bored7one4
New member
where can i buy this? i cant seem to find it anywhere?
My take on the Edge Shmitt prototype
- Thread starter awd330
- Start date
rabbi
The Whaler Loves Detail City
Very good review Marj! All my questions have been answered.
I was told you can order it/them from Autogeek but I didn't find it on their website.
I was told you can order it/them from Autogeek but I didn't find it on their website.
awd330
"Beep Beep"
Here's another update to my ShMITT testing -
I've now used my white/yellow ShMITT for 10.5 washings, and it is still holding up very nicely. The yellow foam side is as good as new, and the white foam side only has a few minor nicks. The original pinhead tear is the same size as it was two weeks ago, plus there are two new half inch slices which came from wiping too fast along a windshield wiper blade (the equivalent of paper cuts to a finger). Performance is unchanged and remains very good. On top of everything, I have less laundry to do since I don't have to machine wash so many cotton chenille mitts.
I plan to continue using a ShMITT as my primary wash tool, but I would like to try out the white/white foam model for my paint and a yellow/yellow foam model for my wheels. None of the DC sponsors seem to have these yet, so I contacted Jason at AutoGeek about the possibility of AG stocking these varieties. I received a reply that they may be in stock by the end of the week. I'm looking forward to trying them out!
I've now used my white/yellow ShMITT for 10.5 washings, and it is still holding up very nicely. The yellow foam side is as good as new, and the white foam side only has a few minor nicks. The original pinhead tear is the same size as it was two weeks ago, plus there are two new half inch slices which came from wiping too fast along a windshield wiper blade (the equivalent of paper cuts to a finger). Performance is unchanged and remains very good. On top of everything, I have less laundry to do since I don't have to machine wash so many cotton chenille mitts.
I plan to continue using a ShMITT as my primary wash tool, but I would like to try out the white/white foam model for my paint and a yellow/yellow foam model for my wheels. None of the DC sponsors seem to have these yet, so I contacted Jason at AutoGeek about the possibility of AG stocking these varieties. I received a reply that they may be in stock by the end of the week. I'm looking forward to trying them out!
awd330
"Beep Beep"
No, I haven't tried the black/black model. How coarse is the black foam? I use sealant on my wheels and was concerned that a more aggressive foam would wind up scrubbing off my wheel sealant. That's why I was leaning towards using the yellow/yellow variety for my wheels and sticking with nylon brushes for my tires.The Edge said:
THe black is coarser than the yellow but in our testing it would not scratch paint when used by hand, so I am not sure what it would do to tire sealant. You will have to try it and see. We do have the Yellow/Yellow varitey available but it is being touted as an interior leather and vinal scrubbing mitt not a wheel mitt. I am afraid if you use it for the wheels it will become pretty stained and not look so good, but may work just fine.
awd330
"Beep Beep"
I think I'll try the yellow model for my wheels first and see how that works out. I don't mind having the yellow foam look dirty. In fact, I often use a yellow foam bottle brush to reach the backs of my wheels. The bottle brush gets a little dingy looking, but it still works fine.The Edge said:
awd330
"Beep Beep"
Well, I decided to try one of the black/black models too. I couldn't pass up the great discount offer Dwayne's running on Prestige Towels this week, and I added one of the wheel ShMITTs to round out my order.
awd330
"Beep Beep"
My black/black wheel ShMITT arrived today. The foam is much, much, much stiffer than the white/yellow model. The stiffness made it a little more difficult for me to insert my hand into the pocket.
I will report back after I have had a chance to use it. My guess is that it will do well with tires. However, I'm not sure that I will be able to fold it down to a small enough size to squeeze in between my wheel spokes.
I will report back after I have had a chance to use it. My guess is that it will do well with tires. However, I'm not sure that I will be able to fold it down to a small enough size to squeeze in between my wheel spokes.
awd330 said:
The black one is designed to be stiffer and coarser to clean off caked on brake dust but don't worry, dip it in your car wash soap bucket and it will go on easy. Also remember that its only foam, so when you push into small areas it will easily mash down and take the shape of even smaller holes. I look forward to your reveiws once you have used it a bit.
awd330
"Beep Beep"
Well, I tried the black wheel ShMITT. As I mentioned earlier, this foam is much rougher and stiffer than the white or yellow foam. Both sides of the wheel ShMITT are made of the same flat black foam. The convoluted wave pattern present on the white/yellow model is not found on the black/black version. Maybe Aaron can explain the reasoning behind the design difference.
