Kent Ladies' Wash Mitt
Price £TBA (product available soon)
Tel 01892 837070
Web www.carcare.co.uk
Comments This mitt is 'one for the ladies', according to the manufacturer. And quite possibly it is, as we suspect that the rather girly pink colour won't appeal to everybody. Colour aside, this is a cracking mitt. There's a proper hand compartment, which is divided into a comfortable and usable fingers-and-thumb section, and the elasticated straps hold the product firmly in place on your hand. But it is in the cleaning performance where this mitt really excels. The microfibre 'noodles' have an amazing grip on dirt and grease, even if used dry. And, for really tough marks, there is a scrubbing gauze on the rear of the mitt.
Verdict Cleaning performance was first rate and it is very comfy, too.
Rating * * * *

Kent 2-in-1 Wash Mitt
Price £3.99
Tel 01892 837070
Web www.carcare.co.uk
Comments This is a product that gets everything right. The microfibre noodles simply have to be used to be believed. You will know when old stains or grease are encountered, even if you can't see them, because the mitt really drags as it pulls the dirt off the surface. We were so impressed with the cleaning power of the 'noodles', we thought that the scrubbing gauze on the rear could be surplus to requirements. This mitt also allows speedy cleaning, thanks to phenomenal water retention properties which only slightly trail those of Halfords' Cotton Wash Mitt (top, right). The clincher for us, though, is the very reasonable price.
Verdict This mitt gets top marks for its cleaning performance at a budget price.
Rating * * * * *

Halfords Genuine Sheepskin Mitt
Price £7.99
Tel 08457 626625
Web www.halfords.com
Comments Halfords is playing the high-quality traditional card with this product. Instead of baffling us with science and talking about microfibre, we're told that this is made from genuine sheepskin. The first bonus this brings is an amazing degree of water retention. The weight increases by almost three quarters of a kilogram after a brief immersion in water, so you won't be reaching into your bucket too often. The sheepskin is kind to surfaces, too, which makes it eminently usable. Nevertheless, it doesn't quite rival the performance of microfibre.
Verdict Good quality conventional product, but it lacks cleaning 'bite'.
Rating * *

Meguiars Super Thick Microfiber Wash Mitt
Price £9.95
Tel 0870 241669
Web www.meguiars.co.uk
Comments One of the most expensive mitts in the group, which is perhaps to be expected from a premium brand such as Meguiars. But is the extra cost all about paying for a name, or is it reflective of superior cleaning properties? Well, the microfibre is noticeably gentler to the touch than the materials used by Metro (above, middle) and Kent (left). But that didn't stop it working just as effectively – whether wet or dry – against dirt and stains in our cleaning tests. Meguiars obviously intends this to be used on a long-term basis because it's machine washable. However, our biggest gripe is the extremely wide cuff which made the mitt too loose on the hand, so it is difficult to generate any hand pressure.
Verdict It's good, but the comparatively high price is hard to justify.
Rating * * *

Metro Microfibre Cleaning Mitt
Price £3.99
Tel 01488 689400
Web www.saxonind.co.uk
Comments Not one of the best-lookers here, but this is an incredibly good all-rounder. The secret is the quality of microfibre used. Even when dry, the mitt drags noticeably over dirt and stains, and when wet the performance is stunning. It's so good, even with just plain tap water, that you'll probably never bother using a chemical shampoo again. Unlike many of the mitts on test here, this one doesn't have an abrasive scrub pad on its rear, but we didn't miss it as the material bites into dirt and stains so well. The only slight niggles are that it isn't machine washable and its water retention is poor in comparison to the others.
Verdict Much better performance than its appearance and price would suggest.
Rating * * * *

Meguiars Lambswool Wash Mitt
Price £9.95
Tel 0870 241669
Web www.meguiars.co.uk
Comments Cynics might say that this is simply a differently coloured version of Halfords' sheepskin mitt (above, left), with a new name and price. But they'd soon change their minds if they tried it. Although we cannot think of any reason why lambswool should be any more effective against dirt than sheepskin, our tests show that, in this case, it is. In fact, this is the only conventional mitt that really rivals the microfibre products for dirt-shifting power. Additionally, a scrubbing gauze on the rear ensures that dead bugs can be dealt with, too. As with Meguiars' other product (left), our only really negative comment is the sloppy fit caused by the wide cuff.
Verdict The best of the non-microfibre dirt-shifters on test.
Rating * * *

Halfords Cotton Wash Mitt
Price £3.49
Tel 08457 626625
Web www.halfords.com
Comments This looks like a mop with a hole in its middle and works much like one, too, which means that its water retention properties are phenomenal: when dry it weighed 142g but after a dunk in the bucket it weighed well over 1kg. The water level in the bucket had gone down noticeably, too. For general cleaning, this is a pretty good all-rounder but tough stains proved too challenging for it. The mop-like fingers don't grip tough dirt and the mitt's too thick for hand pressure to really help out. It is also rather tricky to put on.
Verdict The best water retainer here, but poor dirt-shifting ability.
Rating * * *

Kent Sponge Mitt
Price £1.49
Tel 01892 837070
Web www.carcare.co.uk
Comments If you are a stickler for tradition and so used to using a sponge that you simply cannot imagine cleaning a vehicle without one, this is the mitt for you. Essentially, it is two pieces of inch-thick regular sponge sewn together, and although that may seem like a cop-out, in reality it actually works rather well. And, perhaps because of its large surface area, it holds a surprising amount of water. When dry, it weighs in at a barely perceptible 30g. However, after a brief dunk in a bucket, the weight ballooned to almost 600g. Another definite bonus of the sponge is that it clings to your hand effectively, meaning that the mitt stays securely in place despite the fact that it has no elasticated cuff.
Verdict Better than a conventional sponge and very low-priced.
Rating * * *