Dishcleaner to wash with?

[PHISH]

I was told tonight to use the following steps when detailing the exterior of my car and boat.

- Wash car with PALMOLIVE dish soap
- Wash car with regular car soap
- use the 3 step meguilars

Should I really use dishsoap first? I was told it will take any old wax and gunk off.

[Ted Stryker]

Liquid dish detergent will strip the wax right off, but Meguires probably has soap more fitting... As long as the car is really clean after you wash it, it may not be necessary to " strip " the finish... Although Meguire's is my favorite, I use the "gel" car soap and I hated it... It was far more difficult to get the soapy slimy film off of my paint than I was willing to do... A real time killer for me, took me at least twice as long as the regular soap to rinse my car completely.. The stuff just clinged to my plastic trim work also...

[chynewalkr]

most peaple use BLUE DAWN to strip wax because it contains no additives that soften hands (like palmolive has) that can effect the holding power of the wax.
Do search on any detailing site and youll find everyone uses blue dawn, its the recommended stripper for Zaino auto polish.

In my opinion, i wouldnt strip it at all with the dish soap (unless your using Zaino or similar product), just use the meguiars wash, go get a clay bar and clean the finish with that, then wax.

Ive found the 3 step works good on older non clear coat paints, but not worth all the work for a newer clearcoated car though. I like NXT and heard lots of good things about turtle waxes new clear wax that doesnt leave chalky crap on plastic trim.

[PHISH]

Do I have to strip the wax? is it a good idea to do to an everyday driver.

[pyro]

I like NXT

I bought a can of this stuff and also liked it, for both the car and the boat. No chalky dust. Best wax I've used so far...

[sho305]

Strip wax off? I use wax to get the bug guts off my car, seems like it is the stripper. Cleaning the car is a good idea so you don't rub your new wax into dirt and then the dirt into the finish. Dishsoap cuts grease and since wax is made of oil many assume its a good way to clean it. I used it once when I ran out of car soap and it left a terrible scum on my car, never did that again. Fact is wax is a cleaner so its kind of pointless, just wash the dirt off the car first with whatever works.

To each his own, but IMO you don't have to worry about it unless you have gunked up trim full of wax. Use a camel hair brush on that. Otherwise ignore all that bs and use a polish to make your finish shine, or a cleaner if needed. Gelcoat is a lot harder than auto finish and usually needs a more aggressive product. When it looks good use a wax that works good for you to keep the dirt off it; the dirt that will scratch it all up again. Worry about keeping the wax on more than anything.

IMO you are just oiling your paint with wax to keep it new (or look new and wet actually), why would you want to dry it all out with strong soaps? Wouldn't that be like cleaning leather in the washing machine before you polish or oil it? On the other hand I doubt it does a thing for modern urethane auto paint, but it does keep dirt off and that is good for any finish.

[PHISH]

Thanks. I don;t think I will use it. I will stick with the regular car soap.

[sho305]

In five years at a body shop I never found wax buildup on one car, its a farce. The only thing I ever saw it on was institutional flooring (hot wax). If you want to take it all off, then get some naptha and wipe a spot good, then immediatly wipe it off with a dry clean rag before it dries...move on to next area. If its really hot use mineral spirits or mix some in to slow it down or it dries too fast to wipe off. That takes everything but dirt off without leaving any residue.

We used to laugh when people asked to get their clearcoat protector put back on after paint...we asked the dealer and they finally admitted it was wax. We even got insurance companies to pay for it, what a racket. The clear coat is the protector. Of course you are not supposed to put wax on new paint, so we used non-wax polish that was just as good. At the time I used it on my car because it was easier to use than wax, I could do the whole car on and off in 5 minutes or so and it beaded water the same as wax for at least three months. I usually waxed it sooner than that.

The idea with auto wash is for the soap to flow the dirt off (not scratch it, and that is why I would use an auto soap) when you rinse, then dry without spots. Use a fluffy/soft mit or whatever that can't grind dirt/dust into the paint. The dirt scratching is your largest problem as current urethanes are not that affected by the sun. I am doubtful a film as thin as wax can provide much in the way of UV protection like they claim, if you spray clear coat on too thin it will delaminate from the sun....and that must be a few hundred times thicker or something like that.

I can hardly count the cars I've run over with a wheel and just polish and maybe a little cleaner and they looked so much better. Those micro scratches are what takes away from your shine. Lots of them are from automated carwashes, though some are better about it these days. One of my favorites for that on a car is meguiares dual action cleaner/polish, its #83. With a darker finish you still might need to use a swirl free polish after that. I also use it on a boat, but most of the boats I have done had oxidation and fade, those I first used HD compound and/or softscrub to get that off. Its hard to get off and gel is much harder than paint. Then wax it good once you have the shine.

[triple dude]

most peaple use BLUE DAWN to strip wax because it contains no additives that soften hands (like palmolive has) that can effect the holding power of the wax.
Do search on any detailing site and youll find everyone uses blue dawn, its the recommended stripper for Zaino auto polish.

In my opinion, i wouldnt strip it at all with the dish soap (unless your using Zaino or similar product), just use the meguiars wash, go get a clay bar and clean the finish with that, then wax.

Ive found the 3 step works good on older non clear coat paints, but not worth all the work for a newer clearcoated car though. I like NXT and heard lots of good things about turtle waxes new clear wax that doesnt leave chalky crap on plastic trim.

