Using sponge to wash
05-23-2009, 07:43 PM
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Using sponge to wash I haven't seen anyone mention using a sponge to wash their car...
This is what I use. Its big, soft, absorbs lots of soapy water, and only cost about a dollar each. Is this a bad thing to use? I mean, its not hurting the finish as far as i can tell. I see most ppl mention using microfiber cloths/mitts. Just curious, thought I'd see if anyone else is using this.
This is what I use. Its big, soft, absorbs lots of soapy water, and only cost about a dollar each. Is this a bad thing to use? I mean, its not hurting the finish as far as i can tell. I see most ppl mention using microfiber cloths/mitts. Just curious, thought I'd see if anyone else is using this.
05-23-2009, 10:56 PM
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I use a microfiber mitt. On paint you wouldn't want to use a sponge, once you get dirt on it, you are dragging that dirt across your paint.
http://www.ocdetails.com/html/myths.html
A wash mitt is much safer than a sponge for a couple of reasons. First of all a wash mitt will generally be less abrasive. Some sponges can get crusty and that can lead to scratches. Secondly a sponge has a fatal flaw. It sucks up dirt and grime deep inside and doesn’t always spit it out when you squeeze it in your wash bucket. What it can do sometimes is spit it back out on your car as you are trying to wash it. This extra grit from inside of the sponge can add to your chances of creating swirls and scratches on the surface. You can be as safe as you possible can be with a sponge and still run the chance of squeezing out dirty water back to the surface of your car even after you think the sponge is rinsed out completely.
Wash mitts come in many varieties. Wool, microfiber, terry cloth, and chenille are just a few of the more popular varieties. Personally I use a wool wash mitt just because they were the safest for me at the time I started using them. Since then some very nice microfiber varieties have emerged. I have a microfiber mitt that I use on glass and another one that I use to clean dashes. I haven’t had a reason to switch from my wool mitt, so I haven’t tested these other mitts on the car. All I can say is that they don’t hold the dirt like a sponge will. Even though reputable companies like Meguiar’s, Mother’s, Turtle Wax, and Viking all sell sponges, they also sell excellent wash mitts. When faced with the choice of which to buy, I highly recommend you buy a wash mitt. I can’t tell you which one you will like more, I can just say that you will ultimately be more satisfied that you are using the right tool for the job if you switch to a mitt. I do want to note that a synthetic wash mitt will have more chance of trapping dirt particles than a wool mitt, but it is still not as bad as a sponge.
http://www.ocdetails.com/html/myths.html
A wash mitt is much safer than a sponge for a couple of reasons. First of all a wash mitt will generally be less abrasive. Some sponges can get crusty and that can lead to scratches. Secondly a sponge has a fatal flaw. It sucks up dirt and grime deep inside and doesn’t always spit it out when you squeeze it in your wash bucket. What it can do sometimes is spit it back out on your car as you are trying to wash it. This extra grit from inside of the sponge can add to your chances of creating swirls and scratches on the surface. You can be as safe as you possible can be with a sponge and still run the chance of squeezing out dirty water back to the surface of your car even after you think the sponge is rinsed out completely.
Wash mitts come in many varieties. Wool, microfiber, terry cloth, and chenille are just a few of the more popular varieties. Personally I use a wool wash mitt just because they were the safest for me at the time I started using them. Since then some very nice microfiber varieties have emerged. I have a microfiber mitt that I use on glass and another one that I use to clean dashes. I haven’t had a reason to switch from my wool mitt, so I haven’t tested these other mitts on the car. All I can say is that they don’t hold the dirt like a sponge will. Even though reputable companies like Meguiar’s, Mother’s, Turtle Wax, and Viking all sell sponges, they also sell excellent wash mitts. When faced with the choice of which to buy, I highly recommend you buy a wash mitt. I can’t tell you which one you will like more, I can just say that you will ultimately be more satisfied that you are using the right tool for the job if you switch to a mitt. I do want to note that a synthetic wash mitt will have more chance of trapping dirt particles than a wool mitt, but it is still not as bad as a sponge.
Last edited by MjMaro; 05-24-2009 at 02:10 PM.
05-24-2009, 08:26 AM
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Ive always used a sponge when washing, 2 actually, and I get it practically flawless when I am doing a full detail paint clean/polish/wax, and I even do that by hand because I havent got the dough to get a PC. My car DOES have kind of a lot of minor scratches tho, but the majority of them were on the car when I bought it, that and im pushing 97k miles.
