I purchased a wool mint from elite car care about 3 months ago and so far used it about 4 times. After every use I normally pop it in the machine and give it a good wash before leaving it to dry.

Last night I came to use it only to find it molting :( I only noticed after half my Fabia was covered in strands. Is this the normal life span of a wool mitt or would machine washing have ruined it?

TBH you should washing machine it, just a good rinse after and hanging it to dry.

I had the same problem, mine fell apart also?!? not sure if i will replace it yet?

Machine wash gently, without soap etc

Mine died when I washed it a higher temperature - I'd forgotten to turn the machine back down after doing a "white wash" at 60-70 degrees!

I think I killed another one after putting it in the tumble dryer.

Don't machine wash them. Simple.

I use 6 synthetic ones, and they say machine wash at 40C on the pack, and they've been fine for 6 months, but I have now worn a hole in one. I wash them every time I use them and they seem fine with being machine washed.

I reckon each one has probably done 1/3 of a car twice a week, so that's probably two years use for most folks.

If it's a genuine Lambswool Wash Mitt then I just wash them by hand in the sink, the washing machine will, I am afraid, tear them to bits.............

I never have any problems machine washing the ones I have, genuine lambswool ones, at 40deg with a small amount of non-bio powder. Eventually they do fail, sure, but I've only recently binned the first ever Meguiars wool washmitt I got in 2003!

It's either varying water softness/hardness, water temperature or the power/cleaning agent people use that seems to kill stuff like this; but I can't work out which! Same goes for people having issues with efficiency of drying towels and the like. Very strange.

Steve

Drying towels:

Cool wash with a non bio detergent and absolutely no fabric conditioner, So don't use Bold!

Very true Mike, very true

Steve

My mitt died inthe washing machine. My mum wasn't very amused when the machine became clogged with loads of fluff, preventing the water from draining away properly

once you have washed the car, wash the glove out in cold clean water or rinse it out under a cold tap.