Dawn detergent alternatives

[zey]

I can`t get Dawn Dishwashing Detergent in my country, can other dishwashing detergent do the same job?

[Lemonxxs]

try to get one with out hand conditioners in it. Get one that says tough on grease.



HTH

[Don2000g]

Guess is correct. Just don`t use a detergent that has moisturizers or other unncessary solutions in them. If you are going to use this type of product to strip some products from your car, then it would be a good idea to follow with a normal car wash to help remove any residue that MIGHT be left on your car. Laters

[rd_volvo]

P21s Total Auto Wash - it`s a citric degreaser.

[Glossy McGlosserton]

Would the regular citrus cleaners (made from orange oil and such) like Citri-Solve be okay? Seems harsh.

[Preachers Sheets]

Why not just use the soap you use to clean your clothes in the washing machine, that stuff has a little extra punch.

[imported_seven]

Has anyone tried dishwasher soap? It has to be highly alkaline to strip off all my dried on vittles! Might be too harsh though.

[2wheelsx2]

Most dishwasher soap has bleach and fine abrasives in it. I doubt you would want to use that on your finish.

[rmccall6]

Go to autoint.com and see if you can get their ABC system. Its much safer and more effective than Dawn.

[vettefan67]

<blockquote class=`ipsBlockquote` >

<em class=`bbc`>Originally posted by Brad4rdHay [/i]
<strong class=`bbc`>Go to autoint.com and see if you can get their ABC system. Its much safer and more effective than Dawn. [/b]</blockquote>Not to be rude or anything but can you provide me with proof of this? Thanks!

[Bobby G]

I think zey is looking for local solutions.



There`s nothing special about Dawn. Typical dishwash detergent without all the crap. GMN nailed it... get a simple detergent w/o hand conditioners and other additives put in to please the lady of the house.



db

[rmccall6]

Ok ,well efffective: i have used both and beleive me, theres no small difference. Dawn strips the car of wax, and leaves the car feeling "squeaky clean", occasionally leaving residue. ABC on the other hand, completely preps the surface. Not only does the surface feel completely clean, but smooth as it is designed to remove contaminants similar to clay. As for safety: Dawn was made for dishes. ABC was made by AutoInt, and was engineered/tested with auto manufacturers and the paint supliers themselves. Ron mentioned that if you simple use an alkaline alone on the paint, it will raise the pH of the paint (obviosly) and will weaken the plasticisers (sp?) which will over time, dull and slightly weaken the paint. ABC leaves the paint neutralized, hence the name, and the paint`s pH is balanced. I have no reason to promote this product simply for the fact that I love it. Many here simply dont beleive me or think that ABC is dangerous or hard to use ect. Run a search on it for more info.

[vettefan67]

I think it sounds like a good system HOWEVER the basic B will strip plasticizers just as well as dawn, wouldn`t it? And most of us use a regular PH balanced car wash or paint cleaner after using dawn.



A is an ACID. Like the stuff that we avoid in wheel cleaners. Kind of ironic that we would spray it all over our paint, isn`t it? It`s oxalic acid. Search around and you will learn that it is believed to be detrimental to the long-term health of plastic and rubber trim.



Now I know Ron has lots of great technical knowledge, but he also works for a huge company that doesn`t spend hours and hours and hours on each car it does like we do. If Ron is our only source of technical information on the product, do you really think he is going to tell us it might not be good? I don`t.



Did you know ArmorAll is safe for plastics and rubber? Yeah, ArmorAll said so! ArmorAll`s a bigger, more well known name than AutoInt is and we know for a fact that this stuff is dangerous.

[rmccall6]

I go by results, and frankly, like i allready stated, ABC works wonders. AutoInt is a no-hype company, who`s products reflect their no-nonsence atitude towards detailing. Do I trust Ron, absolutely, he works for a company that is getting their main profits from selling in bulk to car manufacturers and body shops, him trying to get ten or twenty more people on the "AutoInt bandwagon" isnt ging to affect thir sales. Regaurding the acid. A is an alkaline, and B is an acid, but certainly not an oxalic acid. Her`s what Ron said.



"In the old days, before high solid clears, detailers and dealerships used a solution of oxalic acid and water, with a little soap to remove ferrous metal and other contaminates from automotive paint surfaces.



With the introduction of the high solid clears and many changes in the materials used for producing trim parts, the use of the oxalic acid solution created serious concerns.



One was that many, many times, the clear would start to exhibit "cloudiness" and in a year of less start to "powder" as the resin system was breaking apart. Many of the exterior trim parts became discolored as well.



Which is why there are very few still using this method. There are old, outdated advisories stating to use an oxalic solution, but they have either been revised or recended and most require the use of the ABC system today when certain conditions are present.



Some manufacturers recommend the use of clay as the first step in attempting to remove some contaminates, but as they have found, a paint/trim friendly chemical solution is often required.



Ketch "

[pingiii]

From my own knowledge of the ABC system from Autoint, the system has been approved by most of the major manufactuers such as Ford Motor Company, and paint companies like PPG, Dupont, and BASF.

The A part is an acid that does strip waxes and sealants and some contamination. The B is an alkaline that removes stains and especially ferrous metals and industrial fallout.

The C is a proper auto shampoo and conditioner that has the neutral PH of 7.0.

I have recently purchased the system, but I have not used it yet as the weather has been too cold.

Talking with the sales person they said the things to do are to mix in the proper ratios, not to let it dry on your finish, and only let it dwell for 5 to 7 minutes.

After using both A and B, make sure you wash with the C part and then your ready to clay and polish, etc.

I can`t wait for a the temp to get up in the 60`s so I can get the winter off my truck!

And as far as the ArmorAll products, I read they are nothing like they used to be. And believe me ABC is nothing like Armorall.

If you get the products, read the labels, (I have 3 times), you can`t go wrong! Enjoy!