Choosing a Car Shampoo for Ceramic Coatings and PPF

If you have invested in a ceramic coating, wax or paint protection film, the wrong shampoo will quietly undo it. Many cheap car shampoos are high-pH and strip protection with every wash. Here is what actually matters.

Look for pH-neutral

A pH-neutral shampoo cleans without stripping existing wax, ceramic coatings or PPF. This is the single most important thing to check, and it is what keeps your protection lasting as long as it should.

Lubricity prevents swirl marks

Swirl marks come from dragging grit across the paint. A glycerine-rich shampoo adds genuine slickness, so dirt slides off the surface instead of scratching into it during the wash.

Hydrophobic and nano boosters

Some shampoos leave a thin hydrophobic layer of nano silica with every wash, so water beads and the next wash is easier. It is a small thing that compounds over time.

Hard water is a South African problem

Much of South Africa has hard water that leaves spots. A shampoo tuned for hard water rinses cleaner and reduces water spotting.

Our picks

• Premium Nano Car Shampoo: our flagship, pH-neutral, glycerine-rich, with hydrophobic nano-silica protection

• pH Neutral Glycerine Car Shampoo: a slick weekly contact wash with a light wash-and-wax finish

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