Use the Meguiars Wash Mitt on waxed surface?

[Tuningfreak]

Hi Guys! Today I need a opinion from the "professionals" here regarding the usage of the meguiars wash mitt in relation with any wax. Reason: I read in a german detailing forum, where they discussed about the pro`s and con`s of a meguiars wash mitt and a similar product from another company.

The results are not important at this time, I´m 100% satisfied with the meguiars mitt, but I read that the other company tells in the product description that the microfiber wash mitt CAN remove wax during washing! Exact (translated) description of the manufactor: "Be careful with the use of a microfiber wash mitt on waxes. The wet wash mitt splits fat and wax... so the wax COULD be removed under certain circumstances... Its not dangerous to use it onto Liquid Glass or Aristoclass Sealent"

Can someone confirm this? Or is it one of the "fairy tales from the internet"??? I`m only wondering because the text is from the producer, not from any people which are discussing about it.

[Mike Phillips]

Part of what they said is true and part of what they said is false. This kind of relates to how you define the word wax, as these folks are probably not aware that all of our waxes are not merely wax, but instead they are protective products that are blended from a variety of ingredients and sometimes wax is one of the ingredients, but not always. So their statements are general statements and if this is a trend for their writing style then give them the credibility they deserver.

Also, any time you touch the surface of a waxed finish, no matter who's wax is applied, the potential is there to remove the wax. That's because wax, or paint protectant by any other name, is a sacrificial barrier coating, that is, this protective layer is designed to give up itself, or Sacrifice Itself, so that your paint doesn't have too, (sacrifice itself).

No wax, or paint protectant is an impervious, invisible force field. All waxes are subject to the laws of physics and when you touch, or in this case wash your car with any kind of mitt, sponge, or brush or wash cloth, you are not only touching the surface, but your rubbing this tool back and forth, over and over again against the paint.

so the truth be told, anytime you wash your car, you are removing, at some level, some of the wax, (or whatever the product you applied is named on the label of the bottle of can), some portion of this protective layer.

Put it this way...

Each time you wash your car... you're not adding wax... so what's the opposite of adding wax?

Removing wax.

The goal when you wash a car is to remove loose dirt and contaminants in the least evasive way. this means using a high quality washing tool, be it a mitt, sponge, brush, or whatever, and a high lubricity, non-detergent car wash.

Excellent subject that you brought up. I hope what I've written above helps to put thing into the proper perspective.

[Mike Phillips]

Re: Use the Meguiars Wash Mitt on waxed surface?

Originally posted by Tuningfreak
Its not dangerous to use it onto Liquid Glass or Aristoclass Sealent"

Whatever...

I guess these amazing formulas are not subject to the laws of physics...

Hmm... do they sell or promote Liquid Glass or Aristoclass?

[Tuningfreak]

Hi Mike! Thank you for your interesting reply. I have to say, that the most of your words were also in my mind, but I need some arguments into this german forum against the opinion that a mf wash mitt is especially NOT GOOD to be used onto waxed cars. (I use the meguiars mitt since more than 1 year in combination with NXT wax, and I did not realize any changes of the wax coat or a not so long lasting coat!).

So to bring it on one point: I can say "Using a mf wash mitt (e.g. the meguiars product) is not more dangerous for the wax coat than using a regular sponge or something similar!" ??? Is this the right view?

[Murr1525]

"Using a mf wash mitt (e.g. the meguiars product) is not more dangerous for the wax coat than using a regular sponge or something similar!"

Sounds correct to me. As long as everything is high quality, there should not be much difference. A low quality product compared to Meguiars, or other high quality company, is very different.

[Snowman]

Interesting stuff and I would have not thought of it this way until I read Mike's post from above. Great Info!!

[Jeff Smith]

Personnally, In my own opinion. If you are putting anything on you finish that is not designed to be a 100% permanent application and never has to be applied again, then that product is destined to wear off in time. Nature of the beast.


