6 Best Car Wash Mitter| Autodetailinglab
Yes you are causing more damage by using the traditional sponge and each tiny scratch will detract from that spotless shine we’re all hoping to achieve.
Ditch the sponge!
Read on to find the 6 Best Car Wash Mitter products to help you in the vital first stage of the detailing, the wash!
But first ditch that yellow sponge!
- Sponge = Scratches!
We all know the damage the rotary brush car washes do!
However, we can be doing exactly the same thing if we use the good ole fashioned yellow brick sponge!
Sponge equals sanding block!
The time served yellow sponge has been used by amateur and professional detailers since synthetic sponges were manufactured after the invention of polyester in 1941 and polyurethane foam in 1952.
Created for their high water absorbing qualities and ease of use the yellow brick sponge has now served its time on the hoods of our autos.
Research tests have shown that using a sponge is not actually wrong but it’s riskier as the dirt and grime can get trapped in the sponge and be dragged across your cars paint work.
This results is tiny scratches and swirl marks that over time prevent your paint work from ever having that deep shine that turns heads!
Car Wash Mitter Microfiber Miracle!
The results of the tests have shown that using what is known as microfiber cloth, or in our case Microfiber Mitts are able to attach themselves to even the tiniest, even microscopic dirt particles.
This technique they employ is called the “van der Waals force” and was pioneered by a Dutch chemist called Johannes Diderik van der Waals. He discovered how Geckos can stick themselves to ceilings by using the tiny hairs on their toes.
Waals then took this principle and replicated it in the microfibers to enable them to pick up the tiniest particle of dirt. This is why dirt, dust and pretty much any other substance can be “Hoovered up” with microfiber cloths. And also the reason why you have to clean your microfiber car wash mitts so very thoroughly, something we will cover later in this article.
We have been using them for years in our kitchens and bathrooms and now on our cars. The last few years have really seen this product skyrocket in the car care market. I can actually remember the first time I used one, the results were astounding compared to what I have been experiencing with the old yellow brick sponge.
- Good Ole Sheepskin!
Still a firm favourite with many detailers it is doing well to hold its own in the Microfiber revolution. With natural wool being soft and delicate it makes for an ideal car cleaning material and has stood the test of time.
Wool can easily traps dirt and particles so preventing scratches and swirls. It performs at its best on a relatively clean surface. Therefore, heavily soiled cars are best avoided with natural wool.
There are different types of wool and these depend on the type of sheep, what part of the sheep the wool came from and what process it has been put through.
The softest sheep wool comes from lambs that haven’t been sheared before, while the roughest is from older animals. Different breeds also produce differing wools with Merino being a firm favourite.
Sheep are sheared annually and the wool is graded. The best quality wool coming from shoulder and side and the lowest from the legs and undercarriage.
Once the wool is sheared off it is cleaned with various processes. This is essential as an interesting fact is that, up to 70% of its weight is contamination picked up from wandering the fields!
It is a good sign if your chosen wool wash mitt manufacturer asks you to wash your new mitt prior to use, as this signifies the wool has been heavily processed during manufacture.
Now we have an overview of some of the common materials used for wash mitts let us take a closer look at the products themselves.
Relentless Ultimate Car Wash Mitter
A wonderful looking Car Wash mitt that really gets the job done.
The microfiber ratio is 80/20 meaning it has a blend of 80 percent polyester and 20 percent polyamide.
Super absorbent and nonabrasive, this mitt can be used wet or dry.
Meshed on the inside, this mitt enables easier removal and replacement even with wet hands. This neat feature, that is not included in all mitts, also improves control of the mitt, especially when reaching down for the lower areas of the car.
It comes in two sizes but we certainly recommend selecting the larger size if you hands are anything above petite! As we found that the small size did not allow full hand expansion and hence became uncomfortable with sustained use.
We have heard that the quality control can sometimes lack, resulting in a few returns due mainly to tears in the interior mesh. So it may be worth checking throughout before you use.
We think overall this is a great product, and the big bonus is that you get two mitts! One can then be used for washing and the other for drying. The manufacturer recommends using the two bucket wash system and with a git guard in the bucket.
EDITORS RATING
Products Highlights
- Superb Microfiber quality
- Excellent absorbtion
- Lined with inner mesh for greater control
- Easy to put on and remove
The Good
Good price and you get 2 mitts!
Nice smooth action
Inner mesh stability
The Bad
Small size, only order small if tiny hands
Rare occasions but there can be some quality control issues
Mothers Premium Chenille Car Wash Mitt
This car wash mitter comes from the 30 year old Californian detailing company called Mothers and is a quality product at a great price.
It boasts extra plump, high density microfiber caterpillar design and is known for it softness.
It is a lightweight mitt that can become heavy due to its superb water absorbtion characteristics.
