Wash mitt care / cleaning

A

Astouffer512

Member
How often do most wash their wash mitts? After every wash, or is rinsing the dirt out and letting them air dry ok for a few washes?


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Astouffer512- With the caveat that my Wash Technique is, uhm...kinda unique...I hardly *ever* wash mine unless they fall on the floor or otherwise give me the impression that they might be contaminated.

BUT hey, by the time I switch to mitts most people would say I`ve already cleaned everything with the preceding steps. So it`s not like there`s any "big stuff" there to get stuck in the mitts.

(Veering off-topic: if there`s dirt on/in the mitt, then it was almost certainly there while you were moving that mitt across the paint, which was probably done under pressure, which is the cause of wash-induced marring. No, I don`t believe it`s safe to assume that "the dirt gets caught up in, and cushioned by, the nap of the mitt". Sure that works *to some minor extent* but if you can actually *see dirt* on the mitt I wouldn`t want to move that across the paint under pressure.)
 
If you want to know, the only time I machine wash my microfiber wash mitt is after I use it with Optimums No-Rinse (ONR) . The ONR encapsulation properties seem to "hold" in dirt or road film that is seemingly impossible to remove without machine washing. They look "dirty" if I do not do this, so I wash `em.
My suggestion? Machine wash the mitt when you feel it looks really dirty. If you`ve cleaned/washed a vehicle with a lot of road film or dirt (like red clay), you will see it in the mitt, even after rinsing it with a garden hose nozzle with home or municipal water pressure and wringing it out by hand. Here is the cut-n-paste cleaning method I learned from from the thread I started on cleaning microfiber mitts after using ONR. This was AFTER rinsing them out with water pressure as noted above:

1) Pre-soak with Optimum Power Clean ( I used this APC when rinsing the mitt off with garden hose nozzle water pressure)
2) Wash them in the washer
3) Use hot water, but not the sanitize cycle
4) Use Oxy-Clean with your detergent (I am currently using Persil per Accumulator`s suggestion/admonition) WITHOUT fabric softeners or bleach (common sense)
4a) Add the vinegar (one cup or 8 fluid ounces for a medium load) in the washer rinse cycle to act as a softener, which is why someone above suggested doing the optional second rinse cycle.
5) Dry them in the dryer on lower heat WITHOUT dryer sheets (more Common sense)
6) Discard when they look dingy or do not feel soft anymore
 
I also wash my mf wash mitts and mf wash pads after every car wash. Better to be save than sorry. Even if I do a thorough prewash and then use multible wash mitts and mf wash pads so they don`t get into the wash bucket again. There can always be some smaller specks of dirt in them after it`s used and rinsed. Yeah I use a rinse bucket also and it`s just to see how effective the prewash where. Usually the rinse bucket after a wash is very clean. There are from time to time some dirt it has picked up and released in the rinse bucket. And also when the car was very dirty there gets some road film that makes the water in the rinse bucket a little dirty. I just feel more comfortable when I reach for a fresh wash media.

Apex Detailing Channel on Youtube has a great video where he review different kind of wash media. There he shows what the different ones picks up and releasing with a microscope camera. So even when a wash media looks clean with your eyes it can be dirt imbedded in the wash media that you don`t see.

https://youtu.be/Q0pfRZ9mjq8

/ Tony
 
Hi to all, sorry i have been absent on this forum. In my mind it depends how OCD you are with your detailing. I used to wash the whole car with just one bucket and one mitt when i was a teen.. Now its tfr, pre wash foam, post pre wash foam, 3 buckets, 10 wash mitts, bigboy blower, rinse aids and 2 dedicated drying towels. The 2nd bucket is for rinse and 3rd one is for temporary storage before they go into wash (after i have finished the car). The mitts that i have used for top of the car go into a different wash cycle to the mitts that i have used on the bottom part of the car. I have also a dedicated mitts for each part of the car. Lol

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SWETM said:
I also wash my mf wash mitts and mf wash pads after every car wash. Better to be save than sorry. Even if I do a thorough prewash and then use multible wash mitts and mf wash pads so they don`t get into the wash bucket again. There can always be some smaller specks of dirt in them after it`s used and rinsed. Yeah I use a rinse bucket also and it`s just to see how effective the prewash where. Usually the rinse bucket after a wash is very clean. There are from time to time some dirt it has picked up and released in the rinse bucket. And also when the car was very dirty there gets some road film that makes the water in the rinse bucket a little dirty. I just feel more comfortable when I reach for a fresh wash media.

Apex Detailing Channel on Youtube has a great video where he review different kind of wash media. There he shows what the different ones picks up and releasing with a microscope camera. So even when a wash media looks clean with your eyes it can be dirt imbedded in the wash media that you don`t see.

https://youtu.be/Q0pfRZ9mjq8

/ Tony
Click to expand...
Tony

Thanks for sharing that video...I`ve never seen that one from Apex Detail (I enjoy his channel a lot)

I`ve always wondered what the glove mitts could be used for...I guess wheels makes sense.

