fortunately for me, my Mini was delivered early... i'm picking it up today! i'm very excited!

unfortunately, I don't have many detailing supplies yet.

fortunately, it is raining today, so I won't feel guilty not doing an instant detail.

unfortunately, i told the dealer not to wax it... just wash and let it air dry since I don't want them swirling it up with their rags (we'll see if they listen)

so, my question is... are the sheepskin wash mitts in autoparts stores and/or targets worse than what you might buy from say Girot's? i felt one and it felt a little coarse, but not having used one before i don't really have anything to compare it to.

one thing I saw in target that I thought might be a good stopgap tool is a microfiber sponge. it felt pretty soft. what think ye?

in the same vein... what about the microfiber towels at target? eventually i want to get some from Detailer's Paradise.

keep an eye on the 1st Gear forum later tonight for pics of Grover!

 

I looked at several 100% wool mits at differant places around town and compared them to the online pix. They look the same to me but whoever is making them might send better ones to thier prime customers.

I've been using the Viking microfiber towels from o'rilleys auto parts. They sell a 7 pack that is packaged in plactic. I noticed that most brands are just mounted on cardboard and open to the air. If you look at them closely, there is a bunch of crap in the fibers. Sometimes it even looks like wood chips. I like the plactic packaged stuff.

 

What I've heard is that if your sheepskin looks like leather on the INSIDE and if it feels sort of "slimy" (yes, you read that right) when wet, then it's a good quality glove and won't scratch. I bought mine from WalMart or Target (can't rermember which, but it wasn't really expensive) after confirming that it was indeed leather inside. When wet, it felt slick and slimy even without soap. Works great!

You'll want to use the two-bucket technique with grit guards with the sponge OR the mitt and remember to NEVER use the same thing on the paint that you use on the rims!!

 

Congrats on the early delivery!! It seems common during the past couple of months that people are getting early MINI deliveries. Good news for all!

Regarding the wool mitts, the most important aspect is to make sure it is 100% wool. There are several synthetic wool mitts out there- these will surely scratch so you want to avoid synthetic wool for sure! It must say "100% wool" or it probably isn't.

There are different grades of sheepskin/wool, but I can't say definitively to avoid lesser "brands" though. As long as it's 100% wool and it feels good, it's probably ok. Hard to make any guarantees here of course, but I think you're probably fine if it feels ok. Just feel a bunch of them- they will vary a bit no matter what brand you're looking at just because they're natural. I would aim for the softest with the longest wool fibers.

Regarding the microfiber sponge, that's a tough call. Microfiber is really best on clean or fairly clean surfaces. It's widely debated whether or not it is the best option for washing a dirty surface, even with alot of soap. Industry wide, the jury is still out on even microfiber mitts- although I think the longer, looped style is probably the best of the MF variations.

If you're itching to wash the new MINI once it stops raining, I would try to find the best 100% wool mitt you can and use it with a high concentration of car wash soap. The high concentration will give you a little more lubricity and will give you a little more "wiggle room" to compensate for the possible lesser mitt. Bottom line: I think you will be just fine using this combo. I'm sure it's just too exciting to wait!

Last, buy a second mitt (wool, cotton or MF) for the very bottom of your lower panels and wheels. Then, never mixup the 2 mitts! Even if the "wheel mitt" looks clean, you don't ever want to use it on your paint (except for that very bottom part of your lower panels, IMO).

Congrats again and have fun today!!

-Heather

 

I got my sheepskin mitt from walmart of all places. I scoured the local auto supply stores and all they had were the synthetic wool mitts slyly disguised as real wool - always check the inside of the mitt because if it doesn't look like it came off an animal's back, it's not real sheepskin.

ImagoX's description of the slimy feel is also a good indicator. Plus, the real sheepskin just feels completely silky and soft - you will know when you feel it.

 

anyone make a sheep skin matt? i dont use my wash mitt as a glove,
more like just a wash matt. (like octaneguy's free car wash vid)

 

Me too... I only put my hand in there for small detail-y areas (the supercharger scoop, the rear bumper, etc.)... Most of the time I just use it like a big sheepskin cloth.

 

I do the same. I have very small hands, so it really doesn't make much sense for me to put my hand in the mitt anyway - I feel like I have more control just using it as a "cloth" anyway.

 

I recycled some old seatcovers into sheepskin mats. The sides were synthetic but the entire seating area was virgin wool.

I think virgin wool (never been cut/sheared) is less likely to scratch. And I oil the leather occasionally to keep it soft.

 

thanks everyone! i'll check walmart on sat. and see if i can spot a real mitt among the frauds!

i ordered my grit guards and they're on the way... supposed to be here Monday. I may hold out till then, but I may wash without them and just be sure to rinse the the mitt really well -- hopefully that will work. i really want to do a clay and get some wax on there to seal the paint. I have to say... i ran my hand on the paint at the dealer (after he pulled the cover off on the showroom floor!) and it felt pretty smooth, but I know it is dirty already with the rain today!

i noticed the same thing about the MF towels at target... they had a lot of junk in their fibers. I'll try to look for some ones in a package.

thanks again everyone!