Dawn Wash

I find it hard to believe that nobody has seen the negatives that come with Dawn while washing. I won't use it anymore after having two problems with it.

It will strip and make the plastic chrome on some cars lose its luster. It happened on a BMW I did and one other I can't remember. Also happens on some wheels. I used it many times without a problem but ever since the BMW I figured it is just not worth making more work for myself.
 
CocheseUGA said:
Why risk it, when stuff like CWG works, and for it's intended purpose?
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That's exactly how I feel. There are tons of soaps designed to do the test at hand so why use something that could potentially be doing damage to the car.
 
swan said:
I find it hard to believe that nobody has seen the negatives that come with Dawn while washing. I won't use it anymore after having two problems with it..[explantion of those times]...
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OK, at least you're basing your decision on something you actually observed.



Though considering what "chromed plastic" really is, I tend to agree with JuneBug, that it must've been previously compromised.



The wheel issue surprises me, but then funny stuff can happen to wheels when the finish is compromised; look what happens when acidic wheel cleaners find a breach in the finish and attack bare aluminum.



OK, that's two incidents....anybody got any more? I've messed things up with made-for-detailing products, used properly too, but I've never caused any problems with Dawn.



Heh heh, I know...I'm coming across as some big proponent of Dawn washes, even though I doubt I've done three of them in the last decade. But I'll repeat that any damage Dawn might cause would be a lot milder that what FK1119/"A" would do in the same cases.
 
I'm actually looking forward to David's long term findings on his Ford Fusion wearing Opti-coat. While I probably will never use Dawn to wash a car again, I think this can help put to rest whether it damages anything long term. :2thumbs:
 
Another way to look at it is - after washing, what to "we" all do? polish and or apply a good LSP. So unless you're just washing, how could you ever tell if there was any long term issues, and I think David's test would be more on the lines of how good the new LSP lasted, not what Dawn did.



Jeez, I don't own stock in it (after 2008 my 401K dived!) so it's no skin off my teeth what you use. I just don't think it's a bad thing, that's all.
 
JuneBug said:
Another way to look at it is - after washing, what to "we" all do? polish and or apply a good LSP. So unless you're just washing, how could you ever tell if there was any long term issues, and I think David's test would be more on the lines of how good the new LSP lasted, not what Dawn did.



Jeez, I don't own stock in it (after 2008 my 401K dived!) so it's no skin off my teeth what you use. I just don't think it's a bad thing, that's all.
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Only half the car has Opti-Coat on it. I believe he said the rest of the car will be left untouched and washed frequently using Dawn washed or touch-less car washes...now one could still argue that the touch-less washes caused any potential damage and not the Dawn...
 
Hm...The only way Dawn (or any other wash) can cause issues is if the goober

doesn't rinse and lets it sit under the baking sun. And if ya can't rinse off dish soap

then ya shouldn't be washing. Hell, you shouldn't be driving. You should get a

bicycle with training wheels and wear two helmets. Hee Hee.



:)
 
Accumulator said:
OK, at least you're basing your decision on something you actually observed.



Though considering what "chromed plastic" really is, I tend to agree with JuneBug, that it must've been previously compromised.



The wheel issue surprises me, but then funny stuff can happen to wheels when the finish is compromised; look what happens when acidic wheel cleaners find a breach in the finish and attack bare aluminum.
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BMW was not compromised as I was the only one to work on it in the past. Its more the brushed aluminum looking pieces than chrome that Dawn does not agree with in my experience. Same goes for aluminum wheels. It dulls them up and you have to re-polish them.

This was on an 2008 BMW. Can't remember the other car this happened to me with.
 
swan- OK, thanks for the additional info. I'm sure not gonna tell somebody to disregard their own experiences! Sure glad it's never happened to me!



Some of those aluminum surfaces can be touchy; your experience reminds me of the clear anodized trim on Audis that'll cloud/fail if you look at it harshly.
 
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