# Why not use fairy liquid?



## MV Owner (Nov 5, 2008)

All,

My Bilt Hamber Auto wash has come to an end and I am now looking for a new shampoo.

I am considering budget options and wonder what the reason is behind not using a squirt of fairy liquid!?

Cheers




MV


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## Mikesphotaes (Jul 24, 2016)

Think there is salt in it which will eventually corrode the metal body.


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## GP Punto (May 29, 2007)

Not sure if you are pulling our legs or not!

There is both bleach and ammonia in washing-up liquid which has an effect on the wax and once that protective layer is gone water-based paints turn dull and can crack.

I found this out to my cost many years ago, I had a 4WS 4WD Mitsubishi Galant and one sunday I was down in a hotel in Wiltshire for an early morning meeting on Monday. The car was filthy, I thought it would be ok to use hair shampoo from the hotel to wash my car. It got the car clean ok but all the gloss was gone, it went matt white all over and the first bit of dirt it picked up went into the grain in the paint, looked a total mess.

I think that fairy liquid will eventually have that type of effect.


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## Deje (Aug 12, 2016)

Mikesphotaes said:


> Think there is salt in it which will eventually corrode the metal body.


It may be salt in car shampoo too , Larry at Ammo Nyc told in a podcast that when he worked for a larger-known detailing manufacturer he mixed salt in their shampoo to give it a thicker texture.


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## MV Owner (Nov 5, 2008)

No GP, im not pulling your legs, seems like a reasonable question. I bet you wish you had asked such a question yourself all those years ago.

I'll take peoples thoughts on the salt though many thanks


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## Derekh929 (Aug 28, 2011)

Just get 25ltr in costco shampoo and then sell 20ltr and then you will likely have 5ltr for free.


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## Deje (Aug 12, 2016)

I know a man who wash his car for 20 years now with Grumme Green All Purpose Cleaner and it looks fine


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## GP Punto (May 29, 2007)

Deje said:


> I know a man who wash his car for 20 years now with Grumme Green All Purpose Cleaner and it looks fine


He has done very well, this is what the manufacturers say that Grumme Green should be used for:

Suitable for:
- Sinks, bath tubs, toilettes, kitchen and bathroom tiles
- Stone and wooden worktops
- Furniture, both painted and oiled
- Floors; wooden, stone, laminate, and tile
- Wooden, metallic and plastic toys

To clean your oven: rub some soap in the oven, heat it to 100 degrees Celsius, let it cool of and then wipe off the soap with water.

Floor and surface cleaning:
For 10 liters of water you need:
Slightly dirty surface, parquet, linoleum, laminate floors: 25ml soap
Dirty surface, oiled floors: 50ml soap


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## Deje (Aug 12, 2016)

GP Punto said:


> He has done very well, this is what the manufacturers say that Grumme Green should be used for:
> 
> Suitable for:
> - Sinks, bath tubs, toilettes, kitchen and bathroom tiles
> ...


Yep, and apparently cars as well, unbelievable detergent
Grumme also says to cars both inside and outside on their Swedish website, hope Google translate works.
http://grumme.se/grumme-sapatips/


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## dchapman88 (Mar 17, 2016)

I have been recommended to use a fairy liquid wash once I have given the car a full polish before a ceramic coating
Due to it being a strong decreaser it does a great job at removing oils etc 
But it's not advisable as an every wash shampoo
There are plenty of budget options available 



Sent by a phone of some description!


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## Deje (Aug 12, 2016)

Bilt Hamber Auto wash is a great shampoo , and cheap if you use it at recommended dilution ratios.


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## President Swirl (Oct 23, 2011)

You can get 5 litres of the cheap wash/wax stuff in B&Q for less than a fiver. Not the best stuff, but better than fairy or some such if you're in a bind.


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## st1965 (Apr 21, 2016)

Costco do 25litre of turtle wax wash and wax for around £16..which £ for £ is probably cheaper than washing up liquid !..and from a decent company brand too !!


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## GP Punto (May 29, 2007)

st1965 said:


> Costco do 25litre of turtle wax wash and wax for around £16..which £ for £ is probably cheaper than washing up liquid !..and from a decent company brand too !!


I think it works out around £1 per litre, so quite a lot more expensive than turtle wax wash


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## st1965 (Apr 21, 2016)

Exactly..so why would you buy the fairy liquid !


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## GP Punto (May 29, 2007)

st1965 said:


> Exactly..so why would you buy the fairy liquid !


Sorry St, I got that the wrong way around, washing up liquid is £1 a litre and wax wash is £0.64 a litre

I have edited the original.


