Dawn?

rickssimpala

rickssimpala

New member
I'm new to this forum and noticed alot of threads mentioning "DAWN" Is everybody talking about the dish washing soap?Why?
 
yes, the standard blue dawn dish soap is what everyone refers to. some believe it is necessary prior to applying an LSP in order to achieve a "fresh" surface free of oils/contaminants/old products.



it is also a point of great debate regarding:



1. does it actually remove wax/sealant more effectively than other soaps

2. is it too harsh on the paint and trim (dries it out, etc)



i won't even mention my opinion...i can hear the mob approaching... :bolt
 
paradigm said:
i won't even mention my opinion...i can hear the mob approaching... :bolt
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Heh heh, yeah, just like the villagers in all those Frankenstein movies :D For some reason few topics become more contentious than the use of Dawn.
 
Can everyone post their opinions on it, im curious what everyone thinks. There is no other car soap/shampoo that can do a similar job?
 
Jmiller07 said:
Can everyone post their opinions on it, im curious what everyone thinks. There is no other car soap/shampoo that can do a similar job?
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Just do a search on dawn, you will be reading for days.
 
Its a degreaser and its made to wash dishes. No where does it say on the bottle to wash a car with it. Why not use a bar of soap that you shower with? Or some shampoo? Those things are NOT made to wash a car with, thats why you dont use stuff like that.



Edit: 300 posts! :clap: :nana:
 
Quote from the Dawn website.



Question

Can I wash my car with dishwashing detergent?



Answer

Your car surface and the dirt that gets on it are a lot different from the food soils and dishes that dishwashing liquids clean effectively. We don't recommend them for cleaning your car.
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paradigm said:
yes, the standard blue dawn dish soap is what everyone refers to. some believe it is necessary prior to applying an LSP in order to achieve a "fresh" surface free of oils/contaminants/old products.



it is also a point of great debate regarding:



1. does it actually remove wax/sealant more effectively than other soaps

2. is it too harsh on the paint and trim (dries it out, etc)



i won't even mention my opinion...i can hear the mob approaching... :bolt
Click to expand...





Who believes this besides Sal Zaino and his minions?:wall



Will someone tell me why LSPs have to be removed prior to polishing and applying new LSP? Which LSPs can survive claying and polishing with something even as mild as Meguiar's #82 or even a cleaner wax?
 
It is mentioned as a wash product to use before your first coat of Zaino to be sure all the wax & fillers are off your paint.

I followed those directions about three or four years ago and havent used it since. Not necessary again.

Its a harsh soap and certinly not recomended for any repeated use.

I cant see where the one time use hurt anything but its only been three or four years ago so time will tell.
 
STG said:
Who believes this besides Sal Zaino and his minions?:wall
Click to expand...



:har:





I have recently been thinking about seriously trying it though. Maybe mix it with some gold class for lubricity. Im guessing it would help for really cleaning in between panels and cracks and whatnot. However people dont actually use this stuff on a dirty car do they? They must be washing their car first with a regular lubricating car wash soap then washing with dawn or mixing the two... right? :nervous2:
 
funny post!



The theory behind dawn wash...

Bodyshops would do this to remove soils, atmosphere oils from cars burning oil in front of you, old waxes, silicones of any sort from tire shines, tree oils, etc. It will ensure propper prep and will ensure adhesion. It has been used for this process for 20 plus years. It is not strong and is safer than a chemical and is safe on your hands. It also can be bought at almost any store. It's an easy accessable light duty product that works.



I see some pros uses wax and tar remover which is more harsher but works very well. I also see glue and tar remover which is a very good product and works great. I personally use pinkstuff cleaner and it removes all dirt, grime,old wax, oils, etc. I know p21 has a body scrub also which is very good too and is strong stuff.



Dawn is the weaker one of all these but it works good. They even use it to wash oily ducks:chuckle: Plus it is safe on dishes. Will it work on removing a fresh coat of wax? Not sure. Does it remove all the oily slime from the poluted oil burning cars that are airborne in the atmosphere on those hot summer days from unprotected cars? yes!



