Is there any real reason why you shouldn't use fairy liquid and the like to wash your car? I use a car wash/shampoo for the body and use fairy liquid to wash the windows and wheels. I'm often tempted just to give the whole car a going over with the fairy bubbles which I reckon would shine it up nicely, but have never done it as the advice i've heard/read is not to do it. Is it urban myth or is there a reason not to? If you are going to wax it anyway would it hurt to use a household detergent?

 

Don't do it!! It contains salt which kills the lacquer on your car and after a while your car will lose its shine and will need respraying. The best car shampoo to use is triplewax by carplan. Lovely and soapy!!

 

Evidentally there is salt in washing up liquids which wouldn't be great on paint etc...

 

But if you live by the coast your getting salt on your car every day of the year anyway

 

My question answered too...

 

Don't be tempted to use furniture polish on the dashboard either as that can fade it

 

So its salt, I see. Probably best not to use it on my wheels then as well.

 

Try Vim on your wheels, it should bring them up nicely

Chip

 

Prolonged use of washing up liquid will affect the paintwork. The only time I use fairy is to strip off any existing wax on paintwork.
Use Meguiars or Autoglym shampoos.

 

**** me, i was just thinking that and saw your post about a second later

Bleedin spooky

Rob

 

I knew a guy who used Fairy liquid i the bath!!!!!!!!! Gimp.

 

Yeah, but the suds just go on and on and on and on

Rob

 

Washing up liquid is both corrosive and abrasive, it will strip any wax you have applied to the car.

Prolonged usage will eventually matt and oxidise paint surface. Which the only cure for that is to get out the cutting polish to remove the shagged paint layer.

 

Don't get me wrong i would not use it but my mother uses nothing
else but "fairy" and when she sold her Rover 214SEi it looked just like
new,"now where's my Brillo pad"

 

I washed my car at my mum's about a year ago (my old Focus), and there was tar on it down the sides. I'd got some tar remover at home so I thought I'd do it later.
Anyway, going in to refill the bucket so I could do my mum's car for her, came out and she'd got a brillo pad out and was SCRATCHING the tar spots off my car!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!

Lets just say I don't take the scoob round there much!!!
Oh, and all she really did was scrartch the lacquer a bit, so after a T Cut and a bit of spray lacquer it looked ok in the end!!!!!
Daft Moo!

 

You should try me on your car instead. I'm a strong yet gentle cream.

 

I have worked in the chemical industry and have personally made both car shampoo and washing up liquid and there is hardly any difference in the base chemicals used. People have said salt can cause damage. In the one or two cap fulls in a bucket you would be lucky to get a trace salt, I mean its not going to be like grinding paste is it. I don't mind using it on mine.

 

on all the cars i've had before the scoob i've used washing up liquid and had no problems at all. that said i have always been one to polish my cars quite often.

on the scooby i use a soap / wax combo by simonez but that's because i can put it through my pressure washer. when hand washing i use autoglym car shampoo and then every now and then go over with meguires quick detailer / clay bar and always polish with meguires gold class polish.

i don't see the harm in using soap liquid on the wheels when you're going to use something like wonder wheels or alternative on them anyway.

 

not if you keep it polished and waxed theres also abravise so it puts nice little scratch's as you wash and your window rubbers will feel it

 

or live where there is snow and you car will look a nice crusty white all winter long..and it's usualy not snow.. ugh... i love and hate winter at the same time