Aren't all microfiber towels basically the same?
12-15-2017, 04:36 PM
#41
Drifting
Thread Starter
I just looked on Amazon for the Rag Company, and of course - they got their microfiber towels. 
The only problem is that there are so many from which to choose!
How do you decide?
(I'm thinking that no matter which towels you pick, they're going to be great, so it really doesn't matter)
The only problem is that there are so many from which to choose!
How do you decide?
(I'm thinking that no matter which towels you pick, they're going to be great, so it really doesn't matter)
12-15-2017, 08:36 PM
#43
I just looked on Amazon for the Rag Company, and of course - they got their microfiber towels.
The only problem is that there are so many from which to choose!
How do you decide?
(I'm thinking that no matter which towels you pick, they're going to be great, so it really doesn't matter)
The only problem is that there are so many from which to choose!
How do you decide?
(I'm thinking that no matter which towels you pick, they're going to be great, so it really doesn't matter)
12-16-2017, 12:45 AM
#44
Le Mans Master
Member Since: Aug 1999
Location: Silicon Valley and Yosemite, CA
Posts: 5,511
Received 635 Likes
on
341 Posts
In my travels as a professional detailer, I have discovered people are a bit confused about Microfiber towels. I will try and clear a few things up with this post and make it human readable. I have tested over 200 different types of Microfiber towels, it is definitely not a small, small world…..
Why Do I Want Quality Towels for Auto Detailing?
Have you ever seen a black car with all those fine scratches in the finish? Those fine scratches really take away from the shine.
Light reflecting off of a flat surface is much brighter than what is reflected off of a bumpy surface. Those fine scratches/swirls are a bumpy surface, albeit they are pretty tiny, but nonetheless they are a detraction and will reduce the shine your paint will have.
Those fine swirls are generally caused by using poor quality wash equipment/techniques and towels for drying.
What are Microfiber Towels?
Microfiber Towels are the latest rage because of their ability to absorb material and remain soft. It is in some cases three times better than ordinary cotton towels for the same area.
This is done by creating literally thousands of microscopic sized fibers and blending them together. This is much easier to do with a synthetic fiber over a cotton fiber. That blending of the fiber creates a larger surface. The larger surface improves the ability of the fabric to absorb dirt, water, polish, etc and keep it away from the paint surface.
There are no standards in the Microfiber world where a standard is strictly adhered to by all manufacturers, like there is in the cotton Towel world. A loose standard is the Polyester/Polyamide content.
Even within the same MF towel manufacturer, quality can vary widely.
What Kind of Microfiber Towels Should I Buy?
When purchasing for auto detail use always make sure there is a label specifying the Polyester/Polyamide mix. Almost all “synthetic Microfiber towels are made up of a Polyester/Polyamide content mix. It is the Polyamide content that determines the towels softness and when mixed with the Polyester helps prevent scratching/swirl marks.
For detailing purposes you should get towels with a maximum of 80% Polyester and a minimum of 20% Polyamide. A 75/25 or a 70/30 indicates a softer towel, but necessarily a better quality towel. Some of the lower cost manufacturers will use the label number prior to weaving versus after weaving. The weaving process has a tendency to raise the Polyester number and lower the Polyamide number. There is really no clear cut way to tell other than the CD test.
Do not use anything above 80% Polyester, they will scratch. I have had customers buy the 3M House cleaning cloths, or Makeup removal towels that are a 90/10 mix and then wonder why they have swirl marks.
How do I Know if I Have a Good Towel or Bad?
There is the infamous CD Test to test the quality of your towels. Take a CD, generally one you don’t really care about, and rub the towel in a straight line with fairly heavy pressure on the recording(ed) side. If you see scratches in the direction you were rubbing, that is happening to your paint.
I have actually taken a CD into the store and done the test before buying a towel I want.
If you see scratches, relegate that towel to windows, or wheels.
I buy a lot of towels, and I use the Rag Company - The Rag Company, like many of you. I have been dealing with them for many years and have had only one batch of towels I was unhappy with, the “Eagle Edgeless” an incredibly soft towel, one of the best for paint correction compound removal, or polish/wax removal but the lint it leaves behind is horrendous. and as a professional detailer I simply cannot have that.
