Wash car with 1 bucket and multiple mitts?

Didz

Didz

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Hello,
I am new to the detailing world and have enjoyed doing some correction on my cars. I greatly appreciate all the info i have receivedand have watched a ton of videos and read lots of topics on this forum. I have noticed that everyone is worried about rubbing dirt onto their cars paint when washing it. The 2 bucket method is better than one bucket, but isn't using multiple mitts the best. I would think one large bucket of shampoo and 4-5 good mitts could allow for 10 surface sides to clean car without having to put mitt back into any bucket at all. Simple use the mitt on a panel, flip and use on another then place aside and start over. Wouldn't this be the best way hands down? I now a few extra mitts adds cost, but so do the buckets and guards. After paint correction and sealant on my cars the last thing I want to do is wash it and cause damage. I don't even dry using towel, electric blower only. So my contact is minimal. Why wouldn't people prefer this over 2 bucket and wiping car dry, which could result in some light scratches. Where as, this technique IMO eliminates the dirty mitt, and no contact while drying. Nothing is perfect, but is it about selling buckets and grit guards? If so, why not sell more mitts? Just wondering what people are thinking....
 
Did you just watch the video from Scott at Dallas Paint Correction and Auto Detailing, LOL!
 
Yup, that's what I do and have done for quite a while... My bucket washes include 11 mitts. [my 2 nasty duty yellow noodle mitts aren't pictured here]

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A dirty mitt never touches the paint.
I don't need a grit guard, just an extra bucket to toss my used mitts into and the hose nozzle to rinse them all clean after I'm done.
 
I use 3-4 mitts with a two bucket/grit guards. One for the roof/hood, one for each "top side" one for each "bottom side", and if the truck is especially dirty, one for the tailgate/bumpers. All in that order.

I find this method works very well for me.

And +1 on the blow dry. I always use my blower to dry, and just blot up what's left with a Cobra. I never wipe a drying towel over the truck.
 
No, i juts though that if we use more mitts than we has less chance of dirt being rubbed on car. Glad I'm not the only one who thinks
this way.
 
After watching Scott's video he agrees that the dirt goes to the bottom of the bucket, below the grit guard but when you go back into the bucket the dirt get back onto the mit...how does this happen while using a grit guard?

I do see/like/understand using multiple wash mits, it's like using the GD method but for traditional type washes.

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multiple buckets is soooo 2013!.. one wash mitt.. trigger garden hose.. soap in hand pump - wash panel - rinse off mitt - repeat.

But do whatever feels good for you.. it's making a dirty car clean again.. it's fun - do whatever the hell you want. It's the end result for me.. the journey is always changing
 
Love the 2013 comment, LOL!

I don't have a hose because we live in an apartment and have underground parking, so I've been doing RW & WW's for years now and about 2 weeks ago I got the Worx PowerShot, so I can now do traditional washes again when need be or want to. I have to have buckets, like 3 of them because of my situation. One bucket has soapy mix, the other is for dunking the wash mit clean and the 3rd one, yes a THIRD one, is for rinsing the entire car down.

Because my car is coated and has additional boosters applied to it, my car never gets too dirty, so my rinse bucket isn't too bad and if and when it does I will empty that dirty water and add fresh and clean new water when need be.

Each person has a different situation and I do agree about rinsing off the individual wash mits but they still need a good washing as well.

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I have to admit that I'm moving more in the direction of one bucket with multiple mitts for my own cars. This really works only if you have one for each panel. It does, however, create more laundry.

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kevincwelch said:
I have to admit that I'm moving more in the direction of one bucket with multiple mitts for my own cars. This really works only if you have one for each panel. It does, however, create more laundry.

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Hey Kevin I have some things for you and Benjamin so hopefully you guys make it out to rise and drive next month.

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kevincwelch said:
I have to admit that I'm moving more in the direction of one bucket with multiple mitts for my own cars. This really works only if you have one for each panel. It does, however, create more laundry.

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It doesn't really create more laundry. You're still going to wind up having to toss your wash mitt into the washer whenever it's time, just now you'll actually make the washload a bit more worthwhile because it's not 90% empty in there...

Plus you won't have to machine wash the mitts after every bucket wash.. They typically come exceptionally clean once you spray them after you're done washing. I usually toss them back into the clean suds and close the gamma seal lid and if I happen to wash another vehicle in the next couple of days a quik jet spray from the nozzle revives the suds and it's ready to go.

Or you can choose to dump the suds and wring the mitts dry after rinsing them clean and neatly place them in the empty clean bucket and they'll be clean and ready for next time. I usually go about 3 washes before I machine wash them and honestly they could go longer since my 2 yellow nasty duty mitts take the brunt of the nastiness whenever there is some.

Not to mention you'll see a noticeable difference in the time it takes to complete a wash now that you're not wasting time to dunk and inspect the same dang mitt over and over again. Lol.
 
It's a balancing act. Even if you are using a pristine MF towel, you make one pass, and by the end of that pass you've accumulate dirt and are now dragging it across the surface of your clear coat. At some point, you have to drag an MF or sponge or mitt across the clear coat to clean it. Multiple MFs, multiple mitts, a single mitt with a garden hose, a single mitt and constantly cleaning it on your grit guard. What's fastest? I don't know. I'm beginning to think they are about the same. I currently use the "Garry Dean" method so I only use one bucket and don't have to scrape anything off on the grit guard, but I'm constantly fussing with refolding the MF. I occasionally do a two-bucket wash, which has some benefits, but then I waste time going back and forth to the grit guard. I think it just comes down to your situation and personal preference.
 
