I had a lambswool wash mitt that I get from OctaneGuy's ShowCarSupplies.com, similar to this one:

http://www.showcarsupplies.com/shopexd.asp?id=180&bc=no

The last time I went to wash my MINI, the wash mitt literally disintegrated...fell to bits. There were pieces of lambswool fluff all over the place.

1) Is this to be expected?

2) Should I just get another one? Or is there a better alternative product I should replace it with??

Cheers.

 

Did you contact Octane Guy?

 

How old is it? Everything needs replaced eventually. If it's fairly new, I would contact OctaneGuy as previously mentioned. I used to use cheap wool wash mitts and some pretty powerful cleaners on my Kenworth at work and I would have to replace mitts because they were gross, but not because they fell apart.
I am using this one right now on my R56, it's 2 years old and is still in great shape. I use a dog brush on it every couple months to make sure there isn't anything caught in it and it fluffs right back up. It's expensive, but it's huge.
http://www.detailersdomain.com/Uber-...the_p_850.html

 

Try the Dodo Juice Supernatural Wash Mitt, or the Wookie Mitt as is called. Four times thicker than sheepskin mitts.

http://www.autogeek.net/supernatural-wash-mitt.html

 

Lambswool wash mitts are natural products. They are made from actual lambskin and there are several thing to be mindful.

1.) I don't recommend putting your hand inside the mitt when using them.

Why? If you feel the skin inside the mitt when it's wet and saturated, it will feel soft and squishy. Overtime, repeated pressure from your fingers will penetrate the soft skin forming holes. So I hold the sopping wet mitt from the outside.

2.) Don't wring out the mitt improperly once it's wet.

Most people will put the mitt in a soapy bucket and wring it out every so often. They will just grab the mitt and wring it like a towel. Because the mitt is made from sewn skin, you trap the water and soap in the mitt inside the skin and wringing it forces the water out through the point of least resistance..this will either be the seams, or through holes or weakened areas in the skin.

So what I do, is hold the mitt with the open end facing into my bucket. I fold the mitt like a taco lengthwise and run my hand from the closed end to the open end effectively wringing out the mitt by forcing the water and soap out.

3.) How do you store your mitt when not in use?

Most people will either let it air dry or throw it into a washing machine.

I prefer to store them slightly moist in a zip loc bag or if you will be using it fairly often, in an empty bucket with a lid. If you let them dry out, they will be similar to a chamois and get hard. Depending on how you rehydrate it before each use, you can risk causing damage to the mitt.

4.) How many times have you used the mitt?

I find our mitts last 6 months or longer when used every few days following these methods. We wash on average 2 to 3 cars a week, once a day. At some point the hairs will start to fall out and they become wheel or rocker mitts and will continue to be used until they are no longer useful.

5.) Occasionally some mitts truly are just defective and need replacement. If you've tried all of these suggestions and you're still having problems, then I'm happy to replace them.

At the moment we are out of the double sided mitts but we have plenty of the one sided/mesh on the other side bug mitt and can send that in the meantime. Just PM me your order # so we can get one out.

Richard