I am wondering if you all could give me some suggestion on what you all use and reccomend for wheel washing mitts? I am not really a fan of using brushes or wheel cleaners, I keep up on my wheels so that wash soap and a mitt is plenty to keep them clean. I have been using the cheapie $3 imitation white cotton chenille mitts from wally world, but after 3 or 4 uses on the wheels the mitts are toast to the point where the material is falling out and don't trust them on my wheels. I need something that isn't overly thick so that I can insidie the back of the spokes and the back lip of the wheel, but something that won't scratch and is safe enough for polished wheels. What do you all suggest?
What are you all using for wheel mitts?
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builthatch
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- May 25, 2008
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cheap MF chenille mitt from advance that is pretty damn old.
along with ez detail brush and boars hair lug nut brush.
along with ez detail brush and boars hair lug nut brush.
Matt
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- Aug 25, 2008
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I use a boars hair brush, then clean using a car wash sponge (foam). Does an amazing job. U don't need to use the brush first, but I prefer it if the wheels r really dirty.
If u don't mind the price then a full sized sea sponge would be really good, can easily reach between the spokes and is non scratch. I have a couple of little ones that I got at a clearance store for $5 that I use to clean the exhaust chrome, work like a charm.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk so please excuse any grammatical errors
If u don't mind the price then a full sized sea sponge would be really good, can easily reach between the spokes and is non scratch. I have a couple of little ones that I got at a clearance store for $5 that I use to clean the exhaust chrome, work like a charm.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk so please excuse any grammatical errors
93fox
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- Dec 25, 2010
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You would be surprised at a wally world they have around here. I had never been to it and all the car care stuff is insanely cheap compared to other wallys!! Megs gold class soap is 4 bucks! The gallon! Ultimate compound is 5 bucks! Ultimate polish is 5 bucks! I didnt see any mothers/meguiars products over $15... I guess they just wanna really sell!!!!
James K
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- Dec 20, 2010
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Depends where I am working. I have stuff in three areas. I keep things in ft Stewart, Naples, and Tampa.
In Stewart I use a daytona brush for the barrels, a green bristle long handle brush for AG for the wells, a mothers carpet and upholstery brush for the tires, and a half of a group sponge for the face of the wheels.
In Tampa I use pretty much the same set up except I use a cheap microfiber chenile mitt for the face of the wheels.
In Naples, same thing almost except I use a finger nail brush for the tires as most of the cars I wash there have low profile tires. For the wells I use the Mothers fender well brush. The face gets an old sheepskin washmitt.
All three places get small brushes I bought at harbor freight for the lug nuts and cheap microfibers for behind spokes.
In Stewart I use a daytona brush for the barrels, a green bristle long handle brush for AG for the wells, a mothers carpet and upholstery brush for the tires, and a half of a group sponge for the face of the wheels.
In Tampa I use pretty much the same set up except I use a cheap microfiber chenile mitt for the face of the wheels.
In Naples, same thing almost except I use a finger nail brush for the tires as most of the cars I wash there have low profile tires. For the wells I use the Mothers fender well brush. The face gets an old sheepskin washmitt.
All three places get small brushes I bought at harbor freight for the lug nuts and cheap microfibers for behind spokes.
LuxuryMobile
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- Feb 12, 2009
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This is the same thing I do^^
ShaunD
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- Nov 19, 2010
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You are worried about a brush and wheel cleaners that are designed for cleaning wheels, scratching your wheels, yet you are willing to rub a cheap wash mitt across highly abrasive brake dust on your wheels?...
