Best mitt to prevent marring? Sheepskin isn't it.

I don't think it's coming from the absorber I use, since I never drag it. I'll lightly blot and rinse it out very often. Next I'm going to look at a foam gun. I think that will greatly reduce marring. The lambswool mitt I have now is sort of thin, so I'll look to see if I can find something thicker.
 
a.k.a. Patrick said:
Its really personal preference folks. Ive been using the Sheepskin for years now, and you would really have to twist my arms to get me to try/use something else. Spoiled is a good friend of mine, we talk rather frequently, and I trust his judgement with the GS, but I dont think I will go anywhere near it, lol.
Click to expand...



And the beauty of that is I don't care what you prefer and use. We often see things different and that's a good thing. I can see that what you do is working and at the same time I see that what I do is working. We can be friends and live on just like that.:D
 
Redline:



Other things to consider that might be causing the marring:



Are you using the two bucket method with grit guard(s)? The benefit of using a sheepskin (or any wash medium) is sharply reduced if steps aren't taken to get the grit out of it and keep grit from getting back in.



What wash soap are you using? These vary greatly in quality from awful to excellent - if you are not using a soap that provides excellent lubrication that could be causing your marring right there.



Are you lightly gliding the wash mitt over the paint? If you are scrubbing with a fair amount of pressure on the mitt that could causing marring regardless of what kind of mitt/brush you are using.



Are you using a high quality drying towel(s)? A lot of people make the mistake of skimping on the drying towels they use. IMO it's worth investing in some really soft waffle weave MF towels if you are concerned about marring issues (which apparently you are).



Are you dragging your drying towel/absorber across the paint? "Blotting" the paint dry with a waffle weave MF towel is less likely to cause marring than dragging a drying towel across the paint. Any time you drag something across the paint you are risking marring because if there is any loose grit left on the paint at all you will be pulling it across the surface with the towel. Conversely, if you just blot dry, you are taking an extra step to help remove any grit you may have missed before proceeding to claying/polishing/sealing the paint.
 
I use sheepskin on the Porsche, however, I also use the MF "dread locks" type on lower panels only AND with a different bucket as well. The sheepskin is for top, fender, door etc. The MF is for lower rocker panel area, lower valance etc.



Porsche black is super soft so you really have to rinse often. I rinse with forced water on the mitts after dunking them to loosen any debris in my rinse bucket. If I didn't do this, I found light marring one day due to a small piece of dirt embedded into the mitt. :wall :mad:



I gotta get that black sheepskin mitt to match the car.:grinno:



Foam guns or basooka foam is really a good way to flush dirt off first. It's closer to tunnel washing as they used high pressure foam and water to blast off dirt. Some tunnel washes lay heavy foam down in a thick blanket effect, then it passes the high pressure wash area and any physical mops as well. The closer you can get to tunnel washing w/o the physical "touching" the better in release of dirt.



I also find that even after light washing, I have to use an ultra-fine clay to remove debris that did not get taken off by wash. I'd rather clay than risk scratching due to something getting into the mitts.



Also, sheepskin quality varies from mfg to mfg. Some are super soft and thick, others are thinner and a bit more harsh. Some almost resemble a wool cut pad. Stay away from those!! Wool is too stiff for washing. The longer the wool, the better. If it gets matted, brush it out (if you have dogs, a slicker brush works well, then comb it) but if it doesn't get unmatted, toss it, get a new one.



Regards,

Deanski
 
I have used sheepskin, microfiber mitts, microfiber muppet head/dread lock, sea sponges, and grout sponges.



My preference is the grout sponge. I like sheepskin, but they shed too much for me, and not as durable as I'd like them to be. I also liked sea sponges, but they're too expensive, not as durable as grout sponges, and they're just way too gentle to clean anything other than light dust.



I find that sponges release grit the best. If you have a mf mitt, it won't come off completely clean no matter how hard you scrub against the grit guard. A sponge on the other hand will for the most part, rinse completely clean. One of the dirtiest area is when you wipe your wiper blade. Do one blade with your mf mitt, and the other with your sponge. Then go rinse it off and tell me which rinses cleaner.
 
And I was just about to pick up some more plain old sponges for my wheels, I think I'll give these 'grout' ones a try for the wheels and paint.



Is this the grout sponge you are getting at Home Depot? Only reason I ask, is this being Canada we usually get lower quality versions of U.S. store products.
 
And I was just about to pick up some more plain old sponges for my wheels, I think I'll give these 'grout' ones a try for the wheels and paint.



Is this the grout sponge you are getting at Home Depot? Only reason I ask, is this being Canada we usually get lower quality versions of U.S. store products.
 
JustA5.0 said:
And I was just about to pick up some more plain old sponges for my wheels, I think I'll give these 'grout' ones a try for the wheels and paint.



Is this the grout sponge you are getting at Home Depot? Only reason I ask, is this being Canada we usually get lower quality versions of U.S. store products.
Click to expand...



That appears to look like it! But for 2.99???



I'll be honest that Grout Sponge, you'll only need one and it'll last you forever! It's so cheap I just want to buy a dozen to keep around :)
 
....and I've found myself doing just that.:o It just seems that whenever I truly like something it gets discontinued.:(
 
Deanski said:
I also use the MF "dread locks" type
Click to expand...



:funnypost



Best way to describe a detail accessory ever! I just saw those mitts for the first time yesterday at WM and this was the exact thought that came to my head. Funny looking sponges!



BTW, has anyone used the Grout sponge with ONR?
 
ManiZ said:
BTW, has anyone used the Grout sponge with ONR?
Click to expand...



That's what I prefer to use if and when I do an ONR wash. Doesn't seem to induce any more marring than normal, but then again I don't do ONR washes all that often. SpoiledMan does though so if he had an issue with them, I'm sure he would have switched long ago.



I *especially* prefer sponges for ONR washes because it rinses clean. ONR washes makes my mf mitts and towels grungy-looking, even after washing them well in a washing machine. On occasions I will still use my mf mitts for traditional washes, but I'm sticking with either the grout sponge or the sea sponge for ONR.
 
I buy the single sponges for ONR washes and the bulk packages (6 and a bit more stiff) for traditional washes. Yes I'm addicted.....:D
 
'I saw a sponge at walmart it was made by \"armaly\" and its called the \"car, boat\'n truck sponge\" it sways its made out of polyester and looks almost like that grout sponge posted above. Here is a pic, It feels like really thick and firm spongecake. \r\n\r\n
cons_arm_cbt_spg.png
\r\n\r\nhttp://www.armalybrands.com/images/cons_arm_cbt_spg.png'
 
SpoiledMan said:
I buy the single sponges for ONR washes and the bulk packages (6 and a bit more stiff) for traditional washes. Yes I'm addicted.....:D
Click to expand...



So, you use the grout sponges for ONR as well? I think I might get some to try with ONR, and ya never know, I might retire the LC mitt for regular washing as well
 
optimusp517 said:
That appears to look like it! But for 2.99???



I'll be honest that Grout Sponge, you'll only need one and it'll last you forever! It's so cheap I just want to buy a dozen to keep around :)
Click to expand...

Yup our dollars may be equal on the currency market, but most everything continues to cost 40-50% more than the states. Heck cheapest I found the eurow mitt up here is $10, what are they $4 bucks at U.S. Wal-Marts?

I'll prolly pick up three of em to start/test, one for top half, bottom third, and wheels.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top