Wash Mitts Tested

Get hands-on when cleaning your car with a wash mitt. We put 12 of the best to the test...

Auto Express Car Reviews

February 2009

The softer, eco-friendly paints on today’s cars have handed wash mitts a new lease of life. If you are to prevent the appearance of tiny swirl marks, which cover many modern vehicles, you need to use something that will lift dirt when washing, rather than just shift it around. Super-absorbent mitts are ideal.

The microfibre revolution means the latest designs can soak up huge amounts of soapy water and road grime, and dig deep into the paint.

So, which are the ones to wear this spring? We tackled cars caked with weeks of winter dirt to find out.

The Test

Shifting muck from panels is the key attribute of a wash mitt, so we used our test products both wet and dry on our filthy cars, as well as on a bonnet that had been stored.

Not only were we looking for a clean finish, but signs of those tell-tale swirls. We also wanted to see how absorbent they were, so we weighed them when they were dry and again once they’d been soaked in water and drained for a few seconds.

Fit was important, plus we looked for extras like panels for shifting bugs. Mitts scored points for being machine washable, and price was a factor, too.

Verdict

Mitt’s a knock-out for Kent and Muc-Off, which produced the two stand-out products in this group.

In the performance tests they were difficult to separate, both cleaning deeper than rivals. But Kent’s 2in1 Noodle Wash Mitt claimed top spot, as it’s half the price. If you’re on a budget, look no further than Kent’s Microfibre Wash Mitt – it cleans superbly for less than £3.

Contacts:
Dodo Juice, www.dodojuice.com
Muc-Off, 01202 307790, www.muc-off.com
Meguiar’s, 0870 2416696, www.meguiars.co.uk
Race Glaze, 01780 749449, www.raceglaze.co.uk
Meguiar’s, 0870 2416696, www.meguiars.co.uk
Halfords, 0845 762 6625, www.halfords.com
Kent, 01892 837070, www.carcare.co.uk
Sonus (Ultimate Finish), 0845 838 1200, theltimatefinish.co.uk