How Do I Take Care of my Microfiber Towels
I have found Tide Free to be the best off the shelf detergent(No fragrance/No oil). Many liquid detergents still contain oils and perfume. That oil will get transferred to the paint and not allow your polish/wax to stick. It can also leave behind a dulling film of oil that attracts dust. We have started using Gyeon Q2M Towel wash with excellent results.
Wash them all by themselves, mixed in with other fabrics they will pick up the lint, and you will have a linty mess on your paint.
If you do not have softened water, when the rinse cycle begins to fill, add ¼ cup of white vinegar based on the water level. A low water level ¼ cup. Medium water level ½ cup and so on. Microfiber towels are unique as they will retain mineral content from unsoftened water, and when the towels are dried that mineral content will build up in the fiber and will scratch the paint surface and reduce it’s ability to absorb water. Unlike cotton towels where the fabric is much looser, and not hold as much mineral content, Microfiber is very tight and retains minerals, clogging the fabric.
When you are finished using a towel, toss it into a bucket of water and whatever will dissolve your polish/wax/ For me, as a Zaino user, I have a 5 gallon bucket with ¼ bottle of alcohol. The alcohol is a cleansing solution and does not allow the compounds or Zaino to cure and harden the microfiber.
For Ceramic coatings towels, I have 5 gallon bucket with ½ cup of vinegar. Let these soak for 60+ minutes then wash them. The Ceramic coatings will harden the fabric very quickly and ruin the towel.
Drying – Microfiber towels are dried on very low heat to the point they are almost dry but a touch moist. Drying them to totally dry, will build up static in the towel and that static will get transferred to the paint. That static will attract dust, and I suspect you know the rest. High heat can melt the microfiber. You won't see it or feel it but it happens.
In any discussion with the Big Box/Big Store towels, run the CD test. The last batch I bought only 5 out of 36 passed my scratch test.
Hope this helps
Why Do I Want Quality Towels for Auto Detailing?
Have you ever seen a black car with all those fine scratches in the finish? Those fine scratches really take away from the shine.
Light reflecting off of a flat surface is much brighter than what is reflected off of a bumpy surface. Those fine scratches/swirls are a bumpy surface, albeit they are pretty tiny, but nonetheless they are a detraction and will reduce the shine your paint will have.
Those fine swirls are generally caused by using poor quality wash equipment/techniques and towels for drying.
What are Microfiber Towels?
Microfiber Towels are the latest rage because of their ability to absorb material and remain soft. It is in some cases three times better than ordinary cotton towels for the same area.
This is done by creating literally thousands of microscopic sized fibers and blending them together. This is much easier to do with a synthetic fiber over a cotton fiber. That blending of the fiber creates a larger surface. The larger surface improves the ability of the fabric to absorb dirt, water, polish, etc and keep it away from the paint surface.
There are no standards in the Microfiber world where a standard is strictly adhered to by all manufacturers, like there is in the cotton Towel world. A loose standard is the Polyester/Polyamide content.
Even within the same MF towel manufacturer, quality can vary widely.
What Kind of Microfiber Towels Should I Buy?
When purchasing for auto detail use always make sure there is a label specifying the Polyester/Polyamide mix. Almost all “synthetic Microfiber towels are made up of a Polyester/Polyamide content mix. It is the Polyamide content that determines the towels softness and when mixed with the Polyester helps prevent scratching/swirl marks.
For detailing purposes you should get towels with a maximum of 80% Polyester and a minimum of 20% Polyamide. A 75/25 or a 70/30 indicates a softer towel, but necessarily a better quality towel. Some of the lower cost manufacturers will use the label number prior to weaving versus after weaving. The weaving process has a tendency to raise the Polyester number and lower the Polyamide number. There is really no clear cut way to tell other than the CD test.
Do not use anything above 80% Polyester, they will scratch. I have had customers buy the 3M House cleaning cloths, or Makeup removal towels that are a 90/10 mix and then wonder why they have swirl marks.
How do I Know if I Have a Good Towel or Bad?