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## GleemSpray (Jan 26, 2014)

My view is that proper car shampoo is cheap enough, so use that if you can.

However... many, many thousands of ordinary car owners regularly wash their car with fairy washing up liquid and, in over 35 years of driving cars, i have yet to see any real evidence that fairy liquid does any harm to car paint, trim or metal...... until i started subscribing to Detailing forums, where this tale of "killer salt" is widely spread.

I have actually known quite a few people who wash their car every week or two with fairy liquid ( and the obligatory old t shirt... ) and the car paint / chrome / trim and rubber still looks half way decent for its age several years down the line, with no evidence that it has been prematurely aged.

So i would be genuinely interested if anyone can show me hard evidence that fairy liquid will damage car paint or trim.


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## cargainz (Jul 25, 2016)

Using fairy liquid and a sponge or old t-shirt on your car? For real?:doublesho:doublesho:doublesho

Even when I'm under the weather, I wouldn't do such a thing. Fairy liquid contains ammonia and bleach, might as well get the full works from the £5 handwash places. What's the point of going all those lengths of detailing your car then spoiling it by using fairly liquid?

If you have got a decent wax on the car, fairy liquid might not strip it off but will actually interfere with your LSP.


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## chongo (Jun 7, 2014)

dchapman88 said:


> I have been recommended to use a fairy liquid wash once I have given the car a full polish before a ceramic coating
> Due to it being a strong decreaser it does a great job at removing oils etc
> But it's not advisable as an every wash shampoo
> There are plenty of budget options available
> ...


Fairy liquid before ceramic coating :doublesho not heard that one before 

Would definitely not advise you to do that bud:thumb:


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## 66Rob (Sep 25, 2007)

I knew a guy years ago swore by Johnson Baby Shampoo (no more years version obviously):thumb:


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## Soul boy 68 (Sep 8, 2013)

Halfords car shampoo is a budget option but Fairy Liquid ? :doublesho or you could just bite the builet and buy a quality 5 litre shampoo like car chem which will last you ages.


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## dchapman88 (Mar 17, 2016)

chongo said:


> Fairy liquid before ceramic coating :doublesho not heard that one before
> 
> Would definitely not advise you to do that bud:thumb:


Gyeon Jeremy suggested that one to me before I used MOHS

Sent by a phone of some description!


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## c87reed (Dec 9, 2015)

I always used washing up liquid when I had first passed my test. Tbf, with the cars that I had at the time, fairy liquid would have been a treat to them. There are some really cheap car shampoos available now, I have seen a 5L bottle of Simoniz for £5 previously. What I will never understand is someone who may buy or lease a 30 or 40k grand car and then not even buy a single basic bucket, car shampoo and basic yellow sponge.


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## s70rjw (Apr 18, 2006)

There was a post on here some years ago showing a car which had been washed weekly with washing up liquid for years and it looked great. I think it was a VW Passat in metallic blue. I wouldn't use washing up liquid personally as I took the paint off the bonnet of a firms car using industrial floor cleaner and a brush donkeys years ago. It had left a bright finish every time I used it until it ate through the top coat.


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## cargainz (Jul 25, 2016)

GleemSpray said:


> My view is that proper car shampoo is cheap enough, so use that if you can.
> 
> However... many, many thousands of ordinary car owners regularly wash their car with fairy washing up liquid and, in over 35 years of driving cars, i have yet to see any real evidence that fairy liquid does any harm to car paint, trim or metal...... until i started subscribing to Detailing forums, where this tale of "killer salt" is widely spread.
> 
> ...


Fairy liquid has ammonia and bleach so why would you want to use them continuously on automotive paint? The people you say use fairy liquid, do so out of ignorance rather than they having scientific evidence of its safety for paint. In addition to fairy liquid they also use non-safe washing practices.


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## st1965 (Apr 21, 2016)

As i said earlier..costco do a 25 litre of turtlewax wash 'n' wax for £16 ish so given the fact 1 capful to a bucket of water per wash..and if you washed your car once a week, 25 litres would last YEARS ! so i just dont get why someone would use a product ment for dishes etc when a product thats ment for purpose is so cheap !


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## GleemSpray (Jan 26, 2014)

cargainz said:


> Fairy liquid has ammonia and bleach so why would you want to use them continuously on automotive paint? The people you say use fairy liquid, do so out of ignorance rather than they having scientific evidence of its safety for paint. In addition to fairy liquid they also use non-safe washing practices.


I don't doubt that they use it out of convenience and no doubt swirl the paint, but my main point remains unanswered.

People theorise that the salt and other ingredients in Fairy Liquid will damage the finish on car surfaces but, like i said, i have yet to ever see a car which has damage proven to be caused by the use of Fairy Liquid.

