Can I use washing up liquid to clean my car?
April 17th, 2006 by Danny the web stig
Simple answer - No!
Washing-up liquid is a powerful cleaner and degreaser, but the problem with it is that it contains Sodium Chloride (salt) which is used to add to the viscosity. It may also contain amonia.
Salt makes water a better conductor of electricity and because the process of oxidization is an electrical process, the addition of salt to your car’s bodywork speeds up this process. Oxidization is bad for both your paintwork and metalwork.
Washing-up liquid may also contain other chemicals such as solvents, surfactants, colourings and preservatives which may be fine for your dishes and hands, but may not be so good for your car.
Some things just belong in the Kitchen
Washing-up liquid is especially formulated for washing grease and food from crockery, so when washing your car it is best to use a soap especially formulated to remove salts, tar, pollutants and traffic film without causing damage.
Because washing up liquid is such a powerful de greaser, it will strip all the wax from your car, it may also make your paintwork dry and brittle and prone to chipping and even cracking.
You should use a purpose made car shampoo or ‘wash & wax’ that contain no sodium. These can be purchases quite cheaply from motor accessory shops, either in sachets or by the litre.
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i would just like to say this infomation has been very handy because i am going to do a sponserd car wash to raise money and i was going to use washing up liquid and if i did i would have had lots of complants so thank you…
It’s nice to hear that. Good luck with your sponsored car wash.
cheer’s for that information my so called friend suggeted me using it the other day to clean my window screen running all down my body work in the process the silly prat
what are the right equipments for washing cars, because i am also doin a sponsored carwash and can you please give me any website that can compare the equipment price for the sponsored carwash?
thank you……
I’m not sure there is one, but I’ll send you an email with some advice.
www.detailingworld.com contains everything and then some about car care and cleaning.
It borders on slightly anal, but if you’re serious about car care then a good read up there will be of huge benefit. And it can’t be denied, the results some of the guys achieve is nothing short of astonishing, surpassing ’showroom’ finishes with ease.
I agree, but it is an enthusiast website — most women would find it as very anal!!! The problem is, the more long winded they make something, the more they have to get enthusiastic about… so they do! They tend to go over the top and be governed by fashion and trends too, importing fancy looking compounds and tools from around the world.
There is nothing wrong with that if you want to emerse yourself in the hobby-detailing scene. But for the vast majority of us, we just want to get the job done quickly, efficiently, cheaply and with respectable results.
But it does make an interesting read every now and again.