Using inexpensive MF Towels Instead Of A Wash Mitt

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Bill220

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Can inexpensive MF towels be used for washing a car without creating marring/swirls? I use the two bucket method and previously used a MF wash mitt but found that the mitt would hold some of the dirt after a panel or two despite repeatedly rinsing in the 2nd bucket. I since switched to using short nap MF towels, one per panel or two, but I really like them for polishing and don't want to mess them up. I could buy 7-8 wash mitts but that would get pricey.


I use Mr. Pink when I do a regular wash and ONR for rinseless washes. Both claim high lubricity so my thinking is that MF towels I can get from Sam's Club might be ok to use. The paint on my car is dark green and mars pretty easily, which prompted me to post my question here.


Thanks everyone!


Bill
 
Do you have grit guards at the bottom of your rinse bucket to release the dirt off the wash mitts?
 
Yes sir. But the white mitt still ends up with "gray spots" on it after rinsing a few times, which I'm assuming is actual dirt. That's what prompted me to use multiple washing towels. If I used inexpensive MF towels, I could retire them to wheel duty or oil change rags after they get stained up with dirt.
 
Bill220 said:
Yes sir. But the white mitt still ends up with "gray spots" on it after rinsing a few times, which I'm assuming is actual dirt. That's what prompted me to use multiple washing towels. If I used inexpensive MF towels, I could retire them to wheel duty or oil change rags after they get stained up with dirt.
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The gray set-in stains won't hurt.
It's the gray grit & grime that probably will.

What if the wash-mitt had originally been dyed gray?

:)

Bob
 
Which mitt are you using? I really like the meguiars microfiber wash mitt. It's white so it shows if you haven't rinsed it well, but it rinses all the dirt away very easily. You can also machine wash it.
 
I tried using mf towels in place of $6.00 megs wash mitts. Went right back to megs wash mitts as the towels seemed like one big heavy soggy mitt that would not trap dirt as well as the megs wash mitts.
 
I use the Meg's MF mitt there a great price and are very safe.
 
I use 600gsm towels for all Rinseless or soap/bucket washes. Nothing better IMO.
 
KillaCam said:
Which mitt are you using? I really like the meguiars microfiber wash mitt. It's white so it shows if you haven't rinsed it well, but it rinses all the dirt away very easily. You can also machine wash it.
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spence said:
I tried using mf towels in place of $6.00 megs wash mitts. Went right back to megs wash mitts as the towels seemed like one big heavy soggy mitt that would not trap dirt as well as the megs wash mitts.
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Pureshine said:
I use the Meg's MF mitt there a great price and are very safe.
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It's a Meg's MF mitt. It just doesn't look as white as it used to look, which lead me to believe that there was dirt still trapped in it, even after running it through the washer.

cleanmycorolla said:
I use 600gsm towels for all Rinseless or soap/bucket washes. Nothing better IMO.
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I have some 600GSM towels but I use them strictly for polish or sealant. I can't afford to buy a new batch at the moment.

I guess that I'll just buy a few more Meg's mitts. The cost of 3 of 'em is about the same as 12 cheapie MF towels, so not too bad I suppose.
 
What are you washing the Meg's mitt with. I pretreat mine with a little Apc and wash in hot water then put in dryer on air dry mine always come out like new.
 
Pureshine said:
What are you washing the Meg's mitt with. I pretreat mine with a little Apc and wash in hot water then put in dryer on air dry mine always come out like new.
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I wash it with my other MF towels and use a small amount of Era and APC. I air dry the mitt, just hang it on a peg and let the air do its job. The MF's I dry on low.
 
The only time I use some my lesser expensive MF towels is on the lower panels if the vehicle is very soiled. Then I will go back over it with my standard wash mitt. If I use any towel on a very soiled part, I go Gary Dean style and rinse it after my wash is through. I never re-use on any other panels.
 
yup, do it every time I use water.
I hate a dedicated wash mit, hold dirt made from wool, the foam and sponges are the worst.
every time I wash I get to use a brand new clean towel. Not some old azz, dirty wool mit.
 
