When it comes to keeping your car clean, you have two options: You can go to a company to wash it, or you can do it yourself. This is where the best car wash hose connectors come in handy to save you some money. While Amazon has many options, the clear winners are carefully designed and highly rated by reviewers.
What to look for in the best car wash hose connections
There are two main types of hose attachments that are ideal for washing your car: foam balls and drain brushes. Foam balls have a container between the handle and the nozzle; the water from the hose is run through a cleaning solution along with some air, which causes it to foam up before it hits your car. (While you can easily clean your car by hand or towel, the lather should do most of the work.) Then, just rinse it for a quick and easy wash.
A flow brush, on the other hand, directs water through the extended handle and between the bristles, so you can clean and rinse at the same time – including the top of the car. Most of these brushes not automatically apply the cleaning solution, so you’ll have to do it yourself, but they’re great for thoroughly cleaning hard-to-reach spots on large vehicles and removing stubborn spots of things like liquids and impurities.
Whichever type of attachment you choose, be sure to keep compatibility in mind. All of these attachments (except the last one, which is for a power washer) will fit a standard garden hose, but some may require special adapters to work properly.
Shop the Best Car Wash Hose Attachments
In a hurry? Here are the top choices for washing your car.
1. The best car wash package
The pros:
- Comes with everything you need except the hose to wash your car
- Easy to connect / disconnect
- Thousands of great reviews
Disadvantages:
- It goes through the soap quickly
The Foam King Car Wash Sprayer Pack includes a foam gun, a waterproof wash handle with three distinct surfaces, and a microfiber towel. All of these items are especially useful for cleaning your gas car, but the foam gun is the main selling point; attaches to your hose with a click and detaches just as easily so you can use the included spray attachment for rinsing. Furthermore, you can adjust the foam production depending on your needs. So far, this package has earned an overall rating of 4.3 stars from almost 3,000 reviewers. (You can also buy the foam ball attachment itself for $39.)
One reviewer wrote: “Great product if you don’t have a pressure washer. It makes washing the car easier as it soaps up the whole car before putting the wash hand on it. much faster and easier to wash my cars now. I would recommend it to anyone.”
It includes: foam cannon and spray gun kit, 3-in-1 wash mitt, detailing towel| Additional Requirements: cleaning solution
2. The best foam ball on a budget
The pros:
- It costs about $20
- There are five spray settings
- It’s a best-seller on Amazon
Disadvantages:
- According to reviewers, it is not the most durable option
For those looking for an affordable attachment that gets the job done, there’s the Ontel car wash ball. Although it costs roughly half of the competition, it’s a bestseller with over 4,500 reviews because it’s easy to use, effective, and affordable. Simply fill the tank with a cleaning solution, connect it to your hose and choose one of five spray settings; it will then create a thick layer of foam covering your car to remove dirt, salt and watermarks.
One reviewer wrote: “This is the best value for money you can get if you only have a regular hose and no pressure washers. I imagine all the other foam guns are about the same but double the price. Used this with the Carpro Reset and got a lot of lather and foam. Not shaving cream style, but still fantastic.”
It includes: foam cannon and spray gun | Additional Requirements: cleaning solution
3. The best car wash brush with flow
The pros:
- Expandable
- Scratch resistant
- Comes with an adapter that fits most hoses
Disadvantages:
- Not ideal for high water pressure
The soft yet effective bristles on this car wash brush are specially designed to remove dirt and liquids without scraping your car, while the aluminum alloy bar is lightweight yet expandable up to 51 inches, so it works well with cars big and small. Simply attach a hose to the end of the handle and water will flow through the pole and bristles, giving you extra power when cleaning tough stains. There is also an adapter included and a switch that allows you to turn the water off and on.
One reviewer wrote: “What a great decision. I have a big Ram pickup and a Suv and it would tire me to do both in the same day. This cuts the time in half. […] Get it nice and soapy before you start, and there are no scratches on the paint or coat, trust me, I checked. Now, I can do 4 cars in a day and it’s so easy.”
It includes: flow brush, adapter | Additional Requirements: soap
4. The best RV wash brush
The pros:
- Allows a reach of 12 feet
- Sturdy and well designed
- Includes adapters and silicone rings for a snug fit
Disadvantages:
If you have an RV, bus, large truck, or even a boat, this car wash brush is the way to go. It’s pricey, but it reaches up to 12 feet to clean the sides and top of your vehicle. Like its shorter counterpart above, it also has a flowing handle and soft bristles, but the head is 12 inches long and rounded to reach into tight spaces. It also includes an adapter and silicone rings so you can find the best fit for your hose.
One reviewer wrote: “I use this to wash cars and my big Rv. It tops my Rv at 11 feet no problem. The brush is soft and doesn’t scratch the paint on my cars. I like that the head is completely surrounded by bristles so there is no plastic surface to scratch the cars. Heavy pole that can also be used to paint or mount a push broom head. Good buy.”
It includes: flow brush, adapter, silicone rings | Additional Requirements: soap
5. The best complete car detailing kit
The pros:
- Includes everything you need for detailing, inside and out
- Quality foam gun and solution
- Best selling set with almost 20,000 reviews
Disadvantages:
Yes, the Chemical Guys Arsenal 14-Piece Car Wash Kit costs $100 — but reviewers write that it’s “worth every penny” if you want your car to look “new.” It’s the best-selling cleaning kit and has nearly 20,000 reviews because it comes with everything you need for a thorough detailing, inside and out. You’ll get both cleaning tools and cleaning sprays, but the Torq foam gun is particularly notable; connects to your hose to create a thick self-cleaning lather (solution included) without the need for pressure washers.
One reviewer wrote: “I bought this with low expectations of how well the garden hose foam ball would work, but I’m honestly beyond impressed and will continue to use this over the pressure washer. Easy to use, very effective and user friendly. The chemicals that are included all smell amazing and the quality of the tools and other accessories are well weighted and feel very high quality. If you’re on the fence about this product, take my word for it…it’s definitely worth it!”
It includes: Wet Butter Wax, Honeydew Snow Foam, Diablo Wheel Gel, Silk Gloss Coat, Signature Glass Cleaner, Detailing Bucket, Cyclone Dirt Trap, Torq Foam Blaster Foam Gun, Microfiber Wash Mitt, Short Handle Brush , 3 microfiber towels | Additional Requirements: none
Also great: The best car wash additive for pressure washers
The pros:
- Creates abundant lather for car washing without scrubbing
- Five spouts create all the different water patterns
- Best selling option on Amazon
Disadvantages:
- Works for pressure washers only (not garden hoses)
Finally, if you came here looking for a pressure washer (rather than a hose attachment), this foam cannon is one of the top rated on Amazon. It includes the water gun body, adjustable foam lance, and five pressure washer nozzle tips, all for less than $30. Plus, it’s powerful and gets the job done without too much elbow grease. No wonder it has an overall rating of 4.3 stars from more than 4,400 reviewers.
One reviewer wrote: “I read many reviews of several different foam balls before landing on the DUSICHIN DUS-018 Foam Ball. […] I can’t put into words the level of lather that completely covered the car in a thick shaving cream like foam. The application was very simple and saved a lot of time in the process. I let the lather do the work and then washed the car.”
It includes: adjustable foam lance, water gun body, five pressure washer nozzle tips | Additional Requirements: pressure washer