Washing your car with Dreft: a handy solution?

Car owners like to keep their vehicles clean. Therefore, a question that often comes up is whether washing your car with Dreft or any other detergent is a go or no-go? The short answer is yes, you could use dishwashing liquid to clean your car. But let’s put this under the microscope and find out if this is also a safe and practical option for maintaining your beloved car.

• Influence of pH in detergents
• Washing your car with Dreft
• Step-by-step plan for washing with Dreft
• Never use all-purpose cleaner
• Car wash tips – don’t do this!

Influence of pH in detergents

pH is an important value for car cleaning. Special car shampoos have a PH value between 6 and 8, specifically designed to be gentle on car paint and protective coatings. If you go for detergents, you will clean your car with a detergent that represents a pH value between 9 and 12. This means they are alkaline. Acidic or highly alkaline products can damage the paintwork and cause problems over time, such as dulling or peeling.

So the PH value is important to consider when choosing a product to wash your car with. While dish soap has a higher risk of scratching or other forms of damage, feel free to go for a wash with Dreft, for example. Especially if you have not applied protective layers such as wax, sealant or spray coating to your car, using an alkaline dishwashing detergent is a minor risk.

Washing your car with Dreft

Dreft is a mild pH-neutral detergent that should not damage your car’s paintwork. It can be effective in removing dirt and grime. However, Dreft is not ideal for removing stubborn stains and severe soiling. Moreover, Dreft can leave a hazy film on your car’s paint and windows. It is therefore important to rinse thoroughly after using Dreft. Keep in mind that the same goes for fabric softeners.

Step-by-step plan for washing with Dreft

Step 1: Preparation
Find a spot in the shade. Washing your car in the shade will prevent soap from drying too quickly, which can cause stains. Also grab your supplies in advance, such as a bucket, the Dreft, a soft sponge or microfibre cloth, and a hose with clean water.

Step 2: Dilute the Dreft
Before washing, fill your bucket with lukewarm water and add a small amount of Dreft. Dilute the Dreft well, this way you minimise the chances of damaging your car’s paintwork.

Step 3: Rinse the car
Now you can start cleaning the car. Grab the hose and rinse the whole car. This will remove loose dirt and sand that can cause scratches while washing.

Step 4: Washing
Dip your sponge or cloth into the bucket of Dreft solution. Start at the roof of the car and work downwards. It is important to do it panel by panel so that the soap does not dry up on the car. Wash the car with light circular movements and avoid hard scrubbing to avoid scratches.

Step 5: Rinse regularly
Rinse each washed area with clean water before the soap dries. This helps remove soap residue and dirt that has come loose.

Step 6: Wheels and tyres
Use a separate brush, sponge or cloth to clean the wheels and tyres. Wheels can contain a lot of grit and brake dust that you don’t want to spread to your car’s paintwork.

Step 7: Final rinse
Give the whole car a thorough final rinse with clean water to remove all soap residue.

Step 8: Drying
Use a clean, soft towel or microfibre cloth to dry the car. This will prevent water stains due to minerals left behind in the water.

Never use all-purpose cleaner

Should you want to use all-purpose cleaner to clean your car? DO NOT! This product causes scratches. All-purpose cleaner also does not clean like a special car shampoo does, which means you have to rub the same dirty spot several times to get it clean. This in turn leads to more chances of scratches. While the scratches don’t have to be immediately visible, over time they cause the paintwork to look dull and damaged.

Tips car washing – don’t do this!

• Never try to wash your car in full sun as car shampoo can dry up quickly and cause stains.
• To clean your rims, consider using a wax car shampoo. This can help repel dirt and keep your rims clean and shiny for longer.
• Do not wash with hot water; when you wash your car, using lukewarm water is best.
• Use a sponge for both the body and rims, use separate sponges for this: brake dust on the rims corrodes the paint.
• Putting your car in the garage while it is still not properly dry.

So: Washing your car with Dreft a go or no-go?

If you need to wash your car quickly once and have run out of car shampoo, you can use Dreft, but do so at your own risk. It often causes scratches. For long-term use, it is wise to use special car shampoo, as this is the best way to keep your car clean without the risk of damaging the paintwork.