Choosing a Car Shampoo

Visible Dirt

Visible dirt is the loose contamination that builds up on the body: soil, sand, decayed plant material, clay, oily road residue and deicing chemicals. The more layers are allowed to dry, the harder the vehicle is to clean. Sand and other abrasive particles can scratch the paint if they are rubbed across it. Remove this contamination first with a pressure washer and a dedicated touchless-wash shampoo. KERRY^® offers four pressure-washer shampoo grades: M1, M2, M3 and M4.

• M1 Shampoo (KR-306-1 and KR-307-1) is intended for frequent summer washing with soft water. It uses biodegradable nonionic surfactants and is especially gentle on paintwork and exterior chrome.
• M2 Shampoo (KR-306 and KR-307) is intended for weekly washing in summer and autumn with soft to moderately hard water. Anionic surfactants provide strong general-purpose cleaning.
• M3 Shampoo (KR-306-3 and KR-307-3) is an all-season power shampoo for washing two or three times per month with moderately hard water. Cationic surfactants and water-hardness sequestrants provide very high cleaning power while limiting impact on paint and chrome.
• M4 Shampoo (KR-306-4 and KR-307-4) is an all-season hard-water shampoo for washing two or three times per month. Anionic surfactants and a high level of water-hardness sequestrants provide maximum cleaning performance.

Bonded Road Film

Bonded road film consists of soot, fine sand and asphalt particles held to the paint by a thin oily layer. It is often almost invisible in ordinary light and is not completely removed by a touchless wash. Drying the vehicle immediately after the touchless stage can therefore drag residue across the paint, leaving dirt on the towel and micro-scratches in the clearcoat. Once loose grit has been pressure-rinsed away, remove the remaining film by hand with a dedicated hand-wash shampoo and a clean wash mitt. Do not substitute touchless shampoo: its concentrated alkalinity is unsuitable for prolonged skin contact, and it does not provide the lubricity needed to reduce wash-induced marring.

• KR-270-1 and KR-270-2 Handwash Car Shampoo are versatile choices for most vehicles and washing conditions.
• KR-272-2 Handwash Car Shampoo for Metallic and Pearl Colors is formulated for gentle care of metallic and pearl-effect finishes.
• KR-276-2 Super Foam Handwash Car Shampoo produces abundant, persistent foam, increasing dwell time and helping the cleaning agents remain in contact with the surface.

All KERRY^® hand-wash shampoos use an economical 1:200 dilution.

Organic Contamination

Tree sap, insect residue, bird droppings, bitumen and tar can harden quickly, become difficult to wash away and damage automotive paint.

Insect residue and bird droppings contain acids that can etch the finish. Resin and tar soften in heat and can migrate into the clearcoat. Remove these deposits as soon as possible with a purpose-designed cleaner rather than aggressive scraping.

• KR-530 and KR-930 Tar and Bug Cleaner is a versatile foaming formula that removes petroleum residue, tree sap and insect remains. It can also remove traces of anticorrosion compound. It was named the top performer in a 2020 comparative test by Za Rulem magazine.
• KR-931 Car Body Tar and Grease Remover provides even stronger removal of petroleum-based spots and can also remove anticorrosion compound residue.
• KR-932 Car Body Bug, Bird Droppings and Poplar Bud Remover is a fast-acting foaming cleaner that tackles even aged deposits.