Sponge or Hand Mit?

[whitdog54]

Re: Sponge or Hand Mit?

yea it can be, but do what i do when i dont have my compressor.. use a leaf blower. youll look like an idiot but it dries your car off super quick

I was doing this for a while, But my leaf blower has an oil leak or something. You know if you spill oil you get that mirror rainbow look on your driveway if its wet or in puddle. I was getting that on my car!!! Had to rewash the whole thing :twak:

[dmw319]

Re: Sponge or Hand Mit?

yea mine was electric.. haha

[Jtels2593]

Re: Sponge or Hand Mit?

For those who would like to use compressed air, I'm sure you can find a small air compressor for about $75-100 at Sears. That is where I purchased mine. It does the job and I only use it to dry the car and check tire pressure.

[bigairboarder44]

Re: Sponge or Hand Mit?

yup, because I too have similar car washes and it doesnt get that quality clean like a microfiber will. I dont see how you can get all that grime off with just water. I just dont see it happening. Well maybe unless your car is never driven. Sorry I find your claim not true. No need to get nasty :rolleyes:

You don't NEED soap unless there is something oily on your car. It's basic chemistry.

[Loochy88]

Re: Sponge or Hand Mit?

my typical quick wash

100% cotton towels
soap bucket
rinse bucket

rinse - soap/wash - rinse - wax as you dry - dry

its about a 20 min process

detailing process is a bit different :)

[Mogobs30th]

Re: Sponge or Hand Mit?

yup, because I too have similar car washes and it doesnt get that quality clean like a microfiber will. I dont see how you can get all that grime off with just water. I just dont see it happening. Well maybe unless your car is never driven. Sorry I find your claim not true. No need to get nasty :rolleyes:

Sorry for the long pause between responses, but imagine taking a handful of sand, and rubbing it on your car. Thats what is happening when you use towels, sponges, and whatnot. The cloth (no matter the fabric), will hold onto the dirt and grime of the fibers, taking it and eventually turning it into sandpaper. Although its at a MUCH finer grit, remember that dirt is nothing more than pulverized rock in a sense. Eventually your clearcoat fades because you like to rub the car clean, instead of using water to do it.

So although you might be getting the car a little cleaner, over a long period of time, the clearcoat will eventually begin to fade and dull. If you MUST use your precious microfiber, get several towels of it, and keep constantly using a new side when washing.

[whitdog54]

Re: Sponge or Hand Mit?

Will keep using my towels. Water wont cut it, itll never be clean. Its a daily driven vehicle. I just dont see water getting it show room clean.

[Mogobs30th]

Re: Sponge or Hand Mit?

Ive done it for 14 years, with two black cars. It works.

[Loochy88]

Re: Sponge or Hand Mit?

once the car gets grimey, I've always understood that the soap provides some lubrication to remove the grime smoothly and avoid scratching. I cant prove this to you, and if you say water's working, then it must be working. But the soap seems to work for me. I'll stick with it.

I personally wouldnt recommend just water alone.

[T-Mill]

Re: Sponge or Hand Mit?

If you use a high quality wash and high quality mit or towel, you won't get the damage to the clearcoat that you'll get from a sponge and dish soap, but water will work, I have an older car wash system that has a carbon filter so I only "wash" my car if it gets really dirty, or I plan on waxing afterwards... otherwise I just spray it down with warm filtered water.

my tip of the day: use newspaper to clean your windows instead of paper towels... gets rid of streaks and slides over the glass easier

[whitdog54]

Re: Sponge or Hand Mit?

Ill have to find another car wash, usually water and soap doesnt cut it. But ill give it another whirl.

Newspaper thing is a good tip!

[Everglades W68]

Re: Sponge or Hand Mit?

I wash with 100% cotton towels and dry with 100% cotton towels. Anything else seems to be an invitation for scratching and dulling the finish.