I used it on a set of raised white letter tires and allow wheels. The ShMITT's texture did a nice job of cleaning the lettering on my well maintained tires. Really neglected lettering or whitewalls may require something stronger (we'll have to wait for someone else to do that test since my tires don't get that dirty.) As Aaron surmised, the coarse foam became less stiff after being saturated with water. This allowed the foam to squeeze into crevices, though I did have to remove it from my hand and fold it to get into the smallest spaces. For really intricate wheel patterns, you will most likely have to stick with an assortment of brushes. I was able to use the ShMITT to clean everywhere except deep inside the wheel and around the lugnuts. That's better than I expected.
Overall, the black wheel ShMITT performed admirably. However, I still believe that the softer yellow foam model (marketed for interiors) may be better for users of wheel sealants. There is little caked on brake dust to remove and the rough texture of the black foam may wind up compromising the durability of sealants. I noticed that Auto Geek has the white/white and yellow/white ShMITTs up on their site now, so I will place an order this week for those models and then report back.
I used it on a set of raised white letter tires and allow wheels. The ShMITT's texture did a nice job of cleaning the lettering on my well maintained tires. Really neglected lettering or whitewalls may require something stronger (we'll have to wait for someone else to do that test since my tires don't get that dirty.) As Aaron surmised, the coarse foam became less stiff after being saturated with water. This allowed the foam to squeeze into crevices, though I did have to remove it from my hand and fold it to get into the smallest spaces. For really intricate wheel patterns, you will most likely have to stick with an assortment of brushes. I was able to use the ShMITT to clean everywhere except deep inside the wheel and around the lugnuts. That's better than I expected.
Overall, the black wheel ShMITT performed admirably. However, I still believe that the softer yellow foam model (marketed for interiors) may be better for users of wheel sealants. There is little caked on brake dust to remove and the rough texture of the black foam may wind up compromising the durability of sealants. I noticed that Auto Geek has the white/white and yellow/white ShMITTs up on their site now, so I will place an order this week for those models and then report back.
norahcrv
I wish . . .
Just to weigh in with my own "ShMitt" experience . . . I received a ShMitt this week from a friend & finally got to give it a test run today. Started about 9:30 this morning, temperature was about 75 degrees & I used two buckets & my Foam Gun filled with DP's Extreme Foam shampoo.
My CR-V was not overly dirty, but it had been through a few rain showers & some blowing dust. A quick rinse with clear water dislodged most of the dirt, then I hit it with the foam. Once it was covered with suds, I put the gun down, donned the ShMitt & the fun began . . . the ShMitt seemed to "increase" the suds & it was very effective at lifting any dirt that remained after the initial rinse & foaming.
Then it got interesting . . . when I started rinsing, the suds seemed to "stick" to the paint in the same pattern as I had swiped with the ShMitt - at a quick glance, it looked like I'd inflicted some really horrid scratches on my paint & I was not a happy gal!! But as I continued to rinse, the "scratches" turned out to just be suds that were more resistant to the water stream.
Has anybody else noticed this phenomenon? Or have any explanations??
When I was done, the ShMitt was easy to rinse out & is now inverted over my Mother's QD bottle drying.
My CR-V was not overly dirty, but it had been through a few rain showers & some blowing dust. A quick rinse with clear water dislodged most of the dirt, then I hit it with the foam. Once it was covered with suds, I put the gun down, donned the ShMitt & the fun began . . . the ShMitt seemed to "increase" the suds & it was very effective at lifting any dirt that remained after the initial rinse & foaming.
Then it got interesting . . . when I started rinsing, the suds seemed to "stick" to the paint in the same pattern as I had swiped with the ShMitt - at a quick glance, it looked like I'd inflicted some really horrid scratches on my paint & I was not a happy gal!! But as I continued to rinse, the "scratches" turned out to just be suds that were more resistant to the water stream.
Has anybody else noticed this phenomenon? Or have any explanations??
When I was done, the ShMitt was easy to rinse out & is now inverted over my Mother's QD bottle drying.
awd330 said:
We did not know at first if there was any advantage to having the wave surface for cleaning wheels and interiors, in fact we thought that for those cleaning applications flat would be better so we launched with the flat foam. It seems now after some more testing that the wave surface may have a few advantages, like being able to be folded easier and fit into some small areas. We will be launching the black and yellow in the wave surface in a few more weeks.