There is the infamous CD Test to test the quality of your towels. Take a CD, generally one you don’t really care about, and rub the towel in a straight line with fairly heavy pressure on the recording(ed) side. If you see scratches in the direction you were rubbing, that is happening to your paint.
I have actually taken a CD into the store and done the test before buying a towel I want.
If you see scratches, relegate that towel to windows, or wheels.
I buy a lot of towels, and I use the Rag Company - The Rag Company, like many of you. I have been dealing with them for many years and have had only one batch of towels I was unhappy with, the “Eagle Edgeless” an incredibly soft towel, one of the best for paint correction compound removal, or polish/wax removal but the lint it leaves behind is horrendous. and as a professional detailer I simply cannot have that.
How Do I Take Care of my Microfiber Towels
I have found Tide Free to be the best off the shelf detergent(No fragrance/No oil). Many liquid detergents still contain oils and perfume. That oil will get transferred to the paint and not allow your polish/wax to stick. It can also leave behind a dulling film of oil that attracts dust. We have started using Gyeon Q2M Towel wash with excellent results.
Wash them all by themselves, mixed in with other fabrics they will pick up the lint, and you will have a linty mess on your paint.
If you do not have softened water, when the rinse cycle begins to fill, add ¼ cup of white vinegar based on the water level. A low water level ¼ cup. Medium water level ½ cup and so on. Microfiber towels are unique as they will retain mineral content from unsoftened water, and when the towels are dried that mineral content will build up in the fiber and will scratch the paint surface and reduce it’s ability to absorb water. Unlike cotton towels where the fabric is much looser, and not hold as much mineral content, Microfiber is very tight and retains minerals, clogging the fabric.
When you are finished using a towel, toss it into a bucket of water and whatever will dissolve your polish/wax/ For me, as a Zaino user, I have a 5 gallon bucket with ¼ bottle of alcohol. The alcohol is a cleansing solution and does not allow the compounds or Zaino to cure and harden the microfiber.
For Ceramic coatings towels, I have 5 gallon bucket with ½ cup of vinegar. Let these soak for 60+ minutes then wash them. The Ceramic coatings will harden the fabric very quickly and ruin the towel.
Drying – Microfiber towels are dried on very low heat to the point they are almost dry but a touch moist. Drying them to totally dry, will build up static in the towel and that static will get transferred to the paint. That static will attract dust, and I suspect you know the rest. High heat can melt the microfiber. You won't see it or feel it but it happens.
In any discussion with the Big Box/Big Store towels, run the CD test. The last batch I bought only 5 out of 36 passed my scratch test.
Hope this helps
Last edited by Grzldvt1; 12-16-2017 at 12:48 AM.
12-16-2017, 07:33 AM
#45
Drifting
Thread Starter
In my travels as a professional detailer, I have discovered people are a bit confused about Microfiber towels. I will try and clear a few things up with this post and make it human readable. I have tested over 200 different types of Microfiber towels, it is definitely not a small, small world…..
Why Do I Want Quality Towels for Auto Detailing?
Have you ever seen a black car with all those fine scratches in the finish? Those fine scratches really take away from the shine.
Light reflecting off of a flat surface is much brighter than what is reflected off of a bumpy surface. Those fine scratches/swirls are a bumpy surface, albeit they are pretty tiny, but nonetheless they are a detraction and will reduce the shine your paint will have.
Those fine swirls are generally caused by using poor quality wash equipment/techniques and towels for drying.
What are Microfiber Towels?
Microfiber Towels are the latest rage because of their ability to absorb material and remain soft. It is in some cases three times better than ordinary cotton towels for the same area.
This is done by creating literally thousands of microscopic sized fibers and blending them together. This is much easier to do with a synthetic fiber over a cotton fiber. That blending of the fiber creates a larger surface. The larger surface improves the ability of the fabric to absorb dirt, water, polish, etc and keep it away from the paint surface.
There are no standards in the Microfiber world where a standard is strictly adhered to by all manufacturers, like there is in the cotton Towel world. A loose standard is the Polyester/Polyamide content.
Even within the same MF towel manufacturer, quality can vary widely.
What Kind of Microfiber Towels Should I Buy?