Scott@IncrediblyDetailed said:
I would not use low quality microfiber towels.

Anything lower than 350 GSM does not touch paint. Autogeeks equivalent is the Gold Junior Microfiber Towels (very nice towels).

If you are interested in learning more about microfiber I wrote an in-depth blog post about it here: The Microfiber Manifesto: Everything You Need To Know About Microfiber Towels

Also, autogeek has a couple of nice articles here: Car Care Microfiber Towels, Microfiber dusters and microfiber Detailing tools
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Tons of good info there, thanks! I bookmarked the links for future reference.

What method do you use for rinseless and conventional washes in respect to towels/mitts?

zexel said:
The only time I use some my lesser expensive MF towels is on the lower panels if the vehicle is very soiled. Then I will go back over it with my standard wash mitt. If I use any towel on a very soiled part, I go Gary Dean style and rinse it after my wash is through. I never re-use on any other panels.
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If my car is super dirty, I'll use cheapie towels on my rocker panels. The car is so low that nobody can see them anyway.

Detailing by M said:
yup, do it every time I use water.
I hate a dedicated wash mit, hold dirt made from wool, the foam and sponges are the worst.
every time I wash I get to use a brand new clean towel. Not some old azz, dirty wool mit.
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I think I'll stick with my multiple towel deal vs. using a mitt. The Garry Dean method is quite intriguing to me and I may go that route. I don't mind using 20 towels per wash.
 
Bill220 said:
Tons of good info there, thanks! I bookmarked the links for future reference.

What method do you use for rinseless and conventional washes in respect to towels/mitts?



If my car is super dirty, I'll use cheapie towels on my rocker panels. The car is so low that nobody can see them anyway.



I think I'll stick with my multiple towel deal vs. using a mitt. The Garry Dean method is quite intriguing to me and I may go that route. I don't mind using 20 towels per wash.
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Rinseless I use these: Gold Plush Jr. Microfiber Towel, gold detail cloth, buffing towel, microfiber buffing towel, micro fiber

Current Wash Mitts: Chemical Guys MIC_493 - Chenille Microfiber Premium Scratch-Free Wash Mitt

I'm considering buying a higher GSM wash mitt for washes on corrected cars just to have the extra softness and microfiber.
 
i wash cars with ONR and sam`s mf towels for the last 3+ years
i will never go back to a wash mitt!
 
on the contrary , i use premium mf's to wash.

washing its what can cause swirls so that's the uber-carefull step i always did with all of my cars.

traditional and sheepskin soft mitts cause swirls and i've seen it first hand with new ones on the first pass of a new bucket filled with clean water and the best soap.
 
Scott@IncrediblyDetailed said:
Rinseless I use these: Gold Plush Jr. Microfiber Towel, gold detail cloth, buffing towel, microfiber buffing towel, micro fiber

Current Wash Mitts: Chemical Guys MIC_493 - Chenille Microfiber Premium Scratch-Free Wash Mitt

I'm considering buying a higher GSM wash mitt for washes on corrected cars just to have the extra softness and microfiber.
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Scott, do you use multiple MF towels when doing a rinseless wash and multiple mitts when washing conventionally?

Cosmin said:
i wash cars with ONR and sam`s mf towels for the last 3+ years
i will never go back to a wash mitt!
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My paint mars if the wind blows the wrong way, which is why I hesitated to use the Sam's towels. I've been able to keep the car relatively swirl free the past 10 months except for the rear bumper. That is always the dirtiest part of the car and I can see the swirls in it when the sun hits it just right.

KillaCam said:
No marring?
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R4IDER said:
on the contrary , i use premium mf's to wash.

washing its what can cause swirls so that's the uber-carefull step i always did with all of my cars.

traditional and sheepskin soft mitts cause swirls and i've seen it first hand with new ones on the first pass of a new bucket filled with clean water and the best soap.
Click to expand...

I've been getting good results with the MF towels but I'm always looking for a better way to do things.
 
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