There are plenty of examples of industrial strength Truckwash / TFR bleaching paint and plastics, but i would like to see someone say "_this car has been washed with Fairy Liquid many times and has aged prematurely as a direct result_"


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## GleemSpray (Jan 26, 2014)

For the avoidance of any doubt, i wholeheartedly agree that basic car shampoo is so cheap that it makes no sense to use Fairy Liquid - i am just curious, in a "myth busters" kind of way - to see if anyone has ever actually proven that it does damage clear coat or trim.


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## cargainz (Jul 25, 2016)

GleemSpray said:


> I don't doubt that they use it out of convenience and no doubt swirl the paint, but my main point remains unanswered.
> 
> People theorise that the salt and other ingredients in Fairy Liquid will damage the finish on car surfaces but, like i said, i have yet to ever see a car which has damage proven to be caused by the use of Fairy Liquid.
> 
> There are plenty of examples of industrial strength Truckwash / TFR bleaching paint and plastics, but i would like to see someone say "_this car has been washed with Fairy Liquid many times and has aged prematurely as a direct result_"


*Then please provide proof that ammonia and bleach is safe to use on automotive paint.* Not sure if you have actually understood this point. (Dig up studies etc if you are still sceptical but its pointless if you don't understand the point about ammonia/bleach). You cannot rely on un-educated Joe Public's practices to claim its safe for use.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/cars/advice/why-you-shouldnt-use-washing-up-liquid-to-wash-your-car/


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## Streeto (Apr 3, 2008)

Fairy liquid is for washing dishes, car shampoo is for washing cars.

Wouldn't use window cleaner to clean the toilet would you.


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## GleemSpray (Jan 26, 2014)

cargainz said:


> *Then please provide proof that ammonia and bleach is safe to use on automotive paint.* Not sure if you have actually understood this point. (Dig up studies etc if you are still sceptical but its pointless if you don't understand the point about ammonia/bleach). You cannot rely on un-educated Joe Public's practices to claim its safe for use.
> 
> http://www.telegraph.co.uk/cars/advice/why-you-shouldnt-use-washing-up-liquid-to-wash-your-car/


Ok, so that's a Simoniz sponsored article in the Daily Telegraph and the "Simoniz Marketing Director" is saying that Fairy breaks down wax and that unwaxed paint is then unprotected and therefore at risk of damage.

We know this.

I realise that i sound pedantic, but it is a genuine question - can anyone show me credible scientific proof that Fairy Liquid does damage beyond breaking down wax ?


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## cargainz (Jul 25, 2016)

GleemSpray said:


> Ok, so that's a Simoniz sponsored article in the Daily Telegraph and the "Simoniz Marketing Director" is saying that Fairy breaks down wax and that unwaxed paint is then unprotected and therefore at risk of damage.
> 
> We know this.
> 
> I realise that i sound pedantic, but it is a genuine question - can anyone show me credible scientific proof that Fairy Liquid does damage beyond breaking down wax ?


I hope you are not drinking some brown liquid as you do indeed sound pedantic. :wave:

I have flipped the coin, *you provide the proof* that ammonia and bleach is safe to use on automotive paint.


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## neilmcl (Mar 26, 2010)

Streeto said:


> Fairy liquid is for washing dishes, car shampoo is for washing cars.
> 
> Wouldn't use window cleaner to clean the toilet would you.


No, but you would use Fairy to clean windows :thumb:


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## GleemSpray (Jan 26, 2014)

cargainz said:


> I hope you are not drinking some brown liquid as you do indeed sound pedantic. :wave:
> 
> I have flipped the coin, *you provide the proof* that ammonia and bleach is safe to use on automotive paint.


No i havn't been drinking at all, its just a curiosity that when you read detailing forums you seem to get some people who say "you must never use Fairy Liquid" and others who say to use it to strip lsp pre-polish. The American forums seem to have plenty of dedicated detailers who advocate using Dawn as a deep cleaner.

The arguments about harmful salt seem to ignore that car paint is subjected to road salt year round and that other chemicals contain salt

So that's my curiosity - can anyone show me faded paint or damaged clear coat which is unequivocally down to washing up liquid use ? or is it a kind of urban myth that has just perpetuated itself with no real scientific proof.


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## fatdazza (Dec 29, 2010)

cargainz said:


> Fairy liquid has ammonia and bleach so why would you want to use them continuously on automotive paint? The people you say use fairy liquid, do so out of ignorance rather than they having scientific evidence of its safety for paint. In addition to fairy liquid they also use non-safe washing practices.


