You might have heard that using dish soap on cars is a good idea. Your friend might have suggested it as a cost-cutting option to cleaning cars. Imagine cleaning an entire car with just a small amount of soap? That spells huge savings for you! Yet, is it really a good idea to clean your car with dish soap? Well, doing so can seem to make your car squeaky clean, because it is, indeed, an effective grease fighter. Do you notice how much faster it is to wash plates with dish soap instead of ordinary detergents? But that’s exactly where the problem lies – in its grease-fighting ability. Why? Read on and find out.
Why Using Dish Soap on Cars Is Not Recommended
1. It Removes Car Wax
Dish soaps contain ingredients that strip away grease on a molecular level. That’s why they are ideal for dishwashing. But not for vehicle paint. Why? It’s because dish soap removes previously applied wax, leaving the surface unprotected. Without it, your vehicle’s paint will be susceptible to damages brought about by natural forces – salt, sunlight, rain, and snow – all contributing factors to dullness and fading of painted surfaces.
2. It Does Not Allow Sufficient UV Protection
Your car’s paint is specifically created to resist ultraviolet light. However, constant exposure to the sun coupled with using dish soap on cars on a regular basis can weaken it. This causes your paint to fade and allows UV to penetrate your car’s interior. When this happens, you and your passengers might suffer from the effects of UV exposure like skin cancer and similar diseases.
3. It Causes Oxidation
Once your car’s paint dulls, fades, or peels, it won’t take long before oxidation sets in. How does this happen? All it takes for oxidation to happen is the presence of water, oxygen, and sunlight, all naturally occurring elements. Peeled or cracked paint allows water deep into the metal parts of your vehicle. Sunlight accelerates the process by heating the moisture trapped under the paint.
4. It Leads to Foggy Headlights
Using dish soap on cars, especially on their headlights, can make them look clean and shiny. However, if you do this regularly, you will notice they get foggy or cloudy. This is due to the buildup of soap residues. Unattended, your car’s headlights will not function as they should, affecting your vision at night or on rainy or snowy season.
5. It Can Affect Your Health
Whenever you use dish soap on cars, you are prone to the harmful effects of some of its toxic ingredients. DMDM Hydantoin can irritate the eyes, skin, and lungs. Formaldehyde and sulfuric acid cause cancer, respiratory ailments, and skin irritation. Triclosan can affect the immune system, nervous system and skin, and cause respiratory diseases. On the other hand, non-specific ingredients like foam boosters, PH adjusters, preservatives, and surfactants can cause different health issues that affect various organs and systems.
6. It Can Pollute the Environment
Runoff water that contains dish soap residues can pollute storm drains. Unfortunately, water from storm drains is not filtered in treatment systems. Thus, it goes to the nearest natural body of water – lakes, streams, ponds, and oceans – causing pollution that affects aquatic life. It can also seep deep down into the soil and groundwater, lowering the soil’s quality for supporting plant life.
7. You Might End up Paying for Expensive Body Repair
The average car lasts 11.4 years on the road. Since using dish soap on cars can cause irreversible damage to the paint, you might need to have it repaired by the seventh year or even earlier. This can cost you anywhere from $1,000 to $3,500. Surely you’d rather spend that money on something else, right?
If you want a car that’s clean inside and out without worrying about your health, your car, and the environment, schedule an appointment with DetailXPerts. Our innovative car cleaning technique uses just a pint of water for cleaning an average-sized car and organic products that protect you, your passengers, your vehicle, and nature.
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