Sponges or the wash mitts? I've been using the mitts, but sponges seem to lather up a lot more soap. Just looking for other opinions.

 

get sheepskin/wool or whatever those are, wash mitts.

 

That's what im using is the sheepskin mitts. Only problem I run into is it doesn't seem to lather up very well and I dont seem to get a whole lot of soap onto the car. A buddy of mine uses a sponge and it seems to do a pretty good job...

 

well, the thing about sheepskin is it's very soft and doesn't scratch the paint... so you gotta keep that in mind.

Are you sure you put enough soap in the bucket?

 

More lather does not equal better cleaning.

I think it boils down to what you prefer. I like a nice synthetic wash mitt. Au natural ones are cool too.

CM.

 

Suds are overrated. They look nice and pretty, but don't do anything for cleaning, really. It's the soapy solution that does the work and provides lubrication when washing. I personally try to make as few as possible so that I can see what's in the bucket.

I use sheepskin myself because it is gentle, reasonably consistent - it's not like you can fake a sheep hide and they are cheap to get locally. Avoid sponges because they trap and hold dirt and debris - a friend of mine has *butchered* his paint with sponge washes and it required a lot of polishing repair. Synthetic simulated wool (polyester) mitts are not really safe in general because you don't know how fine the wool is. If you're already using one and it doesn't cause damage, great, but you got lucky and bought a kind that is safe. Who knows about the rest? Some people use natural sea sponges and swear by them, but the jury's still out with these.

Microfiber wash mitts are safe, but sometimes are too "grabby", and 100% cotton chenille is great, but it is increasingly very very hard to find real genuine 100% cotton. Viking makes one but you have to look hard sometimes.

Oh yeah, I forgot about genuine boar's hair brushes. They're supposed to be good and safe, but expensive and hard to find. I've never tried this myself...

 

Personally, I have been using a Viking Chenille Mitt to wash the Max. I also have 2 sheepskin mitts for cleaning wheels, wheel wells, and another chenille to wash the lower panels of the Max.

However, Bman is correct in saying that it is not the mitt that governs the suds but the solution you use. I have used Meguiar's Gold Class and there are plenty of suds with that.

 

Have you guys heard about the Viking mitts not being 100% cotton. Apparently there is a recall.

http://www.yosteveshop.homestead.com/mitts.html

 

I desperately need a new mitt. I washed a small part of my car today and when I rinsed it I found some reallyy nice fine scratches where i had washed and the little test confirmed what I thought... my damn mitt is scratching the $hit outta my car I just clay bar'd maxi today and I'm gonna use some Scratch-X and wax tomorrow soo hopefully things will be better. Are there any nice, reliable mitts I could get at Auto-Zone that would be safe on my car while working like a champ at the same time? thanks

 

Chenille wash mitts, IMO, are the best.

They absorber a lot of the suddy water and do a good job scrubbing the car down, in an easy way.

 

See my post above. Sheepskin "works like a champ" for me because it's easy to fluff debris out, glides well on the paint, and still holds water pretty well. It's also gentle on your paint and it eliminates any guesswork about what you're actually getting when you buy one. I don't know if Autozone sells them, but somebody local should (Wal-Mart?)!

I'm still testing a MF mitt, but sheepskin is still my favourite right now over other materials. I tried chenille too and don't know what the fuss is about. Good luck with getting your scratches out.

BTW, what was your previous mitt made out of?

 

Sheepskin mitts with the net backing. They work great!

 

The synthetic ones will put swirls in your paint...

 

I think it all depends on how you wash. I only use the mitt once before it goes into the wash. Same with my shammy.

And we are not talking cheap junky synthetics. These cost as much as the natural stuff.

Though the mitt is getting a bit old too. So I may retire it and use it on my GF's car. I will probably be getting some sort of natural one next.

CM.