Dilution Ratio of Dawn?

use regular car soap (agreed with D&D Auto Detail) to wash and when you do the paint cleaning process (clay/polish), it will remove any wax and anything else on the surface...
 
autobahnshine said:
I will be spraying my car down with a mixture of dawn to water after a wash to remove wax. What ratio is best ??





Some people here use dawn for this, but I am one of those who prefers to keep dawn away from my paint. I only use it on my tires. If you want to get rid of the wax on your paint, try Sonus Paintwork Cleanser Pre-wax Paint Cleaner Polish & Swirl Mark Remover. This stuff is really mild and will get the job done. It will also do a great job of removing contaminants and will leave your paint really glossy and slick (dawn will never do that).
 
Actually using dawn on tires or rubber stuff is not a great idea. Dawn removes the oils from rubber which shortens the life of the tire. Dawn, on paint will not hurt the paint and will clean off alot of road tar etc. Sure, dawn does not remove excessive amounts of wax and would be a good wash product prior to clay.



On the other hand I would not use Dawn routinely as a wash product as it is rather harsh.
 
BigJimZ28 said:
are you going to clay and polish?



because that will remove the wax!



yes, I guess I don't need the dawn! thanks! I was just reading from zaino's website, after I orderd some product...
 
autobahnshine said:
yes, I guess I don't need the dawn! thanks! I was just reading from zaino's website, after I orderd some product...



I would follow Zaino's directions so you don't have any issues with their products adhering
 
I use dawn about on my vehicles about once a year. I just like the squeaky clean feeling before I do a full prep and polish on my vechicles
 
jshillin said:
I use dawn about on my vehicles about once a year. I just like the squeaky clean feeling before I do a full prep and polish on my vechicles



At what ratio do you usualy use it? What about 1 oz DAWN, 24 oz h2o ? Too strong? I will always wash my cars using z7 or griot's garage soap, but I just want something to prep BEOFRE clay and polish...
 
autobahnshine said:
At what ratio do you usualy use it? What about 1 oz DAWN, 24 oz h2o ? Too strong? I will always wash my cars using z7 or griot's garage soap, but I just want something to prep BEOFRE clay and polish...



I never use a specific ratio..just whatever makes good suds for the cleaning. Just put a couple ounces in a bucket and stop worrying about it so much. Your not going to hurt anything
 
IIRC David B. used Dawn *straight*/undiluted when testing LSPs. IMO the risk when mixing it up is that you won't get it strong *enough*, Dawn isn't all that good at stripping LSPs IME. If you get it too strong you'll just have to rinse a little more.
 
I don't use dawn because, like someone already said, claying/polishing will remove it. But dawn won't hurt your paint, the only way it might is because it doesn't have surfactants that pull the contaminants up off of the paint.
 
hockeyplaya13 said:
.. like someone already said, claying/polishing will remove it..



Usually, but not always. I've had to compromise existing LSPs (I used IPA) when trying to polish throught them resulted in a tenacious residue. It doesn't happen very often (the biggie I dealt with was layered KSG), but when it does happen it's nice to have some LSP-compromiser on hand.
 
Dont use dawn on your car period. Plastics, rubbers, paint, nothing, it's got detergents and chemicals in it designed to clean dishes, not your car. The detergents in Dawn can break down compounds in your paint. Use a wash soap specifically designed for what you are cleaning.
 
beabout said:
Actually using dawn on tires or rubber stuff is not a great idea. Dawn removes the oils from rubber which shortens the life of the tire. Dawn, on paint will not hurt the paint and will clean off alot of road tar etc. Sure, dawn does not remove excessive amounts of wax and would be a good wash product prior to clay.



On the other hand I would not use Dawn routinely as a wash product as it is rather harsh.



Wait...first it's so strong it will remove the oils from rubber...but it's not strong enough to remove excessive amounts of wax...but it's rather harsh?



StangMahn said:
Dont use dawn on your car period. Plastics, rubbers, paint, nothing, it's got detergents and chemicals in it designed to clean dishes, not your car. The detergents in Dawn can break down compounds in your paint. Use a wash soap specifically designed for what you are cleaning.



