Chamois and wash mitt life span and care

[fenderman]

Hi all
I have a question for you detailing gurus out there. Exactly how do you care for your wash mitt and chamois? I have used both of mine twice and they are starting to appear a bit dingy. The instructions that came with both didn't help much. What I have been doing is simply rinsing them both with water and letting them air dry after use but I am noticing dark spots especially on the chamois. Would it be ok to toss them in the washer with a bit of detergent so long as I didn't use any bleach or other harsh chemicals and then hang them up to air dry? Or is there another trick to it? Or am I just supposed to toss them out when they get dirty and buy new ones? I'm simply concerned with getting harmful dirt out of both so I don't scratch up or put swirl marks in my car's paint job- otherwise the appearance doesn't bother me. Tips? Thanks.

[BigCutlass]

try handwashing the chamois with some soap..i did that with some regular soap and it worked. i have the chamois for almost a year now and still looks brand new. so try doing that..as for a wash mitt, well i dont have one of those so i cant help ya there.

[hockeyman]

Wash mits last me about a year. As for the shammy, I use "The Absorber". It's probably the best chamios I have ever owned [img]graemlins/thumbsup.gif[/img] After it starts looking dirty, I throw it in the wash by itself on the hot setting with a little detergent. Comes out looking like new, and I've owned it for over 6 years (maybe more). Seems like it gets better with time.
Also, the instructions on the Absorber say to keep it damp and sealed in the it's container.

-Marc

[ November 03, 2003: Message edited by: hockeyman ]</p>

[fenderman]

Awesome... thanks, guys.