A feature not used in many mitts is the nice addition of a thumb hole section. This can help with grip if the weight is a problem.
The regular size is 8 inches x 10 inches (203cm x 254cms)
And finally the this mitt is so long lasting that many detailers report that they never need to buy another! Sme report buying two but still have the other untouched after 2 years of use!
EDITORS RATING
Product highlights
- Super soft microfibers
- Long lasting
- Lightweight
- Comfortable
The Good
- A long lasting
- Great price
- Good design
The Bad
- Can become heavy and slip off smaller hands
There appears to be a Lambswool version which doesn’t seem to last well
Takavu Wash Car Mitt Premium Cyclone Microfiber
This different to standard design wash mitt boasts premium AA 70/30 blend of split Korean microfiber. Meaning it has 70% Polyester and 30% polyamide.
Theres is definitely a different look to the mitt from what we have been used to seeing and it is interesting to hear the feedback is positive.
We notice they offering a “Money Back Guarantee” which indicates to us that they are eager to get the product used. This offers you a nice risk free trial though!
The longer and finer fibers allow a soft feel to the mitt with superb dirt particle removal from the quoted “Thousands of fibers per square inch”
It contains an inner foam core with super water retention qualities. It is good to see a new design product that buck the usual mitt design.
EDITORS RATING
Product Highlights
- Thick, soft quality microfiber
- Inner foam water retention core
- 2 mitts in pack
The Good
Good value in getting 2 mitts in pack
NIce new design to try against the norm
The Bad
Can leave little dust particles which could be annoying to perfectionists!
Let’s take another look at a longer fiber mitt
Viking Microfiber Car Wash Mitt
Another mitt following the “Split Chenille” long fibers is this Viking Mitt.
The unique feature with this product is that instead of having microfiber on both sides of the glove instead it has a scrub pad on one side. This enables a quick swap from mitt to pad when needed on the more stubborn bugs and marks
The elasticated cuff is strong and gives a strong grip to hold well to wrist when the pad is fully loaded with soap. The good cuff also enables easy switch from mitt to scrub pad.
And finally the price of this mitt is a huge plus if price is a factor! At under $4 this has to be excellent value!
Product Highlights
- 2 in 1 was mitt and scrub pad
- Inch long split microfiber
- No need to swap from mitt to pad on tougher jobs
- Price, super value!!
The Good
Super value wash mitt
Double sided use
Microfiber mesh pad
The Bad
WIth sustained use some blue fibers can come off. This does seem to be a trend with these split microfiber mitts.
Chemical Guys Chenille Microfiber Wash Mitt
Back too the more traditional microfiber design now and the evergreen Chemical Guys Chenille Microfiber Wash Mitt used by so many USA and worldwide details, a great favourite
Many detailers say this is the only mitt they need to use for years! Most of them buy two (as only on in pack on purchase) and they tend to use one for upper bodywork and another for lower body and wheels.
We think the feel is a really quality feel of plushness and deep pile. It has the usual 70/30 polyester/polyamide split and the caterpillar fingers make flowing over the bodywork effortless.
It comes in a slightly larger than normal size in that is measures 12” x 8”, making it idea to speed small jobs up and make it great for SUVs and Trucks.
On the down side we have heard reports of some falling apart after very little use. We have been told of a report that some dogey suppliers have been selling some fakes so please be aware, A good way to check is to look for the small Chemical Guys label on the inside, the fakes don’t have them.
Product Highlights
- Good overall mitt
- Leaves no lint particles behind
- Large size makes job quicker
- Extra Fluffy and Plush microfiber
The Good
The size proves a real winner with larger vehicle owners
Super plush Microfiber for smooth use with maximum dirt removal
The Bad
Can become very heavy after full absorption.
Meguiars Luxurious Lambs Wool Wash Mitt
Let’s now take a look at a couple of the Wool Wash mitts on the market that offer an alternative to the microfiber.
Some detailers look on the Wool MItt as the ultimate car washing medium. They say it has superior polishing priorities compared to the microfiber but its downside appears to be its lack of length of use before it deteriorates. However, this could be due to ineffective after care, as afterall we are using a “Natural” product here that wasn’t designed to scrub cars!
They need to be thoroughly rinsed to remove all soap and detergents. Some proffessional valeters allow the mitt to soak in clean water for an hour before hanging up to dry naturally in a warm place, ideally near a radiator. We find if this process is not followed then the deterioration problems can form.
The design of the glove itself is excellent in that it has a bug removal pad on the opposite side to the deep pile lambswool. This enable fast changes to switch from smooth panel cleaning to fender bug removal with just a swivel of the Mitt. This can eliminate the chance of dropping the mitt also!
The deep pile lambswool certainly absorbs and holds the soap and water well. And we must comment on the smoothness of movement over the paint work. The two bucket method (One for washing, one for rinsing the mitt) seems to work best with this mitt.
