Can you wash your car with dish soap? I’m not sure how this rumor started, but I’ve heard that you can use dish soap to wash your car. This is not true!
So, you can not use dish soap to wash your car because its purpose is to clean dishes, not cars. If you do, it will leave a cloudy film on your car’s surface and fade the color and shine of your car’s paint. So, only use dedicated car soaps to wash your car.
The best thing to use for washing the car is a regular car shampoo with an all-purpose cleaner like Simple Green or Mr. Clean All Purpose Cleaner, which is designed specifically for cars and leaves no residue behind.
Is dishwashing soap OK for cars?
Car owners rely on many special products to keep their cars looking spick and span. Dish soap is not one of those products. Dish soap is designed for hand washing dishes, pots, pans, silverware, and glassware—not a car’s exterior or interior surfaces. In fact, using dish soap could leave a film or cloudiness on your vehicle’s paint job, which will be visible in sunlight.
The best product for washing a car should have two important qualities:
- It must clean the surface thoroughly without leaving behind any streaks or residue that will attract dirt and dust.
- It should protect the paint from damage during the process.
Dish soaps generally do not have these properties, as they are designed specifically for hand-washing dishes by removing food particles, grease, and oils.
Dish soaps are not formulated to clean car paint jobs, which contain different chemicals than those used to make the soap itself. Dish soaps can also strip wax coatings or cause water spots on any exterior paint or plastic surfaces. Dish soaps may also be too strong for the delicate fabrics found inside vehicles, which can discolor carpets and upholstery.
Can you use dawn dish soap to wash your car?
Some people ask “can you use dawn dish soap to wash your car” The answer is “No” The dawn dish soap is the same as any other normal dish wash soap, so it won’t make a difference.
Car detailing experts’ point of view
Car detailing experts say that using dish soap to wash a car could end up damaging your vehicle’s surface because it contains chemicals that make the exterior rough. Dish soap left behind after a car wash will evaporate at a slower rate than water alone because it is thicker, creating a cloudy residue that will be visible on the paint job.
Dish soap could also strip wax coatings and leach away any existing protection, leaving your vehicle’s exterior exposed to damaging UV rays from the sun.
Final Verdict: Can You Use Dish Soap To Wash A Car?
In short, dish soap is not a good cleaner for cars or other vehicles because it can damage delicate surfaces and leave behind a film that attracts future dirt and grime. Dish soaps are better suited for washing dishes by hand, where they can be more easily rinsed away using fresh water.
If you insist on washing your car with dish soap, do not let the suds sit for an extended period of time. Use plenty of clean water to rinse away the soap immediately after scrubbing the exterior thoroughly.
This video will further explain using dish soap for washing vehicles.
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