Are brushes really safe for washing?

[Skier]

Ads for brushes like Oxo and Meguirs claim that they will not scratch or swirl. My new car is a light metallic color. I like the idea of a brush but am concerned about fine scratches etc.. Thanks for comments in advance.

[Crazy1]

Search for a thread by GSRstilez he did a review on Meguiar`s Versa-Angle Wide Body Brush, he compared it to using a 2 bucket,2 sheepskin mitt method.

[RAG]

Brushes can and will scratch if you aren`t really really careful. But a light metallic is very forgiving in this regard compared to black or other dark colors. If you are going to get a brush...get a natural bore`s hair brush - I like mine from CMA very much and use it in conjunction with my mitt on most washes. I believe AutoGeek is now carrying them also.

[RAG]

You might want to also try http://www.universalbrush.com/ for you brush needs.

[Accumulator]

Used properly, the right brushes are as safe as any other wash media.



I don`t like synthetic bristles because as the flagging wears down they eventually become scratch machines, and the flagging *does* always eventually wear away (at least in my experience). It only takes *one* bristle without flagging to mar up a vehicle.



BHBs wear differently and aren`t *remotely* as bad in this regard, so I stick with those.



My latest BHBs from AutoGeek passed the CD scratch test and they work great in conjunction with the foamgun. Even the grittiest/most abrasive winter [stuff] came off with no marring. The free-rinsing nature of these brushes makes them a natural for use with the foamgun-based "dislodge and flush" method where you just "jiggle" the brush as opposed to making wide swipes with it.



The softest BHB I have is over 20 years old, still works great and that`s the one I use on the good cars. Money well spent IMO.

[D Tailor]

Interesting...I always stayed away from them like the plague b/c of some bad experiences. But Accumulator, you give me new ideas. Do they need rinsing like wash mitts in between panels? How do you do this if they do? Bucket?

[imported_mirrorfinishman]

Used properly, the right brushes are as safe as any other wash media.





This is very true. When used properly, the right brushes are as safe as any other wash media. Any time you rub anything against the surface of your car you run the risk of producing scratches and swirls. The same is true when you dry your car.

[Accumulator]

Do [brushes] need rinsing like wash mitts in between panels? How do you do this if they do? Bucket?



Yeah, absolutely! Any wash media is gonna pick up dirt and it`s that dirt, getting dragged across the paint, that causes the wash-induced marring. The great thing about BHBs is the way they`re free-rinsing; stuff doesn`t stick to them very readily.



I prefer to shoot suds through the brushes with the foamgun while they`re in use. This takes advantage of the free-rinsing nature of the brushes.



With the foamgun or *especially* without it, you need to dunk the BHB in a rinse bucket and agitate the bristles so they release any dirt. Before I started using the foamgun, I`d do this numerous times per panel- it was a very slow and laborious process but it kept the marring down.



If one gets really dirty I`ll use the hose to spray the dirt out of it, this works well if you don`t drop the brush ;) But then I still dunk it in the rinse bucket.



The big problem with BHBs IMO is that it`s just *so* tempting to do a large area with them. That`s very quick and easy, quite efficient. But it also leads to marring as the dirt you pick up from the first inch gets dragged across the next 13 or whatever inches of paint. That and people press so hard that they`re bending the bristles- I barely bend the tips of them. These methods are what usually cause "marring from a BHB".



Test any brush, *wet with wash solution, NOT DRY*, on a CD. It oughta pass same as any other wash media. If it does, then any marring is coming from the dirt, which means from incorrect *use* of the brush. If it doesn`t pass the test, send it back and order a different one- not all brushes are created equal.



Again- the only method I truly advocate is to shoot suds through the bristles with the foamgun and merely "jiggle" the brush. And I still rinse it frequently and then dunk it in wash solution before shooting more suds through it.



Of course, such a gentle wash technique will only work if a) you have a healthy and slick LSP on there and b) you don`t let things get too awful between washes (though I`ve done well with some pretty nasty winter cleanups).