Since the invention of the motor car, owners and manufacturers have been possessed by an impulse to keep their beloved wheels as clean as possible with the best car cleaning products. The first examples of car waxing date all the way back to the 19th century when animal fats were used to protect the paint on the newly invented motor vehicles, just as they had been used to protect carriages in the decades prior. Since then, detailing manufacturers have endeavoured to advance the car cleaning and protection industry by developing new technologies with certain major breakthroughs along the way.
Today, likely to the chagrin of farmers but the delight of their livestock, we no longer use animal dripping on cars as its abilities have been superseded by a new kind of protection technology – ceramics.
What are ceramics?
Ceramic coatings are chemical polymers that bond with a car’s paint on a molecular level once applied to the surface, defending it from UV rays and water droplets thanks to its hydrophobic properties. If your car already suffers from water spots, you may want to check out our article on the best water spot removers.
Ceramic coating is often favoured over wax by professional detailers as it’s not only a better protectant with great water-beading capabilities but also lasts longer, working for months or possibly years before the need for a new coat. It also produces a candy-like shine to the bodywork that could go toe to toe with the carnuba wax found in any of the best cleaning kits.
For a top-level ceramic coating you’ll need to hand your keys over to a professional detailing workshop. However, over the last decade or so, a new ceramic coating subset has appeared on the DIY detailing market, with many ceramic products now available for very affordable prices, akin to those of the best car shampoos.
Amidst these ceramic product families is a fantastic range of ceramic shampoos – like a two-in-one shampoo and conditioner for your car. If you want to return your car to its former glory and keep it that way for as long as possible, you may want to consider a ceramic shampoo as it’ll save you a little extra cash and a lot of elbow grease by combining two products into one. To help you find the right ceramic shampoo, we’ve put a list of our favourites together.
Editor's choice
This hybrid wash and wax product from Meguiar’s does exactly what it says on the label, only with a few updated chemicals. The product produces a washing action that gently lifts dirt from the surface of a vehicle, leaving a thin yet powerful layer of Ceramic SiO2 protection in its wake. Once clean and dry, this wash and wax will start to produce water beading on your car’s surface, boosting shine and slickness between professional wax applications.
To mix this product, combine each compound to your liking inside the bottle cap then dilute in a bucket of water.
Pros
- Great all-round product
- Trusted manufacturer
Cons
- Needs combining before use.
Best for value
This wash and wax from Turtle Wax utilises hydro-glide washing polymers to lift dirt from all surfaces completely scratch-free. Once the dirt has been lifted and the car cleaned, the chemical formula of this product leaves Hydrophobic & SiO2 polymers for exemplary water beading and sheeting, saving you drying time whilst also serving as another protective layer to defend your paint. The polymers may also enhance the appearance of your car with an improved shine and even its smell thanks to the wax and wax’s fragrant sweet scent.
Pros
- Advanced formula
Cons
- Difficult to find at this price
If your bedroom walls are 50 shades of papaya, you may already be aware of Mclaren’s new car care range but for the uninformed, this is what 60 years of innovation and obsessive perfection culminate to. The brand’s new Ceramic Wash product works much like the other examples on this list: it blends surfactants with ceramic ingredients in the formula to lift dirt like you’ve never seen before, leaving a high gloss, water-repellent hydrophobic finish.
Pros
- Great looking bottle
Cons
- More advanced options available
This ceramic shampoo offers great hydrophobic qualities once its cleaning action has finished, leaving a just-coated candy-like shine to the surface of any vehicle thanks to SiO2 nan-quartz protection. By combining penetrating surfactants with softening polymers, this Mothers ceramic shampoo can offer superb protection. It’s also pH neutral, making it kinder to your car’s paint while enhancing its shine.
Pros
- PH neutral - safe to use
Cons
- Better options
Best for protection
Gtechnic is another trusted supplier of car detailing products with ranges spanning the breadth of the industry. This example hails from gtechniq’s ceramics range as a Gwash 2-in-1 product. This example serves as a powerful car shampoo that leaves behind a durable, water repelling layer in its wake.
It boasts a low-foaming, high-lubricating washing action that’s safe to use even on matt and satin finishes, lifting dirt safely to minimise scratch risk. The ceramic layer requires no buffing or rubbing – simply apply as you would a usual shampoo and then leave the formula to do its work.
Pros
- Great performance
Cons
- Bigger bottle