Car Brush for Washing - Yes or No?

[ihsn]

Almost pulled the trigger on this brush until I read this comment in one of the reviews.

Not for paint

"Please ,please ,if you love your car don't use a brush of any kind to wash it.
It introduces swirl marks ,and scratches .
These brushes are only good for washing tries and wheels and are never gentle enough for the paint on your cars.
A Microfiber wash mitt ,two buckets (one for soap ,one for water/rinsing the mitt),and a good car wash shampoo ,these are the basic items you would need to properly wash your car, a bristle brush is simply not the proper tool for that beautiful paint on your car."

What do you suggest?

[TT333]

On a used car that already has some swirling, brushes are fine.

But, if your car is new, or has new paint, a brush will always wreck it. That comment is absolutely right. I work at a detail shop, and on new cars we always use a microfiber mitt on new (or close to new) vehicles.

[veryhuman]

Anything short of a clean hand held sheepskin mitt gently gliding to clean will introduce swirl marks.

[Jucius Maximus]

No way, that will induce all kinds of fine scratching in your paint.

I use a sheep skin mitt to wash and then polish with a Porter Cable machine.

[rchong]

I find that the car brushes made today aren't as soft as old car brushes. I do use a brush to wash the mini van because it's faster. I use a sheep skin wash mitt for smaller cars.

[MS MSP]

is there a "hell no" choice?

[kvilkhu]

Brushes do nothing but drag the dirt across the finish of your paint, resulting in fine scratches. No matter how soft the brush is, it will still do damage.

Treat your finish by using a sheepskin wool mitt and employ the two-bucket method of washing.

Here's a write up from my site explaining the two-bucket method - http://www.makeitshine.ca/washing.html
Here's a little information on swirl marks & how to remove them - http://www.makeitshine.ca/removeswirlmarks.html

[Asad_A203]

On a used car that already has some swirling, brushes are fine.

But, if your car is new, or has new paint, a brush will always wreck it. That comment is absolutely right. I work at a detail shop, and on new cars we always use a microfiber mitt on new (or close to new) vehicles.

Why don't you guys use MF towels on the older vehicles? Using stiff brushes will only lead to more serious marring on those older vehicles which might result in them becoming too deep to be removed by machine polishing.

I only use a brush on the underbody of my vehicle and my tirewells; where a brush belongs .

[TT333]

Why don't you guys use MF towels on the older vehicles? Using stiff brushes will only lead to more serious marring on those older vehicles which might result in them becoming too deep to be removed by machine polishing.

I only use a brush on the underbody of my vehicle and my tirewells; where a brush belongs .

Well if the car had serious swirling, we usually cut polish them when they come in. (btw I work at a dealership detail shop) if they've just recieved a cut, then the brushes won't touch them obviously, and they'll be treated like a new car.

I probably should have specified that on a customer job (not for the dealership) we obviously use a mitt, and treat their car like a new one too.

[luxome]

i selected 'no', however, i do sometimes use it to wash the rims.

[selpats]

I use a brush everytime, I am sure it has created some micro-fine scratches that you would have to look to find but c'est lie, it is only a car. I hand wax my car every spring and fall and maybe once in the summer. It still looks like the day I bought it new in 2004.

[radeonboy]

I use a brush everytime, I am sure it has created some micro-fine scratches that you would have to look to find but c'est lie, it is only a car. I hand wax my car every spring and fall and maybe once in the summer. It still looks like the day I bought it new in 2004.

Waxing doesn't have any effect on the swirls. So no, it doesn't look the same as when you bought it.

[selpats]

Waxing doesn't have any effect on the swirls. So no, it doesn't look the same as when you bought it.

Good lord no! Please don't tell me it's not perfect, my ego will be crushed. My car means everything to me!

[ShadowVlican]

i use brush on my wheels... they're stock alloys so i don't care

[galanz]

i use brush on my wheels... they're stock alloys so i don't care

+1, I'll rinse the brush first with the spray wand and use it to clean tires, wheels and the windows, but never on the paint.