Koch-Chemie Aktivwäsche "Aw" Active Shampoo 11kg

Aktivwäsche Aw works in the tunnel, in the lance and in the bucket

What is Koch-Chemie Aktivwäsche Aw? A liquid active-shampoo concentrate from Unna that lifts traffic film, pollen and salt off your paint with anionic and non-ionic surfactants. Phosphate- and NTA-free, VDA Class A certified, cleared for biological process-water treatment. Not meant as a maintenance shampoo for fresh ceramic coatings, or for washing on private property.

Koch-Chemie Aktivwäsche Aw is a concentrated active shampoo from Koch-Chemie in Unna that runs out of the same canister in roll-over wash systems, tunnel washes and hand washing. The mix of anionic and non-ionic surfactants with re-fatting components cuts through road film thoroughly without drying out rubber and plastic. pH 7.5, almost neutral with a slightly alkaline kick. VDA Class A. Phosphate- and NTA-free. Suitable for biological process-water treatment.

• One concentrate for three workflows. Roll-over wash system at 3 to 7 millilitres per car through the dosing pump, foam lance at 1:10 to 1:30 in the supply tank, hand bucket at 50 millilitres to 10 litres of water. So one canister covers three completely different detailing worlds — the bay, the tunnel, the Sunday wash in the garage, all out of the same container.
• VDA Class A means: no material damage. The strictest compatibility certification in the German automotive industry. Anodised aluminium trim, clear coat, polycarbonate headlights and piano-black plastic aren't attacked or bleached out when you use it right. For wash-bay operators that means liability cover with customers who run OEM-sensitive wheels or as-new black-panel surfaces.
• Economical, if you think in bulk. An 11 kg canister gives you over 200 hand-bucket washes or more than 2,000 wash-system runs at 5 millilitres each. The 21 kg keg pays off for detailers from the first quarter, the 210 kg container for wash-system operators pushing three-digit daily throughput. Phosphate- and NTA-free also means: fully compatible with biological process-water loops.

Detailing1's tip from the shop: What we see day-to-day is that Aktivwäsche Aw often gets dosed wrong. Overdose it and you get a sticky dry residue on the paint, not better gloss. 50 millilitres to 10 litres of water is the mark where micelle formation runs clean: at that concentration the surfactant molecules form little foam spheres that capsule the dirt and carry it off when you rinse. Lukewarm water instead of cold speeds up the surfactant work without tipping the dry time. More is counterproductive, less doesn't cut it.

50 millilitres to 10 litres of water. Then Aw works.

Aktivwäsche Aw runs on three clear dose rates, and which one you need comes down to the workflow, not taste. In the roll-over wash system, 3 to 7 millilitres per car go straight through the dosing pump into the water concentrate. In the foam lance you mix the concentrate in the supply tank at 1:10 to 1:30. In the hand bucket, 50 millilitres to 10 litres of water is enough — that's the 1:200 dilution Koch-Chemie lists on every product data sheet for the Aktivwäsche.

Before the first bucket, you roll the car into the shade and let it cool down. Aw flashes off on hot paint within seconds, and the dry residue is a pain to rinse off afterwards. Loose grit comes off first with the pressure washer — sand and brake dust have no business in your wash mitt. Then two wash buckets with grit guards side by side, one for the shampoo solution, one with clean water to rinse out the mitt.

You wash top to bottom, panel by panel. Roof first, sills last. After each panel wring the mitt out in the rinse bucket, then load up on shampoo again. Important: don't soap up the whole car — work panel by panel and rinse straight off with clean water. Aw is fast, but once the foam dries on you're starting half the panel over.

To dry, a thick microfibre towel around 950 gsm or the leaf blower. Both keep off the limescale marks that show up half an hour later when water droplets run down and evaporate. If you want to freshen the car up on top of that, follow Aw with a second cleaning workflow from the shampoo category — pre-wash, snow foam or quick detailer, depending on what the car needs. Aw is the base, not the finish.

If you're running the foam lance, you mix Aw into the supply tank beforehand. The exact dilution depends on the foam insert and the water pressure — we start at 1:20 and dial it in after the first pass. Too thin means no all-over foam that clings long enough. Too thick means the concentrate drips off as a syrupy film and streaks later. Visual cue: the foam should sit on paint and glass for around 60 to 90 seconds, then come off top-down with the pressure washer.

Aw attacks coatings. In the driveway it stays in the canister.

