The Best Alternative to Car Soap

There are a lot of reasons why you might not want to use car soap when you wash your car. Maybe you don’t like the smell. Maybe you prefer to use products that are less harmful to the environment. Whatever the case, there are several alternatives out there that do the job just as well or better than normal car soap.

And the best part is that you’ll most likely be able to find at least onecar soap alternativeon this list in your house already!

Dish Soap

Dish soap is a great choice for a car soap replacement because it’s amazing at cutting through dirt and grime. The downside of that cleaning power, though, is that depending on what chemicals are in the soap, it can also damage your car’s paint job, especially if you use a lot of it.

If you’re going to use dish soap, try to find one that doesn’t contain a lot of harsh chemicals, and dilute it with water before using it to reduce the chance of ruining the paint on your car.

Wheel Cleaner

If you haven’t got any car soap, but you’ve got wheel cleaner, then you’re in luck, because with a little dilution, that will work just fine as a car soap substitute. Keep in mind, though, that because wheel cleaner wasn’t designed to go on the body of your car, it may contain chemicals that will fade or damage the paint.

However, if what you need is pure dirt and grease removing power, then wheel cleaner is probably one of your best bets since it’s designed to clean the part of the car that comes in contact with dirt and grime the most. Make sure to read the ingredients list first and avoid using it if it seems likely it’ll strip your car’s paint.

Laundry Detergent

Similar to the other two items on the list, laundry detergent can be great for getting rid of dirt and grime, but because of that cleaning power, there’s also a chance it’ll ruin your paint if you’re not careful.

If you’re using laundry detergent to wash your car, make sure to use a mild formula and dilute it with lots of water before putting it onto the car. That will reduce the risk of paint stripping.

Hand Soap

While less effective at cleaning stuck-on dirt or debris, hand soap has a lot of surprising advantages. First of all, because it’s not as potent, you don’t need to worry about it stripping your paint the way you do with other items on this list. 

Second, hand soap is pretty inexpensive and easily available. You can even buy big bottles of hand soap at many stores, so you don’t have to buy up a bunch of individual smaller ones. 

Another advantage of hand soap (that also, admittedly, is true of detergent) is that it comes in a multitude of scents, so if you want to make your car smell extra good, hand soap is the way to go.

You will probably have to use a lot of it and be willing to scrub hard if you want it to be effective, though.

DIY Soap

If you’re concerned about the chemicals in some of the other products we’ve mentioned, then there is always the option of making your own car soap by taking some soap base and mixing it with water. 

The advantage of this option is that you have complete control over the ingredients that go into the mixture, so you can be certain there’s nothing that will harm your car.

What’s the Best Choice?

Ultimately, that’s up to you. Depending on what your specific needs and preferences are, all of these car soap alternatives could work great in a pinch.

Ulani Uriah

Umar Nisar was born and raised in the busy city of Abbottabad. As a journalist, Umar Nisar has contributed to many online publications including PAK Today and the Huffing Post. In regards to academics, Umar Nisar earned a degree in business from the Abbottabad UST, Havelian. Umar Nisar follows the money and covers all aspects of emerging tech here at The Hear Up.

Thanks