Quick Question about carwash shampoo.....

[chris.ganucheau]

Okay this might be a stupid question but i've always been told to not let the soap sit to long on the paint because it will dry an stain the paint. Is this true? My reason for asking is because I see people with the foam cannons an they spray the whole car then let it sit. Every time I try to let my soap sit for a minute it starts to dry...... I live in Louisiana where it is extremely hot. Our winter was low 60's

Any info would be appreciated.....

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[mwoolfso]

The soap itself is not the problem. Water spots develop due to the minerals in the tap water used to wash the car and the fact that the water is allowed to dry before it is wiped off.

There filters and/or filtration systems you can use eliminate the spotting risks. Simply acquire the unit in some form (build or buy) and you will see a difference. You can spend anywhere from $20 or $2,000 depending on how serious you want (or need) to be.

This year I inadvertently started using a whole house filter when I wash my car. I was actually having a problem with some fittings leaking in my basement and figured testing the assembly outside my home would keep my wife happy with no flooding in my basement. ;-)

My approach has some gaps, but I was not looking for perfection. I'm just playing, evaluating and more importantly getting one of those filters installed in my home soon.

When I do use the filter I absolutely see a difference when the water/soap dried before I had a chance to wipe the excess off. The spotting is virtually gone.

 

[chris.ganucheau]

The soap itself is not the problem. Water spots develop due to the minerals in the tap water used to wash the car and the fact that the water is allowed to dry before it is wiped off.

There filters and/or filtration systems you can use eliminate the spotting risks. Simply acquire the unit in some form (build or buy) and you will see a difference. You can spend anywhere from $20 or $2,000 depending on how serious you want (or need) to be.

This year I inadvertently started using a whole house filter when I wash my car. I was actually having a problem with some fittings leaking in my basement and figured testing the assembly outside my home would keep my wife happy with no flooding in my basement. ;-)

My approach has some gaps, but I was not looking for perfection. I'm just playing, evaluating and more importantly getting one of those filters installed in my home soon.

When I do use the filter I absolutely see a difference when the water/soap dried before I had a chance to wipe the excess off. The spotting is virtually gone.

I understand about water spots, but what im referring to is if my cars paint is hot an the soap dries. I was told that the actual soap can stain the paint and no matter how much you compound or polish it won't come out.

 

[swanicyouth]

No it's not true. Before I knew any better I did it all the time. If you are working in sun it will leave nasty water spots though that may require abrasion to remove. But by "stain" I'm assuming you mean something that is non reversible. It's just not true for regular car wash.

 

[mwoolfso]

I have washed my vehicles in 90+ degree weather here in NY, found some areas that dried and never saw that problem. I'm not saying that it's impossible, only I never experienced (nor heard) such a thing.

One would think the water/soap mixture would evaporate mostly before it burns and etches. Most bird droppings don't even stain paint in that timeframe so I will say while it may be a risk there are certain things that can be done to avoid that from happening if you do have that concern. At least 5 come to mind immediately.

 

[jjj]

One thing you can do if you are worried about spots on the paint is use a quick detailer/waterless/rinsless solution in spray bottle and spritz as you dry. this will help lift any deposits that the water or soap has left on paint. I use pb spray and gloss or onr mixed ratio for qd. I never let vehix soak in soap in hot weather unless in shaded area like garage. Just my 2 cents.

 

[chris.ganucheau]

No it's not true. Before I knew any better I did it all the time. If you are working in sun it will leave nasty water spots though that may require abrasion to remove. But by "stain" I'm assuming you mean something that is non reversible. It's just not true for regular car wash.

It was something my dad had told me when I was younger an have worried about ever since haha. Thanks for clearing it up tho!
rops:

I have washed my vehicles in 90+ degree weather here in NY, found some areas that dried and never saw that problem. I'm not saying that it's impossible, only I never experienced (nor heard) such a thing.

One would think the water/soap mixture would evaporate mostly before it burns and etches. Most bird droppings don't even stain paint in that timeframe so I will say while it may be a risk there are certain things that can be done to avoid that from happening if you do have that concern. At least 5 come to mind immediately.

Thanks for the reply! I wasn't sure just something my dad told me when i was younger an have thought about ever since

 

[Bunky]

I guess the choice between the risk of dried water or dried soap.

One theory is that at least the soap has the minerals that cause hard water spots suspended in the soap somewhat so less likelihood of hard water spots.

I have not been able to prove it but I have less water spots by not rinsing as often (do more panels and let soap sit) but I am not pushing it by allowing it sit for extended times.

 

[Setec Astronomy]

I guess the choice between the risk of dried water or dried soap.

It seems to me that if you have hard water, and you let the soap dry on the car, you're going to have combined water/soap spots. I got tired of chasing this, so I switched my outside faucet that I use for car washing over to the soft water I have inside the house. A lot of soaps have sheeting polymers or other glossing agents and even with the soft water if I let the soap dry on the car I get spots that sometimes don't come off easily. What I mean is sometimes they don't come off with the drying towel and I have to go back with QD or WW to get them off.

With all these storms the last couple of years I've lost the trees that shade my driveway, so if it's sunny and/or windy, it's easy for the wash or rinse to dry if you're not careful. Probably the reason I've been doing more rinseless than I used to.

 

[PiPUK]

The soap/water mix will evaporate away but the soap (detergents) are NOT volatile. So what the whole lot appears to be gone, you will be left with a detergent residue of film. In reality, you should be using a level of detergent which is adequate to overcome any hydrophobicity of your surface (this is a fundamental for cleaning). So you should really not get a whole lot of water spotting if your soap/water solution evaporates - it should be leave a film of sorts. Of course you now have the trouble of a film of soap/detergent, potentially not just dried, but baked on. As a rule, detergents are sticky and by the time they are totally dehydrated, some of them are extremely hard to remove. There may not be a massive risk of damage but there will be a massive nuisance in getting them off. You could stand and blast the surface for considerable times and would still see the tell tale of a foam when the water contacts it. So best to avoid!