The best eco-friendly car shampoos on the market

Not just good for an eco-friendly shampoo, Zirconite's Nano Shampoo is a good shampoo full stop. Super-concentrated and powerful, it's the perfect choice for removing traffic film and dirt from your paintwork without stripping away any existing wax or sealant.

It's eco-credentials come from the fact it's biodegradable and made in the UK. The former means it's free of nasty chemicals that may pose a threat to wildlife, the latter means that it has less distance to travel, reducing emissions (for UK readers).

Tested 2022 - "Zirconite Nano Shampoo is a really good choice of pH-neutral shampoo because you only need about 30ml of product per wash, a one-litre bottle should last you ages. It easily removed dirt from paintwork and the claimed 'Lotus-Leaf' rinsing effect did reduce water spotting and speed up the drying time. The apple scent is very nice too."

A fully vegan car shampoo, this German shampoo is a more delicate choice and is designed to gently remove contaminants without removing any protective coatings. It also means it's gentle to people, perfect for those who have extremely sensitive skin. While it doesn't sound as powerful as other shampoos, it can at least boast excellent hydrophobic qualities that'll ensure water beads right off your paintwork.

An excellent way to think about the planet while cleaning your car is to go waterless. Waterless washes do without the need for a pressure washer or hose, often requiring little more than a couple of litres of water to work. Greased Lightning has a large range of waterless car washing products, from window cleaners and shampoo right down to powerful wheel cleaners and even black-trim restorers.

We've tested the full range and Greased Lightning (read our review) remains our top pick for waterless washes. And while the inevitable microfibre towel wash means the wash isn't entirely waterless, it does use a lot less water than conventional shampoo.

This shampoo is derived from vegetable oils which means it's tough on grease and grime while remaining fully biodegradable, perfect for the environmentally aware. Shipping in a small bottle (250ml), this shampoo is concentrated and that small bottle should last you a couple of washes. It doesn't scrimp on cleaning performance either, this shampoo is foamy, pH-neutral and won't eat a protective coating. All very impressive stats from something so small and based on the same oils you cook potatoes in.

While Autoglym's Polar Wash isn't biodegradable, it is very good. Designed for use in a pressure washer it easily removed embedded dirt and mud without potentially scratching your paint. It's being included because it's part of Amazon's Climate Pledge to cut down on unnecessary packaging and ensure it's as efficient as possible.