Where is eveyone buying their Sheepskin wash mitts from?
- Thread starter JCturboT
- Start date
dschribs
New member
So it would be a waste of time to check in Wal Mart???
What's the brand name of the decent one at Advanced Auto? I'm looking for something locally to grab in the next day or two.
wfedwar said:
What's the brand name of the decent one at Advanced Auto? I'm looking for something locally to grab in the next day or two.
Accumulator
Well-known member
dschribs said:
No sheepskin mitts at my local Walmart yesterday. Numerous MF ones though.
When a placed my recent order with Detailed Image I decided to order one of their sheepskin wash mitts that are on sale for $6.99 till the end of the month.
It is the thumbless ones between the two Eurow mitts.
The "decuffed" mitt is one of the many I had purchased from Walmart years ago while the other is the Ultra Heavy mitt that came from West Coast detail supply.
I washed it in Woolite last night and will try it out on my next wash.
Jeff
It is the thumbless ones between the two Eurow mitts.
The "decuffed" mitt is one of the many I had purchased from Walmart years ago while the other is the Ultra Heavy mitt that came from West Coast detail supply.
I washed it in Woolite last night and will try it out on my next wash.
Jeff
Bill D
Hooked For Life
JCturboT said:When a placed my recent order with Detailed Image I decided to order one of their sheepskin wash mitts that are on sale for $6.99 till the end of the month.
It is the thumbless ones between the two Eurow mitts.
The "decuffed" mitt is one of the many I had purchased from Walmart years ago while the other is the Ultra Heavy mitt that came from West Coast detail supply.
I washed it in Woolite last night and will try it out on my next wash.
Jeff
The one on the left is similar to some of the less plush WalMart ones I have for lower rocker panels and wheels. I have a few like the one in the middle that were also of similar plushness from WalMart and those I have from online are just like it as well. All are quality as I'm sure yours are and serve me well.
Brad B
New member
I use Mothers (these are manufactured by Viking Car Care) and get them many places locally.
Bunky
Detailing Gnosis
Race Glaze is my current favorite.
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dschribs
New member
Stopped at two Wal Marts yesterday. No sheepskin mitts to be found.
Bill D
Hooked For Life
dschribs said:
I think they stopped selling them a while ago. Local car parts places may have them.
Blackthornone
New member
There is a book called Ultimate Auto Detailing by David H. Jacobs, Jr. that said that sheepskin wash mitts lay flat against the paint when wet and thus drag dirt across it, which causes swirls. He said that cotton chenille mitts allow the dirt to be trapped inside the nap better and away from the paint, and thus cause less marring. I only used a sheepskin mitt when working for another detailer who was mobile, and having read this book before working for him, when I saw that all of his customer's cars had bad swirls on them, I asked him if he was the only one who takes car of his client's cars. He said yes. They were all on a maintenance regimen with him for a couple years or more.
Hmm, I thought. Seems like there is something to what Mr Jacobs has been saying. I have always used cotton chenille or microfiber that looks like it since then, and all of the cars I wash have almost no wash induced marring, even after over 10 years.
My question is, are these really safe on paint? The Wookie's fist looks nice to me, as well as that Race Glaze one that Bunky uses, as I am sure they are super soft. However, softness isn't the whole issue. It's whether the mitt, no matter how soft, drags dirt across the paint or not. By the same token, I would NEVER use a flat synthetic sponge to wash a car with, no matter how soft it is, and quite frankly, would never use a foam one for the same reason. It seems to me that a mitt must have enough of a functional loose nap when wet, in order to be safe.
Hmm, I thought. Seems like there is something to what Mr Jacobs has been saying. I have always used cotton chenille or microfiber that looks like it since then, and all of the cars I wash have almost no wash induced marring, even after over 10 years.
My question is, are these really safe on paint? The Wookie's fist looks nice to me, as well as that Race Glaze one that Bunky uses, as I am sure they are super soft. However, softness isn't the whole issue. It's whether the mitt, no matter how soft, drags dirt across the paint or not. By the same token, I would NEVER use a flat synthetic sponge to wash a car with, no matter how soft it is, and quite frankly, would never use a foam one for the same reason. It seems to me that a mitt must have enough of a functional loose nap when wet, in order to be safe.
Bill D
Hooked For Life
I never ever wash without a constant flow of soapy water mix from my foam gun and I designate a specific mitt for a specific section of the car. Overkill but helps me keep things marring free.
Accumulator
Well-known member
Bill D said:
Right :xyxthumbs "Dislodge and flush."
Though I gotta say I don't use specific mitts for specific areas and I generally just use two mitts for the whole vehicle. But then I do the initial passes with BHBs so things are mighty clean by the time I start with the mitts.
Bill D
Hooked For Life
Accumulator said:
That's a great alternative method. Thing is, I don't have those types of BHBs and from what I understand, it's hard pressed to get new ones that don't mar these days, so in involved washing sessions, I stick with the multiple mitt approach.
Accumulator
Well-known member
Blackthornone said:
Most any mitt can mar when used that way; that's not how I'd use a mitt.
What's the copyright date on that book? I think I have a copy from back in the day...interesting read but not authoritative IMO.
I don't find that to be the case. *IME* "trapped in the nap" seldom corresponds to "away from the paint" in a meaningful way and that trapped dirt can lead to issues, especially if it doesn't rinse out. Best to not get dirt stuck in/to your wash medium in the first place; if my rinse water is dirty at the end of a wash that tells me I did something wrong (and that's on a truly filthy vehicle).
Most people can't wash marring-free to save their life. Period. And/or they don't do remotely rigorous inspections to see if things really are marred/not.
IMO there are other possible explanations. I've used chenille, sheepskin, and MF mitts and, other than dirt-retention, IMO there are few functional diffs between them once you're working from an "OK in the first place" baseline (e.g., passing the CD-test).
Then you must be doing things OK and there's no reason to change, right?
What..the ones you just said you use without marring? IF you're not marring paint then there's no issue.
That's why some of us use a foamgun to flush away any dislodged dirt before it gets trapped in the mitt and then dragged across the paint. And that's how the rinse water stays pretty clean.
I did OK with seasponges for many years, minimal marring (on single stage black lacquer) but I can't keep things *truly* marring-free with any kind of sponge :nixweiss But plenty of people here claim they're doing OK with flat grout sponges (and ONR and other stuff that I can't get to work for me) and I'm not gonna say they're, uhm....wrong.
I say "use what works for *you* and don't worry about what works for other people". Now if what somebody's using is *NOT* working for them and they want to find a solution to their problem, well... that's a different situation. But even then you gotta ask "how bad do you want it?".
Blackthornone
New member
Accumulator said:
The book was written in the mid 80's. I think I even saw it available online for free. It was the first book on detailing I read. It was very informative to me in 1988, when I was 18. It is by no means comprehensive however. I have learned a lot since then.
As far as natural sea sponges, I can see how those would work, because of the of the design of their cells.
I might even try it, but I can't see how a flat synthetic sponge could be safe. If other people get great results using them, I'm glad they have no marring.
When I said,:" My question is, are they really safe to use on paint?" I was referring to the sheepskins. I apologize for not being clear.
Buff Guys Auto
New member
Great thread fellas, i just picked up 4 of the $5 wash "pads" from ag. For me the wool seems to release dirt easier than the mf and i like that. I really like the looks of this one DI Accessories reTHICKulous Wool Wash Mitt | Detailed Image its a little cheaper that the ag equivalent.