My take on the Edge Shmitt prototype

The Edge said:
What are these products and how would you apply them with the ShMitt?
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These products are "rinseless washes." DP 4-n-1 is the other such product on the market. Basically you use them to wash your car in a similar manner to a traditional car wash soap. You combine the rinseless soap in a bucket with water. However, after washing the panel instead of rinsing the soap solution with a stream of water from your hose you instead skip straight ahead to drying the panel. Hence the term "rinseless wash."

These products are very popular for washing cars inside the garage during the winter or with people who live in a condo/apt where they don't have access to a hose.
 
Ah, Ok thanks for the education! Do people use their mitts now, wool and synthetic types to apply these products now? It would seem that they also would not be a good choice tool for that application.
 
The Edge said:
Ah, Ok thanks for the education! Do people use their mitts now, wool and synthetic types to apply these products now? It would seem that they also would not be a good choice tool for that application.
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It seems microfiber towels and wool wash mitts are the most popular wash tools for this type of wash soap. I would think to some degree the effectiveness of rinseless soaps would depend on the mitt's ability to grab and hold dirt particles. So, maybe a Shmitt would not be good for use with these products as my impression is that it's designed to nock dirt off the surface leaving it in the wash solution and does not hold on to the dirt.
 
I can totally see microfiber mitts and towels working well for this application but wool type mitts? Wool mitts don't absorb very well and would not leave a dry finish. Maybe with this chemical type wash they do but I have not had any experience with that type of wash solution. Have you used wool type wash mitts with this rinseless wash? I ask because I want to know for sure what our competition is and if we are comparing apples to apples since I feel our ShMitts will be in direct competiton with wool type fiber pile wash mitts. You are also correct in your statement that our mitts don't hold any dirt or particles in the mitt.
 
The Edge said:
I can totally see microfiber mitts and towels working well for this application but wool type mitts? Wool mitts don't absorb very well and would not leave a dry finish. Maybe with this chemical type wash they do but I have not had any experience with that type of wash solution. Have you used wool type wash mitts with this rinseless wash? I ask because I want to know for sure what our competition is and if we are comparing apples to apples since I feel our ShMitts will be in direct competiton with wool type fiber pile wash mitts. You are also correct in your statement that our mitts don't hold any dirt or particles in the mitt.
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I usually use a wool type mitt when using a rinseless wash soap. The goal is not to leave a dry panel behind after using the mitt. The goal with the mitt is to remove the dirt. The wash solution is left on the panel and then dried using a towel (I like to use a waffle weave).

This is why I think a Shmitt might not be a good wash tool for this type of application. The Shmitt I'm thinking would leave the dirt in the wash solution instead of sucking it up into the knap like a MF towel or wool mitt. If the dirt is left in the solution it could cause marring when the panel is dried with a towel.

A lot of rinseless wash soaps in fact seem to cause the dirt to stick more to the wash tool. With a foam mitt like the shmitt that might be bad considering there is no knap to hold the dirt away from the paint.
 
I have used Protect All's QEW and Optimum's No Rinse products with my normal washing tools (cotton chenille and sheepskin). None of the wash tools are expected to dry the surface. They are expected to wash just like you would with a traditional hose wash. I use microfiber towels to dry. I see no reason why the Shmitt would not work in a similar manner with the rinseless products, but I will try it out for myself sometime in the next week or two and report back.
 
awd330 said:
I have used Protect All's QEW and Optimum's No Rinse products with my normal washing tools (cotton chenille and sheepskin). None of the wash tools are expected to dry the surface. They are expected to wash just like you would with a traditional hose wash. I use microfiber towels to dry. I see no reason why the Shmitt would not work in a similar manner with the rinseless products, but I will try it out for myself sometime in the next week or two and report back.
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Marj, if you could do that I (and I'm sure any other rinseless wash users) would greatly appreciate it.

My only concern is that it seems critical to marring free rinseless washing that the mitt be able to hold dirt. The Shmitt does not hold dirt it nocks it off the surface and into the wash solution. In normal washing this would be fine as you could wash away the solution before drying. However, in rinseless washing the solution remains on the paint and is then towel dried.

