Best Car Wash Sponges for 2022 – CNET [CNET]

August 28, 2022 Sean Szymkowski technology

The humble car wash sponge serves an ever-important cleaning duty. The best car wash sponges are used to transfer car wash soap suds to the paintwork while the sponge wicks dirt away and traps it, leaving behind a squeaky-clean clear coat surface primed for wax. In other words, it’s essential for keeping your car pristine and there are a lot of sponges out there.

Have no fear, because we’ve tested quite a few and rounded up the best car wash sponges after washing a fair share of vehicles that come through the CNET Cars garage. Read on for our cleaning sponge picks and don’t forget to check out some car-washing tips down below, too.

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Adam’s

Meet our top car wash sponge pick. It’s Adam’s Microfiber Car Wash Mitt, and even with its plain-sounding name, it’s totally up to the car cleaning task. We really like the construction of this car wash sponge and love how the microfiber material holds soapy water so well. You always want maximum suds to wipe away grime from a car’s paint, and Adam’s microfiber wash mitt does this very well.

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Amazon

AmazonBasics sells a ton of products, and its microfiber wash mitt is a pretty superb thing. It’s super affordable, comes in a pack of two and feels well-constructed. This synthetic wash mitt held up well after many paintwork cleaning uses and rounds in the washer when it was time to clean the grime from it. For the money, it’s a super solid choice, even if we’d splurge and get Adam’s microfiber mitt first.

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Mothers

No nonsense, good price. If you’re looking for a decent car wash chenille wash mitt sponge, Mother’s wash mitt does a great job. We found it didn’t hold up as well over time with uses and rounds in the washing machine to clean it of dirt, but for under $10, this synthetic was mitt is a solid tool for your car washing arsenal.

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Anngrowy

Sometimes, you need a little help when washing the car, especially if it’s not a car. Maybe it’s a big SUV, or a van. That’s where car wash sponges like Anngrowy’s kit come into play. The microfiber material sponge set comes with a 62-inch extendable handle that can help scrub harder to reach places. Breaking out the step stool to wash the roof isn’t needed with the super helpful and long handle. Plus, the sponge detaches from the handle to use as you’d like on other parts of the vehicle.

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Sudz Budz

If you’re into foam sponges for washing cars, Sudz Budz has the segment covered with its funky Grid Sponge. The design is supposed to trap dirt beneath the surface so you don’t have to worry about pushing contaminants around a car’s paintwork. It definitely picks up dirt with ease. We also like that it has grip handles, which make it far easier to hold. And it packs the suds, big time.

Comparison of the best car wash sponges for 2022

Best car wash sponge	Brand	Name	Price
Overall	Adam’s	Microfiber Car Wash Mitt	$15
Runner-up	AmazonBasics	Deluxe Microfiber Car Wash Mitt	$13
Foam	Sudz Budz	Premium Jumbo Foam Grid Sponge	$19
Cheap	Mothers	Premium Chenille Car Wash Mitt	$10
For large and tall vehicles	Anngrowy	Microfiber Car Wash Brush Mop Kit	$17

Some handy car wash tips

Use the two-bucket method: One bucket is for car cleaning solution (i.e., soap) and water mixed together. A second bucket is only for rinsing off the sponge or wash pad after washing a part of your car. This cleaning method helps reduce the dirt particles and grit mixing with your clean water and soap.
Wash your car wash sponge every now and then: Most of our picks are safe to put in the washing machine, but check the specific sponge you use. You don’t want the tool you use to clean your car to become dirty itself. Eventually, it’s time to replace a car cleaning sponge altogether, too.
Scrub from the top down: You may have a favorite spot to start washing on a vehicle, but the best way to minimize the risk of scratches and swirl marks in paint is to wash from the roof down to the rockers. The roof is often the cleanest part of a car surface since it doesn’t cut through the air like the front bumper, or pick up dirt and muck from the road like side panels do.
Rinse often: You don’t want to let car wash shampoo bake on the car. Make sure you take a portion of the car at a time and rinse often.
And dry quickly: If you’re washing in warmer weather, you’ll likely have to face off with water spots. This happens when using regular tap water to rinse a car and when the minerals in the water dry on the paint in the sun. Avoid them with some quick drying tools, like our top picks here.

Get sudsy with the best sponges

Each of these car wash sponges will provide you with a great cleaning experience while washing your car. It comes down to price and personal preference at the end of the day, but you can’t go wrong with any of them. Enjoy your clean car with these CNET Cars-approved products.

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Comparison of the best car wash sponges for 2022

Some handy car wash tips

Get sudsy with the best sponges

More car care recommendations

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