When purchasing for auto detail use always make sure there is a label specifying the Polyester/Polyamide mix. Almost all “synthetic Microfiber towels are made up of a Polyester/Polyamide content mix. It is the Polyamide content that determines the towels softness and when mixed with the Polyester helps prevent scratching/swirl marks.
For detailing purposes you should get towels with a maximum of 80% Polyester and a minimum of 20% Polyamide. A 75/25 or a 70/30 indicates a softer towel, but necessarily a better quality towel. Some of the lower cost manufacturers will use the label number prior to weaving versus after weaving. The weaving process has a tendency to raise the Polyester number and lower the Polyamide number. There is really no clear cut way to tell other than the CD test.
Do not use anything above 80% Polyester, they will scratch. I have had customers buy the 3M House cleaning cloths, or Makeup removal towels that are a 90/10 mix and then wonder why they have swirl marks.
How do I Know if I Have a Good Towel or Bad?
There is the infamous CD Test to test the quality of your towels. Take a CD, generally one you don’t really care about, and rub the towel in a straight line with fairly heavy pressure on the recording(ed) side. If you see scratches in the direction you were rubbing, that is happening to your paint.
I have actually taken a CD into the store and done the test before buying a towel I want.
If you see scratches, relegate that towel to windows, or wheels.
I buy a lot of towels, and I use the Rag Company - The Rag Company, like many of you. I have been dealing with them for many years and have had only one batch of towels I was unhappy with, the “Eagle Edgeless” an incredibly soft towel, one of the best for paint correction compound removal, or polish/wax removal but the lint it leaves behind is horrendous. and as a professional detailer I simply cannot have that.
How Do I Take Care of my Microfiber Towels
I have found Tide Free to be the best off the shelf detergent(No fragrance/No oil). Many liquid detergents still contain oils and perfume. That oil will get transferred to the paint and not allow your polish/wax to stick. It can also leave behind a dulling film of oil that attracts dust. We have started using Gyeon Q2M Towel wash with excellent results.
Wash them all by themselves, mixed in with other fabrics they will pick up the lint, and you will have a linty mess on your paint.
If you do not have softened water, when the rinse cycle begins to fill, add ¼ cup of white vinegar based on the water level. A low water level ¼ cup. Medium water level ½ cup and so on. Microfiber towels are unique as they will retain mineral content from unsoftened water, and when the towels are dried that mineral content will build up in the fiber and will scratch the paint surface and reduce it’s ability to absorb water. Unlike cotton towels where the fabric is much looser, and not hold as much mineral content, Microfiber is very tight and retains minerals, clogging the fabric.
When you are finished using a towel, toss it into a bucket of water and whatever will dissolve your polish/wax/ For me, as a Zaino user, I have a 5 gallon bucket with ¼ bottle of alcohol. The alcohol is a cleansing solution and does not allow the compounds or Zaino to cure and harden the microfiber.
For Ceramic coatings towels, I have 5 gallon bucket with ½ cup of vinegar. Let these soak for 60+ minutes then wash them. The Ceramic coatings will harden the fabric very quickly and ruin the towel.
Drying – Microfiber towels are dried on very low heat to the point they are almost dry but a touch moist. Drying them to totally dry, will build up static in the towel and that static will get transferred to the paint. That static will attract dust, and I suspect you know the rest. High heat can melt the microfiber. You won't see it or feel it but it happens.
In any discussion with the Big Box/Big Store towels, run the CD test. The last batch I bought only 5 out of 36 passed my scratch test.
Hope this helps
Why Do I Want Quality Towels for Auto Detailing?
Have you ever seen a black car with all those fine scratches in the finish? Those fine scratches really take away from the shine.
Light reflecting off of a flat surface is much brighter than what is reflected off of a bumpy surface. Those fine scratches/swirls are a bumpy surface, albeit they are pretty tiny, but nonetheless they are a detraction and will reduce the shine your paint will have.
Those fine swirls are generally caused by using poor quality wash equipment/techniques and towels for drying.
What are Microfiber Towels?
Microfiber Towels are the latest rage because of their ability to absorb material and remain soft. It is in some cases three times better than ordinary cotton towels for the same area.
