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Is there a household soap I can use to wash my car?
I want to start washing my car at home, but I’m on a tight budget. What kind of household soap can I use to wash my car safely?
Matt Terzi · Updated on
Reviewed by Shannon Martin, Licensed Insurance Agent.
It’s great to see people washing their cars at home instead of going to carwashes. You’d be surprised to learn just how often carwashes damage cars (the short answer: often). Washing your car at home is a great way to save money, and your car can get a lot cleaner, too.
While you technically can use household soaps to wash your car, it’s not a great idea, even when the soap in question is marketed as being mild or gentle. Car paint and protective wax are easily damaged by a variety of otherwise harmless chemicals used in household soaps and detergents. It’s simply not designed to clean a car.
The special car-washing soaps you’ll find in auto parts stores are seemingly pricey, but they’re purpose-made and formulated to not destroy your car’s paint. These products do a much better job and are a lot safer to use.
If you really can’t afford that special car soap and need a budget solution—we’ve all been there—your best bet is to use a detergent-free and bleach-free dish soap, like original Dawn, and use it sparingly mixed with warm water. After washing the car, be extra careful to rinse the car thoroughly and then hand dry it with towels.
Baby shampoo can also work, and some people have reported success trying small amounts of laundry detergent heavily diluted in water. But keep in mind, these “life hack”- style remedies will never stack up to doing it the proper way, and you’re assuming some risk trying these techniques.
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- Gregory R.
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Jerry partners with more than 50 insurance companies, but our content is independently researched, written, and fact-checked by our team of editors and agents. We aren’t paid for reviews or other content.
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