So fairy has ammonia and bleach in it?

1. show me the scientific evidence (not some half baked newstory, or "he said .....")

2. If it does, then the quantity will be so low that when diluted that any harm from the ammonia and bleach will be non existant.

3. People on here seem quite happy using TFRs containing sodium hydroxide. - I challenge you to a competition: I will put my hand in a bucket of neat (or diluted - you choose) fairy for an hour. You put yours in a bucket of TFR for the same time. We will see whose hand looks better.


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## st1965 (Apr 21, 2016)

Companies like megs, autoglym etc take the time to come up with formulas to make car shampoo's, polishes etc, so it is beyond me why a person whould use a cleaning detergent used ( and made for the purpose of ) cleaning/washing dishes on a posession whih is probably the second biggest investment ( in most cases ) a person is likely to make...it beggers belief given how readily availible car shampoo's are in supermarkets etc.


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## ah234 (Nov 10, 2015)

Streeto said:


> Fairy liquid is for washing dishes, car shampoo is for washing cars.
> 
> Wouldn't use window cleaner to clean the toilet would you.


Well said....calm down people.

Use your fairy liquid on your dirty dishes and car shampoo on the cars, this is getting a bit ridiculous now......

Instead of wax why don't we use mr sheen to save some pennies?


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## steelghost (Aug 20, 2015)

cargainz said:


> I hope you are not drinking some brown liquid as you do indeed sound pedantic. :wave:
> 
> I have flipped the coin, *you provide the proof* that ammonia and bleach is safe to use on automotive paint.


Nothing in the list of ingredients in the Telegraph article linked could be called ammonia, or "bleach" (which is typically sodium hypochlorite).

I'm with Gleem on this point, I'm not sure what the evidence is that washing up liquid is as terrible as everyone makes out, and I wouldn't consider it pedantry to ask the question.

Anecdotally, even when it was well over ten years old there was nothing wrong with the paint on my parents car other than swirls, and that never saw anything other than a bucket of hot water and a squirt of whatever washing up liquid was next to the sink.

All that said, given how low the per wash cost for a really good shampoo can be (see also CarChem 1900:1) I wouldn't bother with anything else.


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## Derekh929 (Aug 28, 2011)

I'm more worried about my poor sensitive hands, I may need to get some marigolds for washing my dishes how embarrassing this all is


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## steelghost (Aug 20, 2015)

Derekh929 said:


> I'm more worried about my poor sensitive hands, I may need to get some marigolds for washing my dished how embarrassing this all is


Nah mate, I've been wearing marigolds to do the dishes for a few years now. Nothing funny about your finger ends cracking open and bleeding, and that's what I was getting.


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## Derekh929 (Aug 28, 2011)

steelghost said:


> Nah mate, I've been wearing marigolds to do the dishes for a few years now. Nothing funny about your finger ends cracking open and bleeding, and that's what I was getting.


But are yours Pink?


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## Super G (Jan 21, 2010)

Hands that do dishes, must be safe!

I have known people to wash cars with fairy and always made them shine. These people never bothered with wax. 

Also never tried it myself.


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## cargainz (Jul 25, 2016)

steelghost said:


> Nah mate, I've been wearing marigolds to do the dishes for a few years now. Nothing funny about your finger ends cracking open and bleeding, and that's what I was getting.


Seems contradictory to wear gloves while using washing up liquid but deeming it safe for the paintwork of your car. It's just washin up liquid init? 

Sodium laureth sulfate (SLES) - is that something I would want on my paintwork let alone my skin?



> The biggest-selling washing-up detergent in the UK is Fairy Liquid. It contains: aqua; sodium laureth sulphate; alcohol denat; lauramine oxide; C9-11 pareth-8; sodium chloride; 1,3-Cyclohexanedimethanamine; PPG (polypropylene glycols); dimethyl aminoethyl methecrylate/hydroxyproply acrylate copolymer cirate; parfum; geraniol; limonene; colourant. Analysis: theecologist.org


There was also EU legislation that wanted Fairy to carry a warning that it is an irritant. Google this for further details.


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## fatdazza (Dec 29, 2010)

cargainz said:


> Seems contradictory to wear gloves while using washing up liquid but deeming it safe for the paintwork of your car. It's just washin up liquid init?
> 
> Sodium laureth sulfate (SLES) - is that something I would want on my paintwork let alone my skin?
> 
> There was also EU legislation that wanted Fairy to carry a warning that it is an irritant. Google this for further details.


SLES is found in a large number of hand soaps, shower gels and shampoos, and even toothpaste. Some people claim it irritates the skin, but I bet if they used TFR they would soon know what skin irritation really is.

