2003ProtegeES

So it doesnt develop swirllys?

Sir Nuke

the best preventitive.....get your car as clean as possible BEFORE you ever start to lather her up.....spray as much of the dirt off as absolutely possible....

then most people will agree....the best thing to use on your car is a REAL washing mit....made from sheepskin.....wool and all....looks like a big fuzzy mitten.....one of the WORST things you can use is a sponge and or a brush, that is unless you are just using them on your wheels/tires.

Bill

And Do NOT dip the wash mitt back in the soapy water before you rinse it out.

2003ProtegeES

Thx guys!!

beachnut

REAL cotton chenille mitts are great too (if you can find them). Most mitts at places like Walmart and the auto parts stores are synthetic cotton blends. Here's where I get mine:

http://www.properautocare.com/chenwasmit.html

Like Bill said, use two buckets - one for wash solution and one for clean rinse water. Rinse your mitts often. Also, try to use a high quality wash shampoo, not dishwashing liquid. I use Meguiar's Gold Class wash, you can find it reasonably priced at Target or Autozone.

What you dry your car with is important too. I use only microfiber towels, which you can get at places like Pep Boys. Turtle Wax has a nice 2-towel set, but I usually order larger ones from CMA (the link above), or here:

http://www.microfibertech.com/

HIH

Geezer Bob

I am very happy with entire Zymol product line for washing and waxing. Their stuff is pricey, but I love how clean my car looks. It seems to really get the dirt off without swirls or hard rubbing. Just my .02

BL_Protege

so sponges are THAT bad? b/c now i feel like i've been doing a LOT more damage to the car lol

leungwingkei

This is what I do in order to get swirls out. First I use Mother's carnuba cleaner wax. The paste is very thick so it works very well in covering scratches and protecting the paint. After I let the wax sit in for a while, I then proceed to apply Zymol liquid cleaner wax and buff to a lustrous shine. The liquid is not as thick, and doesn't offer much protection but it makes water bead well, and the shine....just amazing.

heylee

I use a big sponge, it doesn't mess up the car. I also use Maguires car wash and quick wax. The reason I don't get swirlies though when it dries is the fact that I use one of those spongy cloths to dry the car with. The kind you wring out. It gets the car streak free and you can find them at wal-mart for under $10.

JAC

How do you guys clean your lamb wool washing mits after you're done washing you car?

sileighty21

by far the best product to dry your car is the california water blade. i work at a nissan dealership as a detailer and we use those. i recommend them to anyone. just make sure the blade is clean everytime you use it though, otherwise it might scratch if you're not careful.

ProjectZero

Me, two ways, depending on how dirty the mitt got.

Normally, I just empty, rinse and fill up the bucket with some new water and car wash suds, hand agitate the mitt (with wring), rinse in another bucket (so that I can see the icky stuff float away) and air dry.

If that doesn't do the trick, I throw it and old t-shirts and towels into the washer, pour in very little liquid detergent and let 'er rip. The old shirts 'n towels don't do anything else around the house (i.e. they're not used as shop towels) except to mop up liquid spills in the kitchen. No dusting, no drying (I have other stuff to do that). The shirts and towels provides balance in the washer and helps with the agitation during the wash (stuff rubbing against each other).

After the industrial strength wash, the mitt is air dried.

The mitt is replaced about every other year...

shackmgr6073

rocks, wash your car with rocks. And if you beleive that I got a 12 inch C@CK

eggynatey

My two cents(as a pro detailer):
Just throw your mitt in the washer. It'll clean right up. Also, there's an artificial chamois called a "Water Sprite" that I swear by. The things last YEARS and are much more gentle on the paint than a chamois.
I agree w/ beachnut in that the chenille wash-mits are the way to go, but a wool one will also work fine.
As far as off-the-shelf at pep-boys, I'll trust stuff that is made by Maguiers, Blue Magic or Mother's, but Turtle-Wax is the Penzoil of waxes

The best advice is to just take your time, use lots of clean towels for buffing, and be super gentle. Another pointer is to work from the roof down, as most dirt and road-grime is down low. You wouldn't want to get grease on your mit and smear it all over.