Why use a washmit?

If you feel that the washmitt is clumsy, then don't get the biggest one you can find! It should fit your hand like a glove that is 1 size too big. But not more. What you want is a mitt with the thickest and deepest lambswool, not the largest mitt.



I've been using mitts for 2 years and I find them less clumsy than MF cloths. With the MF, there is always a chance that my nails come into contact with the paint while washing!
 
I've always been partial to sponges over mitts. I used to use a yellow "car wash" sponge. But I found at a local store a "microfiber sponge," which had MF on one side, and strands of chenille on the other (sort of like a California car duster, but the strands stay together like "cords" on a dog that has that kind of fur). I like it a lot more -- seems to clean better, and slides over the paint more easily.



Is there any advantage to a mitt over a sponge per se, regardless of the material? I.e., say you like chenille -- is it anything other than personal preference to use a mitt instead of a chenille "wash pad" or sponge? I've always been curious about that.
 
miked2 said:
Is there any advantage to a mitt over a sponge per se, regardless of the material? I.e., say you like chenille -- is it anything other than personal preference to use a mitt instead of a chenille "wash pad" or sponge? I've always been curious about that.
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As long as what you're doing gets the vehicles clean without marring then I sure wouldn't change anything ;)



But just for the sake of discussion, IMO with a mitt/BHB you can have lighter contact between the wash media and the finish- just the (very flexible and soft) nap of the mitt or the tips of the brush's bristles. This is assuming you hold the media away from the finish instead of pressing it against the finish the way many people probably do.



When using mitts/brushes with the foamgun, it's easy to spray suds a) at the point of contact between the media and the panel, and b) between the individual strands of the media (the hair of the mitt, the bristles of the brush). I don't see being able to do this as well with a sponge.



I had, however, considered cutting a hole into a sea/grout sponge and poking the nozzle of the foamgun in there. Then I could spray suds from the inner surfaces of the sponge out to where it contacts the finish. I still question whether it'd be as free-rinsing as a BHB or as gentle as doing the same thing with a mitt (my "mitt-balloon" technique).



I used a sponge for years (including sea sponges but never a grout sponge) and *I* just can't get a marring free wash with them. But I'm *not* saying that nobody else can...you just gotta find what works for *you*.



speedaccordinly- I prefer sheepskin or MF except for my "mitt-balloon" thing, where I prefer chenille because it a) allows a better flow of suds from inside the mitt and b) seems to release some kinds of dirt better than a MF. But (hope this doesn't sound contradictory) chenille doesn't rinse as clean as sheepskin/MF so I have to use a lot of them as I won't touch my paint with visibly dirty wash media.
 
aaron33 said:
If you feel that the washmitt is clumsy, then don't get the biggest one you can find! It should fit your hand like a glove that is 1 size too big. But not more. What you want is a mitt with the thickest and deepest lambswool, not the largest mitt.
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The fact of the matter is you don't have to put your hand inside the mitt, if you don't want to. I use mine as I would a wash cloth. Just make sure to hang onto it! :D
 
I *never* put my hand inside my mitts, I fill them with soap solution and hold the cuffs shut while the solution seeps out.
 
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