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  1. #1
    Kimber Raptor II Drunken Yak inc's Avatar
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    Will Dish Soap Eat Paint?

    Will dish soap eat paint?

    A simple question that has been asked many times on many forums, yet all of the answers I have been able to find weren't backed with an actual test, just empty words typed by random strangers on the internet... Not necessarily a recipe for confidence in my opinion. Granted, I have personally used dish soap in the past, with the results being no physical damage to the paint. However, what if I would have been reckless and left the dish soap on the car for an extended period of time?

    Let's find out.

    The test piece is an OEM hatch spoiler off of Racheal, my 2004 EP3. I replaced the spoiler last year with the HFP spoiler at about 58,000 miles. I am the second owner of the car and it should be noted that Racheal has been garaged the vast majority of her life. The spoiler was wrapped with bubble wrap and placed in my basement since removal.

    The products used in this test are:

    1. Chemical Guy's Citruswash + Gloss car shampoo
    2. Simply Green All Purpose Cleaner
    3. Palmolive dish soap




    The test was started on May 7th, 2013 at just before nine in the morning. All of the products are concentrated strength and used in that form. The temperature of the testing area was 72 degrees.



    Day 1

    First up is a set of pictures from the three hour mark:

    Chemical Guy's:


    Simple Green:


    Palmolive:


    Nothing unusual as of yet to report.

    Second set of pictures is from after the seven hour mark. I cleaned up the chemicals and examined the surface of each area:

    Chemical Guy's:


    Simple Green:


    Palmolive:


    As these pictures show, at the end of Day 1, there was no damage to any of the areas. I then refilled the areas and let them sit over night.



    Day 2 - May 8th.

    Chemical Guy's:


    No real change over night, just minor congealing.

    Simple Green:


    Minor evaporation, I would end up adding Simple Green to the area a few times. I also had to add to the hot glue barrier in order to keep it from leaking.

    Palmolive:


    Minor congealing.



    End of Day 2.

    Chemical Guy's:


    Simple Green:


    Palmolive:




    Day 3 - May 9th.

    Chemical Guy's:


    Simple Green:


    Palmolive:


    All three show heavy congealing, and definitely look quite nasty. Added some Palmolive to the area.

    End of Day 3.

    Chemical Guy's:


    Simple Green:


    Palmolive:


    At this point I concluded the test, cleaned up the chemicals and removed the hot glue barriers.



    End of Test Results:

    Chemical Guy's:


    Simple Green:


    Palmolive:


    As these pictures show, there is no damage to any of the areas.

    I will repeat this test outside, in direct sunlight in July or August.
    Last edited by Drunken Yak inc; 05-30-2013 at 04:00 PM.

  2. #2
    GDM Lights Installed Draw7Seven's Avatar
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    I opened the post expecting to say "of course not, what a stupid question" and then realized you were just putting the issue to rest with some good science. Good on you, OP.

    Zaino suggests using Palmolive when stripping wax layers for a claybar/polish/etc. wash. Otherwise specific car-washing soap can help to leave the wax on but take the dirt off.

    Edit: I'd be interested in there being some water and scrubbing involved. While it can sound like "concentrated" products are the most likely to cause damage, a lot of cleaning solutions do little to nothing without SOME water and elbow grease.
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  3. #3
    Kimber Raptor II Drunken Yak inc's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Draw7Seven View Post
    I opened the post expecting to say "of course not, what a stupid question" and then realized you were just putting the issue to rest with some good science. Good on you, OP.

    Zaino suggests using Palmolive when stripping wax layers for a claybar/polish/etc. wash. Otherwise specific car-washing soap can help to leave the wax on but take the dirt off.

    Edit: I'd be interested in there being some water and scrubbing involved. While it can sound like "concentrated" products are the most likely to cause damage, a lot of cleaning solutions do little to nothing without SOME water and elbow grease.

    Interesting thought, I will have to try adding water and scrubbing after the Summer test.

  4. #4
    Registered User mitchlikesbikes's Avatar
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    i think the myth originated because washing your car with dish soap regularly will allow the elements to cause more damage (since the wax is stripped by dish soap), so people just assumed it was the soap's fault.

  5. #5
    eat me cow's Avatar
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    This is the best thread I've seen here in years. Science! Fuck yeah!

    I'm looking forward to seeing the updated results.

  6. #6
    Kimber Raptor II Drunken Yak inc's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by mitchlikesbikes View Post
    i think the myth originated because washing your car with dish soap regularly will allow the elements to cause more damage (since the wax is stripped by dish soap), so people just assumed it was the soap's fault.
    That's very probable, my sister has a '98 Civic EX that has been parked for about two years under a tree and I doubt its ever been waxed.. Needless to say, the paint is seriously fucked.

    Quote Originally Posted by cow View Post
    This is the best thread I've seen here in years. Science! Fuck yeah!

    I'm looking forward to seeing the updated results.
    I'm glad I'm not the only person that gets excited by experiments like this, not fondle myself excited mind you, but excited nonetheless.

  7. #7
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    Of course it won't eat paint but whether or not it is the best choice,especially for regular washing, is a completely separate question.

  8. #8
    Kimber Raptor II Drunken Yak inc's Avatar
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    Will Dish Soap Eat Paint?

    That's not a question at all, dish soap strips wax. I only use dish soap prior to using a clay bar.

  9. #9
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    I wouldn't bet the farm on the stripping power of dish soap. Yes, it will remove not very tenacious wax or a degraded sealant but faced with a good sealant that is relatively fresh or a tough wax like the Collinites it often won't entirely remove them. Incomplete removal isn't a big issue if you are just putting on a fresh coat of wax but it is a huge issue if you are applying coatings. I'm a big advocate of coatings for the soft, thin Honda factory paint.

  10. #10
    eat me cow's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Drunken Yak inc View Post
    I'm glad I'm not the only person that gets excited by experiments like this, not fondle myself excited mind you, but excited nonetheless.
    Kari Byron makes me want to fondle myself for science.

  11. #11
    Hella Flush powdbyrice's Avatar
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  12. #12
    Hella Flush powdbyrice's Avatar
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  13. #13
    Registered User lemonhead228's Avatar
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    Hmm good testing. I been washing my car with dawn soap for awhile and no problem with it.. I perfer it over car soap cuz it cleans it a lot better IMO

  14. #14
    eat me cow's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by powdbyrice View Post
    dem pics

  15. #15
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    Quote Originally Posted by lemonhead228 View Post
    Hmm good testing. I been washing my car with dawn soap for awhile and no problem with it.. I perfer it over car soap cuz it cleans it a lot better IMO
    Yes, dish detergent cleans really well but it is optimized for other surfaces and other conditions than car paint. Automotive paint is much softer than most kitchen ware, it isn't fully immersed in water and the contaminants can be harder and more abrasive than food waste. Good car shampoos have components designed to lubricate the surface and in some cases to encapsulate the contaminants. These properties aren't really necessary or specifically designed in in dish washing solutions although I'll acknowledge that many, perhaps most surfactants, have some lubricating properties. You have to make your own choices but for regular maintenance use I prefer a product designed to wash cars. I also don't use my car shampoos to wash dishes.

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