Can You Use Dish Soap to Wash Your Car?

Dish soap is an abrasive soap. They’re great at cutting through grease and removing food from surfaces. But can you use it on your car? The answer is no. 

Dish soaps contain too many toxic and corrosive chemicals in their formulas. Over time these will eat through the protective wax and damage the bodywork. Let’s look at why dish soap isn’t suitable and what alternatives are better. 

Vermijd afwasmiddel

Everybody wants to save money and time when they can. That’s why many people prefer to wash their cars at home. However, it’s important to do it the right way so you don’t unintentionally damage your vehicle. Also, don’t be tempted to add dish soap to your bucket of water. 

Merken zoals Dawn bevatten bijtende chemicaliën zoals methylisothiazolinone (MIT). De EU verbood de gebruik van MIT in bodylotions, deodorants en andere cosmetica vanwege het gezondheidsrisico voor de mens. 

Dish soaps aren’t pH balanced and regular use will damage your vehicle’s paintwork. They are designed to remove grease from pots, pans, and plates. Unfortunately, they’ll remove wax in the same way. It accelerates the oxidation process and can also degrade rubber. 

Wat maakt een goede autozeep? 

Als u uw voertuig waardeert, koop dan een gespecialiseerd product om het schoon te maken.

They aren’t very expensive and will last for a reasonable amount of time. Car soaps contain more lubricant, which is better for the surface of your vehicle’s exterior. However, if you can’t get your hands on car soap, there are some alternatives. None of these are perfect replacements and should only be used in a pinch.

All-natural detergents are safe to use because they don’t have abrasive ingredients. However, they’re not cheap, so it’s probably not the most cost-effective solution.  Another alternative is shampoo. It’s not as harsh as other types of soap but still isn’t ideal. Don’t use it all the time, and wax your vehicle afterward. 

Waarom is autozeep effectiever? 

Car soaps contain several formulaic ingredients that make them more effective than dish soaps. Let’s take a look at these now –

Evenwichtige oppervlakteactieve stoffen 

Oppervlakte-actieve stoffen helpen bij het verwijderen van materialen van het oppervlak van uw voertuig. Deze tweedelige moleculen hebben twee hoofdcomponenten. Het ene deel werkt met water, het andere wordt aangetrokken door vuil. 

The surfactants find dirt and seep underneath them. They then suspend them in water. This makes it easier to wipe them away without damaging your paint. Dish soaps don’t contain these surfactants and simply eat into the grease. This is counterproductive when you want to wash your car. 

Smeermiddelen 

Smeermiddelen zijn een ander belangrijk additief in autozepen. Deze zijn volledig afwezig in afwasmiddel en zijn een belangrijke reden waarom u ze nooit zou moeten gebruiken om uw voertuig te wassen. 

You don’t want to scratch your car when you’re washing it. Lubricants will help reduce the chance of this happening by surrounding debris and dirt. It’s best to use a microfiber towel when you’re wiping your bodywork. If you use an old t-shirt or rag, you can end up rubbing dust into the paint. 

Gemakkelijke spoelformule

Nobody wants their car to be covered in soapy streaks. Sadly, this is the frustrating reality if you use dish soap. This is because they don’t contain an easy-rinse chemical formula. 

Deze formules zijn echter een integraal onderdeel van autozepen. Het maakt het gemakkelijk om uw auto schoon te spuiten zonder een spoor achter te laten. U zou uw auto in minder dan 20 minuten moeten kunnen schoonmaken. 

On the other hand, dish soap takes much longer to wipe off. That’s why we fill a sink full of warm water when we use it. Dish soap also leaves water spots and damages painted surfaces through oxidation. 

Hoe u uw auto moet wassen met afwasmiddel 

As we’ve already said, washing your car with dish soap is not ideal because it will remove wax. But some people want to do this before applying a fresh coat of wax. Dish soap is still not as effective as specialized wax removers, but you can use it. But don’t use it for consecutive washes because this isn’t safe. 

Follow our step-by-step guide below –

1. Spoel je auto af

Use a hose or a sponge and hot water to rinse rough grit and dirt from your car’s vehicle. This will make it easier to deep clean with soapy water. 

2. Was de wielen

Vul een emmer met verse zeep en water. Pak een borstel en maak eerst de wielen van de auto schoon. Dit is het smerigste deel van de auto. Na deze stap moet u het water vervangen. 

3. Carrosserie

Veeg één kant van de carrosserie voorzichtig af met een microvezelsponsje. Je wilt zoveel mogelijk wax verwijderen. Vermijd overmatig wrijven over dezelfde gebieden, omdat dit schade kan veroorzaken. 

Don’t forget to rinse your sponge because it will collect dirt. Remember to clean in straight lines because circles will cause soapy swirls on the bodywork, 

4. Opnieuw spoelen

Pak je slang en spoel de kant die je net hebt schoongemaakt af voordat je de andere kant van het voertuig wast. Na het voltooien van de tweede kant, moet u opnieuw spoelen. 

5. Droog uw voertuig

It’s best to use a microfiber towel to dry your car after washing it. Air drying can cause water spots to appear and result in oxidation. 

6. Wax je carrosserie

Now it’s time to wax your vehicle’s exterior to preserve the integrity of your paintwork. 

Laatste gedachten

Dish soap can be used if you want to remove a coat of wax. However, it’s not ideal for washing your car unless you don’t have a viable alternative. Don’t scrub too hard, and make sure you apply wax as soon as your car is dry again. 

It’s best to use car soap and specialized wax remover because they are designed for these purposes. They’re also healthier to work with because they contain fewer irritants. 

Remember never to use dish soap for successive washes, or you’ll definitely damage your car.