So much nonsense spouted on here with no scientific basis


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## cargainz (Jul 25, 2016)

fatdazza said:


> SLES is found in a large number of hand soaps, shower gels and shampoos, and even toothpaste. Some people claim it irritates the skin, but I bet if they used TFR they would soon know what skin irritation really is.
> 
> So much nonsense spouted on here with no scientific basis


You seem to have an obsession with TFR like its the be all and end all of cleaning products. What does TFR from the hand car wash places do to plastic trims? Restore them?

Even people on this thread have stated their hands are irritated by fairly liquid, google the SLO6 or whatever legislation the EU wanted to bring in. If you need to use TFR on your hands to illustrate that washing up liquid is irritating someone else's skin then that just sounds dumba$$.

This is from Meguairs forum so take if for what its worth



> 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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## steelghost (Aug 20, 2015)

cargainz said:


> Seems contradictory to wear gloves while using washing up liquid but deeming it safe for the paintwork of your car. It's just washin up liquid init?
> 
> Sodium laureth sulfate (SLES) - is that something I would want on my paintwork let alone my skin?
> 
> There was also EU legislation that wanted Fairy to carry a warning that it is an irritant. Google this for further details.


There is a difference between wondering about the basis for something being considered harmful, and considering it safe.

Washing up liquid and car shampoo are both detergents and as such will remove the oils normally present in skin, which is why I wear gloves when washing either my car or the dishes.

Sodium laureth sulphate is in pretty much every hair shampoo and shower gel going, I'd be astonished if it wasn't in at least some car shampoos as well.

Lots of things are considered skin irritants, however the fact that the EU wanted Fairy Liquid labelled as one (something my finger ends find entirely reasonable!) doesn't necessarily mean that it is The Paint Killer.


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## Streeto (Apr 3, 2008)

neilmcl said:


> No, but you would use Fairy to clean windows :thumb:


Would you??


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## cargainz (Jul 25, 2016)

steelghost said:


> There is a difference between wondering about the basis for something being considered harmful, and considering it safe.
> 
> Washing up liquid and car shampoo are both detergents and as such will remove the oils normally present in skin, which is why I wear gloves when washing either my car or the dishes.
> 
> ...


At the end of the day, the choice is yours. If you want to spend £30-£50 on LSP then wash it regularly with 70p fairy liquid, then be my guest. However why not go down the whole road i.e. do it like Joe Public; use sponges, an old t-shirt etc.

Fairy liquid actually creates its own film on a well protected car (which will interfere with the LSP), so rather than stripping wax creates another problem.

I'm signing out of the fairy liquid discussion as I won't use fairy liquid to wash my car. If you want to do it on yours go ahead.

End of.


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## Titanium Htail (Mar 24, 2012)

Prior to my tutoring here, many many years ago I washed my car all the time in fairy liquid it was never waxed was a new red car, I kept it for three years washed it every other day. 

I did see it locally a few times looked fantastic....plus now I shampoo my cars in the most appropriate product...lol

John Tht.


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## nick_mcuk (Jan 4, 2008)

cargainz said:


> *Then please provide proof that ammonia and bleach is safe to use on automotive paint.* Not sure if you have actually understood this point. (Dig up studies etc if you are still sceptical but its pointless if you don't understand the point about ammonia/bleach). You cannot rely on un-educated Joe Public's practices to claim its safe for use.
> 
> http://www.telegraph.co.uk/cars/advice/why-you-shouldnt-use-washing-up-liquid-to-wash-your-car/


....And that article was written and I use the term loosely "Researched" by Simoniz the car care products brand....going to be impartial then 

The fact of the matter is that you paint is going to be subjected to far worse than a little bit of fairy liquid over the years and paint is waaaaay tougher than all of you lot seem to appreciate.


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## fatdazza (Dec 29, 2010)

cargainz said:


> You seem to have an obsession with TFR like its the be all and end all of cleaning products. What does TFR from the hand car wash places do to plastic trims? Restore them?
> 
> Even people on this thread have stated their hands are irritated by fairly liquid, google the SLO6 or whatever legislation the EU wanted to bring in. If you need to use TFR on your hands to illustrate that washing up liquid is irritating someone else's skin then that just sounds dumba$$.
> 
> This is from Meguairs forum so take if for what its worth


1.Never did I recommend using Fairy on car paintwork.

2. I used TFR as an example to show that there are much more aggressive chemicals than Fairy that people often happily use on cars. I did not recommend the use of such chemicals.

3. Your scientific knowledge is seriously lacking and appears to come from google searches and dubious newspaper / websites articles written by biased individuals with an agenda.

