When washing your car, it is recommended to use car soap, which is specifically formulated to be gentle on your cars paint and to leave a protective coating behind, helping to keep your car looking great for longer. However, if you dont have access to car soap, you can use hand soap as a fair alternative, but you should ensure that you are using a gentle solution over strong hand soap to avoid leaving a film or residue on your car. Other alternatives to car soap include homemade soap solutions made from natural ingredients such as baking soda, vinegar, and dish soap. It is important to avoid using dish soap, laundry detergent, or other harsh soaps as they can strip the wax and coating off of the paint and cause irreparable harm to your car.