Adam's Polishes Car Shampoo vs P&S Detail Products Pearl Auto Shampoo

Adam's is the only soap here that states plainly that its pH neutral formula will not strip wax, sealant or a ceramic coating. Pearl makes the same pH claim in trade sizes and is built to be proportioned, which is what you want if you wash every week.

Adam's Polishes Car Shampoo

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The only soap here that states in plain terms that it will not strip wax, sealant or a ceramic coating.

• pH neutral formula stated explicitly, with the brand adding that it will not remove wax or sealants or degrade a ceramic coating.
• Described as usable in sunlight and formulated not to leave water spots, which is the practical failure most soaps cause.
• Concentrated, with the brand claiming more suds from less product.
• Sold in bottle and gallon sizes, so it scales from an occasional wash to a weekly one.

• No dilution ratio published, so cost per wash cannot be worked out from the page.
• No pH figure given, only the word neutral.
• Heavily fragranced and dyed, which some people would rather not put on paint.

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P&S Detail Products Pearl Auto Shampoo

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The trade option: pH balanced, biodegradable, and sold in sizes that assume you wash more than one car.

• pH balanced and stated as 100 percent biodegradable, safe across all washing applications.
• The bottle is labelled highly dilutable and foam cannon ready, so it is built for the way most people now wash.
• Quart, gallon and five gallon sizes, which is the range that makes frequent washing affordable.
• The brand quotes good foam stability and lubricity, which is the property that keeps grit moving rather than dragging.

• The bottle says highly dilutable and neither the label nor the page gives a ratio.
• pH balanced is a weaker statement than pH neutral, and no figure is given.
• No mention of whether it is safe over ceramic coatings specifically.

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Side by side

The bottom line

Our overall pick is the Adam's Polishes Car Shampoo - The only soap here that states in plain terms that it will not strip wax, sealant or a ceramic coating. Choose the P&S Detail Products Pearl Auto Shampoo instead if anyone washing weekly, washing more than one vehicle, or running a foam cannon that goes through soap quickly.

Want the full picture, including the other options we compared and the popular one we'd skip? Read the complete The Best Car Wash Soaps: 4 Compared (and One to Skip).