awd330
"Beep Beep"
Norah - I have not experienced the situation you described. My normal wash solution is half an ounce of SS&S per gallon of water in two buckets. I also use a foam gun at the smallest dilution setting with a cocktail of 50% SS&S, 25% Bug Squash, and 25% tap water (from a water softener).norahcrv said:
awd330
"Beep Beep"
Aaron - Thanks for the clarification. My thinking is that the wave pattern may turn out to be more useful. Besides being easier to fold, the pattern may allow for better access into crevices (like in between raised white outlined letters on tires). I'm looking forward to trying out the revised designs. In the meantime, I did place an order for the current white/white and yellow/white offerings. I hope to have them in time for the weekend.The Edge said:
Fantastic! Glad that you are happy enough with the product to purchase more!!! We have had the same results all over the country and at a few trade shows so far!! All the reviews have been positive and we are excited about this product and will be launching it with the wave pattern in all our variations shortly!! Thanks for your detailed reveiws and honest opinions. I would love to hear from more people that have used the ShMiTTs and their thoughts vs wool and fiber type mitts.
norahcrv
I wish . . .
Thanks for the reply, Marjawd330 said:
Maybe in my "concentrated quest for copious suds", I used too much soap.
I know I did not have the gun set on the "leanest" setting.Next time I'll try it with a lighter mix & see how it goes.
norahcrv said:Just to weigh in with my own "ShMitt" experience . . . I received a ShMitt this week from a friend & finally got to give it a test run today. Started about 9:30 this morning, temperature was about 75 degrees & I used two buckets & my Foam Gun filled with DP's Extreme Foam shampoo.
My CR-V was not overly dirty, but it had been through a few rain showers & some blowing dust. A quick rinse with clear water dislodged most of the dirt, then I hit it with the foam. Once it was covered with suds, I put the gun down, donned the ShMitt & the fun began . . . the ShMitt seemed to "increase" the suds & it was very effective at lifting any dirt that remained after the initial rinse & foaming.
Then it got interesting . . . when I started rinsing, the suds seemed to "stick" to the paint in the same pattern as I had swiped with the ShMitt - at a quick glance, it looked like I'd inflicted some really horrid scratches on my paint & I was not a happy gal!! But as I continued to rinse, the "scratches" turned out to just be suds that were more resistant to the water stream.
Has anybody else noticed this phenomenon? Or have any explanations??
When I was done, the ShMitt was easy to rinse out & is now inverted over my Mother's QD bottle drying.
norahcrv,
Just want to clarify, the ShMiTT did not create any scratches correct? When the car was rinsed and dry it was free from marring? I understand your concern at first but It would seem that everything was ok? I am hoping so and also hoping that you liked the ShMiTT? Your post is detailed but you never say if you liked or found the ShMiTT adventageous. I would love to hear more about that part too.
awd330
"Beep Beep"
My white/white and yellow/white ShMITTs arrived in time for me to try them out over the weekend. I now have one of each model.
The white/white version has the same wave patterned white foam that was present in the white/yellow model I’ve been testing. The white/white is the perfect ShMITT for my paint washing needs. My personal vehicles are very well maintained and the soft white foam is just the right texture for safe and gentle washing. This will be my primary washing tool for traditional hose and bucket washes.
I bought the yellow/white version anticipating that this would be a good wheel and tire mitt for my needs. I use water based tire dressings which do not leave behind oils or brown stains. I also use wheel sealant on my rims, so brake dust does not need to be scrubbed off. While the black/black version did a good job of cleaning wheels and tires, my belief was that it was an overly aggressive tool for my personal needs. I put the yellow/white version to the test and was surprised by the results. The yellow foam is actually much stiffer/denser than the black foam. As a result, the yellow/white model had a more difficult time fitting into small crevices. I just couldn’t squeeze the foam enough to thoroughly clean between the spokes. I expected the yellow foam to be in between the black and white foams for softness and “squeezability”. This turned out to be a false assumption. Here is a close-up of the black foam versus the yellow foam.
Since I had decided to start using my white/white mitt for paint washing, I opted to sacrifice my white/yellow ShMITT by trying it out on a dirty wheel and tire. To my pleasant surprise, this version turned out to be the correct choice for my needs. The yellow foam on the back was just enough to scrub my tires, while the soft wave patterned white foam on the front was able to squeeze into most crevices and sweep away the brake dust. This just goes to show that you never know how something will perform until you try it out for yourself. Everyone’s needs are different, and I was able to find the right combination of ShMITTs for me.
After trying out all the versions, I would say that most people would probably choose the white/yellow for washing paint and the black/black for wheels and tires. For obsessive detailers like myself, I can get away with using gentler methods (white/white for washing paint and the white/yellow for wheels and tires). I can also say that the wave patterned foam of the white models seems to be a better design than the flat foam found on the black/black and yellow/white models. As Aaron mentioned earlier, Edge will be switching to the wave pattern across all ShMITT models. The wave foam is more expensive than the flat foam, but performance seems to be better with the waves. I asked about the possibility of using wave foam on both sides, but it seems that would lead to a price increase since the wave foam is pricier.