4. SLES is found in a number of car shampoos (including Autyglym).

5. You seem to have an ill informed view that Fairy liquid is a dangerous chemical that will damage your car if used. It won't.


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## cargainz (Jul 25, 2016)

The discussion is getting a bit silly now. This is fairy liquid people are arguing about lol. Yesterday in the wife's car to see some greenery, there was a guy holding a bottle of glass cleaner with a MF cloth and to his black Audi and he was applying the contents to the bodywork.

Nice shine bro  a step up from hand car washes.


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## st1965 (Apr 21, 2016)

At the end of the day..like everything else..its down to personal choice. For those who choose to use fairy liquid and are happy with that then go ahead !..its your property..so do what you want with it if that makes you happy. I personaly use a product made for the job..but thats MY personal choice..so do what makes you happy people..its all about YOUR personal preference


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## Big Bri (Nov 20, 2010)

Great question BTW.I am of a certain age and couldn't even afford fairy liquid back in the day.Asdas own brand or whatever my Mum had on the kitchen sink drainer was the go to car washing stuff.Even used Daz on my Triumph Dolomite Sprint.A 205 GTI i had is legendary around my area.I washed her every day i could with washing up liquid.All my mates asked what i washed it in,had many comments, as it always looked,,clean,,.That car still drives around today.A pal of mine has the car and an opal manta he owned at the time also.They both [a few years ago now]look great to this day.
I do seem to remember though.With constant use of this type of stuff.A white cast or dulling of the paint would start in time.Then out came an old towel from the airing couboard and the cure all........ T CUT.
Happy Days.
PS,I would also add,Thanks to the guys who take time ,trial and error,R&D to produce todays products.Then share the knowledge on sites like this.Cant imagine or dont wana go ther,shudder to think about my new C250 VERT being washed with Daz and lemon Asda washing up liquid. 
BB


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## GP Punto (May 29, 2007)

The question should be the other way around perhaps, as opposed to 'why not use Fairy Liquid', 

The question should be - why would you use fairy liquid when there are purpose made alternatives at a lower cost.


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## neilmcl (Mar 26, 2010)

Streeto said:


> Would you??


Yes, ask your window cleaner.


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## neilmcl (Mar 26, 2010)

cargainz said:


> Seems contradictory to wear gloves while using washing up liquid but deeming it safe for the paintwork of your car. It's just washin up liquid init?
> 
> Sodium laureth sulfate (SLES) - is that something I would want on my paintwork let alone my skin?
> 
> There was also EU legislation that wanted Fairy to carry a warning that it is an irritant. Google this for further details.


I always use gloves when washing/detailing. I find car shampoo irritates my skin but never had this issue when washing my dishes without gloves.


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## Pittsy (Jun 14, 2014)

Ok....
1) yes you can use fairy liquid on your body work, no problems there but why would you, fairy does not have any lubricating agents like a car shampoo so will be opening you up to more scratches. 
2) fairy will not remove your wax layer, it might accelerate the process but no more than driving round a city centre in the rain. It might appear as if you wax has gone but fairy can leave behind a layer of surficant or something like that that gives the appearance of a non protected surface.
3) fact of the matter is that fairy is for washing dishes and it is in fact a class leading washing up liquid, the best around. It is however not a car shampoo, honestly use the right tools for the job, you wouldn't use a hammer to screw a screw in:thumb:


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## GP Punto (May 29, 2007)

Pittsy said:


> Ok....
> you wouldn't use a hammer to screw a screw in:thumb:


Obviously hasnt been to my newly built house.

I think Stevie Wonder was the foreman.


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## bigfatsi (Apr 15, 2015)

I've used Fairy loads of times on a car without issue. However, car shampoo is just as cheap so I use that.

But as an aside, I'm from a catering background and used Fairy all the time as it's the best at removing grease (until you get serious - Deepio, Soda Crystals etc) 
However, I had to resort to gloves. Contact Dermatitis, I believe they called it. Used to wake up in the morning, ball my fists and watch the blood flow from the cracks in my fingers. Not good. Plus you can't work with it as it's a 'reportable disease'.

Use what you want. But if it's fairy, use gloves.

HTH

S


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## Brian1612 (Apr 5, 2015)

MV Owner said:


> All,
> 
> My Bilt Hamber Auto wash has come to an end and I am now looking for a new shampoo.
> 
> ...


Costco have 5L of Simoniz Wash & Wax shampoo going for less than a fiver including VAT. Decent enough stuff also.


