The product you have all been waiting for... the shampoo that helps you dry your car!!!!

[Todd@RUPES]

IF you are ANYTHING like me you have been asking yourself, like I have (everyday), why doesn`t somebody come up with a shampoo that helps me dry my car?!?!

Okay, that`s not really true.. I never asked that question because, well, I`m not really that cool. However, Scholl Concepts asked that question and answered it with their Shampol Premium Car Shampoo (click name for more details). Scholl Concepts Shampol has a built-in "Lotus Effect" designed to break water`s surface tension and help sheet it off the surface to expedite the drying process. So let`s put it to the test!


The test subject is my "beater" 2003 Toyota Matrix highwaymobile (sans door handles for less aerodynamic drag). The last LSP this vehicle recieved was CarPro Hydro2 about 4 1/2 months ago, it has likely not received a wax prior to that in 7 years.

Here is a picture of the car with morning dew on it. There is some beading on the sides, the hood is almost dead and the roof is completely deed. How would Shampol work on paint that has no protection?




Shampol operates a little differently. Instead of mixing it into a wash bucket, you pour it directly onto the sponge. Seems odd, but that`s what the directions call for. Use a wash bucket, filled with water, to rinse out your wash mitt before adding additional Shampol.




The Toyota after a pre-rinse. Most of the water is laying flat and hard to see, although it still beaded in a few (random) spots.




Plenty of dirt....




Get your wash sponge or mitt when and ring out so that there it is wet, but not dripping. I used the Lake Country Foam Car Wash Sponge. Then add "some" Shampol to the sponge.




The directions call for washing the whole car, then rinsing. However, I wanted to test the "Lotus Effect" on a section first, so I could compare it to an unwashed panel. I washed the passenger side of the hood.






And rinsed. Immediately you can see the Shampol side laying flat and the water beginning to sheet away. (You can also see how dirty I let the beater get, all in the name of testing, of course)




The water continuing to sheet... (NOTE: I did not FLOOD the paint, but rather sprayed it)




After about 1 minute... All that remained were tiny water droplets. Again, I did not flood the paint in effort to sheet the water away, but rinsed with spray from my hose.




After proving that it worked (and worked well), I went to wash the whole car (as directed). Make sure to stop and rinse out your wash mitt/sponge often before adding additional soap. Then I rinsed the water off the whole car.

Here are a few pictures, after rinsing with a spray. You can see how Shampol worked and helped sheet water away on the LSP-starved surfaces.




Even the roof exhibited some water sheeting and the window appears almost dry.




Conclusion:

Shampol answers the question I never asked... but after using it I am glad that Scholl Concept`s did. While it took a little bit to get used to the process, I found the results well worth it. Ultimately Scholl Concepts Shampol...

• provides excellent cleaning power. Not to get lost with the focus on the "Lotus Effect" but this is a really powerful soap which made quick work of the grime on the unwashed Matrix.
• will assist you in drying your car. I purposely chose the Matrix because I wanted to see the effect on a car with no LSP. I have sense used it on my Mazdaspeed and found the sheeting effect to be well worth it.
• offers a unique way to clean your car. Washing can be rather dull, particularly if you do it every week. I like changing techniques and products frequently to avoid the monotony.

Because of the pour as you go concept, I was slightly concerned about usage and cost effectiveness. Here is a picture of the bottle after use. Given that it is not filled completely to the top I would estimate that I have at least 15 washes out of the bottle. A slightly more than 1 dollar a use, it isn`t the most cost effective shampoo, but it is the most unique. And at 1 dollar a use, it will have a regular place in my ever changing car shampoo rotation.

[Wheelzntoys]

Almost like Dawn would work with the sheeting and people think that LSP has been stripped.

I wonder How effective is it by adding few ounces in a bucket.

[mnehls86]

I think we were all curious about the "Lotus Effect" and WOW! I will definitely be picking some of that up within the next couple weeks. What about in a foam gun. Would it lose all it`s effectiveness that way? Or do they just label it that way since a lot of people do not own a foam gun?

[dc52nv]

Interesting. Thank you, Todd, for your thorough review of this product. I have been curious about this product for a while now. I have a few questions if you don`t mind.

1. How much longer would you say it took you, if it did, to wash your car this way than the traditional way?

2 How did the paint feel while drying it?

3. Do you think it will still be as effective if we mixed the product in the wash bucket instead of what the instructions say?

And last but not least, how do you keep your hands from looking like dried up plumbs after a wash?

[0inDetail0]

you can just remove your spray head from your hose turn the water back on and sheet the water that way as well.

[Ronkh]

Looks cool.

IF I DON`T WIN it in the GIVEAWAY, can ya try it in the hot sun and show how it works?

Does it come supersized for "soap wasters"?

[Todd@RUPES]

I think we were all curious about the "Lotus Effect" and WOW! I will definitely be picking some of that up within the next couple weeks. What about in a foam gun. Would it lose all it`s effectiveness that way? Or do they just label it that way since a lot of people do not own a foam gun?

I believe for the Lotus Effect to work it has to be used in the manner described on the label. They specifically recommend adding it straight to the wash sponge/mitt and wiping that way.

[Todd@RUPES]

Interesting. Thank you, Todd, for your thorough review of this product. I have been curious about this product for a while now. I have a few questions if you don`t mind.

1. How much longer would you say it took you, if it did, to wash your car this way than the traditional way?

2 How did the paint feel while drying it?

3. Do you think it will still be as effective if we mixed the product in the wash bucket instead of what the instructions say?

And last but not least, how do you keep your hands from looking like dried up plumbs after a wash?

1. It likely took less time total. You do add a few moments because you have to add soap to the sponge vs. dunking it in soapy water, but on the flip side you save time because you don`t have to stop every 2 panels and rinse. Also, you don`t have to stop and do those periodic full body rinses to prevent water spots.

2. Slick

3. Not sure, but probably not.