How much dawn do you use?

A

accordmaniac

New member
I was planning on washing my mom's Camry in a couple of days. It hasn't been washed for about three months, I didn't take care of it because it was damaged during hurricane Charley and it's going into the body shop in March. But it looks really filthy and thats bothering me so I want to wash it with dawn to get it clean. I thought it would be easier to clean the dirt off than using a car soap. But I don't know how much to use. So I was wondering how much do you usually use?
 
I use a lot of dawn on my dishes, and none on my car.



Go get yourself a good car wash (NXT, Megs Gold etc). Dawn can do bad things for your car and is not going to get it any clear than everyday car soap.
 
If you are really worried about removing the dirt, just use a strong soap concentration, and use a regular two bucket, top to bottom method, you should be fine.
 
Go get yourself a good car wash (NXT, Megs Gold etc). Dawn can do bad things for your car and is not going to get it any clear than everyday car soap
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I have NXT so I guess I'll just use a little more of that then. I usually don't use dawn on our other cars but since the Camry is getting repainted anyway I thought it wouldn't hurt. But I guess I'm wrong.
 
I actually called up Zaino ( the Company ) today and inquired about their products. I spoke to someone named "Kevin" and he specifically recommended that I wash with Dawn before using their products.

However, a lot of folks here are totally opposed to using Dawn. I'm very confused. :confused:
 
One alternative to the Dawn use( and probably more definite in terms of removing old wax) which may be closer to how a paint shop may rid the finish of existing oils,wax,grease, etc is to wash and clay the car, then work on a panel at a time: wipe it down with a solvent specific for this purpose such as Prepsol or Prep-All, polish and detail, apply LSP
 
You could also add a small amount of Hi Temps prep wash to your bucket. You can also dillute most APC's to de-wax a car. Not sure how either of these two differ from using dawn. I typically use the prep wash becasue at least I know that it was formulated to work on paint. :nixweiss
 
accordmaniac I just washed a black Jag today that hasn't been washed since I last detailed it in late oct .. our roads here are a mess and so was the car .. I just used a little stronger concentration of my reg car wash soap and the 2 bucket ( rinse bucket ) system.



The car came out clean .. no problems .. save the Dawn for Zaino prep if you don't have the Prepsol.
 
Use your NXT.



My personal feeling on a Dawn wash is this. I would rather use Dawn on my paint than any solvent or heavy cleaner. About the only other problem is the rubber moldings or weather stripping. I have never seen a problem from a dish soap wash, and i used Sunlight for the first 2 years i washed cars. (and seen them after)



For Zaino's Dawn wash, all they want, is to make sure that the paint is clean of loose silicone and wax, for their products to stick to.
 
I need to strip my old wax soon for my upcoming detail. I was planning on washing my car first with Z7 car wash to remove the majority of dirt, and then directly after rinsing, wash with dawn to remove the old wax. Could I just mix Z7 and dawn together, so I can get Dawn's was stripping abilites?



Btw, I am not using Zaino polishes after Dawn...only Menzerna.
 
salty said:
Menzerna or any polish will strip wax. Wash with what wou want.
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Salty is right. If you plan to polish your paint or use as paint cleaner like AIO, washing with Dawn becomes mostly redundant, just use a normal wash soap.
 
The problem with Dawn is that dries out rubber seals and joints. Years ago I used Dawn to strip wax and grime. Though as sealants became stronger and stronger, it seemed to be less effective. Iâ€â„¢ve noticed that adding a little simple green or vinegar to the mix works extremely well.
 
Bill D said:
One alternative to the Dawn use( and probably more definite in terms of removing old wax) which may be closer to how a paint shop may rid the finish of existing oils,wax,grease, etc is to wash and clay the car, then work on a panel at a time: wipe it down with a solvent specific for this purpose such as Prepsol or Prep-All, polish and detail, apply LSP
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:xyxthumbs



Detergents:

Washing-up liquids should not be used on a regular basis for vehicles bodywork as their concentrated detergent soaps and usually high sodium / alkaline content will emulsify, breakdown and leach out oils naturally found in your paint, and also any oils you have applied in the way of a polish or glaze.



Generally avoid the use of household cleaning products for automotive detailing as they are formulated for an entirely different type of cleaning. âہ“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 carâ€Â�. Proctor and Gamble
 
The only time I use Dawn is if I'm doing a "full-detail" on my car (clay, polish, wax, etc) as it will strip most layers of protection from the paint. I used Dawn in my pre-autopian days (my mom used it, so I learned it that way) and so long as you take proper treatment on moldings and such, you most likely have any long term damage. But now that I have seen the light, I know better ways to take care of the car. I'd just overdose your car wash and clean it up nicely. Good Luck!!!
 
salty said:
Use your NXT.



My personal feeling on a Dawn wash is this. I would rather use Dawn on my paint than any solvent or heavy cleaner.
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The thing is, the Prepsol is a product specifically formulated for this purpose; a total wash of the car is unnecessary as it can be applied a panel at a time. No reason to worry about weather stripping, etc at all. I suspect the Prepsol will do a better job removing old wax, etc as well.
 
There are no "natural oils" in a vehicle painted surface. Though it is not recommended to use Dawn as a routine washing agent, it is prefectly okay for an easily obtained product that will remove most oil-based substances that may be present on one's paint.

Unless one is planning to apply a product that requires a oil-free surface, I would just wash with a normal car wash product and maybe use an APC or even a second bucket with a DAWN solution for those lower panels that tend to attract road greases.
 
None..... It is designed for kitchen use, use it for dishes. To make sure the paint is clean I use a paint or pre-wax cleaner, products designed to be used in paint. Simple as that. I think that because the dish soap is a requirement for hype-no a lot of people use it also with other products....
 
RedondoV6 said:
accordmaniac: Check out this thread, I consider it the definitive Dawn thread here at Autopia, lots of opinions on both sides of the argument!



http://autopia.org/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=45262
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LOL...that Dawn thread was like the Pledge thread...the manufacturer says something like "don't use if for that, because we haven't tested it for that". That doesn't mean that Dawn or Pledge will melt your car, just that a big company is covering their butt for liability purposes. If you buy a hammer these days, it has so many safety warnings....everything short of "don't hit yourself in the head with this or you may be injured", so if you get hurt using it, the hammer company can say they warned you about how deadly hammers are.



I'm sure the Dawn people have enough lawsuits ("the Dawn was so sudsy that I dropped the dish and when I bent over to pick it up I hit my head on the counter and now I'm dizzy and can't work and if you could just give me a million dollars...) that they don't need any others from other parts of the house...
 
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