Basic car washing tools..

T

The Game

New member
Proper car wash is basic to the Autopian here, but bare with me as I make sure I understand the right tools involved in the process. Since I'm upgrading my skills here with you guys help, these questions are just basics.



1) Whats the differance between a Lambs Wool wash mitt and the Deep Pile Chenille mitt? And which do you guys perfer?



2) Is it true the ABSORBER can produce what's called "MICRO MARING" in the finish? If so what's a better product to dry with?



3) Which car wash/shampoo helps maintain the shine while actually cleaning? Or, a wash that is gentle on our high quality waxes/sealants.



Thanks, The Game..
 
1. A lamb's wool mitt is made of lamb's wool. :p A chenille mitt is a different fabric...cotton I think? I prefer microfiber mitts, although thick, soft chenille mitts are nice too.



2. Get a couple WWs (waffle weave drying towels) from any well-known vendor here. I prefer the Monterey WWs from http://www.exceldetail.com



3. I like TOL's Bubble Bath for a gentle soap. Most of the time I just use Meg's Deep Crystal car wash. I like the smell of NXT wash, but it seems to be pretty harsh on LSPs.
 
If you haven't already downloaded DavidB's Autopian detailing guide, I highly recommend it as a primer and more on the right way to detailing.



http://www.autopia-carcare.com/freeguide.html



Chenille mitts are usually made from cotton or a cotton blend. I've recently switched to the lambswool and prefer them over the chenille mitts.



As White95max stated, ditch the Absorber in favor of quality microfiber towels. I actually prefer my electric leaf blower over towels for drying.



Car shampoos: P21S, Sonus, 1Z Perls, DP Auto Bath--good lubricity is the key to not reintroduce micro marring.
 
The Game said:
1) Whats the differance between a Lambs Wool wash mitt and the Deep Pile Chenille mitt? And which do you guys perfer?
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I use both and have no real preference between the two. I like that I can shoot foam (via foamgun) through the chenille mitts.



2) Is it true the ABSORBER can produce what's called "MICRO MARING" in the finish? If so what's a better product to dry with?
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The absorber in and of itself won't mar automotive paint. But anything that gets between it and the paint (like a spec of dirt) will mar because there's no nap for it to migrate up. Same is sorta true with a WWMF (and some have reported micromarring with them from the WWMF itself), but the WWMF dries more completely. I use WWMFs and don't have any problems, but I try to blot (instead of wipe) as much as I can.



3) Which car wash/shampoo helps maintain the shine while actually cleaning? Or, a wash that is gentle on our high quality waxes/sealants.
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I use Griot's Car Wash and my KSG X 6 lasted over a year even with spot-claying. It seems plenty gentle on waxes and UPP too.



Thanks, The Game..[/QUOTE]
 
Yeah, if you clean and rinse the car godo and don't drop the Absorber on the ground it is fine. I used one for year and years with no troubles. I now use a Waffle Weave just because I like usign them better.
 
What you need to use really REALLY depends on your paint/clearcoat.



The paint on my black Acura is rather soft and just looking at it too hard will cause swirling. =P Microfiber wash mitts are usually the exception to the "microfiber is the best thing ever" rule. Even with next to no pressure while washing, the pile wasn't deep enough to keep road grit, trapped between the mitt and the paint, from marring the finish.



I've been using both lamb's wool mitts and chenille mitts (both with a high pile) with great success. Chenille mitts tend to shed more lint but tends to last a little longer than the lamb's wool.



The Absorber. It works well, but tends to "stick" a little when wiping across the paint surface. If you are dabbing/patting dry then you shouldn't have any problems staying with the absorber.



Waffle-weave MF drying towels will absorb a LOT more water. By comparison, wiping with a good MF drying towel is, in my experience, far less damage causing than the Absorber. My advice would be ... whichever product you choose ... DAB do not wipe!



The primary feature you should be looking for in a shampoo is lubricity. The whole purpose of the shampoo is to suspend the dirt particles and lubricate the paint surface to prevent marring. Some, like Megs NXT wash claim to help dissolve grime on contact. I haven't used this product, though, and primarily stick to Megs Gold Class.



The second quality you should be looking for is a shampoo that is gentle on your wax/protectant. Otherwise you'll be reapplying your LSP after every wash.



If your shampoo has natural oils, etc, to help nourish/replenish your paint ... that's a plus. =)
 
I can't recall all the car wash soaps I've used. For OTC, Meguiars High Tech Wash (#00) has been a longstanding favorit of mine. Although OTC, it's not OTC everywhere. So far, I'd say the best I've ever used, and the one that I'd say meets your desires the best, is Zaino's Z-7 Show Car Wash.



Even if you decide the Zaino system isn't for you, the wash is phenomenal. AFAIK, it's completely safe with other wax/sealant/protectant systems.



I also find the "pile" of MF wash mits to be too short for washing, and they also tend to stain too easy from road grime. Wiping a wheel well or the bottom of a panel is the fastest way I know to ruin a MF towel other than use it to polish aluminum, or wipe your dipstick. I've also heard that synthetic wool scratches something awfull. Real lamb's wool might be better. I'm using chenile (cotton), but I have to be carefull that I don't get the chenile caught in things like panel seams. It also has to be washed seperately from my MF towels, and, at least the Turtle Wax brand I've been using, sheds like crazy in the wash.



I'm beginning to think a plain $2 synthetic sponge might be better overall.



Hope this helps, and good luck!
 
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