Are Products Like Dawn Dish Soap Acceptable For Car Washing?
All of us want to keep our car looking its best for as long as possible, and it would be nice if we didn’t need to keep a ton of additional products around the house to do so. So, are everyday items we find around the house, like dish soap, ok to use to wash our vehicles?
The short answer to this question is “yes” however, not regularly. Items such as Dawn dish soap, have an amazing ability to strip grease and grime off the surfaces it comes in contact with.
If dish soap is so adept at stripping grease and dirt from things, how could it be an issue when it comes to washing your car with it? This article will serve to answer that exact question.
Dish soap shouldn’t be used to regularly wash your car because once it starts stripping off the grease and grime from your car, it won’t stop until the car's surface has only the paint left. This includes the wax or sealant you put on your car.
Once dish soap is used to wash the car, waxes and sealants must be reapplied or the car’s paint will be left unprotected. Really, the only time someone should be using dish soap to wash their car should be when they intend to strip off the wax or sealant on their car.
Even then, it probably isn’t the best idea given that there are several products made specifically for that purpose. However, if you are in a pinch and need to wash and re-wax the car in a hurry, dish soap will do just fine.
What Products Should We Be Using?
As with anything else, taking pride in your work when it comes to cleaning your car is something everyone should do. You wouldn’t use bacon grease to shine your countertop, and unless it is the only thing you have on hand, dish soap isn’t the ideal tool for the job of cleaning your car.
Using a car shampoo or car washing soap will serve much better than dish soap. For starters, PH Neutral car shampoo or washing soap won’t strip off wax or sealant the way dish soap will. The overall time it takes to wash the car properly with a car shampoo will be reduced as well given that you won’t have to reapply waxes or sealants.
Will Dish Soap Damage My Car?
Dish soap itself will not damage the paint of the car but it will strip off the paint protection as mentioned earlier. That can lead to oxidation and cause your paint to fail earlier than it should.
If the wax is not reapplied after washing with dish soap, after a while swirl marks and scratches may appear on the paint of the vehicle because there is nothing left to protect it from the elements. Bottom line, if you use dish soap, be sure to only do it if necessary and be sure to reapply protection to the paint.
Let Us Know How We Can Help
At Keystone Detail, we specialize in protecting our customers’ vehicles and keep them looking their best for as long as possible. Stop by the shop or give us a call to find out more about what type of services we provide to clean and protect your vehicle for you.
Washing your car is something that can be done at home and doesn’t have to take a long time. If you have any questions about what type of products we recommend or what type of cleaning would best fit your needs, give us a call, we would be happy to answer any of your questions. You can reach us at 814-230-6991!
