Grit Guard design flaw

"The point of the Grit Guard is for the fins to touch the bottom of the bucket. This keeps the water from "swishing" around. If you raise it up and don't extended the fins, then the water can "swish" around."

Thanks for this info--never realized the reason for the fins. Hasn't been an issue for me as the GG is at the bottom of the bucket except on my "Ghetto Pad Washer."
 
MF or mitts are good at picking up particles, but did you guys forget what each of those strands looks like at the microscopic level? Dirt gets stuck to them very easily and its very hard to come off because its like little velcros.
towel3.jpg


I know someone stated that mitts have good releasing properities but I doubt its better than an open cell sponge. As you drag your sponge across a panel, dirt and dust enters these pores and gets trapped there until you squeeze it out in the rinse bucket.

One thing I dont use sponges for is when I get little blades of dried grass on the car. It will get stuck inside the sponge like glue.
 
ski2 said:
"The point of the Grit Guard is for the fins to touch the bottom of the bucket. This keeps the water from "swishing" around. If you raise it up and don't extended the fins, then the water can "swish" around."

Thanks for this info--never realized the reason for the fins. Hasn't been an issue for me as the GG is at the bottom of the bucket except on my "Ghetto Pad Washer."
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If you are pushing on the sponge, the water sploshes up and down and not side to side. So it will still kick up the oils
 
theory816 said:
If you are pushing on the sponge, the water sploshes up and down and not side to side. So it will still kick up the oils
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This^

That's why I prefer to use the hose nozzle to rinse my mitt clean. 100% clean. With with the grit guard that's not always the case.. And even if all the grit magically stays beneath the grit guard the whole time [which I doubt] the water above remains murky, which is anything but reassuring..

It only takes a couple of seconds to spray my mitts clean with the nozzle. It sure beats repeatedly dunking my arm into a bucket of dirty water, hoping it's clean enough to not scratch my paint.

I prefer the sure bet. Just my 2 cents.
 
theory816 said:
Hi all. Just got me a grit guard and this is the biggest problem with it:

The Guard sits too low.

This is bad for a couple of reasons:

1.Bad for sponge users. If you don't know, sponges are the best media for washing your vehicle. Not mitts not mf towels or anything of the like. So if im using a sponge and I need to squeeze out the dirt, Im suppose to push my sponge all the way to the bottom and push it against the guard. However, in doing this, youll splosh up the dirt and oil back onto the sponge . If the guard sat closer to the top, you wouldn't have this problem as there's no way for any water currents to be strong enough to disturb the dirt and oil at the bottom.

2. Bad for people who use gloves. I use rubber gloves. I just don't like any chemicals on my hands no matter how safe they are. If im having to put my hands all the way to the bottom in order to clean my sponge, water enters my gloves defeating its purpose.

Solution?

get a pvc pipe, cut 2 cross sections on one end so that the guard can sit higher than halfway in the bucket.
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Good solution first of all - but I'm going to have to seriously disagree with the use of sponges. IMO they are a small step above terry cloth - which is also pretty bad for your paint.

My solution was to adopt the GDWM - which is to have a clean bucket, with solution and enough MF towels to do the job. Put several towels into the solution (after presoaking the vehicle)- take a towel that's folded into 4's and wash a panel at a time, flip to a clean side with each pass. Set it aside when panel is completed and repeat the process until the vehicle is complete. You won't introduce dirty media to the vehicles paint EVER. And you only need one bucket- no grit guard necessary. Just food for thought.:xyxthumbs:
 
theory816 said:
MF or mitts are good at picking up particles, but did you guys forget what each of those strands looks like at the microscopic level? Dirt gets stuck to them very easily and its very hard to come off because its like little velcros.
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Dedicated MF wash media is constructed differently than a towel. Media like "The Bone" or most mitts use non-split microfiber.

theory816 said:
If you are pushing on the sponge, the water sploshes up and down and not side to side. So it will still kick up the oils
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More likely you're not going to get any "sploshing" because of the fins preventing that water movement, as noted by a previous poster. Also where is this "oil" coming from?
 
Mach1USMC said:
My solution was to adopt the GDWM - which is to have a clean bucket, with solution and enough MF towels to do the job. Put several towels into the solution (after presoaking the vehicle)- take a towel that's folded into 4's and wash a panel at a time, flip to a clean side with each pass. Set it aside when panel is completed and repeat the process until the vehicle is complete. You won't introduce dirty media to the vehicles paint EVER. And you only need one bucket- no grit guard necessary. Just food for thought.:xyxthumbs:
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Good idea^

But instead of using towels for bucket washes I use mitts, 6 of them. [and I just recently bought another]

That way I can wash a large portion of the vehicle in 1 quik hit before even having to stop. I simply use both sides of a mitt and toss it into my 2nd bucket until I've used them all up. Then I stop and rinse the car, then rinse my mitts [which takes less than a min.] and continue.

It's made bucket washing way faster than before. You're welcome:)

View attachment 39204
 
theory816 said:
I know someone stated that mitts have good releasing properities but I doubt its better than an open cell sponge. As you drag your sponge across a panel, dirt and dust enters these pores and gets trapped there until you squeeze it out in the rinse bucket.
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But, the surface of a sponge is not 100% pores so grit can get stuck on the surface of the sponge and be dragged across the paint causing scratches.