I just don't see the point sorry guys. If there is dirt or grime left on the paint after the initial rinse. You are still placing a mitt on the paint and agitating it. 1 mitt or 500 mitts shouldn't make a difference. You're still agitating dirt on the paint. My one mitt rinses pretty darn clean and I'm not scratching my paint. I can take 11 mitts and do laundry once every 11 weeks.

I guess that's the cool thing with detailing though. There are many ways to achieve the same outcome. If it works for you stick with it.

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yg1829 said:
I just don't see the point sorry guys. If there is dirt or grime left on the paint after the initial rinse. You are still placing a mitt on the paint and agitating it. 1 mitt or 500 mitts shouldn't make a difference. You're still agitating dirt on the paint. My one mitt rinses pretty darn clean and I'm not scratching my paint. I can take 11 mitts and do laundry once every 11 weeks.

I guess that's the cool thing with detailing though. There are many ways to achieve the same outcome. If it works for you stick with it.

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Rinsing the mitt off after every dirty panel is perfectly fine IMO. Using a fresh mitt for just about every panel is VERY safe and I'm not going to slam anyone for doing what's basically the GD method for traditional washas.

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I do the "1 bucket, multiple towel" rinseless and waterless process all the time... but it had never occurred to me to try a "1 bucket, multiple mitt" method for traditional washing... seems like another safe option for completing the task of cleaning paint.
 
Klasse Act said:
Rinsing the mitt off after every dirty panel is perfectly fine IMO. Using a fresh mitt for just about every panel is VERY safe and I'm not going to slam anyone for doing what's basically the GD method for traditional washas.

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I fully agree with you that's why I said if it works stick with it. All we want is unscratched paint. On thing we can never get around though is placing our wash media on somewhat contaminated paint.

By slam people do mean the way that guy in the video basically slammed the Lamb's by saying their grit guard doest work? Completely disrespectful.



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yg1829 said:
I just don't see the point sorry guys. If there is dirt or grime left on the paint after the initial rinse. You are still placing a mitt on the paint and agitating it. 1 mitt or 500 mitts shouldn't make a difference. You're still agitating dirt on the paint. My one mitt rinses pretty darn clean and I'm not scratching my paint. I can take 11 mitts and do laundry once every 11 weeks.

I guess that's the cool thing with detailing though. There are many ways to achieve the same outcome. If it works for you stick with it.

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For me saving time and making a wash less of a hassle is just as important as not instilling swirls onto the paint... I've been doing the "rinse my mitt off" after every panel deal ever since I bought my 1st car 20yrs. ago.. But 1 day I thought it would probably make it a breeze + save me some time if I didn't have to stop and pick the hose up to rinse my mitt all around the car.

Plus I don't have to ever be extra tedious about whether or not my mitt is totally free of grit and safe enough to re introduce back onto the paint, because I don't even deal with rinsing all the mitts until I'm done.

Mitts are cheap as heck... Those Meguiars ones are sweet and only cost $5 each. The green 1 was also $5 at the auto parts store. My Gyeon Smoothie mitts are actually knockoffs just like they knocked off the Incredimitt and now the lag company has ripped them off too... except I got the same exact mitt for only $7 each. Lol.

And my yellow noodle mitts that I use for rocker panel duty are from the 99 cent store and they're actually better quality than the similar looking mitt that costs more than 10x the cost.

Use 1 side of a mitt, flip it and wash the windows, toss it, grab another fresh mitt and continue. Saves me a bunch of time I'm not wasting.
 
I can tell you this, I've used the two bucket method with two mitts, one for the upper part and one for the lower section on my wife's F-150 super cab with no LSP (I know, I know, I just put a sealant he on until I can finally get around to coating it) weekly at least for about 16 months and there are no scratches or swirls on the truck. It's a very dark gray which would make them fairly easy to see if they were there. I do use a wool mitt on the top part of the vehicle which I can put in the rinse bucket and gently twist my hand back and forth to release dirt. I also use a washboard grit guard in my rinse bucket to keep my other mitt further from the dirt and gently wipe the mitt on the grit guard so you're not stirring up the dirt off the bottom. I also use a little rinseless wash in my rinse water to help keep the dirt on the bottom. I also wash my black Camaro with this method with no issues.

So 2013, I think you have that backwards. The days of rinsing your mitt who knows how many times is a bit of a waste of water. Year after year, especially in certain parts of the country conserving water becomes more and more important. With that being said I have to wonder when you're using 10-12 mitts why you're not just doing a rinseless wash. I feel guilty enough doing a two bucket method and was glad to see McKee's come out with a wash that allows you to wash the entire vehicle before rinsing, this saves a lot of water versus trying to keep the panels wet after rinsing until you're done with the entire vehicle.

Believe me I hate scratches and swirls as much as anyone so if my method was scratching the vehicle in any way I would change.

Just my .02. Not trying to knock anyone's method. It's in our nature to do everything we can to keep our paint looking better than new. If that's the only way you're comfortable washing your vehicle then by all means do it. I'm definitely not a tree hugger, but water is kind of an important thing.
 
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