Another thing I noticed was that the adhesive ring placement differed from model to model. I asked Aaron if there was a reason for this and he explained that the adhesive application process was the same for all models, but that the varying foam textures caused the adhesive to behave differently. Some foams have bigger pores and will absorb some of the adhesive, while other foams with smaller pores will cause the adhesive to be “squished out” more. Some foams compress more readily too, so it is logical that the adhesive ring would look different from model to model. Overall, the differences didn’t really have any impact on performance. However, I personally preferred the models that embedded the adhesive ring more deeply into the foam. This feature allowed the ShMITT to be easily wrung out without having your hand come into contact with the edge of the adhesive ring (foam is softer than adhesive, even if the adhesive is fairly easy to bend). Of course, my ladies small glove sized hands may be more sensitive to such things than larger or more calloused hands.
For those of you who are wondering how my original ShMITT is holding up, the answer is very well. I am quite pleased with the durability of the white/yellow model. Here is how it looked just before I tried my wheel and tire experiment. The back side is like new, and the front side just has a handful of nicks. I’m also including a close-up of the nicks to show how minor they really are.
The white/white version has the same wave patterned white foam that was present in the white/yellow model I’ve been testing. The white/white is the perfect ShMITT for my paint washing needs. My personal vehicles are very well maintained and the soft white foam is just the right texture for safe and gentle washing. This will be my primary washing tool for traditional hose and bucket washes.
I bought the yellow/white version anticipating that this would be a good wheel and tire mitt for my needs. I use water based tire dressings which do not leave behind oils or brown stains. I also use wheel sealant on my rims, so brake dust does not need to be scrubbed off. While the black/black version did a good job of cleaning wheels and tires, my belief was that it was an overly aggressive tool for my personal needs. I put the yellow/white version to the test and was surprised by the results. The yellow foam is actually much stiffer/denser than the black foam. As a result, the yellow/white model had a more difficult time fitting into small crevices. I just couldn’t squeeze the foam enough to thoroughly clean between the spokes. I expected the yellow foam to be in between the black and white foams for softness and “squeezability”. This turned out to be a false assumption. Here is a close-up of the black foam versus the yellow foam.
Since I had decided to start using my white/white mitt for paint washing, I opted to sacrifice my white/yellow ShMITT by trying it out on a dirty wheel and tire. To my pleasant surprise, this version turned out to be the correct choice for my needs. The yellow foam on the back was just enough to scrub my tires, while the soft wave patterned white foam on the front was able to squeeze into most crevices and sweep away the brake dust. This just goes to show that you never know how something will perform until you try it out for yourself. Everyone’s needs are different, and I was able to find the right combination of ShMITTs for me.
After trying out all the versions, I would say that most people would probably choose the white/yellow for washing paint and the black/black for wheels and tires. For obsessive detailers like myself, I can get away with using gentler methods (white/white for washing paint and the white/yellow for wheels and tires). I can also say that the wave patterned foam of the white models seems to be a better design than the flat foam found on the black/black and yellow/white models. As Aaron mentioned earlier, Edge will be switching to the wave pattern across all ShMITT models. The wave foam is more expensive than the flat foam, but performance seems to be better with the waves. I asked about the possibility of using wave foam on both sides, but it seems that would lead to a price increase since the wave foam is pricier.
Another thing I noticed was that the adhesive ring placement differed from model to model. I asked Aaron if there was a reason for this and he explained that the adhesive application process was the same for all models, but that the varying foam textures caused the adhesive to behave differently. Some foams have bigger pores and will absorb some of the adhesive, while other foams with smaller pores will cause the adhesive to be “squished out” more. Some foams compress more readily too, so it is logical that the adhesive ring would look different from model to model. Overall, the differences didn’t really have any impact on performance. However, I personally preferred the models that embedded the adhesive ring more deeply into the foam. This feature allowed the ShMITT to be easily wrung out without having your hand come into contact with the edge of the adhesive ring (foam is softer than adhesive, even if the adhesive is fairly easy to bend). Of course, my ladies small glove sized hands may be more sensitive to such things than larger or more calloused hands.
For those of you who are wondering how my original ShMITT is holding up, the answer is very well. I am quite pleased with the durability of the white/yellow model. Here is how it looked just before I tried my wheel and tire experiment. The back side is like new, and the front side just has a handful of nicks. I’m also including a close-up of the nicks to show how minor they really are.