The Car Pro mitt I pictured in my first post is very, very soft and long Merino Wool and the hand pocket allows you to just float the mitt over the paint with very little if any pressure. The long fibers pick up the dirt and bury it in the mitt. Then a couple of swishes in the bucket and it releases everything it's picked up. And, if it doesn't, it's very easy to see it in the light colored strands of the mitt. There's no way you can use a sponge with as little pressure as a long fiber mitt.
 
ski2 said:
But, the surface of a sponge is not 100% pores so grit can get stuck on the surface of the sponge and be dragged across the paint causing scratches.

The Car Pro mitt I pictured in my first post is very, very soft and long Merino Wool and the hand pocket allows you to just float the mitt over the paint with very little if any pressure. The long fibers pick up the dirt and bury it in the mitt. Then a couple of swishes in the bucket and it releases everything it's picked up. And, if it doesn't, it's very easy to see it in the light colored strands of the mitt. There's no way you can use a sponge with as little pressure as a long fiber mitt.
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Ahhh, but thats where the technology of soy polymer kicks in. As you drag, it cannot mar as the dirt,rock,oils is surrounded by a very thin film of polymers. Not only that, as you drag this dirt across the panel, the panel is already protected by another thin film of polymers so you cannot marr. CAN YOU DO THAT WITH SOAP? Nah.

As for the merino wool mitt, I really shouldn't have said its a better or worse media for washing but in theory the sponge should work better and Ive found that they work great. I think a wool mitt works better with a soap based washing solution.
 
theory816 said:
Ahhh, but thats where the technology of soy polymer kicks in. As you drag, it cannot mar as the dirt,rock,oils is surrounded by a very thin film of polymers. Not only that, as you drag this dirt across the panel, the panel is already protected by another thin film of polymers so you cannot marr. CAN YOU DO THAT WITH SOAP? Nah.
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Hey, I love soy polymers as much as the next guy but if you drag a rock across your paint, it's gonna scratch.
 
theory816 said:
Ahhh, but thats where the technology of soy polymer kicks in.
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Wait...You use plastic sponges?

And here I had it pictured that they were
the sponges that are harvested from down
around Tarpon Springs.


Bob
 
The best way to wash your car is with a eggcrate sponge.They are cheap and when wet they are so so soft and very flexible in tight areas.They also ring out 100 percent of soap for detection of any grit that maybe stuck in there . That's my personal opinion ,I use them to apply wax and leather conditioning .
 
GSKR said:
The best way to wash your car is with a eggcrate sponge.They are cheap and when wet they are so so soft and very flexible in tight areas.They also ring out 100 percent of soap for detection of any grit that maybe stuck in there . That's my personal opinion ,I use them to apply wax and leather conditioning .
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Thats what I use
 
Bunky said:
I have stacked two grit guards in a bucket. You can use long latex gloves (the ones used for washing dishing) to reduce the chance of getting wash solution in them. They are reusable and more durable many of the nitrile gloves.
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7PaintGuns said:
20151206_100035_zpsvemdivih.jpg


From: Mike Phillips’ The Complete Guide to a Show Car Shine Paperback Book
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:dblthumb2:THIS:dblthumb2:

Note the photo, Grit Guards offset by 45°.

If there is one thing that is a flaw, is that sometimes they'll tend to 'float'. Even stacked two-up they'll float! I've alleviated that by drilling holes in the fins and putting a few pointed slip leader fishing weights in the holes, glued in with hot glue.

Then as they are connected at 45° to one another, again, a small hole in the bottom of the fins of the top one, then just hook them together with small 4" wire ties.

Works like a CHARM. :D

I have dual guards in my wash bucket as well as rinse bucket. Then have a single one in the wheel bucket. Having dual guards keeps the wash water so clean that you can use it twice!:) After that, pour it off next time in the wheel bucket. Nothing goes to waste. ;)

As for sponges (especially man made) uhhhhh..... I'll stick to microfiber mitts and Merino wool like the CarPro one. Natural sponges have been known to do well, but really no need when you have good microfiber or wool ones.

FUNX650 said:
I highly disagree with this theory of yours.
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As do I Bob!:dblthumb2:


FUNX650 said:
After being such a staunch sponge supporter
you now have the audacity to go and say:"If"?

Make up your mind! :laughing:


Bob
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Ahhhh that little word "IF". :laughing:
 
I use a Montana 10" Boars Hair Wash Brush, or Wool Mitt, or MF Mitt.

I just started using Boar hair this summer. It really cleans great holds water and suds. I use a 3' wood handle super easy to agitate in my rinse bucket.
 
Wow. Pretty bold to tell us what's best. I assume you can produce #'s to explain why it is the best? Maybe some surface friction coefficients? Or explain how the 'all mighty' best was determined.

I'll stick to the CarPro merino wool mitt. I can't claim it to be the best (no hard evidence), but I am damn happy.
 
theory816 said:
Ahhh, but thats where the technology of soy polymer kicks in. As you drag, it cannot mar as the dirt,rock,oils is surrounded by a very thin film of polymers. Not only that, as you drag this dirt across the panel, the panel is already protected by another thin film of polymers so you cannot marr. CAN YOU DO THAT WITH SOAP? Nah.
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soy polymer technology, where have you been all my life?!?!?!?

lmao its like Im listening to a late night infomercial
 
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