Bergmann Gladiator Microfibre Sponge

Bergmann is one of the best microfibre brands on Amazon India and I say that as a car detailing and microfibre addict that knows the differences between good and bad microfibre and has in his collection many microfibre brands, both Indian and foreign. I do wish however, that they had a wider range of colours and products to choose from. Their products are limited but like I said, they're world class. This wash sponge is the perfect size, GSM and weight. The quality and softness of the fibres is clear to feel and see. I have to confess that I have not used it much, firstly because I prefer wash mitts over sponges to wash cars and so I just don't have regular use for it. And secondly because it feels and looks too soft, luxurious and beautiful to wash a dirty car with. I just keep it in my collection and touch, feel and play with it once in a while. It is a premium top quality product, let there be no doubt about that. If you prefer using wash sponges, then you need to buy this because it's the best wash sponge I've found yet on Amazon India. Use only the orange microfibre side for paint and the blue scrubber side for glass, to clean stubborn dirt on the lower body or wheels of the car. You can also use this to wipe down interiors and leather seats. I even feel it would be perfect for polishing and waxing by hand. Another reviewer said that he uses this to clean the headliner and that sounds like a brilliant idea too. You could maybe use it for wheels (not tyres) but my heart would never allow me to use such a premium soft sponge for that purpose. Very gentle on car paint but also very good at picking up and holding on to dirt. Releases the dirt quickly when rinsed in the wash bucket. Easy to clean and wash after use. The rich orange colour looks beautiful and also helps you see when the mitt is dirty and needs to be rinsed. Always buy microfibre products in light and bright colours; dark colours don't let you see the dirt and you could cause scratches in the paint from any dirt or small rocks stuck in the fibres. Use the darker colours for wheels/engine bay/other dirty areas. You will be happy with your purchase and can buy with confidence in a quality product from a well known German brand. Not just this sponge; I also have their full range of 'Gladiator' microfibre towels, I use them regularly and they are as good as any other elite microfibre brand. And unlike other foreign brands, they are selling in India at very friendly prices. If you want great microfibre products for your collection and your car, you really should check out Bergmann. Here are my tips to get the best results from this wash sponge and also to take care of all your microfibre products and keep them in good condition: 1) Always wash new microfiber products before using them for the first time. No detergent; only water; there is usually lint/dye/residue left over from the manufacturing process and you'll see how much the water changes colour. 2) Do not rub the sponge hard on the paint. Gently wipe the car in straight lines and never in circles. Do not use any pressure. Lightly guide the sponge under your palm and let its weight do the work. Keep rinsing well in the wash bucket after cleaning each body panel and keep checking for dirt/rocks in the fibres. 3) This sponge is very easy to clean. If not very dirty, you can just hand rinse or quickly machine wash with only water. Use detergent only for dirty/stained microfibre. Use only liquid detergent. Any liquid laundry detergent (without added fabric softener) is fine but I'll still recommend the Wavex liquid microfiber detergent; a very good Indian product and cost effective; the 1 litre bottle will last you a long time. Never use powdered detergent and never use fabric softeners. It's best for your microfibre to use detergent as less as possible and mostly just wash in cool/warm/hot water. Never wash/mix microfibre with any other clothes; always keep it separate from all other fabrics. 4) If you feel your microfibre products have lost some of their softness and absorbency, then soak/wash them by hand in a bucket or in the machine with hot water and 1-2 teacups (depending on how many microfibres you're washing) of any cheap white vinegar; no detergent; then do a final rinse to remove the vinegar; it's a great way to remove old buildup from your microfibre and make it soft and absorbent again. 5) Do not wash microfibre used for polishing/waxing/sealants with your other washing/drying/cleaning microfibres. The polish/wax will coat the other microfibres and make them less soft/absorbent. 6) Never wash microfibres used for tyres/wheels with those used for the paint/body/interior. The metal and brake dust particles from wheels will contaminate your other clean paint/interior towels and cause scratches in the paint. 7) Always try to clean/wash dirty microfibre as soon as possible; if you can't, then atleast leave them soaking in a bucket with liquid detergent until you have time to wash; the aim is to not allow any wax/polish/dirt to dry/harden into the microfibre; more difficult to clean once that happens. 8) To wash microfibres used for polish/wax, soak them in a hot water bucket with liquid detergent and repeatedly squeeze/scrub/rub them thoroughly against each other with your hands or use a toothbrush. Your hands and the towels should be underwater in the detergent while scrubbing/cleaning so make sure the water is not too hot for your hands. But you need heat to break up and melt the polish/wax off the pads so make it as hot as you can. Once you're satisfied with your scrubbing, squeeze out the pads/towels and then rinse them well in another bucket of hot or cool water; or just toss it in the washing machine for the final rinse after the first hot water scrubbing you did. You could also do the whole wash in the machine with hot water but it will not clean as well as doing it manually yourself. 9) Never dry your washed microfibre in direct sunlight or at high temperatures in the washing machine dryer. Do not iron. Do not wash in water hotter than 60°C (that's the temperature in most home water heaters). Extreme heat will destroy microfibre. Sorry for the long read but I've been doing this since years and love to share my experiences/learning with those who might be looking for it. You can also see my profile for reviews of other great detailing products on Amazon. Best of luck and happy detailing.

This is called quality. Washing or mopping the car and bike for last couple of years but still intact as it is, wear and tear is negligible.

Good

A very good product but I feel I just spent way too many money on this. It just feels like an ordinary towel. 2 towels stitched together. Nothing really special about it.

So, I recently bought a street triple and before that I owned a Duke 200 and a 390. I used to clean them with normal wash towels and sponges but they weren't really convenient. I was too lazy to research better wash cloths so I continued using them till I got the delivery of my Street Triple. In order to give my pride and joy the best cleaning, I researched the softest and best wash cloths and landed upon this one. It is pretty expensive for what it actually is (just a big sponge), but it absorbs humongous amounts of soap and water and the double sided nature lets you use the same cloth for both the top and the lower parts. As one of the sides is slightly coarse (don't worry it doesn't scratch your rims or swingarm) and the lower part usually requires a more thorough scrub, it works out perfectly. I have just one tiny nitpick about this product which is that it's a bit bigger than necessary. They could have split it into two smaller wash sponges to make it more convenient but I guess this wouldn't be a problem for people with bigger hands.

The product works fine to scrub the seats and roof liner. But it would be better if it has a tag link of things to hang after washing. Also, the microfiber cloth is average. Think around 100-200 GSM.

Excellent quality ! Very thick and soft. It’s like cleaning your car surface thoroughly and yet only caressing it ! The thickness and high quality fibres require you to apply lesser force compared to most microfibres, even 3M. Wipe away with ease. Extremely tender on the car body and hands, yet effective. Highly absorbent ! Soaks like a sponge. I was pleased to note that when fully soaked, it holds enormous water volume becoming at least four times its dry weight ! This means very little rinsing and wringing out of water needed while cleaning. Keeps on absorbing without losing cleaning capacity. Leaves little to no water spots on the surface. Furthermore, the silken edges ensure a scratch-free usage. Very happy ! Bergmann is quality. Been using their tyre inflator as well. Quality is their endeavour.

Product good but price is more