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## Scoper89 (May 21, 2017)

I know a guy with an R33 skyline GTR who used fairy liquid to wash for 2 years. It was sprayed a nice metallic white, but the effect of liquids over 2 years has now left it a dull looking almost matte white. So much so he wants to respray the whole car black because he thought that was a normal time paint should lose its shine


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## steelghost (Aug 20, 2015)

Sure - but is that dullness because of lots of swirls, or something else? I'm guessing if he was washing with Fairy he probably wasn't using the 2 bucket method or a nice pre-wash and wash mitt!


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## fatdazza (Dec 29, 2010)

Scoper89 said:


> I know a guy with an R33 skyline GTR who used fairy liquid to wash for 2 years. It was sprayed a nice metallic white, but the effect of liquids over 2 years has now left it a dull looking almost matte white. So much so he wants to respray the whole car black because he thought that was a normal time paint should lose its shine


As previous post above, was it the Fairy or his wash method?

If using fairy, I suspect he was not using other "safe" wash techniques, but without the full story, it is a leap of faith to blame the Fairy. 

E.g., prewash? sponge? two buckets? drying method? etc etc.


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## cargainz (Jul 25, 2016)

Even though i have signed out of the discussion, I'm back lol. :detailer:

Something intrigues me, what do the "fairy liquid brigade" use to wash their dishes? Car shampoo? Then some T-cut on pots and pans?


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## pxr5 (Feb 13, 2012)

Anyway, I much prefer Persil to Fairy Liquid lol. Smells sooooo much nicer. When I use it that is, which isn't often as I have a dishwasher - dead posh me!


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## euge07 (Jan 15, 2011)

just buy car shampoo, its not even dear and its safe for your paint, 

think anyone using fairy liquid on here is on the wrong forum :/


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## GleemSpray (Jan 26, 2014)

cargainz said:


> Even though i have signed out of the discussion, I'm back lol. :detailer:
> 
> Something intrigues me, what do the "fairy liquid brigade" use to wash their dishes? Car shampoo? Then some T-cut on pots and pans?


I think there are several questions raised here , as the OP asked "_wonder what the reason is behind not using a squirt of fairy liquid!?"_

There are plenty of people in this thread, including myself, who have said that it makes little sense to choose Fairy when dedicated car shampoo is as cheap or even cheaper...

...but the other question that comes from this discussion is "_Why is Fairy Liquid demonised as harmfull to paint ?_"

The usual answers of salt + other harmful ingredients have been suggested, but other (like me) have said that they have first hand experience of cars being washed for extended periods with Fairy, without any noticeable harm to paint or trim.

There isn't a ""fairy liquid brigade" here, just people who have used or seen Fairy used without harm, who might not agree with your authoritative statements.

Lets try to keep this as a technical discussion on the pros and cons of WUL, which makes it useful and is, I believe, what the OP intended.


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## cargainz (Jul 25, 2016)

GleemSpray said:


> I think there are several questions raised here , as the OP asked "_wonder what the reason is behind not using a squirt of fairy liquid!?"_
> 
> There are plenty of people in this thread, including myself, who have said that it makes little sense to choose Fairy when dedicated car shampoo is as cheap or even cheaper...
> 
> ...


If you went to netmums or some household forum and told them you used car shampoo to clean your dishes, they would not find it funny. Same things at home, you tell your wife/partner that you want to use car shampoo to clean the dishes and you will probably get more than a look.

You will probably be told stuff for the car should not be used in the household. Same thing with fairy liquid on a detailing forum.

Also if you look at the video I linked to earlier, fairy liquid will create a film over your wax which will give the false impression of stripping LSP. You often see people telling others to use washing up liquid to strip LSP (which is a myth).


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## Derekh929 (Aug 28, 2011)

I never knew FL could be so Interesting:lol: You need to show this thread to your better halves.

For me the problem is the film it would leave on my ceramic coating and harder to rinse off


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## cargainz (Jul 25, 2016)

Derekh929 said:


> I never knew FL could be so Interesting:lol: You need to show this thread to your better halves.
> 
> For me the problem is the film it would leave on my ceramic coating and harder to rinse off


You tell your other half you are planning to do the dishes tonight with car shampoo and you will be chased around the house with a broom lol. But if they washed the car with FL they might not think too much about it. :lol:


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## Nanoman (Jan 17, 2009)

Cargainz I was going to say quit while you're ahead but you've proved you are 100% clueless about anything to do with the chemical differences between car shampoo and fairy liquid and how they affect paint/trim finishes. Your posts read like a badly written Daily Mail article by a journalist with zero knowledge of the topic. 

There are people on this forum with PhD degrees and several years experience of chemistry, you clearly don't even have a basic high school understanding. 

