed to be sprayed on, left to soak and then rinsed off. Shampoo is made to to applied via a washmitt or sponge and then rinsed off.
It is often asked on detailing fora and social media: "what is the best sprayhead". Off course there is a difference between certain products and brands, but it is important to know what you are asking. In this guide I will try to explain what the problem is with this question unless it is asked more in-depth....-
Obsession Wax is a company from England that specializes in high-end custom waxes. The brand is well known for its regular limited edition waxes, but also for its range of commercially available waxes....
-
MADCOW is an UK based manufacturer of detailing products. The brand was founded in 2013 and has been spreading its products over various countries in Europe. It recently found a distributor in America as well....
-
Although carwashes are very popular, they are not the place where detailers are found. There is a reason why detailers don't like a carwash. The art called detailing/valeting is very different to the service that is offered by a carwash....
-
A fallout remover is a special product aimed at decontamination that has the chemical ability to help you to remove iron(III)oxide particles from a surface without having to remove them mechanically. These particles are loosened up via a chemical process, that allows for them to be rinsed off safely. This product is sometimes also called "Iron-X". This is not the name of the liquid, but a productname of Carpro Trading Ltd, which is only one of many fallout removers on the market....
-
Nanolex is German based manufacturer of high-end nano-technology products for the automotive-, marine- and aerial detailing sector. With a collection of products that include, shampoo, coatings, sealants and tools....
[…] je meer wilt lezen en leren over autoshampoo, dan kun je dit handige artikel op DetailingWiki nog […]