At pH 7.5 Aktivwäsche Aw is almost neutral, but it carries a slightly alkaline kick — which is exactly what you want when the paint needs to be stripped clean before polishing or sealing. That same kick, though, attacks existing coatings, wax layers and SiO2 sealants over time. If you want to maintain a fresh ceramic coating rather than strip it, reach for Koch-Chemie NanoMagic Shampoo Nms at a mild-acidic pH 5.5, or the Glanzwachsshampoo Gw with wax content. Aw is the tool for cleaning, not for preserving.

The second limit is the dry time. Detailers abroad describe Aw as „tricky to finish washing the whole car before the concentrate dries on the paint". That's true: in direct sun, on hot metal or at outside temperatures over 25 °C, Aw runs out of headroom. Shade, cool metal and working panel by panel aren't a suggestion, they're a must. Skip that and you pick up streaks and, in the worst case, spot etching on horizontal surfaces.

The third limit is legal: even though Aw is phosphate- and NTA-free and supports biological process-water treatment, washing a car with shampoo on private property is banned under the German Water Resources Act. The issue isn't the surfactants but the oil, brake dust and tar residue that would run into the groundwater with the rinse water. That's why Aw is only allowed at self-service bays with an oil separator or at wash systems with a process-water loop. Fines run into five figures depending on the state.

If you want to maintain an active ceramic sealant, reach for a mild maintenance shampoo from the Koch-Chemie line. If you can wash commercially or in a self-service box, Aw is the right tool. If you're parked privately in the driveway, Aw is the wrong product legally — no judgement, just the legal frame you should know before you crack the canister open.

Aw is a concentrate for detailers and wash-system operators.

Aktivwäsche Aw is built for three types of user. Professional detailers who need a reliable paint pre-clean between polishing stations and sealing work, without the next week's coating layer getting attacked. Wash-system operators and fleet managers who have to cost it out at cents per vehicle and still want VDA Class A. And hobby pros with a workshop streak who work at the self-service bay or with their own lift and want one concentrate to last for years.

Aw is less of a fit for the classic Sunday washer in the driveway — both practically (dry time too short, uncontrollable without shade) and legally (Water Resources Act). If you're allowed to wash privately in the driveway because your local bylaw permits it in your area, check the local rules — they aren't uniform, they differ by state and municipality. When in doubt, take the wash to a self-service bay.

The 11 kg canister is the entry point for professional detailers with a single site. At one hand wash of a single vehicle a week, the container lasts around four years — in practice that means the concentrate rarely runs out, it ages first. The 21 kg keg pays off from the second detailing site or at higher workload. The 210 kg container is the wash-system size for tunnels with three-digit daily throughput.

Aw isn't a wow-gloss shampoo. It's the tool that preps the paint right on the mark for the next layer — whether that's a coating, a hot wax or simply clean dryness. Use Aw and put nothing on afterwards, and you're leaving performance on the table. That's pro logic: get it properly clean first, then put down exactly what you want. Aw handles the dirty part of the wash reliably, the rest hangs on the workflow that follows.

Application of Koch-Chemie Aktivwäsche Aw

Hand bucket wash using the two-bucket method

Place the vehicle in the shade and allow it to cool down. Aw dries on hot paint within a few seconds and leaves behind residues that are difficult to rinse off. Remove loose, coarse dirt beforehand with a high-pressure cleaner — sand and brake dust have no place in a wash mitt.

Add 50 milliliters of concentrate to 10 liters of water in the first bucket — this is the 1:200 dilution recommended by the manufacturer. The second wash bucket remains next to it with clear water and a Grit Guard. Lukewarm water instead of cold speeds up the surfactant action without affecting the drying time.

Wash from top to bottom, section by section. Roof first, side skirts last. After each panel, wring out the mitt in the clear water bucket before picking up more shampoo. Do not soap up the entire car at once — work panel by panel and rinse immediately with clear water.

To dry, use a thick microfiber towel in the 950 g/m² range or a leaf blower. Both prevent the limescale residues that become visible after half an hour when water droplets run off and evaporate.

Notes: With a pH of 7.5, Aw is nearly neutral but has a slightly alkaline kick — over time, it will break down wax and ceramic sealants. Anyone wishing to maintain an existing coating should use Koch-Chemie NanoMagic Shampoo Nms (pH 5.5) or Glanzwachsshampoo Gw. Do not use in direct sunlight; do not use if the outside temperature is above 25 °C without shade. Store frost-free between 5 and 30 °C; shelf life is 24 months after opening. Use on private property is prohibited under the Water Resources Act — use Aw only at self-service wash bays or in car washes with an oil separator.