There's something so endearing about no-nonsense products that don't rely on marketing hyperbole and let the results speak for themselves. I'll admit there's a certain childish delight in exotic scents and fancy colours, but cleaning ability and price are way more important considerations for most people when it comes to car shampoo.
This brings us neatly to NanotechSST and its super-concentrated shampoo. It's not the flashiest of bottles and while it makes some bold claims about protection, it doesn't have the loud marketing spiel that some car cleaning products resort to.
We're putting it to the test to see if this is a non-ceramic or graphene-infused protective shampoo that's worth your time.
What is it?
NanotechSST has its foundation in marine care before branching out into car cleaning products. Based in the UK, this company has a strong interest in harnessing the power of nanotechnology for cleaning and boasts a stringent testing process to ensure each product performs as described.
Its car shampoo makes use of this nanotechnology to supposedly provide a longer-lasting shine to paintwork and extra protection compared to other car shampoos. It's also infused with Nanotech SST's Speed Guard, a hydrophobic paint sealant that's designed to repel water, dirt and harmful UV rays.
Only available in a tiny 250ml bottle, this shampoo also promises to be one of the most concentrated shampoos currently for sale. Two to four capfuls (roughly 12-24ml) should be enough for a 10-litre bucket of water and a single bottle of shampoo should theoretically last to clean 20 medium-sized cars.
Suitable for application via a foaming lance as well as a traditional bucket andwash mitt, this shampoo also doubles as a screenwash, a clever extra feature.
Get your bucket(s)
The classic way of car cleaning, the first test involved two buckets full of water and three capfuls (18ml) of Nano Wash shampoo. The Nano Wash didn't have any distinguishable scent but did have a slight tint that can only be described as 'clean'. It also didn't lather up particularly well in the bucket, even when agitated with a wash mitt.
Still, the results spoke for themselves. Any fear I had that the shampoo's extreme concentration hampered its cleaning ability was quickly quashed the second it got to work cleaning a car.
While the shampoo doesn't lather up particularly well from a bucket, it lubricates the wash mitt well so it can glide over the paintwork with no fear of causing scratches. The shampoo effortlessly removed surface contaminants and left behind a gorgeous deep shine in the paintwork too.
After drying the paintwork a quick splash of water resulted in sheeting, the water fell away in one large lump as opposed to beading. Water sheeting is often an indication of a sealant as opposed to wax, so it was to be expected. It also indicated that there was a proper layer of protection left after washing.
Contact-free cleaning
More and more shampoos are now designed to be applied via a pressure washer through a foam lance and Nano Wash is no different. Add 30ml of shampoo to a litre of water in the foaming lance and it'll apply as a relatively thick blanket of foam.
While it wasn't as thick as a decent snow foam, it did cling to the bodywork relatively well and helped to pull away bits of grit and mud while delivering a nice deep shine to the bodywork.
In many ways, this method is the best way to shampoo a car as it eliminates a scratch risk, and the Nano Wash proved itself to be a solid option if you're wanting to use a pressure washer.
Verdict
I tend to recommend steering clear of shampoos that offer protection (excluding ceramic and graphene) for the simple fact that the protection offered is less Volvo and more Austin Metro, but with Nano Wash, I've been proven wrong.
I'd still recommend adding a quick spray of Speed Guard to ensure that there is total paint protection, but there was an undeniable hydrophobic coating that made subsequent cleaning effortless.
Aside from the genuine paint protection offered, this shampoo also leaves a deep shine on paintwork and the concentration ratio is accurate. While it may be a little plain looking and smelling, for properly cleaning your car and protecting it in one simple step, this shampoo is well worth looking into.
4/5
| Pros | Cons | |
|---|---|---|
| • Offers genuine paint protection | • Not biodegradable | |
| • Super-concentrated formula | • No scent may put some off | |
| • Leaves a gorgeous shine in paintwork |
How we tested it:
We washed a total of three cars using the Nano Wash Auto, two using a bucket and wash mitt and the third using a pressure washer.
Each car was treated beforehand with either a pre-wash or snow foam to ensure that any larger pieces of contamination were removed before cleaning with the Nano Wash. Each car had no previous protection applied and had the typical amount of dirt that you'd find on a commuter car.
Cleaning products used in this test: Autobrite Direct Citrus Wash | Detailers United Chenille Car Wash Pad | Detailers United Hydro Hoover | Koch Chemie Gsf | Nilfisk Core 140 Pressure Washer