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One of the simplest and most effective car cleaning upgrades you can make is investing in a good wash mitt. These simple upgrades will reduce the scratch risk as you wash your car. It's not just good for removing the risk of scratches, they'll sud up better than sponges meaning you'll get better performance from your cleaning products.
A traditional cellulose sponge may still be popular and cheap, but did you know that you may be doing damage to your paintwork every time you wash it? That soft sponge is actually very good at trapping bits of grit between it and your car's paintwork, which will leave you with scratches and marks as you drag it across your car's bodywork, even with a slick car shampoo.
The best wash mitts at a glance:
Best wash mitt overall: 26JPN Microfibre Wash Mitt - Buy now from Amazon UK
Best woollen wash mitt: Meguiar's Luxurious Lambs Wool Car Wash Mitt - Buy now from Amazon UK
Best wash mitt on a budget: Kent Car Care 2 in 1 Microfibre Noodle Wash Mitt - Buy now from Euro Car Parts
If you're wanting pristine paintwork, then you should switch to one of these awesome products ready to dunk in your wash bucket. We've found our favourites right here to save the paintwork the next time you need to clean your car.
The best wash mitts for your car
Best wash mitt overall
With plush 700gsm (grams per square metre) microfibres making up the bulk of this mitt, the soft, luxurious 26JPN Wash Mitt gets our top choice. Those longer fibres do an excellent job of collecting grit while also ensuring that any cleaning product gets nice and sudsy. We also like the quality elasticated cuff and central split that makes the mitt far easier to use.
Pros
- Super soft
- Lovely ergonomic touches
Cons
- Gets quite heavy when wet, thanks to the high gsm
| Dimensions | 20 x 28 cm |
| Mitt material | Microfibre (700gsm) |
| Mitt type | Varied length strands |
- Customer review: "If like me you are very picky about your mitt then this is the one. Fantastic mitt that glides and safely washes the car without inflicting unsightly swirls"
Best premium wash mitt
Another top-rated wash mitt, this time from car care favourite Autogylm. This luxurious wash mitt is the latest addition to the brand's Polar Range and proved to be an excellent way of cleaning a car. Making use of varied-length microfibres to lather up shampoo and avoid scratches, this wash mitt will make the most of any car shampoo. This wash mitt even includes a storage bag that doubles as a wash bag, the perfect addition.
Pros
- Top-rated build
- Should prevent scratches from forming
Cons
- Works better with larger hands
| Dimensions | 29 x 18 cm |
| Mitt material | Microfibre |
| Mitt type | Varied length strands |
- Customer review: "My partner loves Autoglym for his car so was very excited to try out this car wash mitt. It's good quality, as I'd expect from Autoglym, and does a great job of washing as well as polishing. It also includes a washbag to store and throw into the wash. The price is higher than I'd want to pay for a glove, but it's good quality and from a reputable brand."
Best Chenille wash mitt
Chenille noodles are perfect for car care, they're soft on paintwork while remaining durable and relatively affordable. These noodles create a huge surface area that promotes better lathering, which is great for gentle car cleaning. This example from Chemical Guys will be able to cut through muck with ease and will show up any grime on the bright green fabric, so you know when to dunk it into the rinse bucket. It also features an elasticated cuff for extra comfort.
Pros
- Very absorbent
- Good value for money
Cons
- Not as soft as varied-length microfibre
| Dimensions | 25 x 18 cm |
| Mitt material | Microfibre |
| Mitt type | Chenille noodles |
- Customer review: "Great cleaning glove, soft and great feeling with hand inside glove!! First glove I have that is so comfortable to wear washing the car!"
Best wash mitt on a budget
www.eurocarparts.com
Affordable and effective, this simple noodle wash mitt from Kent Care Care may not be very fancy, but it is way better than a sponge. Those microfibre noodles are excellent for cleaning while avoiding scratches, even if the flip side is that the rather frugal construction won't hold suds, as well as a more expensive option.
Pros
- Very good value for money
- Microfibre noodles will prevent scratches
Cons
- Slow delivery time
| Dimensions | 28 x 20 cm |
| Mitt material | Microfibre |
| Mitt type | Chenille noodles |
- Customer review: "Bought the car wash mitt on the recommendation of my son who has used one for a while. Far better than using a sponge in my opinion. You wear it on your hand so it does not get away from you and I found it a bit of a novelty. Its size and texture mean you can get nice long sweeps across the body of the car and it really cleans well. Because it soaks up water it can be a little heavy when you first start using it but it is fun to use. Pop it in the washing machine occasionally to keep it from getting too grubby. Great purchase!"
