I know, this is a really unusual question, but here goes:

Is car wash soap (I'm using Prima Mystique) safe for plants and lawns? I'm washing my MINI a lot more than I washed my previous car. I have a bunch of nice plants next to the driveway on one side, and lawn on the other side. Is the car wash soap going to be a problem? Will I have brown patches? Should I expect a visit from the plant police?

thanks

 

I use Dawn during the summer months in a spray. It helps the grass absorb the water from the soil and allows salts to wash away instead of binding to the soil. We have a high clay content in our soils here so the surfactants in soap help.
Now as far as Mustique specifically - sounds like a Heather question. BTW, where has Heather been lately?

 

No issues with the Armor All brand car shampoo - my run-off always hits the same part of my lawn, and this summer it was MUCH lusher right there from the extra water.

 

I use liquid dish soap to spray our plants for bugs - works great! And as many times as the vehicles get washed in the driveway and the run off goes everywhere - we've never seen any dead grass or plants.

Donna

 

When living in Florida, I was told to use a weak solution of laundry detergent to encourange mole crickets to move out of my lawn and into someone else's. So I'm guessing a little soap won't hurt.

 

Lawns aside...

NOTE: Dish soap will strip away wax... it's a DEGREASER. Plus, most brands except for Dawn "classic" (the blue stuff) also have hand-lotion in them, which can lead to weird streaking. Car shampoo, unless its labeled as a degreaser or "paint prep" should be safe for your wax. Just saying, in case you plan to take your lovely, clean car and wax it - I'd hate for you to strip away that wax the next time you wash the car.

You'll want to remove old wax before clay barring or applying fresh wax - best to strip off the old stuff in case anything's trapped beneath it (it can, in extreme cases, erode the clear coat). Other than that, though, if you can, use car shampoo and protect the wax - it protects your finish.

 

Just don't get confused and fertilize the car

 

anyone know a good way to rid tiny millipedes? should i dump my
5+gallons of Griots CarShampoo in the area that i suspect they live?

out of no where they started popping up on my porch and near my
garage door last fall.

 

I called Griots about using there car wash in the lawn. Because the Jeep was really muddy, will post pictures later, I wanted to wash in the grass so I didnt want to wash the driveway after washing the Jeep. Also, the added enjoyment of angering the neighbors was fun. (I love angering rich people who think they are better than me because they *appear* to have money)

Anyway, they said it was safe. It actually turned my grass greener. Added shine.

 

I used to know a guy who after he went trail riding in his jeep, would just park on the lawn and run the sprinkler underneath for a few hours. Worked great to get all the gunk off.

 

I do that too. Move the jeep with the sprinkler.

 

haha ive done that before as well. works great for after winter grime as well!!!

 

You know the other key to having a green lawn is to add some beer to the soap. We have a beer, well its really a crap beer , called Coors. It's the stuff that is left-over after a party or the stuff you take to other people's parties (if you don't like them much). If you add that to your lawn spray the grass will be thick and green.
Also if you drink too much you may find your Jeep parked in your yard the next day.

 

Can I drink the beer first and then spray it on the lawn? (grin)

 

WOW thats an awesome idea! I have an old 70's styled metal twisty sprinkler that I could use during this winter when I drive all the salt around.

that's an awesome idea

this is the best car forum

 

I like the sprinkler under the car idea too.
If your worried about the soap on the lawn, which should only help it imo, just spray the area with lots of water to dilute it.

Mark

 

Just wax the suspected area very well so they can't get traction. This should allow you enough time to get them with a shoe.

 

i better use my NXT residing in my junk bin then... oh but that'll just wash
off in one rain storm. lol

 

Not at all an unusual question, IMO! Although I must admit I've never seen the question raised here on NAM... someone has to be the first!

Prima Mystique Auto Wash is biodegradable and perfectly safe on lawns and plants.

Thanks for asking! We realized after the labels went to print that we should've mentioned this fact on the label. Of course, we had to buy 1 zillion labels so it'll be awhile before we can add that.

-Heather

 

She's baaaack!
Glad to hear from you Heather!

 

Nearly OT, but I've found that Dawn & water in a spray bottle kills a lot of bugs, including those gross orange ladybugs, and I'd imagine it works on millipedes, too. I read that it gets into their respiration pores and suffocates them, and it works pretty quick. It doesn't work on ants or spiders, though.

 

Actually one of the best insecticides is nicotine. You go and buy a couple of cans of snuff (like Copenhagen) and dump it into water over night. Strain it to get the chunks out then spray it with a lawn sprayer. Kills those bugs dead and is all natural. Pretty sad that some people ingest this crap.

 

Ok, so I need to take up smoking and drinking, and sprinkle dish soap on my lawn. Okey Dokey!

Maybe I'll just skip all that and wash my MINI more often. Good to know I can do that with a "clean" conscience. Thanks everybody!