When your car wash soap runs out, as a motorist who urgently needs to clean his/her car, you must get creative. This is when you rush to your kitchen and see if there is any cleaning agent that can help get the dirt and grime off your car.
Simple Green is a powerful cleaning agent. More so, its All-Purpose cleaner is a favorite to most homeowners. In your search for an alternative cleaner, have you stumbled across Simple Green? Wondering if it’s safe on car paint?
Made by Sunshine Makers Inc. Simple Green is a superior cleaning product that can be used on a wide range of surfaces.
It is powerful enough to cut through dirt and stubborn stains. It is a strong degreaser and will leave your surfaces sparkling clean.
Simple Green is safe on car paint. However, it shouldn’t be allowed to sit or dry on car paint as it will eat through the car’s clear coat. This coat is responsible for protecting your paint from UV rays, scratches, and other elements.
The only reason why I am recommending Simple Green to be used on car paint is that it’s free of abrasives.
As a result, you won’t scratch your car when scrubbing the product on the paint. Also, it’s an excellent car interior cleaner. You can use it on your dashboard, car mats, and upholstery.
Before I can look further into the effects of simple green on car paint, you should know that the manufacturer also makes Simple Green Car Wash soap.
This isn’t an all-purpose cleaner, it’s made specifically for cars and if you can get your hands on some, then you need not worry about it damaging your car paint.
Will Simple Green Damage Car Paint?
When it is heavily concentrated, Simple Green can be too harsh on your car paint. It will eat through the clear coat faster than when it’s diluted. But what if your car is super dirty? That seems like a dilemma because when it’s diluted, it won’t be as effective.
Your car paint is an expensive investment. You will be better off driving a dirty car than washing it with a substance that will end up damaging the paint. In such a scenario, I recommend you get to scrubbing.
With a pressure washer and diluted Simple Green, it is possible for you to properly clean your car without risking using Simple Green at full strength.
Can Simple Green Remove My Car Paint?
When I advised you earlier that it is safe to use Simple Green to wash your car, I meant it to be a one-time kind of thing.
Simple Green All-Purpose Cleaner isn’t formulated for washing your car. You should only use it as an alternative on days that your soap has run out. And when you head out, make sure you get some car wash soap.
Frequent use of simple green will remove your car’s clear coat. And once that’s out, it will proceed to eat away your paint. Simple Green won’t remove your paint but it will cause fading and discoloration gradually.
I understand how effective it is at removing dirt and grime in one wash. But if you or a loved one is using simple green regularly, please stop doing so because the long-term effects are bad for you and your car.
Can Simple Green Remove Wax on My Car Paint?
If it’s strong enough to penetrate your car’s clear coat then of course it can remove wax. As you may already know, Simple Green is a strong degreaser. Therefore, when you use it at full strength, it will strip away the wax from your car paint.
Depending on what your intentions are, Simple Green can be both advantageous and disadvantageous. If you had recently waxed your car and washed it with simple green, you will be surprised by the dull finish left behind.
On the other hand, if you want to remove wax from your car and don’t have a wax remover, you can use Simple Green. I would also advise you not to use this as it isn’t safe for wheels.
Generally, Are All-Purpose Cleaners Safe on Car Paint?
Ideally, all-purpose cleaners should be safe to use on car paint. After all, ‘all-purpose’ refers to the use of a cleaning agent on a wide range of surfaces, car paint included. But, as a car owner, you should be aware of the marketing techniques used by manufacturing companies.
Most all-purpose cleaning product manufacturers promise that their cleaning agents are ideal for all surfaces. This is however not 100% true.
Many times you will find some of these products being too harsh on some surfaces.
Car paint is very sensitive. Making a small mistake such as using any type of soap can result in fading or discoloration of your paint. Forcing you to part with lots of money in performing aesthetic repairs.
To be on the safe side, always research the safety of an all-purpose cleaner before using it on your car paint. In this case, Simple Green can be used on car paint.
But it should be diluted and shouldn’t be used regularly so that it doesn’t eat through the car’s clear coat.
What Cleaners Are Safe for Car Paint?
You will be surprised by the different types of cleaning agents people use on their cars. I recently came across a forum where someone was asking if they could use hand soap to wash their car.
Even though there is nothing wrong with that, can you picture using hand soap to wash your car?
The recommended cleaners that are safe on car paint are strictly car wash soaps. These are formulated and designed to remove dirt and grime while being very gentle to your car paint.
Car wash soaps are also designed not to cut through your car’s clear coat. And will add protective layers of wax that will protect your paint from UV rays, water, snow, and dust.
How to Ensure Simple Green is Safe on Car Paint?
There are some scenarios where you have no option but to use simple green to wash your car, you should use the following tips. First, never use Simple Green at full strength.
If your car is filthy, you may be tempted to use it as it is. But, as explained earlier, undiluted simple green can damage your paint.
Instead, dilute adequate amounts of simple green in a bucket of water. Make sure the mixture is well balanced and can easily foam lather. The latter is very important if you want to thoroughly clean your car.
Then, when washing your car, divide it into sections. The reason why you need to do this is to prevent simple green from drying up on your car paint.
By washing your car in sections, you will wipe off simple green before it dries off. Therefore, it won’t strip away your car wax or even worse, eat through your clear coat.
Should I Rinse-Off Simple Green?
Similar to other types of soap, simple green should be rinsed off after being applied to the car. Instead of wiping it off, you can rinse it with some water. Make sure that you rinse it thoroughly, or you will have to drive around with swirl marks.
Is Simple Green Safe for Skin Contact?
If there are concerns about its safety against car paint, then we should also confirm if it’s safe when it touches the skin.
According to the manufacturer’s website, simple green is safe for human and animal contact. There have been no complaints about the product causing skin irritation in the past.
If it however makes contact with the eyes then some irritation may occur. Users are advised to seek medical attention if simple green comes into contact with their eyes.
Can I Use Simple Green to Clean Bugs and Bird Droppings from My Car Paint?
If you park your car in an area surrounded by trees, then bugs and bird droppings are going to be common on your car’s exterior.
If you are in a hurry to clean them then you may consider using simple green to remove these stains from your car paint.
Because bugs and bird droppings form stubborn stains, simple green is a powerful cleaning agent that can help remove them easily.
Both bug splatters and bird droppings can cause permanent damage to your paintwork. So, using diluted simple green to remove them is advisable.
When using this cleaning product to clean bugs and bird droppings, gently lift the stain instead of grinding it with a sponge.
This will prevent scratching the surface of your paint. You also won’t be forcing simple green into your paint.
Take Care of Your Car Paint by Using the Right Products
Simple Green isn’t your average all-purpose cleaner. It boasts of a rich and strong formula that can cut through dirt and the most stubborn stains.
It can be used on many surfaces including car paint. Even though it is safe on car paint, to some extent, it is not advisable to use it at full strength, and neither should you use it to wash your car regularly.
If you want to prolong your car’s paint job, make sure that you use the right products such as specially formulated car wash soaps.