Safest wash mitt to use on paint

M

maxima2k2

New member
What is the safest kind of wash mitt to use on car paint and won't scratch? At a local automotive store, they carry chenelle (sp) mitts. Are those any good? What are the main differences between cotton, microfiber, and chenelle? There are also blue and yellow microfiber towels and applicator pads, are there any differences between the two colors?
 
I second the Euro sheepskin mitts...very nice.



I would guess that the different colored pads/towels will have different descriptions on the packaging, but I would avoid WalMart MF towels for the most part. If you want good MF products, look to an online vendor that is mentioned on this site. Buy the right stuff the first time. I have shopped around and still prefer the service and quality that Patrick provides at Welcome to Exceldetail.com! I only use WalMart MF towels for grunge work like engine bay cleaning and such.
 
i've been using these SM Arnold mitts for years, and haven't had any problems with them. also, i love that they are thumbless! :up



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I don't know what's the safest, but I do know the microfiber washmitt I now use hasn't let me down yet.
 
IMO it's usually not the wash media that cause the scratches, but I'd CD-test it first (use proper testing procedures for wash media...wet with wash solution, appropriate pressure, etc.).



Then the potential problem is the dirt getting a) stuck in the mitt and/or b) getting pressed against the paint and then moved.



[insert Accumulator's usual foamgun/BHB/etc. lecture here...]
 
Accumulator said:
[insert Accumulator's usual foamgun/BHB/etc. lecture here...]
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LOL. Those BHB's are super expensive. I would've never thought of using a brush on paint, but I hear those BHB's have enough scrubbing power to remove bird bombs, etc, yet gentle enough to no scratch the paint or even remove the wax/sealant on the vehicle.
 
rkf76 said:
LOL. Those BHB's are super expensive. I would've never thought of using a brush on paint, but I hear those BHB's have enough scrubbing power to remove bird bombs, etc, yet gentle enough to no scratch the paint or even remove the wax/sealant on the vehicle.
Click to expand...



Regarding the cost, some BHBs wear like iron. I still use one I bought in the 1980s! You need to keep an eye on the tips of the bristles (the split ends, AKA "flagged tips", wear down) but that takes a while and they don't instantly turn into scratch machines the way synthetic bristles do when that happens. Same old story- CD-test your wash/dry media both before use and at regular intervals.



Regarding how well they work, I'd advise to beware of marketing hype, even when it's about stuff that I like ;)



If you "scrub" with them you'll mess up your paint same as with a mitt. The best features of the BHBs (and the primary reasons why I recommend them) are:



-Free rinsing nature: Used with a foamgun the dirt gets flushed away so it doesn't have a chance to mar the paint. The basic idea is "dislodge and flush" as opposed to "scrub".

-Ease on controlling pressure on the paint: With a little practice, you can easily use the BHB more gently than a mitt, you just *barely* touch the paint, not enough to really bend the bristles. Only the tips of the bristles touch the paint (where they dislodge the dirt). That's harder to do with a mitt and more pressure = greater chance of marring.



It's not like I don't like/use mitts; I use them for a light follow-up after using the BHB to get the worst stuff off, which I consider to be the most likely to mar the paint. If there's something *really* worrisome on there, I use a siphon-feed sprayer that hooks up to my airhose (sorta a low-power pressure washer) to get it off before using the BHB/foamgun.



Note that no wash media oughta disturb the wax/sealant. The *shampoo* might compromise it, but not the mitt/BHB/whatever. You *never* want that degree of scrubbing action going on IMO. If something doesn't come off with very gentle wash techniques I use Sonus green Ultra-Fine clay to remove it (and I do that *very* carefully).
 
Being a new guy around here, I"m assuming that the "CD test" is something akin to grabbing a CD, and rubbing your *insert car care product here* on it to see if it scratches the CD?



Any tips on where to buy/good brand of BHB's?
 
