Four Star’s Ultimate Auto Wash Shampoo - Review

[Angus]

For this review I’m going to share my experience using Four Star’s Ultimate Auto Wash Shampoo:



From PBMG’s copy for Ultimate Auto Wash Shampoo:

A lubricant-rich car wash for auto enthusiasts!

Four Star Auto Wash Shampoo is a mild blend of cleaners, natural oils, and gloss enhancers that safely cleanse your vehicle without stripping wax. This gentle car wash lubricates the paint to protect against scratching while you wash.

Ok lets find out how “Ultimate” this shampoo is.

Directions:



1. Dispense 1oz of shampoo into a clean bucket. - Check

Whenever I see vague dilution ratio instructions like this, to be on the safe side I assume “a clean bucket” means a 1 gallon bucket. Not a 5 gallon bucket, fitted with a grit guard, and fill up with at least 3 to 4 gallons of water. So following this logic, I’ll use 1oz of shampoo per gallon of water.

As you can see, this shampoo is purple in color. It has no discernible odor.



One thing that surprised me was how thin this shampoo is. I’m used to using more viscous shampoos that leave “legs” in the water after being poured in.

2. Add heavy jet of water to activate foam. - Check

Pressure washer powered jet of water coming right up!





3. Rinse auto to remove any loose dirt. - Check.

4. Start with the top of the auto and work down, applying with a soft sponge or wash mitt. - Check

A nice thick foam was produced, that clinged to my wash mitt and arm:



After quickly washing the passengers side roof and windows, the little dirt that was present was easily lifted up and away:



At this point I stopped taking photos and concentrated washing the whole car since the sun had already crested my garage roof and was starting to warm things up. Time to work quickly!

The remaining direction steps are typical and not worth going over - we all know how to correctly wash a car using the standard 2 bucket method.

Conclusion

I appreciate this shampoo is environmentally friendly, pH neutral, easy on your skin, and Made in the USA.

Did this shampoo safely lift up and remove the dirt from my car? Yes, it did. It also rinsed cleanly and did not leave a film behind. Was this an “Ultimate” shampoo? Well... I don’t know about that.

At $14.99 per 16oz bottle = $.94 per oz. I ended up using 5 oz (refilled my bucket once w/ 2 extra gallons) during this wash session which means it costs ~$4.68 to wash a mid-sized car. Moreover following this logic, a single 16 oz bottle will only last for a total of 3 car washes or less if you have a larger vehicle like a full-sized SUV. Again, this was following my own dilution ratio guide line for safe car washing. Perhaps you can get away with using less soap, and if so this will become a much better value for money.

Overall, I felt that this was an average shampoo that did a good job but I can’t say it was the best I've ever used in terms of added lubricity or excellent dilution ratios.

As always, I hope this review was helpful. Thanks for reading.

[Jaretr1]

Wow, I dont think I have ever used close to that amount when I wash my car. My bottles of car wash last what seems to be a year or more and I wash my car about every week, and this is using several different car wash soaps. I am using enough to get decent suds..hmm.

Having said that I have used many different premium finish care products and they have all been top notch!

[Nick McKees37]

Great review! For the savvy enthusiast like yourself, 2 ounces of shampoo per 5 gallons of water is more than enough.

[Angus]

Wow, I dont think I have ever used close to that amount when I wash my car. My bottles of car wash last what seems to be a year or more and I wash my car about every week, and this is using several different car wash soaps. I am using enough to get decent suds..hmm.

Having said that I have used many different premium finish care products and they have all been top notch!

Yeah I tend to err on the side of caution when faced with vague directions.

Great review! For the savvy enthusiast like yourself, 2 ounces of shampoo per 5 gallons of water is more than enough.

Thanks Nick!

Per your advice, when in doubt 2oz per 5 gallons will become my standard measurement

[spewking]

Angus,

I love 4*UPP as my go to LSP on my blue Infiniti G. I also like the 4* Spray Wax.

But I have never used the shampoo, so thanks for the review. I guess the main reason is that I got hooked on Ultima Shampoo and continue to use it as my favorite. I have compared the Ultima to others and still experience the best cleaning and lubricity, and am wondering why the Ultima has not gained in popularity in the AG community.

[Angus]

Angus,

I love 4*UPP as my go to LSP on my blue Infiniti G. I also like the 4* Spray Wax.

But I have never used the shampoo, so thanks for the review. I guess the main reason is that I got hooked on Ultima Shampoo and continue to use it as my favorite. I have compared the Ultima to others and still experience the best cleaning and lubricity, and am wondering why the Ultima has not gained in popularity in the AG community.

Thank you, Sir! Glad this review was helpful. I never connected the dots until yesterday that Ultima and 4 Star where the same company. Good to know!

I have both 4 Star UPP and USW+ sitting at home waiting for me to use. Seems like they're both well like products. I'm looking forward to trying them out soon!

[Sicoupe]

I have wondered about this product, thanks for sharing.

[Angus]

And just everyone knows I'm not pulling the 1oz to 1 gallon ratio out of thin air, it's the standard soap/water measurement found on my go to soap - Meg's Gold Class Shampoo:



If 4 Star UAWS can safely be used at a higher ratio then great. And I would encourage them to update their instructions so we'll know/ not have to speculate/ or waste product.

[Angus]

I have wondered about this product, thanks for sharing.

Happy to hear it! Cheers

[Mike@DedicatedPerfection]

Beautiful review and documentation for your review Ian. Well done good sir.

That is some rich suds/foam and looks like it performed with ease.