What soap do you use?

Just bought a pressure washer for house hold stuff as well as my Tacoma. Question is...what soap do you use on your vehicles? Manual says ONLY use soaps designed for pressure washers but me thinks others might work as well and not so pricey.

Thanks

 

Chemical Guys Hydrosuds-ceramic

 

Rain

 

I bought a foam cannon on Amazon and tried some Armor All Ceramic wash. It foams great and sticks well and it play very well with the Mequiars Hybrid Ceramic I use on the truck. Beautiful results every time so I stuck to the soap but then started having trouble getting at Walmart so I bought a case on Amazon.

$28 Armor All Ceramic Foaming Car Wash Soap with Extreme Shield, 50 Fl Oz Each (Pack of 4)

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B092RFRLCC?ie=UTF8

 

Optimum no rinse, 2 bucket, only pressure wash the underside and use it for major mud removal with the wide fan tip a high angle and reasonable distance from the paint.

A pressure washer can do serious damage to your paint.

 

I dont use soap to wash my cars with. Just clean water, sponges and towells. Ill use my pressure washer for heavy grim or salt before using the sponges. My reason for not using soap is because I hate how it sometimes dries on the surface and streaks. I towell dry my cars and keep them extremly clean including my show car and never use soap. They seldom get dirty anyway. I drive a beater on rainy / snow days.

 

Every vehicle I've ever owned has been pressure washed every 1-2wks and I have never had a paint issue with any of them

 

Any car soap. Most people recommend chemical guys but I heard they are expensive for a car soap. Any Home Depot or auto zone brands will do.

 

Depends on how you define "paint issues" I've seen a picture perfect Ferrari with mirror sheen clear coat twelve leagues deep and smooth as glass with less than 100 miles get a paint ultrasonic inspection and have the paint be called "ruined".

If you're satisfied with the truck being covered in color than it's kinda whatever just don't pressure wash hard around chips or it can quickly remove said color but if you're looking for a show shine free of swirls and embedded particulate, a pressure washer is not your friend.

 

OP, I don't bother with the onboard soap dispenser. 1. They only function on a low pressure setting. 2. It's tough to mix the ratio correctly and unless that's all you use the function for, you end up with more product left behind.

The foam cannons apply at a higher pressure rate and you can coat the entire truck in 30 seconds of application. I exclusively use the spray handle that comes with it for most all my washer use. You can connect it directly to the hose and use it without any wand so in doing so, I have a 25* tip for quick rinse of loose soil, pop it out and plug in the foam bottle, spray it on liberally then shut it down. Use my microfiber mitt to clean the truck, then rinse down with the 25* tip again and done! I have a soft silicone squeegee to clear the vast majority of water, especially off the windows right away, then dry it with very soft and clean towels.

$30 Twinkle Star Pressure Washer Gun Snow Foam Lance, with 1/4" Quick Connector, 5 Pressure Washer Nozzle Tip, 1 Liter

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B085NX4D5Y?ie=UTF8

$40 RIDGE WASHER Pressure Washer Undercarriage Cleaner, 16" Undercarriage Washer, Pressure Washer Under Car Cleaner with Straight Extension Wand, 4000 PSI

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08N47F8DK?ie=UTF8

 

i had the truck glass coated. I've never used any soap on the truck yet, just hose it off if really crusty. The rain does the rest. Finish still looks new after 2 years...no swirls, or marks of any kind.

 

Any car soap with carnanuba wax if I was to do it. I have an unlimited pass at the car wash and mine goes through almost daily.

 

Having a good protected surface is indeed paramount to an easy, no abuse wash.

The Meguiars hybrid ceramic liquid has been amazing in that anything that lands or sticks to the surface comes right off with the rinse. Keeping that up is critical.

 

Lots of good info here. I was in the woods hog hunting yesterday and of course splattered some mud around. PW knocked it off fast and easy compared to the bucket of soapy water and a brush. 25* tip worked nicely plus it's getting all the crap off my driveway too. Wife always takes her Subaru to a car wash, maybe no more and at once a week my 2300 Sun Joe will pay for itself in no time.

 

Soap, I use Meguiars Gold Class. For waxing I use Meguiars Hybrid Liquid Ceramic Wax. Works well to keep it clean and water beads right off.

 

+1

 

Depending on how much you care, their really is a difference in all cleansers, depending on your coating obviously. I really like the Gtechniq G wash, Gyeon Bathe, and Meguiars Hyper wash

 

watered down dove dish soap, works super super super well

 

I also use Dove.

 

I’ve been using Chemical Guys Maxi-Suds for years. I need to take a step back and see what else is out there as I have been out of it for awhile now.