b4i4getit

For years I have used 100 % cotton towels to dry my vehicles. This has worked well however I don't know if I should try some of the new products out there. I need your comments since you have probably tried some of these to dry your car.

PVA Synthetic Chamois - This looks interesting since it does not dry out like a leather chamois and you don't have to throw it in the washing machine unlike cotton towels. You just wring it out and put it back in the plastic case. Does anyone have any real world use with this ? Does it dry well ?

Microfiber Towel - This also looks good however they are made of polyester and I wonder if they can contribute to scratching since the weave is very fine and can trap dirt. The ones I have seen are all blue and I always thought you should use a white towel in case of dye transfer.

Based on this do you think I should stick with towels or try something else ?

agentf1

MF waffle weave from pakshak.com are nice. I used to use real chamois but they don't last long, or of course 100% cotton.

Drop Top

I used to use only a natural chamois or all cotton towel, but my son introduced me to the synthetic chamois and microfiber towels. They are very good. I use the chamois for drying, but always keep it clean. Rinse it a lot. When I wipe the inside of the doors, engine compartment, etc. I use a cotton towel. I use the microfiber towels to take off wax and for polishing.

koreanbeefcake

I did a search on PVA chamois. I just bought one and it is amazing. I am gonna toss the standard chamois and buy 2 more of these.

Best part is I found it at Ross for $4...

The one i got was an armor all brand.

John Ulrich

PFM's from Griots Garage are it. I have tried a bunch of waffle weaves over the years like many on line here have, but for sucking up large amounts of water..... PFM's

cmonkey713

Use a yard blower or compressed air to blow the water off then use the towel for any remaining water. In general anytime you touch the paint you run the risk of swirls and scratches.

FYRARMS

THIS. I use a 600cfm Worx leaf blower to remove like 99% of the water, then do a final wipe-down with one of my gazillion spray detailers (I swear, I am addicted to trying them all out). I only use Korean microfiber towels, and they are the big fluffy 480+gsm ones.

0Adam's Polish

The MF drying towels are in my opinion the safest drying towel.
Adam's Ultra Plush Drying Towel is the softest, most absorbent microfiber drying towel you've ever used... Guaranteed!

FYRARMS

I have a few of your double-soft polishing towels, and they are outstanding! Using them to remove your Buttery Wax is more of a therapeutic pleasure than a tedious task! I can almost throw the towel on my hood and remove the wax. LOL

cmonkey713

Paul R

I second what others have said...Korean Waffle Weave microfiber is the best for drying. I use heavy GSM (600+) MF for wax removal and detailing.

I get mine from MicroFiberTech.

-Paul

John Ulrich

I ordered in a few of the "Twistress" by The Rag Co. They appear to be a PFM clone.... We'll see!!!

Grzldvt1

As a pro detailer, I would not touch any chamois, fake or otherwise in a million years. The only thing that they guarantee is scratching the crap out of your paint. There is literally no nap to absorb any surface dirt, so you miss even a minor bit of dirt and you are scraping it across your paint.
With the Adams towel, which is one of the best, or any other towel that has some thickness to it, you will pull the dirt into the towel and away from your paint surface.

As long as I have been in business, I have seen the "No Swirls or No Scratched Paint On MY Chamoised Car" come in to my shop with the owner swearing they have no swirls, until I go out and point them out.
It is more than just absorbing water, it is making sure what you use to dry the car can also absorb missed dirt without scratching the paint.
Chamios, or any other form of them are only second to diapers for being the worst thing on the planet for using on a painted surface.
As a reference, when I wash a car inside my shop, which is the only place I do it, we use a compressed air gun to dry it... aka a leaf blower for those at home, then use 4-6 very thick MF towels to follow up drying a car.

charley95

I think a lot of people use too much elbow grease when drying their car which also causes scratches. I use very light pressure when washing and drying. I pitched my chamois years ago.

FYRARMS

THIS. I also spritz a good spray detailer on the panels when doing that final wipe down. Doesn't take me any real extra time, and I think the extra lube (that's what she said) and gloss is worth it. Plus, I am absolutely addicted to all the great scents these damned detailing sprays come in.

On a side note, spray detailers are my weakness. I mean, I go through a lot of the stuff. I use them for waterless washing follow ups, daily dust removal, clay bar lubing, last-minute car show spritzing, etc. on two vehicles. So, I like to try a bunch of them from various vendors. Meguiar's, Griot's, 3D, Sonus, Optimum, 303, Adam's, Chemical Guys, Nanoskin, Jax Wax, and McKee's 37 all hang out in my garage.

The Meg's "Last Touch" gallon-size spray is a screaming deal at $19. That is my go-to spray for most tasks. But, I have become a huge fan of this reformulated Chemical Guys "Extreme Slick" Synthetic spray. Super-lubey, really works well with any sealer or wax I use, and does a good job adding gloss. This is the one that will always be in my "trunk bag" when I go to car shows. I highly recommend spending $10 on a bottle and trying it!

C5Longhorn

Do you perform many rinseless washes in your shop or mostly traditional washes?

Grzldvt1

Both, On cars that are just dusty, rinseless is the way to go and I use 3-6 towels when wiping the car down, more if it is really dusty. I use Eco Green Auto Clean rinseless. Tried many others and they just did not meet my standards.
If the car's dirt has seen water, then a traditional wash/rinse is done using two -three bucket method. All buckets have Grit Guards and we use Zaino's Z-7 car wash for all washes. Dawn is reserved for cars being detailed. Had others send me their wash to try and promote, they simply could not match Zaino's Z-7 Car Wash.
If a car comes in that has seen salt/sand from winter driving, then we use three buckets, all with grit guards. One bucket for soap, second bucket for an initial rinse of the mitt after doing a section, and a third for a second rinse of the mitt. The mitt gets rinsed and refreshed at least twice on each panel.
We will wash top down and based on the car save the bottom of the car completely separate from the rest. IE... we will wash 3/4's of the door/fenders upper portion, then go back around and wash the lower 1/4 on it';s own. This prevents the heavier dirt at the bottom from contaminating the next upper section - Make sense?
I will, if really filthy, rinse the mitt doing just a half a door, so as not to spread the dirt from one section to another.
All of my car washes are followed up with Zaino Z-8 Grand Finale or if a very loyal customer with a $100k+ vehicle, Polish Angel High Gloss.

Your results may vary, but I also charge a lot of $$$ for a wash because our technique is time consuming and labor intensive, but the results are simply stunning.

C5Longhorn

Thanks for the follow-up, I follow a pretty similar process as a hobbyist on my own vehicles.

DWillys

Initially I tried the 2 bucket method/dirt separators and gave up on it. I found it works better to just buy more microfiber mitts. Toss 3 in the bucket. Wash part of the car with one side, flip, wash some more, then into the dirty pile. Next mitt.

I don't worry about where the dirt on the mitt goes when in the bucket because once it is taken out it never goes back in (at least until it has gone through the wash).

Carvin

What about just hosing off the mitt before you put it back into the bucket of suds?