What is your opinion on using something like Dawn to wash a vehicle prior to clay bar and a full detail?

I had learned to use Dawn a long time ago, but just this past weekend a person said that you should not do that as it will cause paint to fade over time? He also claimed to run a detail buisness. Never heard this one before.

 

Hi Silvergt --

Mixed emotions on this one honestly... there is a 'pro' to this but the 'cons' also exist...

Pro in that it definitely strips everything down to paint.

Con, it's taking alot of the oils and such that are naturally in the clear that help keep it optically clear and non-brittle are also being stripped out.

Damned if you do... damned if you don't...

Some swear by it -- some hold it at arms' distance. I'm in between.

On a very rare occasion, I'll wash one with Dawn but, again, it's rare. I lean more towards the side of using polishes to remove the build that is above the paint down to the paint... I think it's more effective, safer, and actually accomplishes a task beyond removing stuff that can cause a potential problem...

Did that make any sense at all? LOL! Talk about a total ramble...

 

It makes sense. So for a twice a year "detail" cleaoning its "ok"? I detail my cars twice a year and wax every month or two, well one gets it that often, the other gets it every 2-3 months.

 

In my opinion, that'd be acceptable.

 

Whereas my dad will squeeze off half a bottle of dawn (actually whatever's cheapest at the store) in the bucket, and wash all the cars with the same mitt, and never wash the mitt. He think's I'm stuipd for washing the mitts. Tells me I'm crazy, but look who has the better looking truck. Also, he washes the cars about once a week.

 

Exactly.

My neighbor was asking me about a wax for his new Toyota Prius (yes, the Hybrid). He wanted something simple and easy to use so I tossed him a half-empty bottle of NXT on my shelf and told him to use it and keep it. He reported back a week later and said that he loved it...

About a month later, he reports back and says that he can't tell that there's ANYTHING on the paint because nothing is beading and such... I'm thinking "ehh, okay, a month... surely he'd get a bit more than that out of it...", I start asking questions...

Sure enough, he's a Liquid JOY user for carwashing -- which, I might add, he does about once per week. I had never noticed him using it. In short, he had stripped everything off of his paint but didn't understand that harsh dishwashing detergents could 'strip' the wax. I showed up at his doorstep the next day with a secondary bottle of NXT wash for him... told him to keep it but he owed me a few pints of his custom-made beer (this guy is a pretty good brewmaster of sorts out of his garage). Needless to say, we agreed and I've enjoyed at least one pint since then...

RP

 

Haha...my dad has waxed his truck ONCE, and it's a 97.