(Comments on this thread posted elsewhere) Should you use Dawn to wash your car?

[sheltem]

I don't think you should ever use Dawn on your car (and Dawn says the same thing on their website!!). It is safe on your paint if it is protected. However, the plastic things that are around your car like trim, decals, cabriolet top etc. need the oils to keep them from drying out.



I am continually answering questions regarding the problems that Dawn has created on other cars.



Because of the Alkali in Dawn it is excellent for stripping oils off your dinner plates and also the oils that keep your plastic trim supple. Once those oils are stripped out of the trim the pours close up and you can't re-introduce the oils anymore. You are left with a cycle of treating it with yet another product like Back-To-Black.



Those who live in the hotter climates like FL, TX and CA know exactly what I am talking about. Once the oils are gone the sun can have a ball with your trim.



Zaino is an excellent product but they are dead wrong on this one!



I mean, people are so cautions about what they put onto their paint for fear of dulling it. The same respect should be given to trim. The sun and hard water can have some adverse affects on your trim as well but there is no reason to accelerate the process by using Dawn.



Think of it in paint terms.... many many car owners won't drive their cars in the winter or the rain for fear of what can happen i.e. Road salt, acid rain etc.



There is an excellent product that is designed from DeWaxing your ride: 3M General Purpose Adhsive Cleaner. It is not safe on plastic trim either but you can control where it goes because you apply it with a towel.

What do you guys think on this? Kindly comment got this from another forum.

No offence to the author if he sees this

 

[shaf]

I think the general idea is that a Dawn wash once or twice a year to prepare the paint won't hurt anything. I've never felt a need to use it though because there are products you could use (clay, bug&tar remover, polish/cleanser) that could do the same functions and I usually plan on using them anyway.

 

[sheltem]

But won't you use Dawn to wash b4 you do a full detailing?



IE: Wash --> Clay --> Polish --> Wax



to get off all the wax b4 you start claying? Or you use a normal car soap?

 

[shaf]

Hmm, yes I suppose if you have lots of wax on the car then it might be a good idea. Some people have had issues with wax getting in their clay.



Mind you, some waxes are durable enough that Dawn won't remove them fully (it's even less effective on sealants), so it may or may not work. Often people don't bother because usually they only clay during major detail jobs so the wax on the car is wearing thin by then anyway. Go ahead and do it if you think it needs it - an occasional Dawn wash shouldn't hurt.

 

[sheltem]

Thx for replying to this article. was having doubts on using Dawn ... now at least I understand a little bit

 

[blk96gt]

Will using Z-6 remove the oils left over from products like Meguiars #9?

 

[schoi]

I'm personally not a big fan of using Dawn on a car. I have, and I might again, but I just don't really like the idea of doing so. After all, can't you just spray on a 64:1 mix of APC+ to dewax? That wouldn't hurt, would it...?

 

[Richt]

ill stick with a paint cleaner like megs medallion thanks!

 

[Jngrbrdman]

Using Dawn on your car once or twice a year isn't going to harm anything. Its been used long enough that if any lasting damage were to occur then we would be hearing about it on a regular basis.



Dawn has it on their website to protect themselves from law suits. Its the typical CYA that every company does. They have to say that or else someone is going to pour Dawn all over their car and let it back in the sun for a couple days and then sue Dawn for a new paint job.



There are other products you can use that work well too. If you want to go get them then I'm sure they work fine. Dawn speeds up the process of doing a detail on a car that hasn't had one for awhile for me. If I can strip off waxes before the clay even touches the car then I'm going to try and do that. I won't Dawn wash a car more than twice a year because I just don't think it needs to be done more than that. People with nicer cars than mine and whose opinions I trust use it so I'll use it too.