Grit Guards

I was thinking about my grit guard the other day. Are these things even necessary?



I wash with a foam gun or foam cannon, so I only use one bucket (rinse) when I wash. I foam up, then I take my mitt and wash a small section, then I drop the mitt back in the rinse bucket. Then I take a second mitt, wring out about 70% of the water and wash some more. I keep rotating like this until the car is clean.



It was my understanding that a grit guard has two uses. 1) It keeps the mitt from touching the bottom of the bucket where loose dirt and particles accumulate. But my mitts float, and NEVER get anywhere near the bottom of the bucket.



Second, the GG is supposed to be there so you can "scrape" (is that the right word) the mitt against it and release the dirt particles. I've tested this and I don't think it releases any more dirt than basic wringing will do. Good mitts and wash soaps are designed to release particles anyway. A shot of ONR in the bucket also helps alot with this (yeah, I actually found a use for ONR that I like).



So how much dirt is really coming off when you "scrape" the mitt against the grit guard. Is it really worth it?



And if it is, wouldn't a better invention be something that hangs over the side of the bucket so you can scrap your mitt as you are pulling it out?
 
citizen arcane said:
Like this?



Danase Dirt Dropper
Click to expand...



Yeah, just like that. Actually, I was thinking of something that might hang over the side of the bucket, but this accomplishes the same thing.



But again, how much dirt really gets released when you scrape your mitt against this thing.



I've done washes without grit guards, I've tried using the grit guard, but not scraping the mitt. I've tried using it with brushes, mitts, sponges, etc. ONR washes and traditional washes. And in all of that, I haven't seen one bit of difference that can be attributed sepcifically to the grit guard.



Fromw hat I can see, using one may or may not keep your mitt cleaner, but not using one DEFINITELY doesn't keep your mitt cleaner. So for $15 or $20, I guess it's better to be safe. But I'm thinking that these are just "gimmick", add-on, impulse buy, HUGE profit margin products.
 
Less said:
It was my understanding that a grit guard has two uses. 1) It keeps the mitt from touching the bottom of the bucket where loose dirt and particles accumulate. But my mitts float, and NEVER get anywhere near the bottom of the bucket.
Click to expand...



That's an incomplete understanding. It also keeps the liquid in the bottom of the bucket from swirling around causing the dirt particles to recirculate back into the sponge when you dip for more soap or wring it out. The two bucket method helps with this as well. As double protection, I use both GG's and the two bucket method. Both buckets end up with dirt in the bottom, the rinse bucket much more so than the soap bucket.
 
Rob22315 said:
That's an incomplete understanding. It also keeps the liquid in the bottom of the bucket from swirling around causing the dirt particles to recirculate back into the sponge when you dip for more soap or wring it out. The two bucket method helps with this as well. As double protection, I use both GG's and the two bucket method. Both buckets end up with dirt in the bottom, the rinse bucket much more so than the soap bucket.
Click to expand...



Ummm....ok, I can see that, but it's still kind of a stretch for me. How much "swirling" is really happinging in a standing bucket of water. Dipping a mitt into a bucket would create a downward current and propel the dirt upwards. I don't see how the grit guard could prevent this.



Again, I think the difference (if there is a difference at all) between using a grit-guard and not is so miniscule that it is next to impossible to notice.



Let's say that I'll stipulate that the GG does, in fact, keep some dirt particles from transferring from the water to the mitt. And let's say I'll further stipulate that those dirt particles may not be released during wringing of the mitt. How much marring could they cause?



There are dozens of other things that cause marring, most of which just can't be avoided, especially on a daily driver. That's why we talk so much about polishing.



I have a GG, so I'll use it, because it's probably a little better than not using it. But if I had to make the purchase decision over again, I wouldn't buy one. I won't recommend buying one to anyone, especially for the price that they charge for what can't possibly be more than $1.25 worth of plastic. If GG's were $5 - $7, then I could see buying them as a "cover-your-butt" purchase.
 
I dunno...they are $8.15 where I bought them Grit Guard™ - US Plastic Corporation . I agree they are overpriced for piece of plastic, but so are all the plastic storage boxes and shelves. I bought my GG's a few years ago, and I'm glad I did. I spent a lot less on them than all the shelves of flavor-of-the-month polish and wax.
 
I mostly agree w/ Less that it isn't a necessity as I rinse my mitt/pad w/ a hose nozzle and moderate pressure - I use a fireman's nozzle and variable shut off valve.



I now only use a GG when doing an ONR wash - 2 Gals ONR solution in the rinse bucket along w/ a GG and a piece of egg crate light diffuser to run my pad along after dunking in the rinse solution.
 
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