Your wash sponge/mitt/pad

[ShawnF350]

I`m going to put in an order today for new wash media.
I currently use GG microfiber pads.
Wanting some suggestions on something different to try.. I`m not a mitt user.
Should I get a boars hair brush too?

[MiVor]

I suppose if you have money to burn a ($80 - $125) boars hair brush would be fine. In spite of some others opinions, I`m using a micro fiber dreadlock mit on a stick when I do 2 bucket wet washes and it works just fine for me. But I pressure wash (rinse) first and often lace my inexpensive wash soap with some Optimum No Rinse for extry slickness. I think if/when you hose the real grit off first, use a good slick wash soap, and don`t use your mit/brush like a sanding block the dirt comes off without grinding the paint.

[WaxAddict]

I suppose if you have money to burn a ($80 - $125) boars hair brush would be fine. In spite of some others opinions, I`m using a micro fiber dreadlock mit on a stick when I do 2 bucket wet washes and it works just fine for me. But I pressure wash (rinse) first and often lace my inexpensive wash soap with some Optimum No Rinse for extry slickness. I think if/when you hose the real grit off first, use a good slick wash soap, and don`t use your mit/brush like a sanding block the dirt comes off without grinding the paint.

I don`t think $80 to $125 spent on something that lasts years and that you enjoy is "money to burn" category. I`d by one in a heartbeat, but after learning Accumulator uses one, I`m dead set against it.

That being said, I use the $6 mitts too.

[Accumulator]

I don`t think $80 to $125 spent on something that lasts years and that you enjoy is "money to burn" category. I`d by one in a heartbeat, but after learning Accumulator uses one, I`m dead set against it.

Heh heh, that`s good.

Regarding the price (and yeah, they do last for many years IME), everybody`s gonna have their own threshold of significance. I know plenty of people who think that spending any money/time on detailing is a matter of having it to burn!

Repeating for emphasis- Note that used properly, a BHB is so gentle that it probably won`t get all the dirt off. Used improperly it can result in marring (from the dirt, not the BHB itself).

ShawnF350- Why not a mitt user? I never wear them like gloves, but I think they work well if filled with shampoo solution and gently whisked across the panels.

[ShawnF350]

Heh heh, that`s good.

Regarding the price (and yeah, they do last for many years IME), everybody`s gonna have their own threshold of significance. I know plenty of people who think that spending any money/time on detailing is a matter of having it to burn!

Repeating for emphasis- Note that used properly, a BHB is so gentle that it probably won`t get all the dirt off. Used improperly it can result in marring (from the dirt, not the BHB itself).

ShawnF350- Why not a mitt user? I never wear them like gloves, but I think they work well if filled with shampoo solution and gently whisked across the panels.

Ok..I`ll rephrase that..not a mitt wearer. I guess I can use one if it`s not hard to hold onto

[Accumulator]

Ok..I`ll rephrase that..not a mitt wearer. I guess I can use one if it`s not hard to hold onto

Glad you`re not wearing it like a glove, I can`t help but think that approach would lend itself to a too-hard contact with the paint. Plus, I`d rather have it full of shampoo (which seeps out of the mitt pretty gradually, giving some flushing in the absence of a foamgun).

What I do is fold the elastic cuff down inside it, dunk it in the shampoo bucket to fill it with shampoo solution, hold the cuff shut and hold onto that as I whisk it across the panel.

[MiVor]

Glad you`re not wearing it like a glove, I can`t help but think that approach would lend itself to a too-hard contact with the paint. Plus, I`d rather have it full of shampoo (which seeps out of the mitt pretty gradually, giving some flushing in the absence of a foamgun).

What I do is fold the elastic cuff down inside it, dunk it in the shampoo bucket to fill it with shampoo solution, hold the cuff shut and hold onto that as I whisk it across the panel.

Uhm, in another thread you said you used a boars hair brush and would never use a mit???

[JSFM35X]

I own lambs wools mitts, dreadlocks style mf mitts and boars hair brushes.

I use the bhb on the roof of my SUV, smaller bhb around emblems and on wheels.

For paint I prefer the lambs wool mitts it the car is in good shape with LSP. If not I use the dreadlock mitts. I usually use the lambs wool for the top 3/4 and a Mf for the lowest 1/4.

I have not found the mf or bhb to be any less safer than the lambswool in terms of inflicting wash induced marring. The process you use it ultimately the most important factor in maintaining a swirl free finish. That an a durable LSP.

[LostHighway]

I use thumbless MF mitts or pads 95% of the time now, predominantly the rasta/noodle/chenille-style but the Meguiar`s-style seems to work fine too. I usually use them as pads with the cuff, if there is one, tucked inside but occasionally the greater control of having your hand in the mitt comes in handy. For me the biggest virtue of the MF mitts/pads is that they are relatively cheap and easy to care for so switching to a fresh mitt (I use two to four per vehicle for paint and a separate pad for wheels) doesn`t require a cost:benefit calculation.

I do like some wool mitts/pads for the softest of paints: the Dooka Pad, the CarPro mitt and the DodoJuice Supernatural Short Hair mitt. I see no upside to something like the Wookie`s Fist or other extremely long haired mitts/pads and the care required is ridiculous.

I tried both the grout sponges and the big blue Lake Country sponge for both regular and rinseless washes and hated them - too prone to hold pollen, dirt and grit right on the contact surface IMO.

I haven`t tried a BHB, the buy-in is expensive and I seem to recall a several posts about QC issues and having to inspect and return multiple examples to get a good one. Life is too short.

[Rick72]

Incredimitt for horizontal surfaces and Megs Microfiber wash mitt for lower panels. My goal is one mitt per panel.

[Accumulator]

..I have not found the mf or bhb to be any less safer than the lambswool in terms of inflicting wash induced marring. The process you use it ultimately the most important factor in maintaining a swirl free finish....

Good point! You can mar paint up with any (in-and-of itself safe) wash media. Once you get past the basic "will this mar my paint by itself?" test (i.e., the CD-Test), then it`s all about how you use it.

..That an a durable LSP.

Well, I`d say "and a LSP that releases dirt readily" instead. The UPP I use on the S8 isn`t the least bit durable (I redo it after almost every wash) but it sheds dirt so readily that it`s easy to wash that car marring-free.

I haven`t tried a BHB, the buy-in is expensive and I seem to recall a several posts about QC issues and having to inspect and return multiple examples to get a good one. Life is too short.

Yes indeed, there are plenty of [crappy] BHBs on the market. If you do decide to splurge and get a BHB, the "Blonde" one from Universal Brush is great as is their other, "regular" one that AutoGeek sells under the "Montana" name. Both are good-to-go.

Heh heh, "Life *IS* too short"...to correct wash-induced marring