Microfiber vs. Wool Mitt

CEE DOG

New member
Joined
Jul 12, 2009
Messages
7,358
Reaction score
0
For Washing... The title says it all! Which one is safest for my car? I've been using Microfiber but I am considering Wool after all the things I am reading. Please post your comments.
 
Last edited:
I used some microfiber for washing before and did not really like it.
If you have dropped one on the ground, you will see how hard it is to
pick the junk out of it. Wool is very soft and works well. Some are very loyal to wool mitts. I have recently been using the natural sea sponges.They are very nice. You have to clean them thoroughly when you first get them as they have sand in them. I am getting ready to
purchase a ShMitt as I see that a lot of the detailers here love them.
 
Lake Country Grout Sponge, I swear by them. I only use microfiber wash mitts (the Cobra Micro-Chenille Mitt) for side skirts, and under the front and rear.
 
MF, Chenille, or Sheepskin is the way to go ....
 
Dodo has a new mitt coming out next week(the wookie fist).
 
Last edited:
Right now I am using these strange fuzzy creatures I found at my local autozone. 4$ a pop and work very nicely. No scratch or marring.
 
I also swear by Lake Country Grout Sponge's, with $1.50 home depot grout sponges for the lowers/wheel wells. They just rinse clean so easily. I don't like Microfiber for washing at all.

I really want to try out the red LC Ulti-mits, but I'm put off from them because they're one sided. Any one use Ulti-mits? Is the backside usable?

Feed back please
 
I like using the MF "dread lock style" mitts they hold a lot of soap glide across the paint and release all the dirt with a quick scrub on the grit guard.
 
Just my two cents worth of input from emperical date I collected recently. Of course, all this depends on the brand, so it is specific to a particular manufacturer.

I did the "CD scratch test" on a variety of mitts I have (and a few MF towels that I had) plus a few in local stores.

Of the mitts I already own, the following "failed" :( :

> Synthetic "sheep skin" mitt
> Two brands of "real sheep skin mitts" (one was cheap so perhaps not unexpected, the other was much more expensive and did surprise me)
> A cotton chenille mitt (to a lesser extent)

So, I went to the local big box store to try a few others, since I was so disappointed.

The following mitts "passed" the CD scratch test :) :

> A short pile MF mitt (similar surface texture & pile height to a good MF towel) in Electric Green :)
> A long strand MF chenille-type mitt in Day Glow Orange :)
> An MF covered sponge

Plus, all the MF towels I have passed the test, including the cheaper ones from a warehouse club.

So, who knew...................?

Next, I'll have to try the Lake grout sponge, etc.. :work:

See ya
seeya.gif
 
I once read that sheepskin mitts drag dirt across the paint and that chenille was the best, and the cheapest. That was before MF, though.
 
Wool mitt

This is safer for the paint as when you dip it into your bucket of clean water 2 bucket method) it releases the dirt and grit easier than the microfiber (think of a microfiber cloth that's been dropped on the ground).
 
I am going to try the ShMitt and it will be on my next order. I have used syn wool and wool for years and have ended up with swirls.

With the wool (& syn) mitt I have always rinsed it before putting it back in the soap and never let it touch the bottom of the pale.

Time to try something new :)
 
I sure wish I could get some kind of consensus from the pros out there. I guess everybody has a different opinion! Genuine wool mitt or Microfiber chenille Mitt?!? The Genuine wool mitt seems to release the dirt easier according to what I have read. What is the downside? Price? Longevity? Not as soft on the Paint? I have only used the Microfiber and was getting ready to purchase the BOGO cobra chennille mitts but I want to get this right!
How about this boars hair brush? I see it being advertised to wash the car! I hadn't seen anybody talking about that. Does anybody do this? Pricey Eh?

I thought I read the foam wash brushes dragged dirt particles against the paint (didn't have anywhere for them to go)
 
I also swear by Lake Country Grout Sponge's, with $1.50 home depot grout sponges for the lowers/wheel wells. They just rinse clean so easily. I don't like Microfiber for washing at all.

I really want to try out the red LC Ulti-mits, but I'm put off from them because they're one sided. Any one use Ulti-mits? Is the backside usable?

Feed back please

You mean like this:
autogeek_2065_34203275

ULTI-MIT Wash Mitt & ULTI-MIT Scrubber Wheel Mitt by Lake Country

I have tried sheepskin, regular grout sponges, the Edge scmitt, MF mits, chenile mits, natural sea sponges, MF covered sponges, the Bone, LC Ulti-mitt original, and double sided, and just got their grout sponge mitt.

My favorites:
-LC Ulti-mit double. I loved the first but the original backing held in too many suds which made rinsing clean troublesome. After feedback from customers, LC did the double sided mitt, which is excellent. No marring or anything. That is for traditional washes.
-For ONR washes, grout sponges work decently. MF covered sponges work a little better and I personally like the natural sea sponges the best. They are gentle, rinse clean and last forever.

Personal Dislikes:
-Wool mits. They simply did not last long for me.
-Edge schmitt- it gets nicks and tears easily. Mine essentially got destroyed after 3-4 washes due to nibs on headlights, wiper cowls, etc. Plus it is only single sided.
 
I think it depends on what type of mitt you buy. Apparently the the wool mitts sold by AG don't last long (I use a Meguiar's one so I can't really say anything else about the AG wool mitts).

I've had my current Meguiar's mitt for just over half a year now and it's still going strong (I was kind of expecting it to last for only a month from what I had read about wool mitts).

As far as I know, the lambs wool mitts are the safest for your paint.

IMO, go for wool. :cheers:
 
I think it depends on what type of mitt you buy. Apparently the the wool mitts sold by AG don't last long (I use a Meguiar's one so I can't really say anything else about the AG wool mitts).

I've had my current Meguiar's mitt for just over half a year now and it's still going strong (I was kind of expecting it to last for only a month from what I had read about wool mitts).

As far as I know, the lambs wool mitts are the safest for your paint.

IMO, go for wool. :cheers:

I would say chenille are probably the safest. I used chenille for years and have had no swirl marks/ spider scratches on the cars I washed. When I went to work for another detailer who did mobile work, He used lambswool mitts, and ALL of the cars he detailed seemed to have swirl, or washing induced marring on them. It was the first time I had ever seen it up close other than pictures in a book. He was the only one who washed his client's cars. Based upon that, and reading Ultimate Auto Detailing, by David H. Jacobs, Jr., who said that lambswool traps dirt particles on the surface of the wool, and drags it across the surface, and that chenille has deep crevices in the fibers which trap dirt away from the surface of the paint, I would NEVER use a lambswool mitt again, ever. So far, I have had good luck with the MF chenille style mitt, but still totally trust the cotton chenille. Just my experience.
 
Hmmmm, ok then.

I would like some more input on the chenille mitts because I'm tempted to buy one so I can try it (well two, they're BOGOF right one :righton:) and also because I'm JUST about to place my order... LOL!

Thanks for any input on these.
 
Back
Top