Drag On

That's what I keep hearing from everyone - regular dish soap strips wax off the car right?

I'm planning on clay barring the GS and doing my pre-winter buff/wax. Would it be effective for me to hand wash the car with dish soap to strip off the old wax, then begin my clay bar before the wax job?

That make sense rather than using regular car wash that doesn't strip wax?

MShybrid

I'm not sure if all dishwashing liquids will strip the wax from your car but I do know that Dawn dishwashing liquid will do the job.
You definately want to wash your car before claying it. After claying your car, rewash it to remove anything that was loosened during the claying process. After that you can go to the polishing stage (which I highly suggest doing) and then to the waxing stage. Remember....the wax you apply will look better on a properly prepped surface than one that is not.

cliffud

iTrader: (3)

i heard rubbing alcohol will strip it.

rfx45

I made a thread about this a couple of months ago and it is indeed true that dishwasher soap strips away wax. I was told that many detailers use it to take the remaining wax off the car before doing a complete detail.

tuan92129

If you are going to polish your car (actually remove some paint) then use the dishwashing soap to remove all the wax to start off fresh.

LiCelsior

iTrader: (32)

u mean clear coat not paint, right?

reamemiya

iTrader: (1)

Both. Some cars (rare with modern cars) don't have clear coats. I know Lexus' 202 black onyx paint doesn't have a clear coat, atleast for the SC that is.

excluesive

iTrader: (10)

how about vinegar?

Johnny

About ten years ago, Car & Driver rated a number of dishwashing detergents against their car washing equivalents. Ivory (P&G) detergent came out on top. Dawn is made by P&G, so I would use it. I've used many detergents like Ivory, Palmolive & Sunlight and they work just fine. I've also tried automotive detergents, and I haven't found one yet that performs as well for the equivalent cost. I've always owned high end cars, some for a long time, and they always maintained their beauty with no visible deterioration. I also got high returns on trades. I claybar and wax my car once a year.

Yakuza70

Keep in mind some use dishwashing detergent such as Dawn just to remove wax before polishing, not as a regular car wash soap. One of the downsides of using a strong degreaser such as dishwashing soap is that it will accelerate the drying up of the plastics and rubber parts on your car so don't use it in place of a good car wash soap - only to remove carnauba wax before polishing. By the way, dishwash soap will not remove a polymer sealant such as Zaino or Klasse.

Johnny

Here is a link to an article that may (or may not depending how much blockage you've got in your head) dispel a lot of myths that surround using dish detergent (in this case, P&G's Ivory) to wash your car. Keep an open mind, and don't believe everything you read or hear; in fact, don't even believe me...

Drag On

Here is the "results"..

https://www.clublexus.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=315120

I didn't post a lot of the close ups from before/after - just some after shots after the detail.

Hand washed with Dawn dish soap, then clay barred, then cleaner wax, then polished and a final wax removal rub down. She shines like new, smoother than a babies *** and I'm ready for winter (yikes)..

15951

That article is one man's opinion, and it's loaded with misinformation. Burnaby, if you're following these guidelines and waxing once annually, your car is unprotected at least 11 months of the year. Just my opinion. Here are some corrections, based on my experience and observations over the past 16 or so years of being a car care nut:

1. Dawn dishwashing soap will absolutely strip wax and sealant from paint. I've seen it many times. If it doesn't remove it all in one shot, it sure as hell removes most of it. Don't believe me? Wax the car. Get it wet afterwards, and watch it bead. Now wash with Dawn, and wet it down again. No beads = wax and sealant are gone. Dishwashing soap is harsh stuff, and is made to cut through oils and grease. I don't use degreaser for regular washes.

2. The author claims that you must have "lots of suds" or your car wash soap is essentially worthless. BS. Suds are a visual cue that we associate with the effectiveness of soap, but lubricity is all that really matters. I use Zaino car wash soap, and it doesn't sud very much at all. However, it lubricates great, and my car has absolutely no swirls when washed properly with two buckets and a clean mitt.

3. He promotes the use of "soft white bath towels" to finish drying your car, which will almost certainly cause swirls and marring over time. Buy a decent waffle weave drying towel and wash it between uses, and you'll minimize swirls. Use cotton store-bought bath towels (regardless of color) to dry your car, and you'll swirl the clear over time.

4. He prefers to "polish" by hand because it's safer. Good grief. If you polish by hand, you'll: a) get very strong arms over time; and b) most likely never correct your finish 100%. Buy a good random orbital buffer (e.g. Porter Cable) and use it - you will NOT damage your paint with a good RO buffer, and you'll save untold amounts of time over trying to correct paint by hand.

5. He states that you shouldn't use waterless washes. I've seen many that, when used properly, create a great, swirl free finish. Some full time detailers use them for convenience, and have great results.

I'm not saying the information on the site is 100% bull. The basics are there, but do yourself a favor and check out www.autopia.org and other detailing enthusiast websites and make your own decisions.