During your test if you could pay special attention to any marring induced and how well the Shmitt cleans up afterward that would be great. Some rinseless soaps like QEW tend to make the dirt REALLY stick to the wash tool. Thanks!

Even if the Shmitt is not a good tool for rinseless washing it's still on my shopping list. I always want to have the most effective tools on my shelf. If that means a Shmitt for hose washing and a wool mitt for rinseless washing then so be it.
 
i betting on the Edge Schmitt being able to use it normal washes and rinseless washes(w/ qew or onrw).....
 
just a thought(but sure its probably have been thought before me) if these mitt are the exact same as the polishing foam if so then if anyone has a white WW clean foam pad to use it with a qew or optimum no rinse it probably be easier if you have there 6in then 8in but no matter try it ..

of course at your own risk ....

im going to order the remander of colors i need in WW and when the 4in come out but heck if everything turn out on the schitt i make order it too...
 
Mikeyc said:
Marj, if you could do that I (and I'm sure any other rinseless wash users) would greatly appreciate it.

My only concern is that it seems critical to marring free rinseless washing that the mitt be able to hold dirt. The Shmitt does not hold dirt it nocks it off the surface and into the wash solution. In normal washing this would be fine as you could wash away the solution before drying. However, in rinseless washing the solution remains on the paint and is then towel dried.

During your test if you could pay special attention to any marring induced and how well the Shmitt cleans up afterward that would be great. Some rinseless soaps like QEW tend to make the dirt REALLY stick to the wash tool. Thanks!

Even if the Shmitt is not a good tool for rinseless washing it's still on my shopping list. I always want to have the most effective tools on my shelf. If that means a Shmitt for hose washing and a wool mitt for rinseless washing then so be it.
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A friend of mine is bringing his car up this weekend for a complete detail. Since I will be polishing out his paint anyway, I have no qualms about first testing out rinseless washing with the ShMitt. :stick I expect the car to be moderately dirty, but nothing as heavy as off-roading dirt or winter road salt.

When I use rinseless washes, I don't necessarily see my mitts holding onto more dirt than with traditional washing. I have noticed that my mitts do become stained with the blue coloring, but I don't see an increase in debris accumulation. My main question about using ShMitts with rinseless washes is whether or not the valleys in the wave pattern will be able to collect the dirt and then release it into the wash bucket rather than leaving it all on the paint. I know my cotton chenille fibers will capture and whisk dirt away. Will the ShMitt behave the same way?

I should also mention that I use plush MF towels to dry after rinseless washing. I stopped using waffle weave towels in this situation because I don't believe they have as much of a margin of safety for wiping away dirt encapsulated water.
 
Djmigs said:
just a thought(but sure its probably have been thought before me) if these mitt are the exact same as the polishing foam if so then if anyone has a white WW clean foam pad to use it with a qew or optimum no rinse it probably be easier if you have there 6in then 8in but no matter try it ..

of course at your own risk ....
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I only have wave pads in the orange light cut texture, so someone else is going to have to conduct that experiment. I would suggest using one of the velcro backed designs rather than the Edge2000 designs because the hard plastic E2K insert will affect the pliability of the pad (not nearly as flexible and forgiving as the foldable ShMitt).
 
I agree with Marj, and since we don't make any single sided velcro "classic" wave pads you will not be able to use the pads so do such a test. The plate inside will not allow any where near the flexibility you need when washing. I suggest letting Marj do the test with the actual product and see her results. Or of course you could always buy a ShMiTT!!??:yay
 
The Edge said:
Or of course you could always buy a ShMiTT!!??
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Oh I understand "so you just don't give a ShMiTT?" Sorry Aaron, I couldn't resist that one.:yay

Of course we KNOW you do.
 
actually im not say to do the whole car, simply a flat panel say for example a hood, trunk just to see if it will work the product again just a thought since we are waiting on Marj Experminet or until Edge releases it ..

im guessing it will work the product but you are still going to need a mf for wiping....
 
Djmigs said:
actually im not say to do the whole car, simply a flat panel say for example a hood, trunk just to see if it will work the product again just a thought since we are waiting on Marj Experminet or until Edge releases it ..

im guessing it will work the product but you are still going to need a mf for wiping....
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Not really sure what you mean by "until Edge releases it .." The ShMiTTs are on the market! and for SALE! Autogeek is already taking orders!
 
