washing car-no car shampoo..

? Car shampoo, whatever will they think of next ?

Just use a little washing up liquid.

Are you seriously asking this? Washing up liquid. Sheesh. ?

Coal Tar soap and a hard bristle brush should do the trick.

Seriously though..... washing up liquid would be your best bet.

I was told washing up liquid damaged the paint?!!

Surely washing up liquid washes plates and pots with paint on doesn't it? I suspect car paint is somewhat tougher than that.

Never put washing up liquid on your car. It contains high levels of sodium chloride and damages the finish. If you're really stuck use baby shampoo.

Some people (mostly car shampoo manufacturers) say that you shouldn't use washing up liquid due to the high salt content. The simple answer is to rinse thoroughly with clean water afterwards.

Others say it leaves the paintwork dull - I've never found this, and besides, it is nothing a little wax won't cure.

And some say it leaves the paint brittle and probe to cracking.

I've used washing up liquid for 30 years on a dozen different cars and never come across any of these problems.

Hmmm, I wouldn't let anyone wash any of our cars with washing up liquid, I also understood that it damaged paint. Well not the actual paint but the lacquer that covers it.

Tbh, I would just use plain water and a sponge then leather it off. Mind you, I haven't washed a car in years, thats H's job or I wait until I have it serviced and get the garage to do it

I've seen lots of cars with their upper layer of paintwork effectively destroyed by bad home washing (using washing up liquid, abraisive scrubbing etc). My ex-stepfather was a mechanic and I worked for him for a while.

P&P I would say you must have rinsed your cars extremely well, or been lucky. Thing is, most people don't realise any damage has been done, as it strips away the top layer first. It's only when the bodywork is weakened and rust, cracking etc starts to form that the problem becomes apparent.

Car cleaning/washing/detailing is a huge industry - you'd be amazed at the stuff out there! http://www.theultimatefinish.co.uk/

Mr Dooby spends an hour most Sunday afternoons washing the car, some people think its daft but his arguement is that next to our house his car is the most expensive thing he owns so why spend £20,000 on something and then effectively neglect it and he has got a point.

I think the abrasive scrubbing you mention is probably the far more serious issue. (and yes, I do rinse very throughly).

OK, here's the science nerd bit.

I looked up the ingredients of Simoniz wash and wax and compared it with Unilever's standard wasing liquid recipe.

Both are made primarily from Sodium Laureth Sulphate some amides and cocoamidopropylbetaine.

The washing liquid also contains soduim citrate, sodium chloride, parfum, glycerol and a colourant.

Other than the sodium salts, everything else is inert, and the sodium citrate is just added to adjust the pH to a neutral 7.

ie, the only potentially harmful constituent is salt, and cars get covered in that every winter from the spray on gritted roads.

So, I will continue using a good squirt of Fairy. Everyone else is free to do what they think best.

Very true P&P.

However, salt off the roads (or in the air if you live by the sea) is unavoidable; I'm not sure why you'd voluntarily want to coat your car with even more salt on top.

But as you say, each to their own. ?

Surely for a one off moment of car washing crazy madness using washing up liquid wont hurt the car?

Well, I've washed every one of my cars with washing up liquid with absolutely no ill effects and I'll carry on doing so. I'm not going to be taken in by manufafcturers of expensive and unecessary car shampoo, no siree Bob.

<joins P&aP on the fairy liquid car washing bench>

What P&P and winkle said. honestly katchoo, your car gets covered in salt regularly which isnt immediately rinsed and sits there quite happily. as long as its rinsed when its washed, there s no harm at all. we re in emperors new clothes territory here.

am loving "spend 20 grand...look after it" as well. it should read "spend 20 grand..immediately become more susceptible to manufacturers marketing bollocks" in my experience car wash brushes can do far more damage to paintwork than any cleaning fluid of any kind.

i dont wash my cars ever at home. i d rather get a wash place or the garage to do it. if they *** up, liability is on them. plus, i cant be arsed and would rather pay someone.

I recall a few years back, Top Gear advised against using washing up liquid in your car windscreen washer bottle as it is apparently bad for the rubber and/or silicone seals that the "glass" is mounted in.

That said, I have used washing up liquid as well at times as its sometimes the only thing around....

The main problem is the liquid forms a gunky residue in the bottom of the bottle which can block the filter and/or washer pipes/jets. We're regularly cleaning them out when they've failed the MOT for washers inop.

The first time i washed the car i have now, i used WUL and it looked beyond shyte. i was told it knackers the coating over the paint too. after the event. ☹️

pieman, if the OP doesn't have any car shampoo, she's not very likely to have a 'bit of wax' now, is she? ?

Can't see i follow your reasoning on the "spend 20 grand immediately become more susceptible to manufacturers marketing bollocks"??? ? Surely looking after something that has cost a significant amount of money is better than not bothering?

But I totally agree re car wash brushes, which is why our car never goes anywhere near an automatic car wash, Mr Dooby works at a body repair shop and sees plenty of the damage caused to paint as a result. Our car is washed by hand using a wash mitt then hosed off and dried by hand using microfibre cloth.

Mr Sheen ?

no way. seriously? can you use it on cars?

mine needs a good wash as it appears an emu has crapped all over it, and always looks really dull afterwards, would mr sheen do the trick?

or are you yanking my chain?

I use WUP to, It gets the dirt off and the car is fine.

Although it was black and it silver now..........

Washing the car? What's that then? I'd rather pay the man at the local car park a tenner to wash it than faff about making a mess doing it. He'll clean the inside aswell and make it smell nice.

?? Yank !

The solvents / oils in furniture polish really would ruin your paintwork.

<sulks>

i m not saying dont look after it. i m saying dont be taken in my manufacturers codswallop - such as "here, get the car treated with this special super duper wax treatment, its only 300 quid" etc, and expensive car "shampoo"