Car polish

[stuartb3502]

Hi,

The experts would say that sponges trap dirt/grit and should not be used. I swapped to a lambswool wash mitt a few years ago, so I don't have any recent 1st hand experience of whether this is true.

I can say that using a lambswool wash mitt with two buckets with grit guards has worked very well for me and allowed me to maintain virtually swirl-free paintwork on two cars after I had them paint corrected - and I've had both cars for several years.

I think wash mitts are possibly less effective than a sponge for removing more stubbon things (bugs, sap etc), but I have not done any back to back testing - that's assumption. I currently use sponges on wheels (although want to get a brush as soon as I can find a suitable one in stock). I use a small one also for wiping some parts of the interior. I use a soft brush if needed on areas like around the edge of the engine bay, hatch area. Also handy for panel joins. I spray a bit of shampoo mixture or all purpose cleaner and then agitate with the brush and rinse.

I know some people still use bug shifter sponges - quite harsh but if kept just for this and cleaned well they don't have the problem of trapping grit that a more general use sponge would.

All of this stuff needs to be seen through the lens of effort vs results I think. It's probably more important to use good technique than choosing between sponge and mitt. A mitt which is used for too long without rinsing will do more damage than a sponge which is rinsed frequently (even better with 2 buckets and grit guards).

Cheers
Stuart

 

[DaveHerns]

I've been washing cars for nearly 50 years so there may be better ways of doing it than I use !
Are you able to comment on MER ? I remember seeing it demonstrated at car shows with someone rubbing a block of tar on a Mini bonnet and then polishing it off with MER!

 

[stuartb3502]

I used to use Mer for quite a while as my main polish/protectant. This is going back probably ten years+ however. It is pretty amazing stuff and i think still has a place as it will get off contaminants after a clean that shampoos etc won't. I think that's a combination of solvent and a mild abrasive action. You can tell this if you look at some dry Mer or if you put a bit too much on - it has a chalky residue which is the abrasive.

I don't know whether that's an issue or not, but my approach is different now - I get the paint to a good state and get protection on and then minimise the use of anything abrasive. I do still have some Mer and as mentioned I occasionally use it it's very good at getting the odd mark off. But I don't use it every wash.

For what it's worth I've ditched normal waxes etc as well. I've tried some of the best and whilst they may be great for a show car or California I don't think they're practical or long-lasting enough now for an every day driver in the UK. There's better newer technology in the sealants now available. That's been the biggest leap forward in ease of looking after my cars and it's well worth the investment of time and/or money to get a long-lasting protection on.

Stuart

 

[Belle427]

I think detailing has created problems that dont really exist. Ive never used 2 buckets or fancy grit guards and never had a problem.
I find these pretty good.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/i/1321965945...=1007415&device=c&campaignid=863271340&crdt=0