"ANYTHING" done to it once applied will wear at it. Some things more than others. If there was a coating out there that was designed to so permanent that that it could combat this then I suspect"ALL" Auto finish product manufacturers would be outta the business.

Personnally I do try to minimize how much I touch my finish. For example I use a leaf blower for drying instead of a towel. This is one step in the process where I am not putting any friction on the surface. Thus, in my own warped mind, I am thinking I am helping myslef in the long run.

I tend to think of Sealants as holding holding up a little longer than Waxes and I think are generlly designed to do so. BUT, here again. Sealants are not permanent either. Everytime they are touched in anyway some very minute smount is comng off.

I am no scientist or anything but I would alomost be willing to bet that if I were to go out right now and spray my truck down with a Garden hose and could somehow collect all the water and have a lab analize it. I would be willing to bet they are going to find minute traces of #20 in it.

This is something I have come to accept. It's likely actually a good thing that certain things take a microthin layer off. Otherwise our finishs would likely be so gunked up with above surface contaminates that we would have to clay before washing to get the looks we all love.

These are all just my own thoughts here. I am just a newbie with a passion

[Mike Phillips]

Originally posted by Tuningfreak
So to bring it on one point: I can say

"Using a mf wash mitt (e.g. the Meguiar's product) is not more dangerous for the wax coat than using a regular sponge or something similar!" ???


Is this the right view?

Microfiber cloths, whether being used to dry, apply, remove or wash, are typically more gentle to a delicate finish than most other materials in part because the size of the fiber is microscopic in size to start with, (thus the name to start with).

If you really want to drill down to what is the most gentle to the finish when used in combination with water and a high lubricity soap when washing/removing dirt, then I think microfiber is definitely somewhere at the top of the list of available choices.

I don't have any studies or scientific proof for the most gentle, but all things being equal, my guess is that a premium quality microfiber washing mitt would be somewhere at the top of the list out of available options.

User preference is also important as everyone has their own opinion as to what's best for them and their application.

[Accumulator]

I use chenille, lambswool, and MF washmitts. I've certainly never noticed any extra degradation of my LSPs (including carnaubas) when using the MF.

This anti-MF idea sounds similar to the the contention that you shouldn't use MF to buff off waxes because "it'll buff the wax right off the panel, leaving less than if you buff it off with some other medium". Never had it happen to me and I'm confident that I would've noticed such a thing. LSPs, carnaubas included, bond to the paint pretty well. They don't just get "cleaned off" all that easily.

As Mike implied, there's almost always an agenda behind this sort of "information", even if the agenda is just making the writer look knowledgeable.

[Tuningfreak]

I checked the german forum again and there is written, that the mitt will remove wax especially WHEN ITS USED ONLY WITH WATER (... instead of used with soap).

Dont understand me wrong - I ALWAYS use my meguiars mitt on my waxed coating and I´m 100% satisfied with it, but I dont like if the people tell stories which are not true or not correct.

Almost there is a comment that the people dont like the meguiars mitt because the fibers are too short - the other mitt from this second company must have longer fibers, so this mitt could carry much more water than the meguirs mitt. But this was only by the way... comes into my mind! lol

At least I dont believe that this german (?) company did any studies about the removing of wax in connection with a mf wash mitt....

[Mike Phillips]

Originally posted by Tuningfreak
I checked the German forum again and there is written, that the mitt will remove wax especially WHEN ITS USED ONLY WITH WATER (... instead of used with soap).

This part is probably true as a quality car wash will add lubricity during the washing process.

[Alex7938]

someone who has just joined MOL UK reckons he uses his wash mitt for removing wax
but then his first post was putting Megs and someones hard work down

[Murr1525]

People can use a product one time, use it incorrectly, get upset with the reuslt, and blame everyone else and put them down. Happens all the time unfortunately, since nowadays everyone is right all the time.

[jfelbab]

We know that washing and drying your waxed paint will slowly remove some of the wax coating. This reinforces my use of NXT Tech Booster Wax after every other wash to replace any wax that is removed. The result is that the paint always looks freshly detailed.