# Cyclone Dirt Trap Car Wash Bucket Insert



## robinh112 (Sep 2, 2014)

What do you guys think? Looks a good improvement over the normal grit guards

Cyclone Dirt Trap Car Wash Bucket Insert - Chemical Guys


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## Hereisphilly (Nov 17, 2014)

Looks like it relies on sealing against the inside edge of the bucket, so you have to get the right sized buckets, but apart from that it looks interesting

Neat idea if it actually works


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## mcflycossie (May 8, 2007)

I was watching this on youtube earlier. Any idea on price as I have no yet had a chance to search.


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## delz0r (Mar 5, 2014)

It seems a little unnecessary.


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## jamiepollock643 (May 12, 2013)

I posted on these the other day, I think they are priced at £11 on the site. I like the look of them, for all the cost I'll prob end up getting some and give some feedback.


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## RealR0cknr0lla (Jan 17, 2016)

they are £11.99 on CG UK site with the 10% discount code that makes them £10.80 +p&p


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## Cy-Zuki (Feb 9, 2015)

Hmm off to see what size they are.....


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## Soul boy 68 (Sep 8, 2013)

Not had any issues with my grit guards so I'll pass on this one, nice idea though and if I was starting out now then yes I would look at these.


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## fatdazza (Dec 29, 2010)

hmmmm,


snake oil :lol:


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## Pittsy (Jun 14, 2014)

They do look posh but i can't really see how they would be an upgrade from a grit guard or such like


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## Alex L (Oct 25, 2005)

The way it looks to me is a grit guard the dirt can still freely float about the bucket, possibly transferring back to the mitt. This one the dirt gets trapped under the guard due to the nozzles. 

Probably works just aswell as a normal one, just a different take on it. Like the difference between lambswool and MF mitts.


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## Paul7189 (Nov 11, 2015)

If it ain't broke. Don't fix it.


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## fatdazza (Dec 29, 2010)

Paul7189 said:


> If it ain't broke. Don't fix it.


Unfortunately, while I totally agree, that is not how the world of sales works.

This is a classic case of making an "improvement" to something that nobody really needs in order to convince them that they really *do* need it :lol:


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## Alex L (Oct 25, 2005)

Paul7189 said:


> If it ain't broke. Don't fix it.





fatdazza said:


> Unfortunately, while I totally agree, that is not how the world of sales works.
> 
> This is a classic case of making an "improvement" to something that nobody really needs in order to convince them that they really *do* need it :lol:


We'd still be in the Dark Ages if everyone thought like that? Surely Evolution is good for everything?


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## Alex L (Oct 25, 2005)

Gheezer said:


> I have been thinking about this for a while and have trying to think up a 'washboard' type insert to sit in the bucket below the water level. The washboard insert is full of small holes so the grit passes through and is trapped behind in the space a falls to the bottom of the bucket
> This way the wash mitt is rubbed up and down the washboard insert cleaning it more proactively.
> Even a double board spring loaded and mounted in a shallow U shape that would clean both sides of the mitt at once (think Dyson Air Blade)
> This could be made so that that clips onto an existing grit guard to minimise costs and maximise protection.
> ...


I've been thinking exactly the same, I feel just having the guard at the bottom doesn't give you the ability to clean a mitt properly.

50/50? :thumb:


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## Alex L (Oct 25, 2005)

Gheezer said:


> If I wasn't so busy at work at the moment I would be working on a mock up!
> 
> I think there needs to be two. A clip on cheap as chips version and a premium cone insert....
> 
> 'Gheezer Guard tm' has a nice ring to it!


I'm in :thumb: 

I wonder if you can buy the cone stuff in sheet form and then just bend it and trim it to suit?


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## Alex L (Oct 25, 2005)

Gheezer said:


> I am going top steal a traffic cone from work and get to work with the Dremel. Proof of concept first I think.
> 
> Also I plan to drill the holes vertical to the central line of the cone so that the grit is routed downward and not outward.


It's well worth a try lol, although how many holes till you get bored of drilling holes lol


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## Cy-Zuki (Feb 9, 2015)

That seems a great idea!


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## fatdazza (Dec 29, 2010)

Alex L said:


> We'd still be in the Dark Ages if everyone thought like that? Surely Evolution is good for everything?


My point being that the grit guard in itself is pretty pointless. Improving it therefore results in an improved pointless thing.

Love the way they suggest you plunge you wash mitt into the bottom of the bucket where all of the dirt sits and rub it in the mitt on the grit guard, thus disturbing any sediment sitting on the guard or underneath it.

Why not dip the mitt just under the surface of a full deep bucket thus not disturbing the settled dirt at the bottom of the bucket. If you use a clear bucket you will see that using this method the dirty water remains at the bottom of the bucket and does not get disturbed.


