Should You Use Dish Soap to Wash a Car? What Actually Happens

It’s cheap. It’s in your kitchen. So why not just use dish soap to wash your car?

Here’s the honest truth about dish soap, how it affects your paint, and what you should use instead if you actually care about your vehicle’s finish.

🧪 What Dish Soap Really Does to Your Paint

Dish soap is a degreaser—formulated to break down baked-on oils from your kitchen, not dirt from a clear-coated car.

❌ Strips waxes and sealants fast
❌ Leaves behind a film that dulls shine
❌ Can dry out rubber trim and plastic over time
❌ Doesn’t provide lubricity to safely lift dirt

Result: Your paint ends up unprotected and more vulnerable to future damage.

🧼 What You Should Use Instead

Use a purpose-built pH-neutral car soap with high lubricity and safe surfactants. Our go-to: The Super Soaper.

✅ Safe for ceramic coatings, waxes, and sealants
✅ Foams thick, clings long, and lifts dirt without marring
✅ No gloss enhancers or weird residues

→ Grab The Super Soaper here

🆚 Dish Soap vs Real Car Soap – Side-by-Side

Feature	Dish Soap	The Super Soaper
pH Balanced	❌ No	✅ Yes
Safe on Coatings	❌ No	✅ Yes
Foam & Dwell Time	⚠️ Minimal	✅ Thick, long-cling foam
Lubricity (Scratch Protection)	❌ Low	✅ High

🧠 Still Think Dish Soap is “Good Enough”?

In our foam cannon soap comparison test, dish soap failed across the board. Foam collapsed fast, left water spots, and stripped protection in one wash.

Think long-term. Your car deserves better.

📚 Related Posts

🛒 Better Soap = Better Results

Upgrade to Real Car Soap

Protect your coating. Avoid swirls. Save time drying. Get the foam, lubricity, and clean you deserve.

Buy The Super Soaper Best Foam Cannon Soaps

Final Thoughts

Dish soap was never made for car paint. It strips protection, dries out materials, and increases the risk of swirls and marring. If you're spending time washing your car, do it right. Use soap that was actually made for the job.

Clean smart. Protect better.