Best wash mitt??

[M.A.94]

With all the salt and dirt which the winter roads introduce to my dark coloured car, I'm looking into the best wash mitt which would pull dirt off the car without scratching the surface.

The washing procedure I currently imply is thoroughly rinse the dirt off the car, most times with a jet wash however sometimes if I'm feeling lazy I use a normal hose with one of those attachment things on the end. I then use the two bucket method to wash the car from top working my way to the bottom and do the wheels and inside the arches at the end.

I use Autoglym's Aqua Dry Hi-tech Synthetic leather chamois to dry off the car (should I go for micro-fibre?).

The main question is what sort of mitt is better to use I have attached images of two of the common looking mitt's, I would imagine the green mitt would pull dirt off the car and collect it in its pores better than wool one but maybe I'm wrong? feel free to correct me lol.

 

[jotter22]

If you look at youtube most of the car washing vid's show them using the big fluffy woollen type and i find in use they do seem to be much smoother to use....Pop in halfrauds and buy a cheap one of each and see what suit's you best. And i always use drying towels its just so much easier and quicker.

Tony.

 

[blakedon]

I like using my Dooka wash pad. Worth the price.

 

[markwibbs]

Cheap products = swirls.

I use one of these - very durable, soft fleece and large. £14
Signature Series Wash Mitt RGSSWashMitt

But your main problem is the chamois, which is adding swirls despite your efforts to avoid them with the wash mitt. I'd recommend either a microfibre drying towel (its fibres take in any dirt, like the mitt principle, whereas a chamois is smooth and drags it over the surface) or the best option, dont dry it at all - which is what I do.

Seriously, look at one of these, they do exactly what they say and save loads of time too:

Refillable 0ppm Water Filter (7 litre) RG-Filter-7L

There was a review in the Gazette last issue about them

 

[A250 Bennyboy]

I got Maguires wash mitt and Polish mitt

 

[erdnase]

I use the Microfiber Madness - Incredimitt, excellent and worth the money

 

[w124nut]

Hose down the car medium pressure to loosen dirt

Two bucket method using Meguiars' mitt (purchased from Halfords £13 I think)

Shampoo, choose one that doesn't leave residue

hose car down again to wash off any shampoo

Micro fibre towel to pat dry on areas still wet

Use separate micro fibre cloths for lower panels, wheels and outside of wheel arches

Stand back and admire

 

[Dinnie]

I don't like the lambs wool mitts. If you don't use them for a couple of weeks, they start to go mouldy as it's 'real'. I prefer micro fibre sponges or the mitts and they're cheaper too and more durable.

Yes use a microfibre towel. Amazon sells a Kent ultra large drying towel in yellow for around £4. It is a 5 star review product.

 

[M.A.94]

Thank you for the advice, I had a feeling the leather chamois was a problem as pointed out by a few of you guys, so will be looking into getting a microfibre replacement. I had some experience with a waffle cloth (I believe its called) in the past and didn't really like it so will so for a proper microfibre drying cloth starting from some of the suggestions made in this thread.

As for the mitt/sponge I picked up a Meguiars Lambs Wool Wash Mitt from ECP earlier today ready for the weekily wash tomorrow morning

 

[M.A.94]

Oh yeah while I was looking into this I've figured ECP has a wide range of Meguiars products, at simmilar prices to places like halfords. However using coupon codes which can easily be found for ECP you can make decent savings! Thought its worth sharing this for anyone interested!!

 

[jotter22]

Bearing in mind Halford's usually have 3 for 2 on cleaning product's so used wisely would think ECP would struggle to be competitive!

Tony.

 

[Lenny63]

The meguiars wash mitt is hard to beat - I've used it for approx 10 years now

recently went for autofinesse lamb wash mitt which I am impressed with as well as their massive drying towell - its fantastic

http://shop.autofinesse.co.uk/lambs-wool-wash-mitt

http://shop.autofinesse.co.uk/aqua-deluxe

 

[J LAD]

Only one Lambswool wash mitt for me and its from the " Easyrider Company".
Price £23 for 2, yes 2!!!
By far the best mitt out there, for size, quality, durability, life length, softness, ease of care, etc, etc.
Puts Megs mitt and all others to shame in my opinion.
The company make pure lambswool car rugs, and these are a bi product of that.
Follow the rules for looking after them and they will not rot or de-grade at all.
Warning - be prepared to be amazed at how soft they are when you open the package. You have been warned!!