I was surprised he even presented the cellulose type of sponge actually. I know the majority of people probably still use them, and he did recommend not using them. I would just think most people watching his channel already know not to use them.

So evolving this thread a little further.

There are chenille, microfiber, lambswool, grout sponges, brushes. All these different types of wash media. With your experience have you found a specific type of wash media cleans a part of the vehicle better? Do the different types suit a specific LSP better?

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That video got me to now switch from sheepskin to MF mitts. I will no longer buy sheepskins and when I need more mitts I’ll buy MF. The video shows how MFs clean better. It’s going to be quite a while before I get rid of my sheepskins though; I have a stockade of them.
 
Mf Mixed long/short + different thickness strands are in my mind the best wash medium at present. However it really depends on what part of the car you are washing, how dirty it is and the amount of pressure you put on it. I have about 20 different wash media (not counting multiples of exact product). For front bumper and front assembly i tend to use Chenille or noodle type mitt or a pad. For lower parts of the car i use the cheap chinese fake wool mitts at under $2 usd they are surprisingly soft and let out dirt very well when rinsed. I reserve the most aggressive pads for glass and the rest is done with MF mix pile pads. For me the key is pre contact prep, this way contact wash can be done with any mf medium and by adjusting the hand pressure to suit.

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I just bought 6 Short MF mitts to use on top half of vehichle and use MF “noodle” for lower. I think the shrocMF actually wash better but use the noodle ones in hopes the “tuck in” larger particles that may be around after foam cannon and PW rinse.


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Astouffer512 said:
Tony

Thanks for sharing that video...I`ve never seen that one from Apex Detail (I enjoy his channel a lot)

I`ve always wondered what the glove mitts could be used for...I guess wheels makes sense.

I was surprised he even presented the cellulose type of sponge actually. I know the majority of people probably still use them, and he did recommend not using them. I would just think most people watching his channel already know not to use them.

So evolving this thread a little further.

There are chenille, microfiber, lambswool, grout sponges, brushes. All these different types of wash media. With your experience have you found a specific type of wash media cleans a part of the vehicle better? Do the different types suit a specific LSP better?

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Click to expand...

I started with the generic chenille wash mitts and they works good. The downside is that they get heavy and you have less control IME. I have used quality foam sponges also as they for some reason is popular here in Sweden LOL. The benefit with these is when you wash a very neglected paint first with something else. But then do a chemical decon steps with first a tar remover and then an iron remover. If the tar and tree sap is hard bonded to the paint and the same with iron particals. I use the foam sponges when the chemicals has almost dwelled enough to work it in and get a higher effectiveness from them.

Here is the kind of shape and foam sponge that I can use in the decon steps when it needs aggitations.

https://www.autopia-carcare.com/optimum-waffle-pad-blue.html

When it comes to the washing I do that with multible mf wash mitts and mf wash pads. I like to use the ones with different length and colors on the mf. Like the Gyeon Smoothie Wash Mitt. Autogeek has a generic one which is called X-tra Fluff Wash Mitt and comes in blue and orange. For some reason I and another member has noticed that the blue one is a notch thicker than the orange one. This is often those that gets rebranded or is the mf material it is manufactured with. Microfiber Madness has these in another kind of material which for me works great. But there is one member here on Autopia that has had problems with that they marr the paint. I have not experienced this and have looked very closely with an inspection light if they have done so. Have 2 of this in mf wash pads that circle through these mf wash mitts and mf wash pads I have. And I did not notice any wash or drying indused swirls and scratches after 2 1/2 years before I polished my car a couple of weeks ago. That also with not useing any drying aid when I dry with my drying towels. Where the most is behind this for me is in the prewash foam and PW clean rinsing it off. The paint is very clean before I touch wash it. I always use a prewash foam or pretreatment to aid when I use the water pressure from the PW to clean with more effective. And is thorough to clean with the PW in the nooks and crannies and the seals and jambs to flush any dirt out of their. Which I think is where you often picks up something in the wash media that you can get wash indused swirls and scratches from.

