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Dish soap might seem great for washing cars. For starters, it’s right there in your kitchen, and you don’t need a lot of it to fill a bucket of water with heavy suds. That colorful, fragrant, gooey liquid works wonders in removing grease, stains, and grime from your pots and pans, but it could wreak havoc on your car’s paint. Car wax brands are right in saying that dish soap works a little too well to be used for cleaning cars, and using it frequently can do more harm than good to your car’s paint.
Common dish soap brands share a similar formula that uses hydrophilic and hydrophobic dual-action surfactants to emulsify grease and suspend it in water. It’s for that reason why dish soap should never to…
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Dish soap might seem great for washing cars. For starters, it’s right there in your kitchen, and you don’t need a lot of it to fill a bucket of water with heavy suds. That colorful, fragrant, gooey liquid works wonders in removing grease, stains, and grime from your pots and pans, but it could wreak havoc on your car’s paint. Car wax brands are right in saying that dish soap works a little too well to be used for cleaning cars, and using it frequently can do more harm than good to your car’s paint.
Common dish soap brands share a similar formula that uses hydrophilic and hydrophobic dual-action surfactants to emulsify grease and suspend it in water. It’s for that reason why dish soap should never touch your car’s paint or the entire vehicle in general. Auto paint has a layer of wax to protect the clear coat and bring a natural shine. As it so happens, car wax is typically made from oil or plant-based ingredients like carnauba and beeswax.
The oil-busting properties of dish soap mean it can literally dissolve and wash away the wax on your car’s paint, leaving it more vulnerable to intense UV exposure and weathering. Some silicone-based waxes, long-lasting ceramic coatings, or graphene waxes may take longer to fade, but persistently using dish soap will slowly eat away at any type of protective layer on the clear coat.
The ultimate result is a dull finish with no trace of water beading, which is a telltale sign that the paint is literally starved of protection. If left unchecked, your car’s paint will begin to crack, fade, or oxidize with time. At that point, no amount of polishing or waxing will undo the damage.
Dish soap will also degrade plastic and rubber trim
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With that in mind, we’re one with the wax brands in saying that dish soap is one of the worst things you can use to clean any car or motorcycle. You not only risk dulling or damaging the paint, but also washing away the essential oils that keep those rubber and plastic trim pieces looking great and protected from the elements.
Things like rubber door seals, window seals, roof strips, headlights, tail lamps, and any black plastic or rubber trim will inevitably begin degrading with time and consistent weather exposure. However, repeated washing with dish soap will hasten the aging process, leading to a faded, discolored, or dried-out exterior trim.
On top of that, dish soap is also harmful to paint protection film (PPF), which is usually made from thermoplastic urethane. PPF can last five to 10 years with holistic maintenance, but don’t expect it to last that long if you habitually wash the vehicle with dish soap. It’s the same story with vinyl wraps; harsh cleaners like dish soap can prematurely dry out or damage them with repeated washing. You won’t ruin your car’s paint by washing it often, but you surely will if you insist on using dish soap.
Believe it or not, there are instances where it’s okay to use dish soap for cleaning cars. Since it can literally strip off wax or sealants from the clear coat, dish soap is fine if you plan on detailing or waxing your car after washing. Meanwhile, a drop or two of dish soap in a spray bottle is a quick-fix solution for removing tree sap or bird droppings.
What’s the best alternative to dish soap?
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Instead of dish soap, the best things for washing cars are, of course, car wash soap or car shampoo. Unlike the harsh surfactants in dish soap, the best car shampoos have a balanced concentration of surfactants, lubricants, conditioners, and easy-rinse chemical formulas. Reducing friction on the paint as you wipe or wash is the main goal to prevent scratches or swirl marks, and it’s why car shampoos contain lubricants to do just that.
Products like the Turtle Wax Hybrid Solutions Pure Wash, Chemical Guys Mr. Pink Super Suds Car Wash, and Meguiar’s Gold Class Car Wash have mild formulas. These preserve the protective wax on your paint’s clear coat while being potent enough to lift off dirt, grime, and contaminants. You should also stay away from dish soap if your car has matte paint, which requires frequent washing with matte-specific products like Dr. Beasley’s Matte Body Wash to clean effectively without harming that velvety matte finish.