 

[M.A.94]

Thank you for all the suggestions and pointers in the right direction. One thing thats clear is there is a wide range of excellent products out there. It all comes down to which one suits a certain person. With this being the first time using a mitt, in the past I was one of those frowned upon people who used to use a sponge :fail but I'm learning!! I found megs lambswool to be excellent, good size etc but like I said havent got much to compare it with due to my lack of experience lol!

 

[Toobad]

+1 for the Microfiber Madness suggestion. They are not a budget item but remember the adage "Buy cheap, buy twice". Natural lambswool has been the go-to material for quality wash mitts up until now. They do require fastidious maintenance because being a natural material they will tend to degrade over time. Microfibre technology has progress in leaps and bounds over the last few years, with the Germans and the Koreans leading the way. The Microfiber Madness "Dry Me Crazy" range of drying towels are also something to behold. You just have to decide if the investment for your pride and joy is justified.

Microfiber Madness Incredimitt at Polished Bliss (prices inc. free delivery)

 

[cuillich]

After the wash I dry using https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0011DYB9G/?tag=amazon0e9db-21 followed by picking off odd drops left with a chamois. Used this method for a very long time never a scratch and a very effective method

 

[cuillich]

..

 

[Alex225]

Cheap products = swirls.

Without wishing to be a typical forum argumentative, that's not strictly true.

There are a hell of a lot of products out there that are just re-brands of cheaper generic products.

For example you could go and buy a Dodo Juice Fantastic Fur microfibre cloth for £6 and it'll be very nice I'm sure. That said you could get a pack of Kirkland microfibres from Costco and each cloth will cost you under £1. Equally good and from experience I've not found more pricey cloths/mitts to last any longer than cheaper ones.

Any product used incorrectly will cause swirls though. If you don't wash a mitt out after every use then you'll end up inflicting swirls and this is why I steer clear of natural wash mitts. They fall apart when put in the washing machine.

The most important thing once you've decided on your preferred wash mitt, is making sure you have two buckets and a grit guard in at least the rinse bucket!

I personally use microfibre wash mitts, usually the Meguiars ones because they can be put in the washing machine along with the drying towels.

 

[markwibbs]

You're right, bad technique is more likely to cause swirls than good products used incorrectly.

Its never advised to put a wash mitt in the washing machine, you wouldnt put a sheepskin rug in there so you have to treat these the same way.

My sheepskin mitts last about 2 years, by giving them a good rinse out under the tap, careful inspection and then air drying over the tap for a day to let water drip away and then sat upright with the centre opened up in the airing cupboard for a couple of days. This dries out the skin and prevents loss of fleece.

Its the choice of top pros and I will always prefer them over synthetic products - nothing is as soft, thick pile etc. I dont like the Meguiars ones as you only get sheepskin on one side, so the cost is actually quite high.

I also have to say there is nothing wrong with wash n wax type products, which leave wax or synthetic glossing agents behind - this tends to prolong this life of your protective coating and enhance the gloss.

Always expect to have to empty and refill your mitt rinse bucket too - merely having a gritguard in there doesn't mean you can effectively rinse your mitt in the swirling mud soup. I do it at least twice when doing our Range Rover.

 

[Alex225]

Its never advised to put a wash mitt in the washing machine, you wouldnt put a sheepskin rug in there so you have to treat these the same way.

I learned that the hard way with my first wash mitt.

I bought myself a shiny new Megane 225 so prior to it arriving I abandoned car washes and decided I was looking after it myself. So I stocked up on the best kit I knew of at the time, which was Meguiars.

I had a nice lambswool wash mitt amongst other things and machine washed it after each use. Once day I put my hand in it, dunked in the water an the b*gger fell apart! hahaha

I tend to prefer the ability to machine wash although I do see the preference for a lambswool mitt.