Rinseless wash media: Sponge vs. Mitt

Eldorado2k

Eldorado2k

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Legit question for the people who love to use a sponge for rinseless. Do you really prefer it over a mitt? Would you use a rinseless wash sponge to do a traditional bucket wash instead of a mitt?

What do you prefer and why?
 
I use a designated RW sponge because it's usually more dense and absorbs more. I also use the "Gary Dean" method as well.

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Klasse Act said:
I use a designated RW sponge because it's usually more dense and absorbs more. I also use the "Gary Dean" method as well.

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Would you use that sponge to do a bucket wash?
 
I wish I still had a link to an old video that tested many kinds of wash media under a microscope IIRC a sponge was downright scary and a mitt was the preferred. It was enough convincing to me to only use a sponge for household chores.
 
I know this wasn't an option, but I do the 5 towel method. Each towel gets used 1 time for a section and placed in discard bucket.
Only need 1-1.5 gallon of wash mix since dirty towels do not go back in.

Roof+windows
Hood+front fenders
1 each for 2 sides
Back
Total of 5.
 
Odrapnew said:
I know this wasn't an option, but I do the 5 towel method. Each towel gets used 1 time for a section and placed in discard bucket.
Only need 1-1.5 gallon of wash mix since dirty towels do not go back in.

Roof+windows
Hood+front fenders
1 each for 2 sides
Back
Total of 5.
Click to expand...
So I take it that you do not pre treat each panel

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Klasse Act said:
So I take it that you do not pre treat each panel

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Not specifically pretreatment, but when I do rineless it's usually in the winter and I hit the DIY 2 blocks away to spray off all the heavy stuff before rinseless in garage to remove the remaining film.

Yeah, I'm sure the 5 towels is overkill with that method, but better safe than sorry.

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I use on average 6 mitts when I'm doing the extreme wash method so not overkill at all; it's being safe
 
Odrapnew said:
Not specifically pretreatment, but when I do rineless it's usually in the winter and I hit the DIY 2 blocks away to spray off all the heavy stuff before rinseless in garage to remove the remaining film.

Yeah, I'm sure the 5 towels is overkill with that method, but better safe than sorry.

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I don't think 5 towels are overkill at all. I usually use about 5 or 6 myself plus a separate one for the tires and wheels during the winter.

It's all about being safe!

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I can't do it man. I just can't.

I tried years ago with a sponge and I hated the experience. And I really don't get how those special detail sponges with the spliced centers, do what they claim to do. Supposedly "trap" dirt inside of it. Psshh, whatever, lol. You have to apply pressure on the sponge so that those splices open up. And we know the more pressure applied to a panel the more potential chance for marring.

For many years I used those MF chenille noodle thingy mitts from CG. Worked just fine. Then I decided to try out the Gyeon MF Smoothie Mitt. Been using that now for a while and its fine too. I really have no preference between them though I think the Gyeon and its MF fibers cover more surface area and grabs more dirt then the noodle one.
 
I think the video did confirm that: the regular MF weave performs better than the noodle
 
evo77 said:
I can't do it man. I just can't.

I tried years ago with a sponge and I hated the experience. And I really don't get how those special detail sponges with the spliced centers, do what they claim to do. Supposedly "trap" dirt inside of it. Psshh, whatever, lol. You have to apply pressure on the sponge so that those splices open up. And we know the more pressure applied to a panel the more potential chance for marring.

For many years I used those MF chenille noodle thingy mitts from CG. Worked just fine. Then I decided to try out the Gyeon MF Smoothie Mitt. Been using that now for a while and its fine too. I really have no preference between them though I think the Gyeon and its MF fibers cover more surface area and grabs more dirt then the noodle one.
Click to expand...

You read my mind.^

Recently I’ve been doing more rinseless washing and if the car is really dirty I’ll give it a quick pre rinse with the hose and then do a rinseless w/1 bucket grit guard & 1 mitt. I can get around the car fast and quickly dry all at once. Works really good.

That got me to thinking, how in the world is that sponge better than using a plush mitt in any way? I can’t find a single pro to the sponge being better than a mitt and I certainly wouldn’t feel comfortable using the sponge to do a bucket wash but the mitt can surely do a rinseless and feels 100% smoother doing it.

4ff5f136e8f0a580487b122bea57eb8a.jpg
 
evo77 said:
I can't do it man. I just can't.

I tried years ago with a sponge and I hated the experience. And I really don't get how those special detail sponges with the spliced centers, do what they claim to do. Supposedly "trap" dirt inside of it. Psshh, whatever, lol. You have to apply pressure on the sponge so that those splices open up. And we know the more pressure applied to a panel the more potential chance for marring.

For many years I used those MF chenille noodle thingy mitts from CG. Worked just fine. Then I decided to try out the Gyeon MF Smoothie Mitt. Been using that now for a while and its fine too. I really have no preference between them though I think the Gyeon and its MF fibers cover more surface area and grabs more dirt then the noodle one.
Click to expand...
This is where pre-treating comes into play, bringing the dirt to the surface and/or breaking it down

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That sponge ain’t plush.

It’s like comparing an Absorber to a PFM. Which drying towel feels safer? Lol.
 
I'm just throwing it out there, while I don't do RW's exclusively I used to, for the most part, and never had an issue

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You should've seen what a sponge looks like under a microscope. It scared the bejesus out of me and definitely got my thinking that no one should probably use one on sensitive paint. Now combine that with dirt and one word: yikes!
 
Klasse Act said:
This is where pre-treating comes into play, bringing the dirt to the surface and/or breaking it down

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Click to expand...

Sorry, I don't believe in the pre-treating theory. Not for a rinseless wash.

If your paint is that dirty that you feel you have to pre-treat, then you probably should be doing a bucket soap wash with some extra foaming for lubrication. NOT a rinseless wash.

I just washed the wifes Durango RT last weekend. First contact wash in months since winter hit. It wasn't too bad but I pressure rinsed FIRST just to knock off all that loose surface grit that I didn't want my mitt to touch. Then followed up with my Gyeon MF mitt and a warm bucket of P&S Absolute RW. No issues, as expected, and she's all glossy and clean and my wife can finally get off my back. :dblthumb2:
 
I also don’t believe in pre treating being necessary. I put it in the same realm as “drying aid”… My definition of a drying aid is “hey can you hand me a better towel”? Lol.

Also, Quick Detailer is meant to safely wipedown a dusty vehicle and make it clean, it was never intended strictly as a post wash spray that’s needed in order to use a drying towel.
 
I'm talking your standard standing dirt from driving in the rain, nothing more, nothing less

I'm taking advantage of the science by pre-treating, even when it's "average dirty", works for me and I get why the rest of you guys do what you do, it's what your comfortable with, like me

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