Help me feel better about grout sponge

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gizzsdad

New member
I routinely ignored grout sponge threads for months, but have now ponied up two bucks for the Lowe's ProLine sponge.



My problem is, this is so antithetical to my beliefs - I'm having a hard time bringing myself to use it. Microfiber and chenille have been my standards for so long, the sponge just feels wrong(the concept, not necessarily the sponge).



Am I really going to be OK???????
 
I've always had trouble with trusting a sponge as well.

It just seems like it would be prone to pressing dirt and grime bits into and then across the paint, even if applying no/minimal pressure.



My chenille MF mitt just seems like it would be so much safer.
 
Trust me you'll love them. Both the HD (QEP) and Lowes sponges work great, but I'd have to give the nod to the ProLine from Lowes. You'll be amazed by how easily it rinses clean and releases grime. It's my go-to for both traditional and ONR washes.



I've tried using halves of the HD sponge for wheels and wells and thought it did an awesome job there as well. IMO, the HD sponge provides a bit more "bite" or mechanical cleaning action than the ProLine.



If you don't like it for exterior washes, you'll more than likely find a use for it elsewehere.
 
duke727 said:
If its not broken dont fix it.
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That's my view as well.

gizzsdad said:
My problem is, this is so antithetical to my beliefs..
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If something new is antithetical to your current approach, you might have to completely rework (and that includes rethinking) everything to successsfully incorporate that new factor.



I run into the same thing whenever I consider a different wash approach, and, at this point, I'm sticking with what works for me.



(Note that I did buy a grout sponge and I do use it for some things. Also, I used seasponges for a long time.)



If you're happy with both the conceptual and practical aspects of your current wash regimen, why change it? If you're *not* currently satisfied, that's a different matter.
 
Just do it! Pull the trigger already! I've got 20 of these stock piled in my garage. With all the demand the price will inevitably increase. Lol.
 
the GS isn't for everyone and you are happy with the wash media you are currently using, stick with it. i've been using the lowes GS for quite some time and haven't had any problems...
 
Accumulator said:
If you're happy with both the conceptual and practical aspects of your current wash regimen, why change it? If you're *not* currently satisfied, that's a different matter.
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Because no regimen, including mine, is perfect - so I try to be open to new ideas. This one just 'feels' weird.



Thanks for all the responses.
 
Well, I'm not going to help you "feel better about it" because I don't like them to wash the car with either.



I do use them to clean the wheels though. They are very good at releasing dirt.
 
gizzsdad said:
I routinely ignored grout sponge threads for months, but have now ponied up two bucks for the Lowe's ProLine sponge.



My problem is, this is so antithetical to my beliefs - I'm having a hard time bringing myself to use it. Microfiber and chenille have been my standards for so long, the sponge just feels wrong(the concept, not necessarily the sponge).
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if you haven't tried it yet, it's even softer when wet...
 
I like the grout sponge a lot. I've tried a lot of different methods and so far this is my favorite. It does a nice job of cleaning, it's very soft. I like that I can see dirt very well on the yellow color which makes it easy to ensure it's been rinsed off properly before putting it back on the car. It rinses off very clean. I like that it holds a lot of water so I can squeeze it and lubricate the surface as I'm cleaning.



I don't know if it's any better than microfiber, sheepskin, or chenille from a marring perspective, but I can't see how it would be any worse - as long as you are careful to rinse it well in a rinse bucket before doing the next section. In fact, I can see how a sheepskin mitt with all its "hairs" might hide lots of stuff you can't see that you could be scraping over the paint.
 
I like Lake Country's Garage Sponge very much. It works very well and is extremely durable. I recommend 3 of them. One for wheels & tires with its own bucket. One for lower panels and one for top and upper side e panels.
 
I used it on my soft paint which was resprayed Nighhawk Black Pearl. Man it is soft clear! I can marr with a MF if I press too hard when removing polishes. The Lowes Grout sponge has never let me down and I only use it with ONR washes. If my car is really dirty I always use a pressure washer to remove the big stuff.
 
Old Tiger said:
I like Lake Country's Garage Sponge very much. It works very well and is extremely durable. I recommend 3 of them. One for wheels & tires with its own bucket. One for lower panels and one for top and upper side e panels.
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I ordered three of them a while back and used one and traded/gave away the other two. it's a little too thick (not very pliable in getting into tight spots) and i didn't care for it...
 
I tried an sponge from Detailers Domain called the Uber sponge. It is a nice size for the hand and rinses cleanly. It is a definitely a different feel compared to a wool wash mitt.
 
First time I used the Grout Sponge on my car I took over an hour cleaning just half a trunk lid going back and forth with the sponge, drying and the Brinkman checking for issues. To this day as I start washing a car I have to tell myself that this techinque will not mar the finish...it's Magic. :wow:



This is the sponge I use to wash cars without marring the finish.



Purchase from Lowe’s, ProLine, Professional, Tile & Grout Sponge 7″ x 4.5″ x 2.25″, $1.98 each for ONR usage.



Sponge is too big for my hand to squeeze out all the water when rinsing out so I modified the sponge to fit my hand and the amount of ONR I use after pre-spraying the panel.



What I use is one 3 gallon pail [12 quart,] from Lowe’s $1.98, modified grit guard [cut to fit pail bottom] and 2 gallons of ONR mixture.



I do a one hand dip, release, smoosh the grit guard, suck up good water as we pull away, squeeze out excess [not too drippy] and off to the next area.



If you do not have a grit guard my process is, squish and release the sponge a couple of times in the mixture so the dirt can release and drop to the bottom of your pail.



I slice my sponge in half length wise to make two [2] 7″ x 4.5″ x 1.125″ thick sponges.



I cut 1″ off the length of the sponges leaving me with two hand fitting 6″ x 4.5″ x 1.125″ thick wash media.



The two cutoffs are just great for nooks, crannies, lugs, door jambs, emblems, blah, blah, blah....



Being safety aware when cutting the sponge I do use a leather glove on the hand holding the sponge because the sponge is flexible and I like having 5 fingers on each hand.



A bread knife with that serrated edge worked well for me. Take your time cutting and you will do fine.



al
 
I love the Lowes grout sponges, and use them exclusively now. There are two different kinds though - a rectangular version and another type that is tapered in the middle for a hand grip. I greatly prefer the former. The "easy grip" ones can't hold nearly as much liquid as the traditional rectangular type.



For two bucks, they're a bargain. I get about a dozen washes out of them in the summer, maybe four or five ONR washes in the winter. Then I demote them to wheel duty.



On the BMW (which is extremely soft Jet Black), they work great. If any paint would mar by using a grout sponge, JB would. And it doesn't.
 
I have used the Lowes Grout Sponge off and on in the past year or two. I used them sometimes on my soft black Acura in the past and don't remember having any problems.....I have always felt much safer using the sheepskin mitts in the past though.



Skip forward to now......the sheepskin mitts I used to always get are no longer available locally and I don't want to place an order for only a sheepskin mitt and pay more in shipping than the product costs. I am exclusively using the Lowe's Grout Sponge and have had no problems at all. I love how well it releases dirt, it is plenty soft for my still soft Honda Dark Green paint and at $2 a pop the price is right.
 
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