Gonna Wash My Car with Dawn Soap. Someone Stop Me if I Shouldnt.

[eggydoo]

i'm confused..alot of tutorials say to use dawn soap if you're gonna clay, re-polish and re-wax.

I guess its if you're doing it right away.

[svrds10]

Originally Posted by eggydoo

i'm confused..alot of tutorials say to use dawn soap if you're gonna clay, re-polish and re-wax.

I guess its if you're doing it right away.

Yea, only use dawn if you plan on laying down a new coat of wax. The purpose of a dawn wash is to strip the old wax from the vehicle so you can re-apply a new coat. Other than that the dawn belongs under the sink

[ffrcobra_65]

Dawn, NO! Any car wash liquid soap from any auto-parts store, YES. I buy the 1 gallon bottles for less than $5, lasts me a year for 1 car. You could spend more on highly advertised brands but that is what you are paying for...advertising.

[Texhawk]

I just hand wash with water only.
A paint expert that deals with a lot of body shops also told me not to use wax on clearcoat, just keep it clean.

[MG]

Should I use the same car soap for the rims as well? Midnight Silver 20's.

[jshaf]

dawn strips any wax or sealant on your paint surface, basically removing what ever protection you have. the only time I do dawn is early in the spring when I do a complete multi step detail. fixing chips and paint inperfections claying, removing lite swirls, then sealing, polishing etc. don't do it unless you putting fresh pretection back on the surface!

[2LTRS]

Originally Posted by Texhawk

I just hand wash with water only.
A paint expert that deals with a lot of body shops also told me not to use wax on clearcoat, just keep it clean.

What kind of paint expert was this character?

To the OP - Dawn removes all the paints protection and dries out black plastic trim; I only wash with dawn once a year for that "major" detail. Adam's for the rest of the year

[nards444]

once year I use dish soap on my vehicles, its the best soap as far as actual cleaning and getting rid of dirt and grime. BUT know that it takes off all wax. I imediately re-wax once and usually again in another week.

[skuttduck]

Originally Posted by svrds10

We are here to help. You have to learn somewhere right?

If you are looking to go with Autozone products then stick the the well known names like Meguirs, Mothers, and even ICE. The problem with Autozone and any other over the counter products is that the micro fiber towels are complete junk and will scratch the crap out of your paint the 1st time you use them.

I would check out Adams products. They are only sold online and today they released a new Foam gun and are running a special on a Premium car wash kit.

Since you are just looking to keep your car clean and not do any in depth detailing yet then go with this the Premium kit and you will be all set to go.

http://www.adamspolishes.com/c-6-specials.aspx

Make sure to use the "CAMARO5" coupon code to get yourself an extra 10% off.

I guarantee you wont regret going with that kit. They also have a 110% satisfaction guarantee policy and they stick by it.

Adams is great stuff, I used to think that there wasn't a big deal until I gave them a try.

As for cheap microfibers that scratch your paint. That all comes from what you consider a scratch in the paint. Some people can live with the swirl marks. The softness and quality of the korean made microfiber towels adams has prevents that.

The cheap ones are good to start with, and I have kept them for wiping off the exhaust tips, the wheels, and the engine bay.

[Moose]

Originally Posted by MG

Unfortunately I wasnt joking , I'm a car care amatuer. Good thing I asked though. What would you guys recommend, then? I have an autozone 5 minutes away from my house. Something for a quick wash at the end of every week, I really dont have the time to clay/wax the car too often.

Thanks again guys

Originally Posted by MG

Should I use the same car soap for the rims as well? Midnight Silver 20's.

WHe....I'm glad to read you're willing to do what's necessary to protect your finish.

Seeing as you have an automotive store close to you, if you're looking for a good "over the counter" brand of wax/polish, either Meguires or Mothers offer very good products. If you find you have to for a more involved detailing, some good products, which you'd have to order, are Zaino and Adams.

Also, purchase a couple of wash mitts, either sheepskin or chenile, one for the paint, one for the rims. In addition, some good quality drying towels, rags, are in order, for drying and polish removal.

As for the rims, just use the same car wash as well as whatever wax/polish you choose, and you'll be fine.

Ed

[MG]

I did it. Washed her today. Bought some Turtle brand car wash, supposedly it leaves "a wax after every wash" although I'm not entirely sold on that. Washed and dried with microfiber towels. The drying took longer than the actual cleaning, and I'm not sure I did it right, I still got water spots. Also cleaned the spider webs from the garage. Cant wait to see her in the full sun tomorow. Thanks for your help guys.

[Moose]

Originally Posted by MG

I did it. Washed her today. Bought some Turtle brand car wash, supposedly it leaves "a wax after every wash" although I'm not entirely sold on that. Washed and dried with microfiber towels. The drying took longer than the actual cleaning, and I'm not sure I did it right, I still got water spots. Also cleaned the spider webs from the garage. Cant wait to see her in the full sun tomorow. Thanks for your help guys.

I'm happy to read you're using a car wash.

As for the water spots, that can occur if you have "hard water", and/or if you've washed the car while the paint temp. is warm/hot. They can be removed if you invest some time in a good wax/polish and clay bar.

If you're not "sold" on the Turtle Wax brand try either Mothers or Meguires.

Ed

[gofast908z]

I thought this was a joke at first......

Originally Posted by Indpowr

Do not use Dawn unless your wanting to strip all of the old wax off of the car..

bingo

Originally Posted by Moose

I'm afraid to know what the paint looks like on the cars you've been washing with Dawn!

You CANNOT base your reasoning on Dawns performance on utensils...thats crazy!

Dawn will remove any protection your paint has, leaving it vulnerable to acid rain, your basic road grime, etc., resulting in a rapidly deteriorating paint job. Seriously, spend a few bucks and buy a good quality car wash. Car washes are designed for your cars paint. Dawn is designed to clean pots, pans, utensils, NOT car paint.

I hope you'll avoid using Dawn...you may think you're saving money, not having to buy car wash, but in the long run, you'll end up spending alot more money for a repaint.

My thoughts exactly.

[Junkman2008]

Originally Posted by Texhawk

I just hand wash with water only.
A paint expert that deals with a lot of body shops also told me not to use wax on clearcoat, just keep it clean.