If you've got any unbiased or peer reviewed proof of how fairy liquid damages cars please share it. 

Fairy liquid is sold for use multiple times daily with zero PPE. Car shampoo is designed for occasional use with correct PPE. It doesn't take a genius to work out which one is likely to cause more harm, never mind that cars are designed for near constant exposure to UV, salt, oil, petrol, etc. 




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## ollienoclue (Jan 30, 2017)

I would think the utility of fairy liquid (or dish soap for the Yanks amongst us) on cars is fairly limited. I know it is legendary for it's ability to grab hold of greases and oils, which I presume is what is going to attack any LSP previously applied if you leave it long enough.

That said, it can't be that hardcore because there is no way it would be given approval for use as a hand-washing agent. By contrast, Koch Chemie openly state that greenstar has a pH of 12.5(!!!) and their nano-magic shampoo is pH 5.5 I don't deliberately dip my hand in the concentrate for obvious reasons.

My main concern from using fairy liquid would be: does it contain any kind of lubricant to help avoid scratches during washing and more to the point, is it actually formulated to attack the kind of matter you find on cars, which is a far cry from the sort you find in food residues?

Oh, and: 'The Ecologist'- seriously?


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## Titanium Htail (Mar 24, 2012)

Oh my....can I say FL was introduced in 1950 when disposable income was not what it is today, only the rich kids seemed to have soap is was promoted as Dawn in the USA which on the AutoGeek forum still seems to have some use today.

So 70 years ago as has been mentioned car shampoo as a product in itself was limited, the mass of drivers with no interest in anything other that a clean car possibly still use it, better more appropriate options now as mentioned even for the price. 

John Tht. Triumph GT6 new in 1974' ««


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## cargainz (Jul 25, 2016)

Lol, seems like I missed all the fun, finally managed to get a good night's sleep(tell me about it) and missed all the fun. The telegraph link was obviously flawed and I should have admitted it earlier when I saw some chemists post earlier on DW and on Meguairs forum. 

Sorry if I upset anyone. This thread was a bit of a distraction and I jumped on the ammonia/bleach angle early on.


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## chrissymk3 (Jul 6, 2015)

Ben Gum said:


> Lubricant - car shampoos lubricate with surfactants. In many instances, the foam is important for lubricating. Strangely similar to wash up liquid.
> 
> In no way do I think wash up liquid beats dedicated car shampoo but the fact is that it will do absolutely no harm. If someone tells you that fairy is actually damaging to your car, they are either lying or completely clueless (and don't think that someone selling products is exempt from this).


Ben, foam isn't as important for lubricating as you may think, some of the better car shampoo's have very little foam/bubbles.

I can't argue about washing up liquid because I admittedly, always thought it was bad because I heard/read/whatever years ago about not putting it in your windscreen washer.

So I'm now going to try and skim read this thread haha


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## K777mk2 (Jun 30, 2016)

neilmcl said:


> No, but you would use Fairy to clean windows :thumb:


Funny you should mention that, I recently used BH Autofoam on my windows recently, then jet rinsed and dried with microfibres, cleanest I have ever seen them.

So the vinegar i used to use on the windows is now back in the cupboard reserved for my chips.

As for fairy liquid, used it when i was ten on my old mans car, didnt look that good, seemed to leave greasy marks, so my mum said she'd use it on her hair, coz she was using shampoo for the dishes, and she said " Try this Turtle Wax stuff I found under the sink, it makes a lovely foam in the washing machine"


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## AF585 (Jul 8, 2016)

cargainz said:


> Even though i have signed out of the discussion, I'm back lol. :detailer:
> 
> Something intrigues me, what do the "fairy liquid brigade" use to wash their dishes? Car shampoo? Then some T-cut on pots and pans?


I do use Surfex on the oven and hob


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## mellowfellow (Jul 11, 2009)

I always used FL to strip any wax or polish from any car .Before applying any new products or machine polishing. Basically I wanted the vehicle taken back to bare paint.


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## wayne451 (Aug 15, 2016)

Holy thread bump Batman!?! 

One can argue as much as you like about fairy liquid but 1 thing has not been mentioned- It’d be more harmful for your paint to leave all the crud/crap and bird scat on it than it would be to wash it off with fairy liquid! :lol:


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## westerman (Oct 12, 2008)

wayne451 said:


> Holy thread bump Batman!?!
> 
> One can argue as much as you like about fairy liquid but 1 thing has not been mentioned- It'd be more harmful for your paint to leave all the crud/crap and bird scat on it than it would be to wash it off with fairy liquid! :lol:


But would it? I reckon both of the above amount to gross abuse of paintwork?

Harry


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