The only downside with this product seems to be the deterioration’ after relatively few washes in. But when pictures of theses mitts are viewed it seems as thought they certainly havent been maintained by the method suggested above. The wool looks thick, stained and lumpy, sure signs of hardened polish etc.
Product Highlights
- Smooth deep pile
- Excellent smooth washing action over paintwork
- Great absorbtion
- Bug remover on opposite side
The Good
Smoothness of quality wool
Wool and Bug scrub pad in one
The Bad
Lack of longevity as seems to be the usual with wool mitts
Car Wash Mitter FAQ
Q.What is Microfiber?
A. In the auto detailing and really any cleaning world it is pretty safe to say without exaggeration that microfiber is a “Modernday Miracle”!
Did you know that to qualify as “Microfiber”, 9 kilometres of filament has to weigh less than 1 gram!!
Now imagine a single strand from a synthetic wool mitt, imagine it coated with hundreds of nano sized wash mitts. Then make is statically charged and able to hold much more than its own weight in water. Finally make it unbelievably soft, oh and throw in machine washability! Then you have “The Microfiber”!!
It is normally a 70/30 blend of polyester and polymide as mentioned previously in this post there are other blend percentages available.
It only real downside is its heat resistance and some cheaper versions leave a little trace of fiber when getting worn
Q. Why Chenille Microfiber?
A. The word Chenille is a French word meaning “Caterpillar”. It actually means the way the fabric is formed into the shape of a caterpillar. Car wash mitts are a great example of this. The technique used is to weave a fabric and then cut it into strips to make the Chenille yarn. Is is then treated with heated rollers to give the unique fizz!
It has been around for years - both in our bathrooms, kitchens and car care. Initially developed in the 1930’s it wasn’t until 1990 that Chenille industry standards were introduced to improve the development and manufacturing process. Since 2010 electronic quality control has been introduced. And along with the use of low melt nylon in the core, we now have the top quality Chenille microfiber to grace the panels of our cars!
The main reason Chenille is better than normal microfiber is that it has “Pile”. This makes it more apt to hold water than normal microfiber which is smooth and often repels water. Also the well spaced and long tentacle or caterpillar like fingers create a lot less drag, therefore exerting less pressure on the surface. Yet it still removes dirt far more effectively than a sponge.
These reasons, along with its incredible softness is why it is ideal for use as a car wash mitter.
Q. Microfiber v Wool, which is best?
A. As with anything you can have good or bad versions of either. But we think that a top quality version of either is what you need to look for then compare your preference.
A common preference we hear from detailers is that the microfiber has the edge if the car is dirty as it has a greater ability to pick up the dirt particles and remove the grime. If the car is relatively clean then the good water/soap holding quality of the wool can be an advantage.
Another factor to consider is the wear length of use as here is seems the Microfiber has the edge. After all wool is designed to keep sheep warm not wash cars! But again a properly prepared wool mitt will last well, especially the deep pile lambs wool.
Q. How do I care for my Car Wash mitter after use?
A. Caring for you Car Wash Mitt is an essential part of keeping it in good condition to provide you with the best possible shine time and time again.
This process is pretty easy if you know the rules! Lets take a look at the rules!
Q. Microfibre Car Wash Mitter after care rules
A. Your microfiber wash mitt can survive hundreds of washings if you follow two simple guide lines which are:
- NO heat in the dryer. Keep them away from heat and air drying is best
- NO fabric softeners or detergents with fabric softener in it.
Machine wash microfiber
Wash in warm water with mild detergent DO NOT USE FABRIC SOFTENER as it will clog up the open spaces that help do the cleaning. Microfiber can tend to grab lint in the wash just as it grabs dirt and dust when you used it for cleaning your car.
Ideally your microfiber should be washed with other microfibers as if washed with anything made of cotton. But if you do want to add other items its best to ensure they are non linting synthetic materials.
Hand Washing Microfiber
As with the machine wash, use warm water with detergent and use a soft bristles brush if needed, Then rinse thoroughly.
Drying Microfiber
If you are seeking to increase the longevity of your microfiber then Air Drying is essential. It will dry pretty quickly. If however you choose to use a dryer do so on a low or even better, NO heat with other microfibers to again stop the lint retention.
Conclusion
Choosing the best car wash mitter is important as if you have the wrong type for you then can easily put you off washing your car.
As with any task the more pleasurable we make it the easier it happens and the more we look forward to doing it.
I know from my own experience that is if you have one that hold too much water or is too big for your hand then it makes the job difficult.
Time spent choosing is time well spent, read our reviews also our How To Wax Your Car the Ultimate Step by Step Guide and we are sure you will have endless hours cleaning your car with your best car wash mitter.