Grit Gaurd question

M

Mobilejay

Active member
So the "grit" and dirt settle on the bottom of the bucket through the grit gaurd holes right? what keeps the grit from coming back up once the mit is dipped back in? when you dip the mit into the bucket and agitate the water wouldnt cause the grit at the bottom to move around and float back up? I dont quite get it. NOT TALKING BAD ABOUT IT, just need explaining. Thanks
 
The products radial designed surface extracts particles such as dirt, grit, and grime from your wash mitt, providing a clean, scratch-free wash mitt, every time you go back to the bucket for water.

Grit Guard is not a gimmick; it is common sense ...think about it, when your mitt is in the water, the fibers are fluffed up. When you rub your mitt against Grit Guard in the water, the fluffed up fibers allow for the Grit Guard to extract the dirt, grit, and grime.



Source and additional reading on how it works......
 
I understand the concept, but what I dont understand is what is keeping the dirt from coming back up through the holes in it. The dirt doesnt go through the holes and then gets sealed up its just sitting in the bottom of the water.
 
That's a good question MobileJay! Actually, that is the philosophy behind one of Gritguards competitors called "Dirtguard". When I went to SEMA this year I saw the Dirtguard booth and talked to the gentleman there who I believe was the owner of the company. "Dirtguard" uses a very porous foam disc, almost like a bug scrubbing sponge, underneath their "guard". The thought process is that the debris will be trapped in the foam when you take your mitt in and out of the bucket. The foam is supposed to overcome the wicking or hydraulic action that is created when dipping the mitt in the bucket.



My humble opinion is that both makers have good points and bad, Gritguard has a large "grid" area for debris to fall into as opposed to the Dirtguard which is slanted and has numerous round holes for the dirt to fall through. I am not sure if it captures as much "stuff" . The flip side of that is the screen in the Dirtguard "seems" like it would retain more stuff and keep it captured or encapsulated.



I think Richard Lin, Octaneguy, has used both so perhaps he'll chime in on his experience with the two.
 
TheFiveO said:
That's a good question MobileJay! Actually, that is the philosophy behind one of Gritguards competitors called "Dirtguard". When I went to SEMA this year I saw the Dirtguard booth and talked to the gentleman there who I believe was the owner of the company. "Dirtguard" uses a very porous foam disc, almost like a bug scrubbing sponge, underneath their "guard". The thought process is that the debris will be trapped in the foam when you take your mitt in and out of the bucket. The foam is supposed to overcome the wicking or hydraulic action that is created when dipping the mitt in the bucket.



My humble opinion is that both makers have good points and bad, Gritguard has a large "grid" area for debris to fall into as opposed to the Dirtguard which is slanted and has numerous round holes for the dirt to fall through. I am not sure if it captures as much "stuff" . The flip side of that is the screen in the Dirtguard "seems" like it would retain more stuff and keep it captured or encapsulated.



I think Richard Lin, Octaneguy, has used both so perhaps he'll chime in on his experience with the two.
Click to expand...



Thank you for the informative response. I will have to look at the Dirtgaurd. I understand they both have pros and cons but I think the idea behind the Dirtgaurd with the foam disc is better b/c its actually trapping it so it doesnt come back up. Thanks again.
 
I think the thing that you are overlooking is that "grit" is very heavy as compared to water, and it sinks readily. Of course "currents" in the water can shoot it anywhere, but the Grit Guard baffles are designed to prevent the water from flowing freely underneath and stirring up the particulate. If you've got particles that aren't heavy enough to sink (leaves, etc), well, it doesn't really matter, because they are going to float anyway.



Basically, you wind up with the same silty stuff in the bottom of your bucket if you use a Grit Guard or not, but with it, your mitt etc. isn't sitting in it. I know it seems too simple, but it really does work.
 
I think you raise a valid point there Setec. I think the 'theory' behind the "gritcatcher" in the Dirtguard is good, but as to the whether it actually significantly holds grit/gravel/stuff, I have no empirical data. To date, I have been happy with my Gritguards. I also like that they make a nice platform to set my wash mitt on for rinse off at the end of the job.
 
Dont forget its other benefit. It can and should be used as a scraper for whatever wash media your using. Gentle attrition can shake loose that debris hung up on your sheepskin.
 
I use both. Grit Guard in soap bucket and Dirtguard in rinse. The dirtguard foam disc (very much like cheaper HVAC filters) does retain dirt and should be rinsed well.

I do prefer the scrubbing action of the Dirtguard better.
 
Patrick,

That is a good point you make as well about scraping the mitt with the gritguard. I very rarely do this since it seems to degrade sheepskin quicker. Now when I break down and try the scmhitt...who knows. Again, I really think this is one of those personal preference issues.



On a side note, does anyone know where Gritguard gets there pads and has anyone tried them? The backside look very similar to the Sonus DAS pads
 
The GritGuard vanes on the bottom prevent water from swirling and keep the heavier particles on the bottom. They don't come back up.
 
I've been thinking about getting a Gritguard for a while now & this is the exact reason why I had reservations. I always imagined that any dirt or grit would simply float around in the water & not stay in the bottom. Based on what some of you are saying, it sounds like the Gritguard does a pretty good job of not letting the debris float around.
 
I have been using the Grit Guard for about 8 months and it amazes me how much is sitting on the bottom of the bucket after I am done washing a car. Great investment.
 
Hey guys, I just noticed this thread. Sorry TheFiveO for the delayed reply. I have switched all my Grit Guards to Dirt Guards. Although I still use the GG, I prefer the DG design--I definitely feel more secure with them in my wash buckets. I believe they are both effective products, and in either case, you will find grit at the bottom of the bucket each time you wash. I too was initially concerned that the Dirt Guard holes wouldn't allow the grit to get to the bottom, but because the washboard surface is tilted--everything that settles eventually makes its way to the bottom. Don't forget that you are constantly disturbing the water. Each time you dip the mitt, and rinse it out, you are encouraging the grit to travel and move around, and the Dirt Guard's mesh traps it in place.



With either products, I've never felt that the grit may travel up and out of the grill system, however the DG just makes more sense to me. Btw, I don't use the DG as designed--which is to rub the mitt on the DG because that would mean getting my entire arm soapy and possibly causing the water to overflow. So I just use the system as a better "mousetrap" if you will--to capture and hold particles in place.



Richard
 
I have to agree it's possible that stirring up the water could cause grit to rise up from the bottom. Considering the cheap price for the grit guard, why not use one. It's not going to hurt anything.
 
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