# Wash Mitt or Sponge? I Was Surprised



## Andrew911 (Apr 5, 2016)

OK, folks go easy on me. 

I have been using wash mitts for years - told they were the best thing to use - Right? Better than Sponges - Right? Sponges have nasty chemicals in the them like cellulose & silicone - Right?

I have just had my new 981 Boxster Spyder detailed by a top guy - many years in the business. Was originally a very senior guy in a very well know detailing brand, did his early trade in the paint shop - so knows lots about paint etc. He does a lot of work for Aston Martin & preps cars for RM & Bonhams Auctions. He did an amazing job on my car - had the full Gtechniq treatment including Gtechniq Black (Crystal Serum + Exo) for the paint. it actually looks better than when I collected the car new last week from Porsche - deeper colour etc.

As i was leaving we were chatting & he went over what the car had done. he mentioned he used Sponges not wash mitts. I was a bit gobsmacked. He went onto to explain that dirt & particles can be easily trapped in the fibres of a wash mitt - even when using two bucket method. With a sponge - dirt & particles are less likely to penetrate the surface of a sponge & also its more easily visible. The chemicals in a sponge don't leach out either he went onto say. He did a test under lab conditions - two bonnets - same car - same paint depth & condition. One cleaned using a wash mitt the other a sponge. The one that was cleaned with a wash mitt had lots of marks/scratches etc compared to the other one. Also, he said manufacturers want you to believe wash mitts are better because they cost more = more profit etc.

Still surprised. but i have to have - this guys work is superb. I would go on to say an expert in his field.


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## Luke M (Jul 1, 2013)

If you use a sponge with due care then go for it.
However a statement like mitts trap dirt and sponges don't is the very reason that mitts are the popular choice.
Personally I wouldn't want a flat sponge surface incapable of trapping grit simply holding it square against the paint surface but each to there own.


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## Altos (Apr 9, 2016)

Dit he say what sponges he used?
I can imagine not all sponges meet his standard?
My washmitt is old and i'm looking to replace it.


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## ed87 (Apr 6, 2015)

This is good reading; I recently got a load of wash marring whilst using my lambs wool mitt (well, actually I have been getting lots of wash marring so I have been actively trying to reduce it) and so I've bought a meguiars microfibre mitt and a high density sponge to try something different and experiment. Through using both I noticed no real added wash marring in comparison to using the lambs wool mitt so I can see his point


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## A&J (Mar 4, 2015)

Im not suprised...I went from cheap sponges to expensive wash mitts and noodle mitts thinking they are better but started using hi quality sponges again mainly because I switched to rinseless washing shampoos (ONR, Wolfs mean green) and I find them better than mitts. 

I have been told the same from my supplier and in my case it is true.

Hi quality (not those hard cellulose cheap ones) easily trap and release most if not all dirt particles. When comparing with my wash mitts, there was still some particles that got stuck into the fibers of the mitts, that I had to pick up and remove by hand even after rubbing the mitt on the grit guard. 

If you think about it how microfiber works you soon realize that it is exelent at trapping dirt but really bad at releasing it. Releasing dir is what sponges do best so you always start with a clean sponge after rinsing it. Can not say the same for wash mitts.

Food for thought :thumb:


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## Yellow Dave (Apr 5, 2011)

I'm a long term user and recommend the carpro wash mitt. But I also use the dodo juice supernatural sponge and kamikaze wash sponge with no issues


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## baxlin (Oct 8, 2007)

It now seems naively, but I am worried that a sponge will drag any particles over the surface, causing swirl marks, as there is nowhere else for them to go.


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## A&J (Mar 4, 2015)

Depends on what sponge you have...some are waffle shaped, some are square cut etc...Look at the big red sponge, Soft99 egg sponge, Dodo juice sponge on google. 

Also sponges are not flat...they have pores where dirt is traped.


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## Yellow Dave (Apr 5, 2011)

baxlin said:


> It now seems naively, but I am worried that a sponge will drag any particles over the surface, causing swirl marks, as there is nowhere else for them to go.


Yes and no. Depends on the chosen sponge of mitt


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## organisys (Jan 3, 2012)

If you think about it, each has their potential advantages and disadvantages and characteristics. The trick to successful detailing is using your knowledge and experience to work within and account for the limitations of the tools.