I would think that if you use a wheel cleaner designed to be safe on the wheel coating you have that you would have less chance of scratching your wheel because there would be less scrubbing required, IMO. The brake dust that gets trapped in a wash mitt/chenille will do more damage than a soft brush because with a brush the brake dust and dirt has somewhere to go and is not sandwiched between the surface of said mitt. Brushes can also be cleaned a lot easier than fibers and sponges after cleaning wheels so the risk are lower the next time you use the brushes. If your wheels are coated there isn't a whole lot to worry about when using a soft brush or a Daytona Speed Master Wheel Brush, especially if you never let the dirt build up on the wheels. WG wheel cleaner iand Megs Hot Rim All Wheel are very gentle smelling and don't require much agitation. You can spray, let dwell for 15-30 sec. and then hose off. If there is any dirt left from just hosing off you can apply cleaner again, agitate with your choice of tool, and hose off again and the wheels should be spotless. I hope that if you haven't been cleaning your wheels with wheel cleaners that you have at least been keeping a coat of wheel wax/sealant on them.? Also, claying them every few months would be wise as well, along with reapplying wheel wax/sealant. Hope I didn't come across as too critical. Just that I used all kinds of wheel cleaner on coated rims through the years and as long as I followed the instructions, and common sense, I have not caused defects to any rims. But, if the rims you have are clear coated I can see your concern and highly suggest keeping them wax/sealed. Godspeed on your wheel detailing journey.
I would think that if you use a wheel cleaner designed to be safe on the wheel coating you have that you would have less chance of scratching your wheel because there would be less scrubbing required, IMO. The brake dust that gets trapped in a wash mitt/chenille will do more damage than a soft brush because with a brush the brake dust and dirt has somewhere to go and is not sandwiched between the surface of said mitt. Brushes can also be cleaned a lot easier than fibers and sponges after cleaning wheels so the risk are lower the next time you use the brushes. If your wheels are coated there isn't a whole lot to worry about when using a soft brush or a Daytona Speed Master Wheel Brush, especially if you never let the dirt build up on the wheels. WG wheel cleaner iand Megs Hot Rim All Wheel are very gentle smelling and don't require much agitation. You can spray, let dwell for 15-30 sec. and then hose off. If there is any dirt left from just hosing off you can apply cleaner again, agitate with your choice of tool, and hose off again and the wheels should be spotless. I hope that if you haven't been cleaning your wheels with wheel cleaners that you have at least been keeping a coat of wheel wax/sealant on them.? Also, claying them every few months would be wise as well, along with reapplying wheel wax/sealant. Hope I didn't come across as too critical. Just that I used all kinds of wheel cleaner on coated rims through the years and as long as I followed the instructions, and common sense, I have not caused defects to any rims. But, if the rims you have are clear coated I can see your concern and highly suggest keeping them wax/sealed. Godspeed on your wheel detailing journey.
These Griots Garage are the winners...
Lambskin Four-Finger Mitt - Griot's Garage
Lambskin Four-Finger Mitt - Griot's Garage
builthatch
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- May 25, 2008
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i've used the same crappy neon green chenille mitt on all wheels and inner fender lips for years and had no issues scratching/marring the wheels or fender lips. i pre-treat with (normally) whatever concentration of power clean for the job, let it soak, re-mist if needed, rinse well and then when it comes time to do the wheels, i do them with said crappy mitt. if people can clean wheels, plainly, with ONR and a MF towel, you can clean pre-treated wheels with rinsed mitt soaked with shampoo solution. in my case, a little ONR and mostly Optimum shampoo. If need be i'll hit up the lug holes with the little boars hair brush, and the barrels with the ez, rinse, and they come up awesome. no scratches.
i do a ferrari on the regular that has custom painted OZ wheels. the lips are polished and clear coated, and the faces are gloss black. i've done those wheels probably 50 times using the process above without any issue - the lips don't get scratched.
LuxuryMobile
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- Feb 12, 2009
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I know were discussing mitts, but a pressure washer can be a great tool also for cleaning wheels. Takes alot of the hard work out of it.
BobbyG
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- Dec 29, 2009
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Pretty much here too...
rops:If I give the wheel and tire a once over after the initial cleaning with the brushes I use a wool mitt for a once over...:dblthumb2:
93fox
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- Dec 25, 2010
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WTH?!?!??! Are you sure 4 bucks for a gallon? Its 4 bucks here for 48 ounce in NJ. Where do you live? So cheap I would stock up.
I also got the EZ brush. They were giving them away free a couple months ago.
Yea 4 bucks! Oriely, autozone, other wallys have it for $10+! i live in houston texas! Im thinking of going and buying like 5!