https://www.autopia-carcare.com/gyeon-smoothie-wash-mitt.html

The benefit with these kind of mf wash mitts and mf wash pads is that I do less passes when I wash with them. Often useing Carpro Reset car soap or Tac System Mystic Bubble or Angelwax Enigma Ceramic Infused Car Soap. A great lubrication and cleaning ability from the car soap is important for me. Usually I do 2 passes per sections of the paint I wash. If I would see any dirt left from this which is very uncommon I let it be until I`m finished with the panel/ panels. Then come back and 1 pass is often fixing it. No pressure on the wash media and just so you don`t drop it on the vertical panels. I start on the hood and then the windshield. Take a fresh wash media and the hood and front in that order. Then another fresh wash media and the side panel and finish with the side windows and fresh wash media on both sides. The back of the car and the back window. And finishes with going around on the rocker panels and the lower back and lower front of the car. Basicly the lower edges and switch to a fresh wash media when needed depending on the dirt it picks up. Also half through I flip the mitt or pad. Kind of like the pads more but on the lowest parts it`s nice to have a mitt for more control. Carpro Mf Wash Mitt is great for the lower parts.

https://www.autopia-carcare.com/cobra-orange-microfiber-wash-mitt.html

https://www.autogeek.net/xtrafluff-blue-wash-mitt.html

https://www.autopia-carcare.com/carpro-hand-wash-mitt.html

If I where to be haveing a really soft paint and finicky I would get Carpro Wool Wash Mitt. Think that the wool is a notch safer on the extreme soft paints.

https://www.autopia-carcare.com/cp-45.html

The Rag Company Cyclone XL Mf Wash Pad looks like one of the best if going by the softness and thickness and how much wash solution it holds. If I where able to buy those in Sweden I would do so. Especially on the horizontall panels it looks amazing to use it on. Maybe gets a little to heavy on the vertical panels.

The quality chenille ones that Autopia and Autogeek or the one Brian on Apex Detailing Channel tested. I would not be affraid to use if you where to like those kinds better. Have been dead set on the Mf Wash Mitt and Mf Wash Pad the more I have used them and they are very durable and washes out very clean with no stains or anything which I could get on the chenille ones when used on the lower parts I did for some time. The synthetic Wool Pads PoweredByJenga mentions I have also used on the lower parts and they work great for that. Have had them stained though and since testing out more of the mf wash mitt and mf wash pads I have well let just say enough of them to use them on the lower parts too LOL
 
[INSERT usual rant about how much I *HATE* "noodle/Mupper/dreadlock" MFs!!! Full-on, unadulterated HATRED here, folks. IMO more/finer/thinner strands are better than fewer/larger/thicker ones for everything Detailing related and for most other applications too. Analogy: would you prefer a toothbrush with 24 thick bristles or one with 240 thin ones? Anyhow...]

FWIW, and noting that they probably aren`t all the same, *EVERY* "synthetic wool" mitt I`ve ever had failed the CD-test and would mar paint. None of those touch any of my paint with the possible exception of the underneath-car areas (I`d sure never use them in the wheelwells).

I only use MF mitts on surfaces that are basically already clean. IME they tend to retain certain kinds of contamination, specifically the kind that will readily mar paint. I agree that those should be washed *every* time.

It still gives me pause that people here are actually *getting their mitts dirty*...like "dirt in the Rinse Bucket"-dirty. I couldn`t wash marring-free that way and goodness knows I tried...for decades. These days I`d be simply mortified if I found significant dirt in my Rinse Buckets, it`d indicate I did something very wrong.
 
Something tells me I’m going to have to build another closet in my house just for all the mitts I’m going to have to buy!
 
SWETM that is an epic post.. Lots of good info for both newbies and enthusiasts. Thanks for spending time to post... Cheers

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That was a great post

Got me thinking more, which is why I asked the question

So I currently have 1 Megs microfiber Mitt

3 chenille mitts

2 lake country blue grout sponges

I`d like to pick up something just for wheels and tires, and decide on something for lower body panels. Thinking I`d like to pick up a microfiber pad or Mitt (or 2) for upper body

What, if anything, works best for glass?

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Auto fiber has some MF finger mitts I use with boars hair detail brush and wheel woolies to clean wheels

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Astouffer512 said:
That was a great post

Got me thinking more, which is why I asked the question

So I currently have 1 Megs microfiber Mitt

3 chenille mitts

2 lake country blue grout sponges

I`d like to pick up something just for wheels and tires, and decide on something for lower body panels. Thinking I`d like to pick up a microfiber pad or Mitt (or 2) for upper body

What, if anything, works best for glass?

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Click to expand...

