View Full Version : Dawn dishwashing detergent?
Do any of you pros ever use Dawn to wash your cars? Is it as good as something like Meguires Gold Class Car Wash?
Some people will use dawn, but only to remove existing wax or sealant. Use the Gold Class for your normal wash routines. Type dawn in the search feature and you`ll get a lot of threads about this issue. :up
Edison_Chen
10-22-2005, 01:18 PM
I`d wont recommend using Dawn Liquid Detergent...
The detergent helps remove old wax.
I`ve bought a bottle last year, and I`ve only used about 1/4 of the bottle....
Your better off buying a car wash..
White95Max
10-22-2005, 02:43 PM
People use Dawn to remove old wax from their car before starting a new exterior detail. There is really no point in it, since any polish or cleaner will remove the old wax just fine.
Dawn will harm the seals on your doors/sunroof/etc also, so don`t use it on your car. There`s no need to.
I haven`t used Dawn on my car in over a year now. I still use it to clean my applicators and PC pads though.
Glossmaster
10-22-2005, 07:29 PM
I leave the Dawn in the kitchen. It does a great job on my dishes. ( the green apple scent smells great) Z7-claying-Z7-AIO always does the trick for me when I`m stripping my paint of previous layers of wax/sealants.
White95Max
10-22-2005, 08:00 PM
It comes in great smelling orange scent too!
Scottwax
10-22-2005, 08:28 PM
I`d never use Dawn unless I was stripping a car for a repaint.
imported_COBRyan
10-22-2005, 08:37 PM
Dawn? Pretty soon we`ll be pulling out the Crisco to use as a paste wax. Another reason why I can`t stand the Zaino line :nervous:
Black240SX
10-22-2005, 09:19 PM
I`d never use Dawn unless I was stripping a car for a repaint.
I`ll point out that Dawn is not particularly effective at stripping wax, especially detergent-resistant waxes.
Mikeyc
10-22-2005, 11:15 PM
Dawn? Pretty soon we`ll be pulling out the Crisco to use as a paste wax. Another reason why I can`t stand the Zaino line :nervous:
I have to say it seemed to me that people universally agreed that washing with Dawn was a bad idea until Zaino became popular. :hairpull I agree that a Dawn wash is probably a bad idea because it will dry out your exterior rubber & plastic. Also, it seems the point of using it is to strip wax. However, the next step in the detail will likely be to use some kind of paint cleaner/polish/compound anyway so what`s the point? :confused:
imported_COBRyan
10-22-2005, 11:38 PM
I have to say it seemed to me that people universally agreed that washing with Dawn was a bad idea until Zaino became popular. :hairpull I agree that a Dawn wash is probably a bad idea because it will dry out your exterior rubber & plastic. Also, it seems the point of using it is to strip wax. However, the next step in the detail will likely be to use some kind of paint cleaner/polish/compound anyway so what`s the point? :confused:
Why put that kind of strain on your plastic, rubber (especially your tires, they dry up easily), and even paint when you don`t need to? You said it yourself, you will be using a cleaner/polish afterwards anyway, so why would we even need the Dawn? What can it do that a normal car wash and polish/cleaner can`t? I just don`t see the point in using a product that was chemically designed to remove grease off of plates and hands on perhaps a $40,000 vehicle. I am not trying to change anyones` mind here, it`s your own cars! I just know it will stay under the sink in my household.
To the original poster, I am confused as to whether you intend to use Dawn regularly or only before a detail?
I have no intention of ever using Dawn--even on my dishes. I just read somewhere else--on another forum--that Dawn was being recommended by a number of "detailers." I couldn`t believe it so I posted my question here on the ultimate detailer`s forum to see what you guys would say.
Great comments!
imported_COBRyan
10-23-2005, 10:16 AM
I have no intention of ever using Dawn--even on my dishes. I just read somewhere else--on another forum--that Dawn was being recommended by a number of "detailers." I couldn`t believe it so I posted my question here on the ultimate detailer`s forum to see what you guys would say.
Great comments!
A sigh of relief! :up
Glad to hear you won`t be using it. I saw the pictures of your car, it`s too nice to be using Dawn lol! I think you probably read that Dawn was being used prior to the Zaino treatment. It`s rather common for that use, but I still don`t recommend it. Their new ZPC should work just fine if you need to clean the paint.
[TRD]RoLLa
10-23-2005, 10:52 AM
i actually used dawn back then believing that it will strip the wax..but it didn`t seem so
foxtrapper
10-25-2005, 03:51 AM
Do any of you pros ever use Dawn to wash your cars? Is it as good as something like Meguires Gold Class Car Wash?
Pull the MSDS on both products, and you`ll discover they are chemically the same. Lots of fake hype about Dawn stripping wax and the like. It`s all BS. Dawn is nothing interesting or particularly powerfull. It`s just a generic run of the mill detergent.