How can it break down paint if it's not strong enough to remove excessive wax? Wait...it can break down paint...how can they sell that to wash dishes by hand?!?! What happens if you splash it on your wall or your kitchen cabinets while you are washing your dishes? What is it doing to my HANDS! OMG!



You guys should really listen to what you are saying. Dawn is a mild detergent that millions of people put their bare hands in EVERY DAY. We use all kinds of actually harsh products on our paint and trim, like alcohols, solvents, acids in our APC's, paint cleaners, tire cleaners, wheel cleaners, decon kits. Some of the ChemE's come around every once in a while and try and tell you guys the same thing...but I guess they get tired. You should listen to Madge..."you're soaking in it!" (that's for you old guys, lol).
 
autobahnshine said:
At what ratio do you usualy use it? What about 1 oz DAWN, 24 oz h2o ? Too strong? I will always wash my cars using z7 or griot's garage soap, but I just want something to prep BEOFRE clay and polish...





I don't use a specific ratio, I put some in my wash bucket and put water in it. As long as it suds up nice you are good to go. If you use a lot, you'll just have to rinse your car until you see no more bubbles...
 
Setec Astronomy said:
Wait...first it's so strong it will remove the oils from rubber...but it's not strong enough to remove excessive amounts of wax...but it's rather harsh?







How can it break down paint if it's not strong enough to remove excessive wax? Wait...it can break down paint...how can they sell that to wash dishes by hand?!?! What happens if you splash it on your wall or your kitchen cabinets while you are washing your dishes? What is it doing to my HANDS! OMG!



You guys should really listen to what you are saying. Dawn is a mild detergent that millions of people put their bare hands in EVERY DAY. We use all kinds of actually harsh products on our paint and trim, like alcohols, solvents, acids in our APC's, paint cleaners, tire cleaners, wheel cleaners, decon kits. Some of the ChemE's come around every once in a while and try and tell you guys the same thing...but I guess they get tired. You should listen to Madge..."you're soaking in it!" (that's for you old guys, lol).





I tend to agree that dawn will not harm the paint. Infact in all of the testing i have done it seems to be a poor car wash with little or no lubricant (when considered to other carwashes) little or no ability to remove waxes or tars. All it seems to do is leave a film on the paint that is not soft and slick.



I them am required to work through dawn, to get to the sealant/wax for removal. I have honestly found 1z blitz, and p21taw to be a much better addition to my car wash soaps. They do help strip waxes and tars. (to a point one could reasonably expect a car wash to do so)
 
Grouse said:
...[IME Dawn]..seems to be a poor car wash with little or no lubricant (when considered to other carwashes) little or no ability to remove waxes or tars... I have honestly found 1z blitz, and p21taw to be a much better addition to my car wash soaps...



I agree. No, I'm not taking both sides of this one :D It's just that IME the best thing about Dawn is that it works (well, at least to some extent, and I don't get the filming...different water perhaps :nixweiss) and more importantly, it's a dirt-cheap product that many people already have sitting around.



I'd readily admit that it's my wash of choice for service loaners/rentals that're gonna get a quick going over. But I can't remember the last time I actually used it on one of our vehicles...I probably never have (preferring TAW or even AutoInt's "A").



Setec Astronomy- Heh heh, I decided not to post something similar to what you put up as I figured somebody else would do it anyhow. Seems like this one's just never gonna die, huh ;)
 
Accumulator said:
I agree. No, I'm not taking both sides of this one :D It's just that IME the best thing about Dawn is that it works (well, at least to some extent, and I don't get the filming...different water perhaps :nixweiss) and more importantly, it's a dirt-cheap product that many people already have sitting around.



I'd readily admit that it's my wash of choice for service loaners/rentals that're gonna get a quick going over. But I can't remember the last time I actually used it on one of our vehicles...I probably never have (preferring TAW or even AutoInt's "A").



Setec Astronomy- Heh heh, I decided not to post something similar to what you put up as I figured somebody else would do it anyhow. Seems like this one's just never gonna die, huh ;)





Got that right!:rolleyes:
 
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