The quality of sheepskin mitts does vary quite a bit. If you're happy with yours though, the price doesn't mean it's a bad one. Just go through them when you buy and find the best ones, they can vary quite widely even within the same brand.

 

My main concern at the present moment right now isn't so much cost as it is having the mitt tomorrow when my Hydro gets here and I want to was the car vs. having it in a week or so when it's potentially butt **** cold outside.

But on the other hand I don't want to have to buy another one because the one I got was the crap. I'd like to do it as right as possible the first time.

 

Gold Class is a very good car wash soap. In fact I used it today to prep a 1999 Miata that I'm restoring. I don't think it's as good as Mystique for maintenance washes, but its a good general car wash with lots of suds.

As for using Hydro and blotting, of course you can do both. Lets say you wash 3 times a month. You dont need to Hydro every wash. So blot dry two of the washes and do a standard Hydro wash the 3rd. just keep in mind that you dont`t want to be rubbing hard against the paint. You can't avoid touching your paint but you can minimize contact, while still providing good care for your paint.

 

Apparently I just can't stop myself from inadvertantly hijacking threads, but thanks for the info. My MINI's not even here yet, so I'll be using my '97 318is (Current Location: Swirl City, USA) as a test platform for all of my new products and OCDetailer know-how.

I'm sure I'll end up picking up some Mystique next year once I run out of Gold Class.

 

1) I agree with Picus regarding wool mitts. Although they definitely can vary in quality, the variations can be even from the same brand. Sheepskin/wool is a natural material so variations are inevitable. We try to filter out the lesser quality wool mitts for you by inspecting them before we ship them. So, I wouldn't say that our "brand" is any better- it's more that we prevent you from getting a junky mitt. It's rare, but I've seen an excellent quality wool mitt at random discount stores. It's just that it's hit or miss.
The #1 most important tip about choosing a wool mitt is to make sure that it's 100% wool! 100% wool is the best wash mitt for reducing your scratch risk as much as possible. However, synthetic wool will most definitely scratch your paint. Always look for the words "100% wool" when shopping.

2) IMO, soap is one of those categories that, for the most part, is less picky- at least from an effectiveness standpoint (as opposed to personal feature preferences). My personal rule of thumb is this: as long as your soap is a name brand (read: not dish soap or generic brand soap), then it is perfectly fine to use. Of course, most premium brands are significantly more concentrated (= better $ value and sometimes better lubricity) so I think that has to been taken into consideration too. For example, many mass-marketed soaps in the 1 gallon jug equal a premium soap in the 16 oz bottle, in terms of number of uses. Also, some soaps are polymer based (providing a wee bit o' shine with each wash) and others are not. Some suds alot and some do not (polymer based soaps tend not to suds much). So, there are lots of variations which may lead you to like one brand over the other but overall most soaps do the job just fine. Definitely use your Gold Class before buying more soap. (THEN go get hooked on Mystique... )

3) Oops... I meant to quote Richard's statement about blotting and Hydro but apparently didn't. Anyway, ditto what he said, IMO. Plus, you can do a little blotting with Hydro too; however, you'll still have to do at least a little wiping as well.

-Heather

 

There is quite a long thread on another board talking about the benefits of using a $2 Home Depot grout sponge for washing down the paint. More than a couple of folks there swear by the sponges, saying the don't scratch or mar the finish.

Any comments here?

 

^^ Couldn't agree more on both accounts. While it is nice to use some of the more "boutique" soaps like P21S, Swissvax Car Bath, Zymol Clear, etc...I don't find they do a significantly better job than a good over the counter soap. As long as it is ph balanced (neutral not required) so it won't strip your LSP, you're fine. The most important thing (imo) is to use the soap in the concentration recommended, so if it says 2 ounces to 2 gallons, use that much. Too many guys pour half a jug in and strip their LSP.

That'd be Autopia of course. I've chimed in on that thread - I don't *personally* like grout sponges because I find you have to use an unnecessary amount of pressure to get them into tight spots. I had a similar opinion on the SCHmitt. On flat surfaces they work really well, but no better than a quality sheepskin mitt (imo). The benefit is they are cheap and last a long, long time. I have 5 or 6 kicking around and like to use them on wheels. Of course there are a number of pro's on Autopia who swear by them; so like I always say, if it works for you then there is nothing wrong with it.

 

If anything I'm using too little soap, not too much. It's really nice that they put how many ounces to pour into your bucket, but then not give you anything to measure by. I don't even want to think about how much mocking I would engender if I horked the measuring spoons from the kitchen drawer when washing the car. An equivalent in 'capfuls' would be the bee's knees.

 

I just keep a shot glass in the garage.

 

I see my problem. I've been drinking straight from the bottle.

 

I use a discarded liquid laundry detergent cap. They are indestructible and measure almost exactly 5 ounces and they are free! So for Mystique you will fill it a little less than half way for a 5 gallon bucket.

 

That's a great idea, doubly so since I've inexplicably got an extraneous one laying around.