Best Car Wash Soap for 2022

Adam's tends to name its products with quite generic descriptions, but don't let that fool you; the company sells some great stuff. And in our car wash shampoo testing, the best overall wash came with Adam's Car Wash Shampoo. The suds, the slickness and even the scent are all fantastic. Regardless of how you use this car shampoo, whether it's a simple hand wash, a foam lance or foam gun, this car wash soap hits all the marks.

It doesn't hurt to stick with basics, and Rain-X gets the basic car wash formula right in our experience when it comes to the amount of product you get and the price. The suds aren't quite what you get from some other picks on the list, but Spot Free Car Wash does what the name suggests. The car looks clean when done and water spots are few and far between. Rain-X says there's no drying needed, but it's still best to use something to dry the water left behind, especially when in direct sunlight.

With a pressure washer and foam lance, it's easy to make washing your car look like an automatic car wash. There's a reason this technique is so popular, and it's always best to get as much foam as possible. Well, if it's foam you desire, Chemical Guys Mr. Pink Super Suds is just the car wash soap.

The foam this soap creates is pretty incredible, which makes Mr. Pink a perfect pairing for those washing their car with a power washer and foam lance. Plus, it smells amazing. Mr. Pink won't let you down.

Two-in-one products are always a bit of a compromise. Of course, you're losing the actual protection a proper coat of car wax gives vehicle paint with a wash and wax car soap, but they're not all bad. Meguiar's Ultimate Wash & Wax certainly isn't. The consistency feels worth its price and the paint feels noticeably smoother than some other comparable washes.

If you need to save time, or simply don't have the patience to wax a car, there's nothing wrong with picking up a bottle of Wash & Wax.

A note: Chemical Guys Extreme Maxi Suds II and Mr. Pink are interchangeable in our experience. However, we think Maxi Suds II provides a little more foam. Thus, this cleaner lands in our pick for best car wash soap to use with a foam gun.

Foam guns simply don't create the kind of foam a pressure washer and foam lance do, so naturally, choose a soap that's super sudsy. Extreme Maxi Suds II delivers on that front. Even if you skip a foam gun and fill up a bucket, the foam is outrageous from this car wash soap. It's not the slickest wash in the world, but it sure does create a lot of foam.

Waterless car washes have really taken off in the last 10 years, and in our experience, Optimum has perfected the product as it stands. The company's No Rinse Wash & Shine handily outperforms rival cleaner products at a better price and the results are pretty tremendous for not using a drop of water in the process.

Like any eco-friendly car wash soap, these aren't meant for cars with caked on mud and other major dirty spots. Rather, no-rinse wash works best to take care of dust, dirt, debris and droppings with just a single bucket of water. Optimum's product does the job tremendously well, leaves behind a lovely finish and keeps the whole process eco-friendly. That's good stuff right there.