[tintivilus]

There seems to be a zillion car wash soaps on the market and sometimes I can't really tell what the differences are supposed to be. For example, the Chemical Guys lineup has:

Citrus Wash & Gloss
Citrus Wash & Clear
EXTREME BodyWash
No More Bugs & Tar Heavy Duty Shampoo
Wash & Wax
Maxi-Suds II

Now, I understand that washes can be designed to strip wax or not, or to have glossing agents or not, but even from the blurbs on the Chemical Guys website explain the differences very well. Between chemicalguys.com and Detailed Image it sounds like I should be using CWC if I want to strip wax and Maxi-Suds if I don't? What's the point of glossing agents in a shampoo that strips wax (CWG) anyway?

When is it appropriate to use a degreaser (eg P21S TAW) on paintwork? Is this a wheels-only kind of thing?

It seems like AoshichanX is a big fan of TAW and CWG before polishing. I'm guessing neither of these would be used for a maintenance wash... or is CWG good for everything depending on its dilution?

George: It would be fantastically helpful for lots of us if you could develop a cross-reference matrix to compare & contrast the various shampoo/wash/soap products you carry.

related note: What's the difference between Bare Bones and F2B, other than the aerosol can?

[blakjack23]

Good questions. I can't help, but i'm interested in the answers.

[Gig103]

I'm all about buying quality products online (Klasse, etc), but I am having a hard time swallowing $20+s&h for a gallon of Adam's Car Wash or CG Maxi-Suds (I want the pH neutral stuff). How different can they be from Meguiar's Gold Class ($11/gallon), which tends to get a positive reaction despite being OTC...

[SpecC]

Originally Posted by tintivilus

There seems to be a zillion car wash soaps on the market and sometimes I can't really tell what the differences are supposed to be. For example, the Chemical Guys lineup has:

Citrus Wash & Gloss
Citrus Wash & Clear
EXTREME BodyWash
No More Bugs & Tar Heavy Duty Shampoo
Wash & Wax
Maxi-Suds II

Now, I understand that washes can be designed to strip wax or not, or to have glossing agents or not, but even from the blurbs on the Chemical Guys website explain the differences very well. Between chemicalguys.com and Detailed Image it sounds like I should be using CWC if I want to strip wax and Maxi-Suds if I don't? What's the point of glossing agents in a shampoo that strips wax (CWG) anyway?

When is it appropriate to use a degreaser (eg P21S TAW) on paintwork? Is this a wheels-only kind of thing?

It seems like AoshichanX is a big fan of TAW and CWG before polishing. I'm guessing neither of these would be used for a maintenance wash... or is CWG good for everything depending on its dilution?

George: It would be fantastically helpful for lots of us if you could develop a cross-reference matrix to compare & contrast the various shampoo/wash/soap products you carry.

related note: What's the difference between Bare Bones and F2B, other than the aerosol can?

When choosing a soap to your liking, this is how you should be thinking about it.

How harsh is it?
How slick is it in terms of lubrication?
Do I want it glossy?
How foamy can I make it?

You choose that based on what you like best. Not everyone is required to choose the harshest one and dilute according. When you do that, it may not foam up enough or it may not be slick enough to actually use on a dirt nasty car. Thus, swirls are born again.

Degreasers are just a safer way of removing heavy build up of grime. For example, if you hadn't washed for 2 months, it'd be safer to use a degreaser first because it forces a layer between the dirt and your paint. So people like to use this on the paint in general, but a lot of these might strip any protection, so you don't need to look into these too much if you are going to do regular washes.

For regular washes, I would buy a different kind of soap than if you were to do a full detail job. Because you are required to dilute further than suggested, you lose a lot of the soap's other qualities. For that purpose, it's not really designed for regular washes. So even if it'll cost you more, you'll probably like the separation a lot better. CWG is harsh and the hands too! My skin was all nasty and peeling after I was done with it hahaha

Sorry, I don't really know the difference between bare bones and fade2black. I hope someone else can chime in with info about this.

Originally Posted by Gig103

I'm all about buying quality products online (Klasse, etc), but I am having a hard time swallowing $20+s&h for a gallon of Adam's Car Wash or CG Maxi-Suds (I want the pH neutral stuff). How different can they be from Meguiar's Gold Class ($11/gallon), which tends to get a positive reaction despite being OTC...

it's pretty much based on preference. i don't know the difference but my guess is that maxi suds or adam's is better because there's more lubrication agents in there for less chance at marring paint