The Truth About Washing Cars with £1 Kitchen Cleaner

Product reviewed

Elbow Grease (£1 kitchen all-purpose cleaner) used as a multi-surface cleaner for car washing/detailing, including:

• wheels
• plastics
• fabrics
• engine bay quick-clean
• door shuts
• petrol flap
• pre-wash

Key claims & main features mentioned

• Described as a ready-to-use alkaline cleaner meant for greasy surfaces.
• Claimed to work on many household surfaces such as kitchens, bathrooms, trainers, carpets, and furniture.
• The video argues it may be chemically similar to common detailing chemicals, due to:
  • a water-softening builder
  • an alkaline ingredient to attack grease and grime
• Performance claims are tested across multiple car areas and surfaces, often with short dwell times (and sometimes with staining tests).

Comparisons made (other products/types)

• Compared to a “leading UK citrus pre-wash” in a detailing context (about £10 for 500 ml concentrated).
• Compared against:
  • a branded multi-purpose detailing cleaner (example cost: £12)
  • a 2-in-1 wheel cleaner (pH neutral base + iron fallout remover that turns wheels purple)
  • a dedicated wheel & tire cleaner described as producing brown foam when agitated
• Overall theme: detailing chemicals may be less “special” than marketed, because the ingredient chemistry may be closely related.

Pros (what the video says it does well)

• Interior plastics: cleaned up with no sticky residue, producing “identical results” versus the more expensive branded cleaner; fast when used correctly.
• Stain/hold behavior (plastics test):
  • left for ~2 minutes
  • some slight dark spots noted, but not clearly damaging
  • concluded it’s not convincingly “ruinous,” especially with careful use
• Wheels (alloys):
  • early results described as “too close to call”
  • later described as another winner overall
  • one comparison note: one product looked more aggressive after rinse, but final rinse-off results favored the alkaline cleaner
  • doesn’t feel as lubricated during scrubbing as the 2-in-1
• Wheel & tire / tires:
  • both cleaners performed “fantastically”
  • no clear winner overall
  • tire test highlighted less watery runoff from Elbow Grease while still cleaning effectively
• Engine bay quick-clean: works well as a presentable quick fix, especially when diluted.
• Interior fabric (car mats):
  • cleaned well after vacuum + spray, dwell, scrub, then towel drying
  • driver-side heavily trodden areas: some dirt may not fully come out
  • passenger side looked close to new
• Car pre-wash:
  • described as very impressive on heavy mud/stone grime
  • compared to the preferred citrus pre-wash; rinse results were “too close to tell” / both performed excellently
• Door shuts & petrol flap: used successfully to remove gunk.
• Button icons: explicitly tested—when used straight from the bottle, it did not remove/affect icons in that one-off test.
• Main value argument: can deliver a great finish without paying detailing-brand prices; positioned as proof you don’t need to spend a fortune.

Cons / risks mentioned

• Detailers’ warning: Elbow Grease is alkaline and may strip protection (wax/sealant/ceramic) and potentially remove small printed icons/buttons.
  • The video tests icons and reports no effect, but treats coating/protection impacts as unknown pending further testing.
• One-off nature: warns repeated exposure could increase risk of:
  • staining
  • dulling/affecting finishes, particularly on a new car
• Plastic concern isn’t dismissed entirely: even without obvious damage after short dwell, it warns aggressive/repeated use could degrade appearance/finish.
• Fabric limitation: very embedded dirt (driver mat “ambitious task”) may not fully lift; best results may require stronger methods (e.g., extractor or warm water).
• Scratch risk (wheels): one approach involved scrubbing; mentions risk of minor scratches, though suggests many people may not mind.

User experience / usability notes from the tests

• Works with:
  • scrub pads
  • microfiber cloths
  • brush agitation
  • normal rinse + drying workflow
• Foam behavior:
  • Elbow Grease foam reportedly doesn’t hang around as long as branded products
  • later notes that dilution can improve foaming (useful for engine bay work and stretching the product)
• Cleaning process guidance:
  • don’t rely on chemicals alone—scrubbing/vacuuming/drying matter
  • drying is important (rain risk → mold/condensation concern)

Numerical values / specific pricing mentioned

• Elbow Grease price: £1 spray (implied bottle)
• Branded detailing multi-purpose cleaner: £12 (example cost)
• Citrus pre-wash: ~£10 for 500 ml concentrated
• Plastics soak time in a test: ~2 minutes

Overall verdict (as stated by the video)

• The conclusion is essentially: “Yes, you can wash a car with Elbow Grease.”
• It performs well across wheels, plastics, tires, fabrics, and pre-wash tasks.
• However, it recommends not fully ditching dedicated products, mainly because:
  • long-term/protectant-stripping outcomes are unknown
  • repeated use could increase staining risk
• Best recommendation: use it as an economical alternative for many tasks (especially pre-wash and interior plastics) cautiously, and test on an inconspicuous area first, especially if the car is new or has protection you care about.

Unique points mentioned about the product (consolidated)

1. Alkaline ready-to-use cleaner for greasy surfaces.
2. Claimed chemical similarity to citrus pre-wash (builder + alkaline: water-softening + grease attack).
3. Effective on interior plastics with no sticky residue (quick application).
4. 2-minute plastics dwell test showed no obvious severe damage—only slight dark spots.
5. Works on alloys/wheels; close outcome vs 2-in-1, with an overall win by final rinse results.
6. Less lubricated feel during wheel agitation, though still effective.
7. Strong tire/wheel cleaning; similar brown-foam style performance noted with dedicated cleaner.
8. Less watery runoff on tires while maintaining cleaning power.
9. Engine bay cleaning works quickly; dilution improves foaming and helps the product go further.
10. Car mats can be cleaned well with vacuum + dwell + scrub + proper drying; embedded dirt may remain.
11. Pre-wash performance comparable to detailing citrus pre-wash (“too close to call”).
12. Suitable for door shuts and petrol flap gunk removal.
13. Button icons tested straight-on: no icon removal observed.
14. Warns of long-term risk: staining and/or protection stripping with repeated or aggressive use.
15. Advises inconspicuous-area testing; avoid harsh use on brand-new finishes.
16. Avoids foam cannon for the video’s methods, implying normal rinsing methods were used.

Speakers/views

• Single primary speaker throughout, presenting the tests, comparisons, and conclusions.
• No other speakers are clearly distinguished; comparisons are to other products, not other people.