I want to wash my new car at home, is it okay to use Dawn dishwashing detergent? Or should I get something specifically designed for automobiles?

im not sure what dawn would do to the paint of the car, but im guessing since it is ok for your hands, then it is ok for the car,
but if i were going to wash my car at home i would not use dawn, i would use a specific car washing soap and other products, such as a special brush and a special towel to dry it, to keep my car looking great.

ive hear good things about Meguiars,
check it out, even if you dont like their products,
they give some good advice for washing your car:
http://www.meguiars.com/

hope this helps,
-chris

Dish soap will not hurt the finish of you car. Use a sheep mitt to wash it and get an absorber to dry it. The absorber is a synthetic chamois. It works better that a natural chamois and will last longer, plus it costs less. Do NOT use a terry towel to dry it, as this will put fine scratches in the clear coat. Take your floor mats out and hose them down, scrub them with a scrub brush then hang them to dry. If you have leather seats apply some leather conditioner a couple of times a year.

Thanks, I didn't know that terry cloth could damage the finish, and since this is my first new car in 20 years, I'd like to keep it new looking for as long as possible.

I bought a 2000 truck with one of the new paint jobs and the paint is so thin that the slightest pressure creates a gouge or scratch. I am not a very happy camper with the NEW ! I would guess that no matter what you do you will end up putting scratches into your paint. I always start at the top and wash down, more dirt at the bottom of the vehicle and less chance of scrubbing dirt into the paint. Use plenty of water to rinse dirt off as you go and rinse your wash glove often. Wash gloves have a tendency to hold onto grit and grime and then you rub the grit across your car and scratch it. Some soaps not intended for cars will remove wax from your vehicle, it is better to use a car wash liquid with wax in it. Some times better to change wash water when you have reached the area below the hood and windows to eliminate scratching. BUT IT DOES HAPPEN AND THAT IS JUST PART OF WASH AND CLEAN !

Dawn dishwashing liquid is very gentle, and in the 2 years that I've been washing my car with it, hasn't hurt it or the paint a bit. I use the original blue.

We have a huge bug problem here, and the grill of my white car is always coated with bugs (ick!)...About 10 minutes before I'm going to wash the car, I put a coating of straight Dawn on the front of the car to soak in and loosen the crud...Then, when I do the whole car, the front washes off good as new!

It also works great on the wheels, getting the black stuff off of the hubcaps! It's gentle, yet it cuts grease like nobody's business!

Thanks, I am thinking of washing my Blazer tomorrow, and there is a lot of tar on the car from some pretty shabby road repairs around town. I bought some cleaner for that, but I'll use the Dawn, which is what I use on my dishes. I have been scoping the posts from 'My Profile and I have found a lot of Q & A's that are new, sort of, but they didn't show up when I clicked the 'new since your last visit' icon. I wonder why.

Thanks, I am thinking of washing my Blazer tomorrow, and there is a lot of tar on the car from some pretty shabby road repairs around town. I bought some cleaner for that, but I'll use the Dawn on the vehicle, which is what I use on my dishes. I have been scoping the posts from 'My Profile and I have found a lot of Q & A's that are new, sort of, but they didn't show up when I clicked the 'new since your last visit' icon. I wonder why .