wash mit? natural seasponge? what to wash with?

SpoiledMan said:
I use the regular old $2 grout sponge from the Home Depot sponge bin. They rinse free and clean, are gentle to paint and last a very long time.
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This winter I too switched from a sheepskin mit to the grout sponge from Home Depot and now am having a difficult time switching back to the mit. The sponge is soft, easy to clean, and has been holding up quite well.



Bruce
 
Based on what's been discussed here, I was in Home Depot today and bought the grout sponge for $1.92.



It is a nice size and super soft. I use sea wool sponges and am willing to give this a try.
 
Spilchy said:
Based on what's been discussed here, I was in Home Depot today and bought the grout sponge for $1.92.



It is a nice size and super soft. I use sea wool sponges and am willing to give this a try.
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Does anyone have a link to this Home Depot sponge online? Thanks to this thread I picked up some Eurow sheepskin mitts today at Wal-Mart...Picked up 2 of the fluffiest/softest I could find, but would also like to get my hands on this grout sponge to try out....$2 you cant go wrong! Thanks in advance
 
Josh, the subject sponge isn't found online. Stop by the local HD and look for them in the big bin on the "tile" isle. It's a great tool and they're really durable. The best part about them is that they rinse soooo clean and are soft. Oh yeah, you just can't go wrong at $2 bucks!
 
I currently use a seasponge when hose-washing and a wool wash mit when using QEW. Anyone using a seasponge with QEW?
 
Are the grout sponges really safe for automotive finishes? I've heard people complain about cheap "safe" products swirling the hell out of their paint.
 
At the risk of being a broken-record again, IMO the problems almost always come from the wash media (sponge/mitt/brush/whatever) pressing abrasive dirt against the paint- it's the dirt that causes the marring. There are people who swear by most any wash media you can think of and people who swear *at* the same media. Technique must be the big factor here or else *everybody* would have to use a foamgun the way some of us do. So the trick is apparently to find a method that works *for you*. The only way to figure out what that method will be is to try something and see how it works out. But if whatever you're doing now works for you, I sure wouldn't change it.
 
Personally, just the thought of using a "sponge" makes me cringe.... :soscared: :nervous2: It reminds me of the smart*** in school who use to run his fingernails on the chalkboard?

Chris, I know we spoke about this yesterday, but Im having a hard time running to HD to pick one up....... :nixweiss

It kind of goes against everything I have learned and read about over the years...... :think:
 
Last time I saw Barry's car (black S-Class)at Meguiar's it was pretty flawless for a daily driver and the guy that comes to their facility to wash his car does so with a sponge! Give it a try on a fender or part of the hood. Compare it to some other wash methods. I think you'll come out surprised.
 
I have been using a sea sponge ever since I joined this community. All of mine have come from properautocare.com and they are good sized.
 
I went down to Home Depot today and picked up 2 of the sponges. I was skeptical about using a grout sponge on my vehicle...But when I opened the package, it was suprisingly soft, I put it in a bucket of water for about 5 minutes..I wouldnt be afraid to use it on my paint at all, going to give it a go tomorrow if the weather holds up! Thanks for the advice on the sponge...for $1.95 - Im going to go back and pick up 10 more! I figure the more quality sponges and mits I have, the more I can just throw them in a bucket after doing a panel and dont have to worry about rinsing it out to work on another panel.
 
BigO said:
I currently use a seasponge when hose-washing and a wool wash mit when using QEW. Anyone using a seasponge with QEW?
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I haven't used a seasponge with QEW, but I have with ONRWS. It does the job well. I make a couple quarts more wash though because I seem to use more of it with the sponge somehow.



I'm going to take a look at those Home Depot sponges, too. Just that the term "grout sponge" doesn't sound too paint-friendly. But hey...if it works, it works. :)
 
I'm a sheepskin mit fan, I tried the MF mitt but found it didn't hold the soapy water very well. Interesting to hear about the sponges, like Patrick I just cringe when I hear sponge on the paint. I used one inside my wheel well and that's the only place. If the grout sponges work for members I say cool and good find.
 
Joshua312 said:
I went down to Home Depot today and picked up 2 of the sponges. I was skeptical about using a grout sponge on my vehicle...But when I opened the package, it was suprisingly soft, I put it in a bucket of water for about 5 minutes..I wouldnt be afraid to use it on my paint at all, going to give it a go tomorrow if the weather holds up! Thanks for the advice on the sponge...for $1.95 - Im going to go back and pick up 10 more! I figure the more quality sponges and mits I have, the more I can just throw them in a bucket after doing a panel and dont have to worry about rinsing it out to work on another panel.
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I think that is a good idea, keep fresh plenty of sponges in the soap water then discard into another bucket. No intermingling of dirt keeps your wash water prestine through the wash.

I'll be giving this a try once I order up this years supply of Z.



Edit: On second thought, I picked up a couple and found them too be far to stiff. I soaked one in hot water for 5 minutes and it didn't help much. I gave it a try on one panel with zero pressure then immediately called it quits, the sponge picks up dirt and holds it right on the surface to swirl the piss out of the finish. Sure the sponge holds plenty of water but that doesn't mean jack if it doesn't keep enough the particles away from the paint. I'd be kicking myself if I did the whole car only to spend time undoing the damage. There is a reason why they are cheap grout sponges, they aren't meant for delicate materials and you'll pay in additional corrective labor later. None for me thanks.



I can see maybe using a sea wool sponge, they are far softer and have a different surface geometry that may help hold the crud away from the paint. You could pickup a decent size one at a good paint store for a decent price. I think that I'd be better off with a mit, even a cheap $6 Target/Wally world special.
 
Same here. Very easy to clean and holds a TON of soap.



SpoiledMan said:
I use the regular old $2 grout sponge from the Home Depot sponge bin. They rinse free and clean, are gentle to paint and last a very long time.
Click to expand...
 
i just recieved my "heavy" sheepskin mit from exceldetail the otherday, It is very thick and soft, I have not used it yet but i'll let yall know how it holds up when washing...still waiting on my TOL sea sponge though.
 
Received my natural sea sponge today and tried it out. Wow! I love the thing. I was using an MF mitt before, but after trying out the sea sponge I doubt I'll be going back to anything else.
 
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