Yup just brush your mitt over the surface of the cd and see if you get any marring.

I have Schmitt,Lambs wool pad and BHB. I still need to master BHB thou.
 
Neothin said:
do you have those kinds of posts saved on your computer somewhere? :P
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Heh heh, I wish ;) More like I have them stored on my mental hard drive. Note that I have been typing "[insert usual foamgun/bhb lecture here]" pretty often...but I guess I was in the mood to type about 'em this morning.



superbee364 said:
Being a new guy around here, I"m assuming that the "CD test" is something akin to grabbing a CD, and rubbing your *insert car care product here* on it to see if it scratches the CD?



Any tips on where to buy/good brand of BHB's?
Click to expand...



The ones from Griot's (insepect for ahesive residue on bristles!) and the regular ones from AutoGeek are what I'm using. Others that are 100% boar's hair oughta be OK but I'd avoid the "funny shaped" ones...basic is good in this case.



The CD-test for wash media needs to simulate wash conditions: soak the BHB/mitt/whatever in wash solution; have the CD wet; apply whatever pressure you use when washing. Heh heh, a dry BHB/sheepskin mitt will mar up a CD something awful.



Looking up on of my old posts on how to use the BHB in conjunction with a foamgun might be worth the hassle. It took me quite a while to get the technique a) figured out, and b) well-practiced to the point of relative mastery...it's not the easiest thing in the world but IMO it beats polishing out marring.
 
Thanks, Accumulator : )



I've been searching through your old posts for your "usual foamun/bhb lecture", and still haven't found it... The search continues.... : )
 
SuperBee364 said:
I've been searching through your old posts for your "usual foamun/bhb lecture", and still haven't found it... The search continues.... : )
Click to expand...



There's a thread in the Hall of Fame forum titled "Accumulator's Non-marring Wash Technique". Said technique has evolved, so the first post might not be too relevent, but IIRC I did mention the BHBs towards the end of the thread. Some day I need to revisit that thread and update it again...
 
Accumulator said:
Regarding the cost, some BHBs wear like iron. I still use one I bought in the 1980s! You need to keep an eye on the tips of the bristles (the split ends, AKA "flagged tips", wear down) but that takes a while and they don't instantly turn into scratch machines the way synthetic bristles do when that happens. Same old story- CD-test your wash/dry media both before use and at regular intervals.



Regarding how well they work, I'd advise to beware of marketing hype, even when it's about stuff that I like ;)



If you "scrub" with them you'll mess up your paint same as with a mitt. The best features of the BHBs (and the primary reasons why I recommend them) are:



-Free rinsing nature: Used with a foamgun the dirt gets flushed away so it doesn't have a chance to mar the paint. The basic idea is "dislodge and flush" as opposed to "scrub".

-Ease on controlling pressure on the paint: With a little practice, you can easily use the BHB more gently than a mitt, you just *barely* touch the paint, not enough to really bend the bristles. Only the tips of the bristles touch the paint (where they dislodge the dirt). That's harder to do with a mitt and more pressure = greater chance of marring.



It's not like I don't like/use mitts; I use them for a light follow-up after using the BHB to get the worst stuff off, which I consider to be the most likely to mar the paint. If there's something *really* worrisome on there, I use a siphon-feed sprayer that hooks up to my airhose (sorta a low-power pressure washer) to get it off before using the BHB/foamgun.



Note that no wash media oughta disturb the wax/sealant. The *shampoo* might compromise it, but not the mitt/BHB/whatever. You *never* want that degree of scrubbing action going on IMO. If something doesn't come off with very gentle wash techniques I use Sonus green Ultra-Fine clay to remove it (and I do that *very* carefully).
Click to expand...
Wow, thanks for all the helpful info there, appreciate it.
 
I would reccomend against Meguiar's Chenille mitts. They discontinue all of their useful stuff but don't get rid of that linting, messy, sparse nap crap.:nixweiss
 
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