What's The Best Alternative To Car Wash Soap? (According To Users)

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Washing a car requires the right tools and supplies. Besides having clean microfiber towels and access to a hose or pressure washer, one of the most important is car wash soap. Automotive finishes require a mild, foamy cleaner to lift off the dirt and prevent swirl marks as you wipe the surface. Meanwhile, specialized car shampoos can do more than clean the paint. Some, like Meguiar's Ultimate Wash and Wax, leave a coat of wax after rinsing to add shine and offer hydrophobic protection against rain and other contaminants. On the other hand, Optimum's No Rinse Wash & Shine utilizes an advanced polymer formula to clean paint and other surfaces without rinsing.

If you're in a pinch and need to clean your car with no car soap in sight (like when traveling or after an unexpected rain or snowstorm), there are a few car wash soap alternatives worth considering. However, these options are limited and it's more important to know what not to use. Under all circumstances, avoid using dish soap or laundry detergent. Using these abrasive soaps is one of the biggest car washing mistakes you can make.

You'll also want to avoid using car wash brushes or abrasive sponges, which also leave ugly scratches on the paint. Nothing beats a microfiber wash mitt and a bucket of water and foamy cleaner to get the job done. But in the absence of car wash soap, some car owners swear that these other cleaning solutions are safe on paint.

The r/AutoDetailing community on Reddit offers plenty of detailed explanations of why using dish soap is not ideal for washing cars. "It's not great because it's an abrasive soap, whereas a good car shampoo will have more lubricity." wrote u/Frizzle95. "To some people, that difference isn't worth spending extra time and money on car soaps or other detailing products; to many people on this sub, it is."

Instead of dish soap, ordinary hair shampoo (especially baby shampoo) is a quick-fix solution if used sparingly. Pour a teaspoon or two into a bucket of clean water, let it foam, and use a microfiber towel or wash mitt to clean the car. The final step is to rinse it thoroughly and wipe dry with a separate microfiber towel. It's better to avoid washing under the sun or when the surfaces are too hot to the touch when using hair shampoo; the solution may dry prematurely and leave streaks or stains. According to the blog Clean Tools, you should take extra care when using this method. "If you're going to use shampoo to wash your car, use it sparingly and reapply a coat of wax once you're finished."

If you're really in a pinch and there's no shampoo handy, dissolving some gentle liquid hand soap in a bucket of water is the next best thing. Remember that hair shampoo and hand soap formulas are not for cleaning paint, and they lack the lubricants in car shampoo that prevent scratches or swirl marks. For best results, use one of the best car wash soaps available today. They're more effective at lifting dirt from your car's paint without leaving scratches, and are cheaper to use on this scale than other soaps.