Anyone have a natural sponge they use to wash the 8?? I was told that's the best way to go (better than any glove/mitt) what are your thoughts as I try to avoid swirl marks.

 

Thats what I use. I have washed my RX8 several times and have no swirl marks. I have not had luck with towels in the past, they seem to collect particles that can scratch the paint. My sponge is getting old and starting to fall apart, I guess I'll have to find a source for a new one. I also never use the same sponge on the paint that I use on the wheels.

 

I've been using a Boar's-hair brush for washing. Works well and won't trap dirt on the bristles...

 

From Sal Zaino:

Towel Guidelines
I prefer 100% Cotton Towels Large White Bath Size (only use Cannon or Fieldcrest name brands) for washing, drying and polishing. I don't like sponges natural or synthetic or any wash mits, since they all can scratch.

Another great tip is to use a Toro 210mph Electric leaf blower. Dries your car in about 5 minutes.... without even touching the paint surface....

I prefer 100% Cotton Towels to dry the car. Chamois or the Absorber and especially the Water Blade are flat and could trap a piece of dirt and scratch the paint finish. Towels have nap and are much safer and forgiving. Even if it were to pickup a piece of dirt, the nap would cushion it.

Again Towels must be 100% Made in USA. Name Brand (Cannon or Fieldcrest Towels)

You must use only white. Not colored towels..... colored towels are not to be used because the dye leaves a chemical residue on the paint finish. Always wash your towels first before using. Use Liquid detergent and rinse twice.

When washing your towels. Only use Liquid detergent such as All or Tide, etc. Do not use Bleach, Powdered Detergents or any kind of fabric softner. They will leave a chemical residue on the towels which will transfer to your paint finish. Make sure to run rinse cycle twice to remove all detergent.

You should cut the selvages(borders) off the perimeter of the towels. This selvage contains nylon and polyester stitching that could possibly scratch your paint finish. The towels will fray a little once this is done. But it's better to play it safe.

Drying the towels on high heat will make them hold a static charge. I use the regular heat setting and remove them a little damp and let them air dry. You can fluff the towel real good when it's dry to make it softer.

As the towels get older they will lose there nap and absorbency and will have to be replaced.

Where to buy towels........

Cannon & Fieldcrest make a lower quality version of their towels for K-Mart, Walmart and other big discount chains. These towels say 100% Cotton but that is not, totally true. The nap is 100% cotton but the backing material has polyester blend in it. So if you press a little to hard on the towel you can get some fine scratches or swirls. The point I'm trying to make is if a Cannon or Fieldcrest towel is selling in a discount store for $6.00 or less (approximately) it is not the good stuff. I buy all my Cannon & Fieldcrest towels in the Bath & Linen shops in the bigger stores in the mall. I pay anywhere from $10 to $20 per towel.

These are the real deal. I buy about 3 or 4 towels and they usually last me about a year.


I spoke to the man himself about his towel obsessiveness, and ended up buying four white Fieldcrest bathtowels for $6 each (rejects) from Linens N Things and followed his instructions to the letter. Works perfectly.

 

sponges wont scratch, but they tend to pick anything up and keep it on the sponge. So if you do happen to hit some debris, it may screw your paint up. Use microfiber. Even some 100% cotton towels leave swirls.

 

You can borrow my brother-in-law.... ba-DUmp-bump
I use a hogs-hair brush that I got a long time ago from the Eastwood Company. It had a wooden body but looks like they went to plastic to prevent rot

http://www.eastwoodcompany.com/itemd...&Dep_Key1=InEx

The "split ends" on the hogs hair are supposed to lift the dirt off the surface to keep it from scratching.

I've heard the same argument for natural sponges but haven't tried that.

With either device, keep a 2nd bucket of clean water and rinse the (brush/sponge) each time before going back to the soap. This will help release any grit and keep it from accumulating in your soap bucket and getting back on the car.

Don't use a chamois to "dry" the car. Rather, use a moist chamois to "push" the water off and then a soft cotton towel to absorb any remaining drops.

When waxing/polishing, use back-and forth motions, don't rub in circles.