I also like sea sponges with QEW/ONR washes, but I've yet to have a sheepskin mitt go bad like that before, but maybe I got lucky with the ones I picked up.
My wheels are a tough one with QEW/ONR because the front dust really bad. I use a combination of brushes on them (wheel brush and a small
BHB for the smaller areas), and try to keep them sealed well so they clean up easier. I find
Poorboy's Wheel Sealant works very well for that. I still like to do a conventional bucket and hose wash on them as often as possible to flush out all of the brake dust.
For glass I also use Stoners Invisible Glass with a very short nap or made for glass MF. I do an initial spray and wipe with one and then follow up with a second one..... and that seems to work pretty well for me.
Like others said, swirls on silver are tough to spot sometimes, so you just have to experiment with different types of lighting until you find what works best for you.