Q: Caring for detailing tools

[cshorey]

Hello all,



Please bare with me as I have lots of questions as I am still learning (been on the forums reading for a few months now and after hours and hours of researching I still have questions. I will try not to pound you all at once and ask my questions over time)



So I have seen a lot of threads on cleaning and caring for pads, I haven`t used my PC yet, but figured when I do this weekend I am covered on caring for my pads. My question is related to all my other detailing tools. How should I clean and care for my brushes, mitts and towels. What are the do`s and don`ts after using them.



I have been slowly amassing a large collection of stuff and just finished my first big orders or real detailing products. Otherwise I owned a lot of stuff as I have been washing and waxing my car for years and well bough all megs. So this means I have almost all the megs brushes, towels and mitts sold over the last few years. So what should I do to care for these items and keep them clean so they last and won`t become damaging to my future detailing efforts.



Also any suggestions on a good wheel detailing brush. I like the Megs wheel face brush a lot for doing the surface, but I can`t get behind the spokes (so I have these break dust shadows behind each spoke). The only megs brush I never got was their wheel spoke brush (I haven`t seen it in a long time (not even sure if its a good brush or not anyway), so anyone have an alternative suggestion)



thanks,

chris



PS - I don`t use a brush on my paint (I don`t trust any yet, too concerned with scratching)

[cshorey]

No one cleans or cares for there stuff? I find that hard to believe. Ok lets simplify the questions:



Q1: How and what do you do to wash your towels (if you do different things for different kinds please specify)?



Q2: How and what do you do to clean your brushes (ie wheel brush) after using them?



Q3: How and what do you do to clean your mitts and sponges after using them?



thanks,

chris

[qballjr13]

For the most part I think a lot of guys use just woollite to wash their pads and towels. Some will put a little vinegar into the rinse cycle to help fluff microfiber towels too.



EDITED

[mikebai1990]

qballjr13, it`s actually been a day and 4 minutes.



cshorey, I use Woolite and water to wash my towels. I generally separate grunge towels from my wax/polish removal towels.



I clean my brushes by just rinsing with water.



With mitts and sponges, I also rinse with water because all there is in there is dirt that is rinsed out easily.

[qballjr13]

I applogize for that...I will self edit

[Eliot Ness]

......Q1: How and what do you do to wash your towels (if you do different things for different kinds please specify)?



Q2: How and what do you do to clean your brushes (ie wheel brush) after using them?



Q3: How and what do you do to clean your mitts and sponges after using them?.....1. (Good MF towels used for paint): wash with warm water using Micro-Restore (http://www.properautocare.com/miremicl.html) detergent, double rinse with vinegar (~1/2 cup) in first rinse. (Grungy MF towels used on wheels, door jambs, etc.): same as above but with hot water and some APC (all purpose cleaner) added if needed.



2. I clean brushes with the left over car wash soap, Dawn (http://www.dawn-dish.com/sites/en_US/dawn/ultra_liquid.shtml), or Dawn Power Dissolver (http://www.dawn-dish.com/sites/en_US/dawn/dissolver.shtml) depending on how dirty they are.



3. Same as above. My good mitts usually only require a dip or two in the wash bucket and then a good rinse, wring out the excess water, and hang up to dry.

[3puttjay]

I usually toss all the mf`s and wash mitts in the wash machine. I use very hot water and a little detergent with a vinegar final rinse. It all seems to come out okay. Anything particularly dirty, I soak in dishwashing liquid and hand wash before tossing with the other stuff in the washing machine. I air dry everything overnight and it has worked out for me.

[BlackElantraGT]

1) I wash my mf towels in hot using a perfume and bleach-free liquid detergent. After the load is finished, I put it through another wash, except I only add vinegar. Then I dry on the lowest heat setting above from fluff/air only.



2) Wheel and tire brushes will stay permanently stained. I wouldn`t bother trying to get them fully cleaned. I give them a good blast/rinse with my pressure washer.



3) My mitts are microfiber so I throw them in with my mf towels. Lately, I`ve just been using either a sea sponge or a grout sponge. The nice part about sponges is that they easily rinse clean by rubbing against the grit guard. And you can keep reusing them over and over, whereas with mitts I always had to put the dirty one in the wash bin, and get another one if I was washing a 2nd car.

[cshorey]

Thanks everyone. Got all my stuff (new and old) washed this weekend. I am currently doing the following:



Wash with Woollite then re-wash with vinegar and dry on lowest heat/delicate cycle. Everything appeared to come out clean and nice and I got them dirty again :)



chris