The Car Care Myths That Never Seem to Die

I’m old enough to remember when learning how to detail meant walking into an auto parts store, scanning the shelves, and simply trying products for yourself. Back then, there were only a handful of major car care brands, so finding what worked wasn’t overwhelming. Sure, there were some obscure garage brands out there, but they were exactly that, obscure.

So it wasn’t hard to find the product that worked best for you. Plus, you usually went straight to the big brands anyway. I remember Zymol as the first niche brand. I have to give them credit for getting me started on the car care journey.

Thirty years later, and now you get car care advice from TikTok, YouTube Shorts, Facebook groups, and Reddit. Lots of advice from many personalities.

Some advice is no doubt useful, and then there are the myths that never seem to die. Or they have adapted to the times and are repackaged.

These myths won’t die because they keep getting repeated, and with communication spreading so fast and globally, they just keep going.

Let’s go over some of the most common car care myths that still circulate today and what experienced detailers actually pay attention to instead.

Myth #1: Dish Soap Is Fine for Washing Cars

Why People Believe It

Soap is soap, right? You have soap for washing your body, for washing dishes, for the dishwasher, and for your clothes. For some reason, when it comes to washing a car, any soap will do.

The Reality

Of all the soaps I mentioned, dishwashing soap is the most popular go-to soap. And yet, it’s most likely to cause harm to your car’s finish.

• Dish soap sees your car’s surface as a dirty, grease-coated dish. The problem is that it also sees your waxes, sealants, and coatings as grease and contamination. Dish soap removes waxes, sealants, and, over time, even ceramic coatings. Strip those protective layers, and your car’s paint finish is exposed to the elements.

• Dish soap, or any other soap not designed for automotive finishes, lacks the proper lubrication. So as your mitt inevitably picks up dirt, there won’t be a buffer between it and the paint surface, increasing the chance you'll mar the paint finish while cleaning.

• Paint is durable, but it’s not bulletproof and can be damaged by the aggressive cleaners in dish soap. One or two washes won’t make a noticeable difference. But repeated use makes it noticeable.

What Actually Works

So why should you choose car wash soap specifically made for cars? Here are the characteristics that make them what they are.

• Car wash shampoos are formulated specifically to remove both organic dirt (oils and road grime) and non-organic dirt (pollutant particles and hard-water minerals from rogue lawn sprinklers). But they don’t remove the good stuff like the aforementioned wax, sealant, and coatings.

• Proper dilution in a wash bucket is important so you’re not left with any residue after rinsing and so the shampoo performs as designed.

• Car wash shampoos provide the right amount of lubrication to keep your wash mitt gliding across the surface rather than grinding dirt into the paint.

• Consistent maintenance matters more than aggressive cleaning.

Suggested Products:

• Detailers Finest RestoWash

• Nextzett Auto Glanz Shampoo

• Nextzett Lotus Ultra Power Foam Shampoo

Myth #2: Ceramic Coatings Mean You Never Have to Wash Your Car

Why This Took Off

I have to admit I was skeptical when I first heard of ceramic coatings back in the early 2010’s. I figured it was too good to be true. Then they took off, and now I get asked by friends about coatings. They’ve gone mainstream. But that also means the exaggerated claims have gone mainstream, too. Marketing made coatings sound permanent and maintenance-free.

The Reality

Like all protectants, including carnauba waxes and sealant waxes, ceramic coatings take the brunt of the elements and erode over time. Ceramic coatings are no different. It just takes longer than the waxes.

Here’s the real deal with ceramic coatings:

• Coatings still collect contamination. Instead of your car’s paint collecting road grime and pollution, your coating will. However, unlike paint, ceramic coatings are slicker and therefore can “self-clean”. That means they’re so slick that many contaminants don’t stick. So while they keep your paint cleaner longer, they still get contaminated.

• Improper washing still creates marring. No matter what you use to protect your car, if your washing habits include rough wash applicators, old bath towels, or automatic car washes, you’re going to introduce marring and swirl marks into the coating.

• Water spotting still occurs regardless of whether you have a coating. Here’s the good news: coatings will slow hard water spots from reaching your paint and etching it. But continue to expose your coating to say lawn sprinklers that induce hard water spots, and you’ll exhaust your coating’s protective film until it loses its luster and, importantly, its protective properties.

• Maintenance determines longevity, no matter what the bottle says about the coating. If you apply our Detailers Finest Formula 3 ceramic coating with 3-year protection and you don’t maintain your car with proper washing techniques, products, and regularity, you’ll go from a three-year coating lifespan to much less than that.

What Actually Matters

• Proper wash technique: using a pH-balanced shampoo, applicators like microfiber wash mitts and microfiber wash towels, and avoiding automatic carwashes will keep ceramic coating lasting as long as the manufacturer suggests.

• Maintenance toppers: Toppers revitalize and restore any degraded protection in your ceramic coating. These include polymer-based products such as Detailers Finest Restowash and Nextzett’s Pearl Seal and Perfect Shine.

Bottom Line

Ceramic coatings can help protect paint. They do not replace maintenance.

Myth #3: More Foam Means Better Cleaning

Why People Love Foam

Foam looks impressive, and social media has turned thick foam into a sign of “professional” detailing. From hair shampoos to the colored foam waterfall in carwashes (which is all for show by the way), foam is satisfying. We know it’s clean when we see foam.

In some cases, foam is essential in carrying away surface contaminants, but these days, especially for social media effect, it’s just for show.

The Reality

• Foam mainly helps soften and loosen contamination, but as I mentioned, foam itself does not determine cleaning ability. Sometimes, it’s an indication of a low-cost detergent. The more important factor is the wash's slickness. And car shampoos like Detailers Finest RestoWash produce less foam because they’re pH-neutral and detergent-free. But feel the solution, and you’ll find it very slippery.

• That slick feeling is what helps your wash media glide safely across the surface.

• Slickness, lubrication, and technique matter far more than the level of foam in shaving cream. Again, excessive foam can result from lower-cost surfactants (detergents) that can strip protective coatings over time.

What Actually Matters

• Don’t judge the quality of the shampoo based on foam levels. These days, even pH-neutral shampoos like RestoWash can foam up with a foam cannon. The more important factor is proper chemistry. You don’t want a shampoo that’s too aggressive.

• Safe wash media like microfiber wash mitts and microfiber drying towels matter more.

• Working out of direct sun, if possible, which means washing early morning or late evening.

• Most daily drivers don’t need complicated routines. They need safe habits repeated consistently.

Conclusion

Be wary of gatekeeping with special systems and techniques but also beware of these lingering myths. Always consider the source.

Good detailing is not complicated. My main advice is to stick to the basics and maintain consistency.

Results come from simple, repeatable processes, not hype.