I remember studies years ago that said if you HAD To use dishsoap, Dawn was the one. But aht was before all the carwash soaps.

[PHISH]

In five years at a body shop I never found wax buildup on one car, its a farce. The only thing I ever saw it on was institutional flooring (hot wax). If you want to take it all off, then get some naptha and wipe a spot good, then immediatly wipe it off with a dry clean rag before it dries...move on to next area. If its really hot use mineral spirits or mix some in to slow it down or it dries too fast to wipe off. That takes everything but dirt off without leaving any residue.

We used to laugh when people asked to get their clearcoat protector put back on after paint...we asked the dealer and they finally admitted it was wax. We even got insurance companies to pay for it, what a racket. The clear coat is the protector. Of course you are not supposed to put wax on new paint, so we used non-wax polish that was just as good. At the time I used it on my car because it was easier to use than wax, I could do the whole car on and off in 5 minutes or so and it beaded water the same as wax for at least three months. I usually waxed it sooner than that.

The idea with auto wash is for the soap to flow the dirt off (not scratch it, and that is why I would use an auto soap) when you rinse, then dry without spots. Use a fluffy/soft mit or whatever that can't grind dirt/dust into the paint. The dirt scratching is your largest problem as current urethanes are not that affected by the sun. I am doubtful a film as thin as wax can provide much in the way of UV protection like they claim, if you spray clear coat on too thin it will delaminate from the sun....and that must be a few hundred times thicker or something like that.

I can hardly count the cars I've run over with a wheel and just polish and maybe a little cleaner and they looked so much better. Those micro scratches are what takes away from your shine. Lots of them are from automated carwashes, though some are better about it these days. One of my favorites for that on a car is meguiares dual action cleaner/polish, its #83. With a darker finish you still might need to use a swirl free polish after that. I also use it on a boat, but most of the boats I have done had oxidation and fade, those I first used HD compound and/or softscrub to get that off. Its hard to get off and gel is much harder than paint. Then wax it good once you have the shine.

Wow. Thanks man.

[sho305]

Glad I could help. You only need what your car needs, the dual action will work great on a car that looks nice but has some years on it. If the car is nice and just needs a little polish (should say on bottle 'polish') is the lightest and does not really cut and will not remove more than swirl marks but great shine. If its oxidized you need cleaner at least and maybe a light compound. Cleaner will take out medium scratches and might or might not leave swirls, dark colors it usually does. Dual stuff is supposed to be a cleaner and a polish when it breaks down. If you have a gel boat the same stuff works except if you need to cut it, like for an oxidized finish it cuts much harder. You have to go straight to compound to cut into it. I use softscrub, its much cheaper than compound and often works good on a wheel. I use all this stuff on a wheel except sometimes the polish and maybe spots with a cleaner you can do by hand. I tried one of those dual action polish wheels that vibrates around and didn't like it, its still around here but worked good on certain waxes. I like a #1 wool pad for cleaners and foam for polish, usually. Some paint likes other combos.

Wax just protects though it usually has some polish in it, I have buffed out minor scratches with a wheel using wax.

[PHISH]

great. Thanks again.

[Shamir]

Glad I could help. You only need what your car needs, the dual action will work great on a car that looks nice but has some years on it. If the car is nice and just needs a little polish (should say on bottle 'polish') is the lightest and does not really cut and will not remove more than swirl marks but great shine. If its oxidized you need cleaner at least and maybe a light compound. Cleaner will take out medium scratches and might or might not leave swirls, dark colors it usually does. Dual stuff is supposed to be a cleaner and a polish when it breaks down. If you have a gel boat the same stuff works except if you need to cut it, like for an oxidized finish it cuts much harder. You have to go straight to compound to cut into it. I use softscrub, its much cheaper than compound and often works good on a wheel. I use all this stuff on a wheel except sometimes the polish and maybe spots with a cleaner you can do by hand. I tried one of those dual action polish wheels that vibrates around and didn't like it, its still around here but worked good on certain waxes. my page visit Azure Auto Detailing I like a #1 wool pad for cleaners and foam for polish, usually. Some paint likes other combos.

Wax just protects though it usually has some polish in it, I have buffed out minor scratches with a wheel using wax.

[COLOR=var(--tw-prose-body)]Certainly! When it comes to car care, choosing the right products is key. For older cars, a dual-action polish can work wonders. For minor touch-ups, opt for a light polish. And for heavier oxidation, a compound may be necessary. Finish off with wax for protection and shine.[/COLOR]

[WaterZebra]

I remember studies years ago that said if you HAD To use dishsoap, Dawn was the one. But aht was before all the carwash soaps.

Hands down ...............Dawn is the number one choice! I've been using it for years. Boats, cars, trucks, planes, etc. Handwash everything. Only time to use a auto carwash is in the middle of winter and that is risky too? Simple Green is an excellent general cleaner and degreaser. Not as toxic as Gunk degreaser and biodegradable. Simple Green will even get 2 stroke outboard oil out of boat carpet! The one cleaning mystery to me is for what works for wheels. I've tried spray on / hose off brands.........all gimics. Even the brushes have their own issues. Today's multi faceted wheels have so many nooks and crannies that the only way to get road grime and brake dust completely off is by pressure washing? Your water source is a factor too. if high in mineral content, drops will dry and leave mineral spots. I'm too old and tired to use a chamois so my choice is a leaf blower for blow dry.