The best car cleaning products tried and tested 2024

Touch-Less is the latest snow foam launched by Bilt Hamber, and is made from bio-degradable sugar-based ingredients with no solvents or caustic soda included. It is completely pH neutral and acts as a pre-wash as well as an agitating snow foam.

It soaks in, lifts and breaks the dirt away from paint very effectively without damaging it or any protective coatings on top. We tested Touch-Less alongside an army of other snow foams and observed that the result was a clear level above all others, though we believe it's best used when agitating separate pre-wash, though you can get away with using it on its own.

Read our snow foam group test here.

This pH-neutral snow foam from Autoglym is far gentler than the Bilt Hamber option, handy to know if this is your first foray into the world of snow foam. It's also a textbook example of snow foam when applied to a car, leaving a nice thick layer of foam on the panels that'll help soak debris and loosen it ready for cleaning.

Our testing found it to be excellent even when applied via an entry-level pressure washer. The foam was largely effective against the types of road film and grime present on our test car while still being easily rinsed away.

Read our full Autoglym Polar Blast review.

Pre-wash is designed to break down the top layer of grime and dirt before you rinse it off and proceed with the snow foam, shampoo, and so on. With a bit of agitation from a detailing brush, it should make things considerably easier when washing the filth off your vehicle.

Car Gods' Almighty Pre-Wash is the best of the lot. You are supposed to agitate pre-wash with snow foam, but this product is so powerful, you don't really need to. Leaving it to set in, agitating and rinsing is enough to provide a shiny layer of paint underneath - even if not fully clean.

With a ceramic coating mixed into the product, you get a free layer of ceramic coating after you finish using it. This encourages water beading which makes things a load easier when drying with the microfibre towel. You don't get optimum protection from the ceramic, but it's a great way to easily protect your paintwork.

Bilt Hamber Auto Wheel Cleaner is as no-nonsense and effective as its name. In most cases, you'll just need to spray it onto alloy, steel or aluminium wheels, let it dwell for a couple of minutes and rinse it off before for some truly sparkling alloy wheels.

For really mucky wheels, a good prod with a wheel brush may be required. It's exceptionally gentle on the wheel surface too while still cutting through grime with ease. With that said, when testing on a set of alloys that haven't been cleaned in years, it didn't get all the dirt off.

Targeted to tackle brake dust, Gtechniq's Iron Fallout Remover does a sterling job at attacking the deposits from your brake pads. It's a pH neutral spray that can also deal with road grime and fallout, too.

It's safe to use on wheels which are also waxed and/or protected in a ceramic coating, and with enough agitation from the wheel brushes and barrel brushes, it gets a wheel looking reassuringly shiny and smooth to touch. It uses a thick gel formula, and you can tell because while agitating, it almost has a ceramic feel to it.

The most versatile cleaning product without a doubt is a good all purpose cleaner. These dilutable cleaning products cover so many bases that it can be tempting to think it's all you could possibly need to clean a car, inside and out.

Gtechniq's W5 APC is 100% biodegradable which is a great bonus. It's a great product if you need to tackle one little job in every area of your car, from your bodywork to your dashboard. The only real downside is that a 500ml bottle is never going to blast as long as a 1 litre or more size.

Keeping your windows clean is essential. They're the only things you see out of, and sunlight glare is considerably worse when your windscreen is covered in muck. Autoglym's Fast Glass doesn't use abrasive substances, waxes or silicones. This means there are no residue stains after application, which means a crystal clear windscreen.

You simply buff it with a microfibre cloth after spraying onto each window, and it can also be used for mirrors, screens used inside, and even paint and plastics. For paint, it won't be as effective as other cleaning products, but it's nice to know it can be used if you're running low on APC or some other item.

Wash mitts are preferred over sponges because they don't pick up grit and leave subsequent scratches all over your paintwork as you wash. Autoglym's noodle wash mitt is one of the best on the market.

It's made of microfibre material and is designed to lift up and trap dirt from your bodywork. So long as you use the two bucket method with a grit guard, this thing will be your best friend at maintaining a scratch-free body.

Microfibre towels are the most popular method of drying for car enthusiasts. They're simple, effectively lift up water, and don't leave any scratches behind like a chamois would. There are loads to choose from, but the Meguiar's towel is our favourite.

Not only is it soft, but it also comes in quite a large size (55cm x 85cm), which quickens up the drying process as you can cover a wider surface area than other towels we've used.