About Cataclean
Cataclean was founded in Liverpool, England in 1995 by Ross Baigent and Hugh Collins, built around a mission to clean a car's catalytic converter without removing it. The idea grew out of Baigent's work importing and exporting vehicles and needing a way to meet emissions regulations. Over three decades the formula evolved into what the company calls an 8-in-1 fuel and exhaust system treatment, aimed at fuel injectors, fuel lines, EGR valves, oxygen sensors, intake valves, cylinder heads, the catalytic converter, and DPF/PPF particulate filters from a single tank treatment. Cataclean marked its 30th anniversary in 2025, remains headquartered in Liverpool, and today distributes in more than 30 countries across Europe, the Middle East, Africa, North America, Asia, and Oceania.
In January 2025, Holley Performance Brands, which had already distributed Cataclean in the US for more than a decade, signed a perpetual exclusive licensing agreement covering the US, Canada, and Mexico. That deal makes Holley Cataclean's exclusive North American distributor, not its owner; Cataclean Global Ltd remains an independently run UK company. The version sold through that US distribution, and the one featured on RevRated, treats gasoline, diesel, hybrid, and flex-fuel (E85) vehicles from a single 16-ounce bottle, and it's the EPA-registered emissions angle, cleaning a fouled catalytic converter or oxygen sensor without removing parts, that sets it apart from the injector-only cleaners in our own testing.
Brand website: cataclean.com
What Cataclean makes
Cataclean's range runs wider than the products we review. The lines we know best from our own testing are marked with a star:
Cataclean Fuel and Exhaust System Cleaner (multi-fuel)
the 16 oz single-bottle US formula covering gasoline, diesel, hybrid, and flex-fuel vehicles -- the version featured on RevRated — featured on RevRated
Cataclean Petrol
UK/international gasoline-specific formula for injectors, valves, oxygen sensors, EGR valve, and catalytic converter
Cataclean Diesel
diesel-specific formula that also reduces particulate buildup in a DPF
Cataclean Hybrid
hybrid-specific formula that also reduces particulate buildup in a petrol particulate filter (PPF)
Cataclean Workshop 5L
bulk 5-liter size for professional workshops and repair shops
Why we recognized Cataclean
The RevRated Top Brand recognition isn't paid for and can't be applied for. We award it to the brands whose products consistently stand out in our hands-on category reviews. Cataclean earned it on the strength of the products below, evaluated the same way every product on this site is: bought, run on real vehicles, and judged on merit.
Cataclean products we rated highly
Cataclean Fuel and Exhaust System Cleaner
In our testing, Cataclean stood out as the only fuel additive in our roundup built to treat the complete exhaust aftertreatment system in one application: the catalytic converter and oxygen sensors alongside the fuel injectors. It covers the widest fuel-type range we tested, gasoline, diesel, hybrid, and flex-fuel (E85), and it's EPA-registered for emissions reduction, which matters for owners in states with strict emissions testing programs. Some customers reported resolving a P0420 catalytic-converter code after treatment, though results depend on whether the underlying fouling is chemical (which Cataclean can address) or mechanical damage (which it can't).
Read the 8 Best Fuel Injector Cleaners of 2026 guide →What earned Cataclean the recognition
- Only product in our fuel-additive testing built to treat the catalytic converter and oxygen sensors alongside the fuel injectors in a single tank treatment, rather than the fuel-delivery side alone
- Widest fuel-type compatibility we tested: gasoline, diesel, hybrid, and flex-fuel (E85) vehicles are all covered by the same formula
- EPA-registered formula for emissions reduction, giving owners in states with strict emissions testing a documented option before a test date
- Verified customer reports of resolving a P0420 catalyst-efficiency check engine light, a real-world use case none of the injector-only cleaners in our roundup address directly
- Independently owned UK company operating continuously since 1995, with a licensed North American distribution partner rather than a parent company