I worked at a body shop 10 years ago and everything was dawn washed before it entered our shop. We could not take a chance on having a drop of silicone in the shop. The boss was strict.



Also the biggest thing is the tire shines some newbies use has tons of oils in them slinging on the car. Most car washes will not wash them off and I think most people that detail used cars will know this. You can use degreaser to remove the oily films or something milder like dawn that can be bought easily. Will it remove wax? Probably not all af it, but it will remove the oils in it and promote a better bonding.



Do I use it? Nope, I like something a little stronger.



It's an easy task with proven results that is mild. After your protection is on there then use nothing but your favorite car wash soap.



Hope this helps the new people here and this is not to start a big bad thread.
 
IMHO It does remove waxes and oils from your car. But it is very harsh on your trim also. Black trim that has been preped will loose all its oils. I try to stay away from it. To remove wax I use a polish on a finishing pad. PO85RD is great to remove all old waxes and sealants and leaves a nice gloss.
 
Couldn't you just use a paint cleanser using maybe a white pad? I would think that would work well in getting off wax
 
rydawg said:
funny post!



...I worked at a body shop 10 years ago and everything was dawn washed before it entered our shop. We could not take a chance on having a drop of silicone in the shop. The boss was strict...
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Your's is a pretty funny post too. :grinno:



I've worked, off and on for some 35 years, around a bodyshop, one owned by a good friend. His shop uses Dupont Prepsol to clean the cars. He has run his Dupont bodyshop for 35 years and is known for being one of the best professionals in the area.



I'd not take my car to a bodyshop that relies on dishwashing soap to clean and prep a car when the refinishing industry specifically makes superior products designed just for this task. Professionals use professional products. A shop that would use dishwashing soap to prep a car are amateurs, IMO.



Here is what Dupont says about Prepsol.



•All-round degreaser with powerful degreasing performance



•Suitable for cleaning and degreasing before surface preparation



•Developed for removal of heavy contaminants s.a. wax, polish, silicones, tar, grease from old finishes
Click to expand...



The thing is that if you want the job done right you need to use the right products and tools for the job.



If you want to remove old wax, grease, silicone and other contaminants use a product designed for the purpose. Dawn is not one of those products and does a poor job of removing most synthetic sealants and silicones.



FWIW, Prepsol also is one of the best preps prior to fixing paint chips. It is an excellent tar remover and overall chemical paint cleaner. It is a good window degreaser too. It is easy to use and has a lot of uses. You can get it at most top tier automotive shops and paint and body shop suppliers.
 
jfelbab said:
Your's is a pretty funny post too. :grinno:



I've worked, off and on for some 35 years, around a bodyshop, one owned by a good friend. His shop uses Dupont Prepsol to clean the cars. He has run his Dupont bodyshop for 35 years and is known for being one of the best professionals in the area.



I'd not take my car to a bodyshop that relies on dishwashing soap to clean and prep a car when the refinishing industry specifically makes superior products designed just for this task. Professionals use professional products. A shop that would use dishwashing soap to prep a car are amateurs, IMO.



Here is what Dupont says about Prepsol.







The thing is that if you want the job done right you need to use the right products and tools for the job.



If you want to remove old wax, grease, silicone and other contaminants use a product designed for the purpose. Dawn is not one of those products and does a poor job of removing most synthetic sealants and silicones.



FWIW, Prepsol also is one of the best preps prior to fixing paint chips. It is an excellent tar remover and overall chemical paint cleaner. It is a good window degreaser too. It is easy to use and has a lot of uses. You can get it at most top tier automotive shops and paint and body shop suppliers.
Click to expand...





Your giving away the best kept secret:secret



Prepsol is the best way to remove everything. It is for the pros like us to use.
 
my brother had been using dawn on a thunder gray OZ..i did notice after he waxed the car with Z2pro..it didn't look good at all..t.he paint seemed DULL..i only get to see the car every 4-6 months, so i do notice the difference....maybe this has to do with mitsu's paints?..who knows...in any case..it didnt look good..he used dawn every 2-3 weeks to "remove" gunk/wax..then again..it may be my eyes fooling me...he didnt tell me he used dawn until i asked why the paint looked a little dull...
 
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