You could downgrade the Megs wash mitt to wheel cleaning. Have not used it myself but have had it in my hand. And it feels flexible so you reach around the spokes I think. I use a brand called Vikan and their brushes for wheels and wheel wells. Different ones for each the rim and the tire and wheel wells and wheel barrels and usually don`t need it in the lugg nuts as they have long bristles. Know I have already invested in the Vikans but today I where very close to get the Wheel Woolies BHB to use on the rims as I have heard great things about it from many. Then I have a Tuf Shine Tire Brush which is awesome to use when you are going to be reapply your tire shine or coating. To get the tires really clean it`s one of if not the best tire brush for this except if you use a cordless drill attachement brush to do this. But if you have a tire dressing or coating that survives a wash the Tuf Shine Brush is too aggressive to cleaning on this and also their Tire Cleaner is just recommended when you prep for their tire coating and not when you maintain it. Actually when I have the Tac System Tire Coat and maintain it the prewash foam and PW clean rinsing it off is enough for me to clean the tires. Then I use the Sonax Wheel Cleaner Plus to do the maintance of the rims. Every 2-3 wash I use a brush otherwise it`s touchless. You have got the new version of Sonax Wheel Cleaner Plus which here in Sweden is called Max Effect. The strength in the iron remover has upped a lot in this new version for you and can recommend it if you want to do touchless wheel cleaning. So a soft brush for maintance washes or a mf towel or a dedicated wash mitt. The reason I use different kind of equipment on the wheels is that it`s different kind of dirt on the rims and the tires and don`t want any cross contamintation. Remember it`s a personal preference and not a bible on how to do it LOL.

The X-traFluff Wash Mitt I think works great for me on the glass. And I have not seen any extra wear on them that you can get with the chenille ones and they starts to lint. Also to get the glass more gentle on the wash media. I use a SiO2 based product on the side windows and dedicated on the windshield and the back window as it has a wiper there. This makes the glass way less grabby and mf material it`s usually very aggressive on to pull the strands out. If I where not to have a glass sealant of some kind I would skip the contact wash on them. And use dedicated glass mf towels and glass cleaner after the wash.

I would get 2-3 mf wash pads or wash mitts. So you have enough of them if you plan on not reload them with car soap solution. And you can use the chenille mitts on the side panels and on the lower parts. This is if it where me. As accumulator use to write it`s easy to spend others money LOL. And don`t forget to have a very good car soap as that does a lot with the aid to clean the vehical. Also that it has great lubrication from it so it almost feels like your wash media glides over the car soap solution than on the paint. If you have a coating or a long lasting SiO2 based sealant. Get you a small bottle of Carpro Reset car soap and I promise you will not look back for another one. Dilute it thoroughly and if something weaker than the recommended 1:500 and it`s amazing car soap.
 
Heh heh, I bet you guys who`re using MF on wheels are working on vehicles that are cleaner than mine! And no matter what, I *always* have to do a final follow-up with swabs. No matter how meticulous I am, I`ve never gone around all the lugs/valvestems/etc. with swabs without getting *some* additional dirt off.

SWETM brought up a great point with his "..[oughta feel like]..your wash media glides over the car soap solution..[rather than].. than on the paint." That`s how it should be, gotta avoid "scrubbing". Assume the dirt is abrasive; it must not be moved across the paint under pressure...it`s like when dirt gets in your eye (I often compare autopaint to the surface of an eyeball...assume it`s just as sensitive).

Some sorta-random thoughts follow:

[Regulars here know that I never move Wash Media across my paint without spraying foamgun output at the point of Wash Medium-to-paint contact. That`s the only way I can wash marring-free.]

- As noted, separate wash media for wheels. I go so far as separate wash/rinse buckets (and redundant systems- one on each side of washbay)
- I use the same shampoo dilution for wheels/wells/undercarriage as I use in the foamguns (~7 oz. shampoo + ~121 oz. water = gallon of concentrate)
- I like cotton for glass as it`s more aggressive, but I get the "big stuff" off with BHBs and the wash mitts first
- I *always* fill my Wash Mitts with shampoo solution even though I`m always spraying foamgun output at the point of mitt-to-paint contact. I hold them shut at the cuff *NEVER* wearing them like a glove and gently whisk them across the panel, rinsing/refilling them as needed
- I`m just as careful with the lower portions as I am with the hood, which means I usually have to go over those many times to get them truly clean
- Good shampoos don`t have much (if any) negative affect on LSPs and good LSPs are resistant to shampoos and shed dirt readily
- IMO you oughta have spares/backups for all Wash Media, just because [things] happen
- If/when I find TAR/etc. I just leave it alone and deal with it later, gotta resist the temptation to scrub with the wash medium let alone pick at it with a fingernail

And, critically...

- NEVER move the Wash Medium across the panel in long, continuous, sweeping motions! When (not "if") you do get a speck of abrasive dirt caught between the medium and the paint and it causes some marring, you want those scratches to be short little things, NOT some long scratch that`s oh-so-obvious. And straight scratches are less obvious than circular ones because of the more limited optimal viewing angle (every flaws has one of those and you want to minimize it so it`s not obvious from *every* viewing angle the way a 360° scratch is).
 
I don’t think enough people are trying the shooting the foam gun spray continuously over the paint while washing thing. I did and it forever changed my way of washing. I think if folks would try it, it would change them too.
 
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