I'm a firm believer in trying things out for myself. There are just too many variables in vehicles, environmental conditions, and detailing techniques for everyone's results to be exactly the same for every product. I'll continue to post my ShMitt test results, but they will only reflect one person's opinion and experiences.
 
The Edge said:
Not really sure what you mean by "until Edge releases it .." The ShMiTTs are on the market! and for SALE! Autogeek is already taking orders!
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well lets just say a day or two before my last post i called a few dealers and said they dont have them available yet until you ship them it, so until they recieve it then i can place an order and they dont having pricing so thats why i couldnt pre order like you say...so you may make the decision but there not out until there at your dealers unless you decide to take orders..do you?
 
Sorry for any confusion. I only wanted to make sure that those interested in the product knew that we were out of the prototype and testing stage and they are now actually for sale. While we are not taking orders directly from the public our dealers have pricing and AG has placed an order. You are correct that until we produce, ship, and AG receives them they will still be backordered but feel free to place an order. I have spoken with Jason at AG so if no one else there knows about this as they probably are not yet on the website, he could take care of you. I only wanted to clarify that they are officially "released".
 
A follow-up to my ShMiTT testing

I am still using the ShMiTT as the primary washing tool for my personal vehicles. Performance is unchanged and durability is looking very good. After 7.5 washes, the initial pinhead tear has doubled in size but that's the only damage so far. That is far better than I had expected. The ShMiTT also requires very little maintenance. I only have to rinse it out in the sink and it’s practically new again. I can reuse it over and over without having to throw it into a machine wash. My cotton chenille mitts require machine washing after each use, so I have to keep several on hand in case I don’t have time to do a load of laundry.

While the ShMiTT appears to be a very nice tool for traditional hose washing of well maintained car finishes, the reviews become a little more mixed when dealing with neglected cars or rinseless washes. In those cases, the ShMiTT doesn't "feel" as good as a cotton chenille mitt. This is a strictly subjective statement that I will try to explain here -

To put you mind at ease, I saw no evidence that the ShMiTT caused any marring of paint. The end results were the same when directly comparing a ShMiTT against a cotton chenille mitt. When used on a slick surface (e.g. freshly waxed), the ShMiTT glides effortlessly. But when you switch to a neglected car, the ShMiTT grabs and hops along the surface and becomes more difficult to use than cotton chenille. The difference is even more pronounced when using rinseless washes.

The closest comparison I can provide is that of a California Water Blade. For those of you who have used a CWB, you know that it is a silicone blade that you use like a squeegee. It does a great job of removing water from a freshly washed vehicle, but it makes a horrendous squeaking sound and sometimes hops along the surface. No damage is done, but it sure sounds and feels like something bad must be happening. I have the same reaction when using the ShMiTT with neglected cars and rinseless washes.

Regarding the rinseless washes, the ShMiTT does not seem to work quite as well as cotton chenille. I prepared two buckets of Optimum No Rinse solution (I used the Optimum product instead of Protect All’s QEW because I find NR to be the slicker of the two). One bucket was used for rinsing out mitts, while the other was considered the fresh wash bucket. I washed half a moderately dirty car with a ShMiTT and the other half with a cotton chenille mitt.



Both mitts shared the same two buckets of solution. While nothing bad happened with either mitt, I didn't like how grabby the ShMiTT felt while moving across the paint. It also left a lot more wash solution behind on the finish, making the drying process more difficult (takes a longer time with more towels needed). [In this photo, the passenger side of the vehicle was washed using the ShMiTT.]



Since the moderately dirty car did not have a fresh coat of wax, I repeated this test on the trunk lid of a freshly waxed car and observed the same results. So, my initial observation is that a ShMiTT can be used with rinseless washes, but it doesn’t appear to be as user friendly as cotton chenille. It did, however, come completely clean just from rinsing in warm tap water. The chenille mitt required a machine washing.



My overall opinion thus far is that the ShMiTT is a fine wash tool for people who really take good care of their cars. Since I happen to fall into that camp, I plan to continue using the ShMiTT as my primary washing tool. However, I will switch back to cotton chenille during the winter months for rinseless washing.
 
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