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## beefcake (Nov 18, 2015)

Gheezer said:


> The Dremel will buzz through in no time. I will take some pictures


Grit guard is coming out with something similar to this


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## beefcake (Nov 18, 2015)

Gheezer said:


> Damn Foiled Again!
> 
> This looks good and will be on my shopping list but I am still going to get busy with the Dremel on the cone!


Yeah I thinks it's going to be released sometime this spring.


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## Alex L (Oct 25, 2005)

That looks exactly like I was thinking about, now to collect my 50% lol.

It would be better if they made it all on piece, but you can put 2 in as well I suppose.


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## robinh112 (Sep 2, 2014)

The dirt dropper looked to be a good idea and came out a few years ago but never caught on.


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## robinh112 (Sep 2, 2014)

It all comes down to technique, as others have mentioned to just use the top clean water and not to swirl around like in the below video should be fine. I'm currently after new buckets and don't mind spending a little extra on a product that should last a life time even if it just helps that little bit


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## Alex L (Oct 25, 2005)

robinh112 said:


> The dirt dropper looked to be a good idea and came out a few years ago but never caught on.


I think some of that may have been the US mind set on new stuff, if it had been made by better known detailing companies they would have caught on, but because it wasnt they didnt want to know.


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## Mcpx (Mar 15, 2016)

Trust Chemical Guys to take something you don't actually need and double the price of it. :tumbleweed:

Grit guards are a tool but they won't save you from poor technique, they do help, but they're not as effective as people (or guys!) would have you believe. For my normal maintenance wash I use the two bucket method with grit guards and because the cars are not really that dirty, this is enough. If a car is really dirty I actually go back to a one bucket wash, Shock! Horror!

Why? Well if there is lots of dirt your rinse water will be contaminated from the very first rinse, basically making it useless, and no type of grit guard is going to change that unless it is able to project a one way force field, so I use a soap bucket (with a grit guard but only because it's already in the bucket anyway and well, why not) and then I rinse in running water, you could use a hose but I actually just blast my mitt hand back and front with the power wash. Super simple, super quick and absolutely by far more effective. Oh and the bit that Chemical Guys don't want you to know is that this method is also free.


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## Bero (Mar 9, 2008)

I've not watched the original video, but I'm guessing the design was as much about getting around the GritGuard patent as it was about improving performance.

Gheezer - I would look at the options with and without your inner cone, i'm not sure what it adds. And I would drill lots of big holes. I think you want lots of water movement between the outside and inside of your large cone (and the small cone if you keep it).

What you don't want to do is create a 'dead' zone of clean water behind the cones which I think woudl happed with small holes. If that happens the grit falls down but the light weigh mud/dirt stays suspended and concentrated in the part you dunk your mitt, your 15litre could bucket effectively becomes 6-8 litres of 'working' water. Cutting the large cone vertically and only using 1/2 would help with this too.

I don't think the direction you drill the holes would make much difference, if you have the capability of drilling them vertically try that. Although it will leave a thin leading edge which may act like a cheese grater or become deformed.

Let us know how you get on, personally I've not really bothered with grit guards. If it's in the bucket it stays there, bit the mitt never goes near.

Mitt into the top of the bucket.
Use other hand to agitate.
Same in the rinse bucket.

Your idea would be very similar but 1 handed operation.

Just thinking........there are a lot of road works by my house just now...............


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## Alex L (Oct 25, 2005)

Looks grate! 

Dragons den is calling :thumb:


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## Blue Al (Sep 13, 2015)

Why not just have 2 buckets inside each other
Swiss cheese the base of the inner one job done


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## robinh112 (Sep 2, 2014)

My cyclones arrived about 2 weeks ago but just only got to use them on the weekend. I never used grit guards as the design looked heavily flawed (the gaps) in my opinion then when I saw the cylcones I thought yes this could work. After washing the car I looked under the cyclones and noticed a considerable amount of grit, this is after a pw rinse, prewash then another pw before the 3bm wash. I put the cyclone back and mimicked dunking the wash mitt in and out a few times and monitored, the grit visibly did not came up past the cyclones I then tested by swirling and had the same results. 

Overall happy with my purchase


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## Sid (Feb 21, 2009)

It's been mentioned before... cyclones at bottom and grit guards above it to clean the mitt
(As already got the GG's!)


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## todds (Feb 17, 2015)

*cyclone*

I have used grit guards in the past and found them adequate. i swapped over to the cyclone last week and found them to be a superior product as they held more grit in suspension at the bottom of the bucket under the cyclone. i have 1 for each of my 3 buckets. May put the old grit guards on top of the cyclone to see if even more effective.
regards
todds


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## Smanderson117 (Jan 19, 2015)

Ive got the cyclones and the CG buckets, yet theres about half a cm gap around the full perimeter between the cyclone guard to the bucket, yet they're designed for each other? I cant imagine this small gap will make a huge difference to the amount of sediment disturbed back up into the water/wash solution as a normal grit guard has large gaps in it anyway?


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