People on other forums recommend using Dawn Detergent Dish Washing Soap to wash my ca

[Bullitt4814]

So what is the most effective way to strip wax from your vehicle? Will a clay bar remove the wax itself or does it glide over the wax and remove contaminants on top of the wax? Its been a couple of months since my car's last waxing and I want to start from the bare clear coat and do the 5-step system.

[Michael Stoops]

If your car hasn't been waxed in several months then odds are there isn't much wax left on the surface to begin with. Wash with a quality car wash soap and then clay it. The claying will remove the bulk of what's left, if not all of it, and any paint cleaner will speed the balance with no effort at all.

[Andrew C.]

As Mike Stoops said, claying should remove the wax but if for some reason you really really have the need to use a wax stripper as your wash soap, do not use dawn, but there are a few soaps out there that claim to remove wax and are car wash soaps. One I believe is Chemical Guys Citrus Wash and Clear. I'm not too sure how harsh it is, but its probably better than Dawn. I've used it a few times before and I couldn't tell if it stripped wax but it definitely took off the dressings on my plastics which led me to believe it did the same for the wax.

But in reality, clay barring is really all you need to remove the wax and if you are doing correction steps, there is not way that you will have any wax left by the time you are ready to do your LSP.

[Garage Troll]

I can honestly say that my Dad taught me this at a very young age so I have never let dish soap touch my cars.

Thanks Dad!

[J. A. Michaels]

Yeah, it just never made sense to me. Thern after I joined the forum. I found out why. So I never use dawn on my vehicles, never.

[eyezack87]

As Mike Stoops said, claying should remove the wax but if for some reason you really really have the need to use a wax stripper as your wash soap, do not use dawn, but there are a few soaps out there that claim to remove wax and are car wash soaps. One I believe is Chemical Guys Citrus Wash and Clear. I'm not too sure how harsh it is, but its probably better than Dawn. I've used it a few times before and I couldn't tell if it stripped wax but it definitely took off the dressings on my plastics which led me to believe it did the same for the wax.

But in reality, clay barring is really all you need to remove the wax and if you are doing correction steps, there is not way that you will have any wax left by the time you are ready to do your LSP.

It works pretty well. I bought a gallon just to strip off old wax since I strip/rewax every month. Its a great all in one washer since it produces some sick foam in my foam cannon

[Garage Troll]

The only thing about the citrus wash that doesn't make sense is that yes it will strip the wax off but you would still be wise to clay bar the vehicle to remove any unseen contaminants. So all in all, it seems like extra money spent on a product that really isn't necessary.

[Murr1525]

If my wax is good enough to survive washing, claying, and paint cleaning, it can stay there....

[eyezack87]

The only thing about the citrus wash that doesn't make sense is that yes it will strip the wax off but you would still be wise to clay bar the vehicle to remove any unseen contaminants. So all in all, it seems like extra money spent on a product that really isn't necessary.

Depends on the user I guess. I don't bother claying every single month so it could be geared towards people like me. Also, it works great as a polishing oils remover after you polish

[TOGWT]

Washing-up Liquids (Detergent)

Dawn® and similar type washing liquids chemistry relies primarily on detergent and surfactant technology. This type of chemistry has advanced to the point that it can be engineered to specific soils (i.e. organic grease) Detergent and soap chemistry and product formulation is a lot more complicated than this, suffice it to say; modern car wash formulations are automotive soil specific.

I would not recommend using a harsh dishwashing detergent such as Dawn® on a regular basis, as they contain a degreaser, although most of them are approx pH 8.0 the other ingredients will tend to oxidise the paint system and emulsify, breakdown and leach out oils found in rubber moulding, trim and the paint system, which causes the plasticizers to dry out and oxidize, causing them to lose their flexibility.

The MSDS indicates that this product contains sodium hydroxide, which is highly alkaline the same ingredient used in engine degreasers to chemically ‘burn’ hydrocarbon oils and grease from engine surfaces (sodium hydroxide) it will severely stain aluminium, magnesium, etc. It will emulsify, breakdown and leach out oils naturally found in your paint, and also any oils you have applied in the way of a polish or glaze.

Generally you should avoid the use of household cleaning products for automotive detailing as they are formulated for an entirely different type of cleaning. [Your car surface and the dirt that gets on it are a lot different from the food soils and dishes that dishwashing liquids clean effectively. We don't recommend them for cleaning your car] [Proctor and Gamble]


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