Best woollen wash mitt
If you're conscious of the microplastics shed from microfibre, lambswool is a natural alternative that rivals it for softness. It'll help to prevent scratches and will add an extra layer of luxury to your cleaning arsenal. This example from Meguiar's features a deep, luxurious pile and a gentle netting on the flipside for stubborn marks. It also features that all-important elasticated cuff.
Pros
- Soft enough for paintwork
- Environmentally conscious
Cons
- Natural imperfections may pose a tiny scratch risk
| Dimensions | N/A |
| Mitt material | Lambswool |
| Mitt type | Wool/mesh netting |
- Customer review: "Meguiars is a well-known name in car detailing so I expected this to be top-notch. While the quality is decent, it's not quite as plush as I was expecting. It's nice and soft but really could do with being thicker."
Best wash mitt set
Offering two different mitts designed for different car cleaning tasks, this set from ShinyCar is the most versatile option for cleaning different types of dirt on your car. The first wash mitt features microfibre noodles all over that are designed to lather the shampoo up and are perfect for general cleaning. The other mitt features a polymesh design that can cut through embedded items like bird poo without damaging the paint, with a soft coral fleece on the other side which can be used for buffing.
Pros
- Two for one
- Different cleaning uses
Cons
- More mitts to care for
| Dimensions | 23 x 20 cm |
| Mitt material | Microfibre |
| Mitt type | Chenille noodles/coral/mesh netting |
- Customer review: "Frequently driving at speed in the summer months and my car does get buggy. Even if I leave the splat to bake on for a week, the glove helps get the squish off. Soak them first for a minute to rehydrate the mess and the weave on the glove safely yet firmly gets the goob off. Less harsh than a plastic pad or scraper."
Best wash mitt for comfort
Designed to fit like a mitten, this Sonax microfibre mitt is an interesting choice. It may not feature the thickest microfibre for lathering up car soap and stopping scratches, but it will be really nice to wear and offer the best control thanks to the separate thumb and central seam for the fingers. It's probably best for cleaning less dirty cars.
Pros
- Comfortable to use
- Affordable
Cons
- Not the thickest microfibre
| Dimensions | 25 x 17 cm |
| Mitt material | Microfibre |
| Mitt type | Short nap |
- Customer review: "Great product, very comfortable, cleans well and most importantly does not scratch the body! I bought it to wash the motorcycle and I really enjoyed it."
What you need to know about wash mitts:
How does it prevent scratches?
When you use a sponge to clean your car, you're dragging it over the bodywork to remove debris. The rather uncompromising structure of a sponge will mean it collects little bits of debris that it will drag along the bodywork creating small scratches. This is also called marring.
A wash mitt works by filtering away bits of debris. The soft microfibre will pull grit and mud away from the paintwork, ensuring that bits of debris won't get trapped between the mitt and the paintwork.
What else can I do to stop scratches?
Small scratches and marring aren't the end of the world but are noticeable in sunlight and can knock some money off your car's value when it comes time to sell it. Here are some top bits of advice:
Always hand wash your car as opposed to an automatic one, it will be gentler on your car's paint.
Use a pre-wash to remove embedded dirt from your bodywork before the cleaning stage.
Install a grit guard in your bucket to collect debris so you don't rub it over your car's paintwork.
Don't use a chamois to dry your car, microfibre drying towels are a lot better for paint. You could even stretch to a dedicated car dryer for the ultimate scratch prevention.
What should I look for in a wash mitt?
Wash mitts are designed for your car's delicate paintwork, so it's worth knowing exactly what you're getting. The two materials they predominantly use are microfibre and lambswool. Microfibre is cheaper and great for cleaning paint, whereas lambswool is better for the planet but costs more to buy.
Check the cleaning instructions too. If it's machine washable, that's an added bonus and will help save you time cleaning it after each wash.
An elasticated cuff will keep everything nice and secure as you work. The last thing you'll need is your mitt landing on the gravelly ground after an over-enthusiastic clean.
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Ryan Gilmore is the Deputy Autos and Tools Editor for CAR, specialising in car cleaning and hand tools. With an MA in Automotive Journalism, when he's not testing buckets he can be found looking at old Porsches.