We love touring some of the wilder parts of the countryside, all year round. We’re never happier than when parked up in a field or campsite, beauty spot or clifftop, gazing at hills, trees and seascapes. So now and then our off-road parking means we have to give the motorhome a good wash.

We like to get the salt spray and sand off the ‘van’s undercarriage after a seaside trip, as well as removing mud and algae before it begins to make itself at home. If ever we’re sure the ‘van is going to be stuck at home for a while, we like to protect it from the weather by getting it under cover. But before that, we’ll wash and wax it so that the motorhome wrappings (tarpaulin or proper motorhome cover) won’t grind the dirt in, every time the wind blows.

We don’t know which motorhome cleaning products you favour, but we decided to line up a selection of them on the Practical Motorhome test bench. We needed to find out which ones are the most effective at removing mud, grass, gifts from the birds, algae, mould and squashed flies on the windscreen. We gave extra marks to cleaning products that give the best value for money combined with excellent cleaning power. Then, being only human, we were drawn to products that frothed up with a sweet, clean scent. We liked the liquids that left a protective waxy sheen on our motorhome exterior, lending it some long-term protection from the elements. And we were impressed by the vehicle cleaning products that produced the largest volume of diluted cleaning solution – provided it was effective at that recommended dilution. One or two products gained extra points for versatility.

We tested Mer High Shine Shampoo at £6.99, Screwfix No Nonsense Wash & Wax Shampoo costing £6.99, and Triple QX Silicone free Wash ‘n’ Wax at £9.72. We also tested Fenwick’s Caravan Cleaner Concentrate at £8.99, Care-Avan Hi-Tec Shampoo at £7.50, Blue Diamond Perfection Caravan Cleaner at £8.49, Silky Cream Cleaner at £3.99 and the MudBuster Caravan & Motorhome Exterior & Interior Wash & Wax, from £8.99.

In this review we’ll focus on the non-motorhome-specific Screwfix No Nonsense Wash & Wax Shampoo. We decided to throw this mainstream mix from DIY giant Screwfix into the group after reading glowing recommendations on a couple of camping forums. We have to say that the No Nonsense brand is right on a number of levels. Forget pleasantly fruity or soapy whiffs — this stuff smells like a vile chemical concoction. But that No Nonsense moniker applies equally to cleaning performance. Only MudBuster beat it, and then only just. The Screwfix No Nonsense Wash & Wax Shampoo made muck and stains melt away on contact. 

Perhaps the most surprising factor here is the product’s staggering value for money. Silky aside, it’s the cheapest in the group. That sub-£7 price gets you five litres of the stuff. Better still, those five litres are concentrated, mixing up to a huge 1670 litres at the recommended dilution.