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## scratcher (Jul 20, 2010)

Was it a certain Z branded sponge?
(I think they're still in the brand blocker filter)

A very well known and highly regarded detailer swears by them. Think £5k car wash


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## Actrosman (Oct 23, 2013)

I would say (and maybe wrong) that each is as capable of holding on to dirt etc and inflicting damage as the other, especially if using one for the whole car (not that anybody would on here) and not using a separate, designated 'underbody' one (arches/sills etc). I use a mitt simply because there's less chance of dropping it.....sponge hits the deck it's pretty much good for nothing except the bin!


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## chongo (Jun 7, 2014)

scratcher said:


> Was it a certain Z branded sponge?
> (I think they're still in the brand blocker filter)
> 
> A very well known and highly regarded detailer swears by them. Think £5k car wash


Now I know who your talking about and which one he uses, and I might try one as well, as for washing then everybody is different as we all know damage to your paint is cause by improper washing and drying procedure, so it really doesn't matter if you use a good wash mitt or a good washing sponge, as we all know,
good washing technique always trumps product:thumb:


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## A&J (Mar 4, 2015)

chongo said:


> good washing technique always trumps product:thumb:


Thats what the Junkman would say 

Both are important ... good quality wash gear as well as the knowledge to use it properly and safely! You have to know the limitations of anything you wash with.


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## sean ryan (May 10, 2015)

Who sell's the big red sponge?


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## A&J (Mar 4, 2015)

I wish I knew...I think its only available in the US


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## sean ryan (May 10, 2015)

A&J said:


> I wish I knew...I think its only available in the US


Yea thought so buddy


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## A&J (Mar 4, 2015)

But you can get Zaino, Dodo juice, Soft99 sponges that are also good.

Soft99 egg sponge is probably the softest on the market and may be worth a try.


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## Choppy (Aug 8, 2013)

Adams big red sponge is very similar to the onr one


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## fozzy (Oct 22, 2009)

Both trap dirt and can damage the paint. Most of the damage people suffer is caused by a poor wash technique and or applying to much pressure along with the lack of a prewash to remove any potentially damaging grit particles during the process.


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## Mugwump (Feb 17, 2008)

Th's a lot of rubbish talked about sponges. The truth is that a good sponge will draw the dirt up into the pores in the same way that a good mitt will draw the dirt up into the fibres - ie. away from the paintwork.

When rinsed, both sponges and mitts will allow the dirt to swill out into the rinsing bucket ready for the next dunk into the wash bucket. It is more down to personal preference really; I use a sponge because I personally find it easier to use. I did try out a mitt a few years ago, but found it heavy and cumbersome.

A sponge need not be expensive either - I (and a few other forum members) have been using B&Q grout/tile sponges for some years without ever finding them inflicting any damage at all. They actually have a much softer feel to them than most dedicated car sponges. The one they feel most akin to is the Zymol one (it's not in the filter nowadays ), but only £3.78 for a pack of four 

Here's Bigpikle's original B&Q Grout Sponge thread from 2007 for anybody interested: http://www.detailingworld.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=52555


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## Ross (Apr 25, 2007)

Nothing wrong with a good quality sponge used correctly.


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## f4780y (Jun 8, 2015)

Supernatural Sponge has an important place in my detailing arsenal


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## Ross (Apr 25, 2007)

I have the SN sponge and its brilliant.


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## Big Buffer (Jan 1, 2011)

Each person to their own devices. Also with regards to selling mitts because they are more expensive and offer bigger profit may be true but, expense to the people of this forum Matters only a little. 

It's more about method and knowing how to use the right tools correctly


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## Mcpx (Mar 15, 2016)

It has to be considered as part of the whole process, basically if you have crap on your paint then whatever you use is going to pick it up, which is kind of the idea, and then be carried along until it is removed. Whether it is drawn away from the surface of the mitt/sponge or remains there to gouge paint is really more dependant on the size/shape/type etc of the contaminants than it is on the wash media itself.

As everyone says, technique is more important than tool, but that also includes pre-washing technique and even things like wash regularity and adapting your technique, and even tools and materials, to different situations because there is never a one size fits all step by step car wash routine. If you stick religiously to your your A, B, C routine everytime and you end up with something on your paint that you haven't accounted for or something you missed then it won't matter if you are using a unicornarse hair mitt or a 10 for 99p kitchen sponge.


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## PaulN (Jan 17, 2008)

Zymol Sponges or a lovely sea sponge are the only ones id use on my car..... mitts still for me all the way.


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