This is done by creating literally thousands of microscopic sized fibers and blending them together. This is much easier to do with a synthetic fiber over a cotton fiber. That blending of the fiber creates a larger surface. The larger surface improves the ability of the fabric to absorb dirt, water, polish, etc and keep it away from the paint surface.
There are no standards in the Microfiber world where a standard is strictly adhered to by all manufacturers, like there is in the cotton Towel world. A loose standard is the Polyester/Polyamide content.
Even within the same MF towel manufacturer, quality can vary widely.
What Kind of Microfiber Towels Should I Buy?
When purchasing for auto detail use always make sure there is a label specifying the Polyester/Polyamide mix. Almost all “synthetic Microfiber towels are made up of a Polyester/Polyamide content mix. It is the Polyamide content that determines the towels softness and when mixed with the Polyester helps prevent scratching/swirl marks.
For detailing purposes you should get towels with a maximum of 80% Polyester and a minimum of 20% Polyamide. A 75/25 or a 70/30 indicates a softer towel, but necessarily a better quality towel. Some of the lower cost manufacturers will use the label number prior to weaving versus after weaving. The weaving process has a tendency to raise the Polyester number and lower the Polyamide number. There is really no clear cut way to tell other than the CD test.
Do not use anything above 80% Polyester, they will scratch. I have had customers buy the 3M House cleaning cloths, or Makeup removal towels that are a 90/10 mix and then wonder why they have swirl marks.
How do I Know if I Have a Good Towel or Bad?
There is the infamous CD Test to test the quality of your towels. Take a CD, generally one you don’t really care about, and rub the towel in a straight line with fairly heavy pressure on the recording(ed) side. If you see scratches in the direction you were rubbing, that is happening to your paint.
I have actually taken a CD into the store and done the test before buying a towel I want.
If you see scratches, relegate that towel to windows, or wheels.
I buy a lot of towels, and I use the Rag Company - The Rag Company, like many of you. I have been dealing with them for many years and have had only one batch of towels I was unhappy with, the “Eagle Edgeless” an incredibly soft towel, one of the best for paint correction compound removal, or polish/wax removal but the lint it leaves behind is horrendous. and as a professional detailer I simply cannot have that.
How Do I Take Care of my Microfiber Towels
I have found Tide Free to be the best off the shelf detergent(No fragrance/No oil). Many liquid detergents still contain oils and perfume. That oil will get transferred to the paint and not allow your polish/wax to stick. It can also leave behind a dulling film of oil that attracts dust. We have started using Gyeon Q2M Towel wash with excellent results.
Wash them all by themselves, mixed in with other fabrics they will pick up the lint, and you will have a linty mess on your paint.
If you do not have softened water, when the rinse cycle begins to fill, add ¼ cup of white vinegar based on the water level. A low water level ¼ cup. Medium water level ½ cup and so on. Microfiber towels are unique as they will retain mineral content from unsoftened water, and when the towels are dried that mineral content will build up in the fiber and will scratch the paint surface and reduce it’s ability to absorb water. Unlike cotton towels where the fabric is much looser, and not hold as much mineral content, Microfiber is very tight and retains minerals, clogging the fabric.
When you are finished using a towel, toss it into a bucket of water and whatever will dissolve your polish/wax/ For me, as a Zaino user, I have a 5 gallon bucket with ¼ bottle of alcohol. The alcohol is a cleansing solution and does not allow the compounds or Zaino to cure and harden the microfiber.
For Ceramic coatings towels, I have 5 gallon bucket with ½ cup of vinegar. Let these soak for 60+ minutes then wash them. The Ceramic coatings will harden the fabric very quickly and ruin the towel.
Drying – Microfiber towels are dried on very low heat to the point they are almost dry but a touch moist. Drying them to totally dry, will build up static in the towel and that static will get transferred to the paint. That static will attract dust, and I suspect you know the rest. High heat can melt the microfiber. You won't see it or feel it but it happens.
In any discussion with the Big Box/Big Store towels, run the CD test. The last batch I bought only 5 out of 36 passed my scratch test.
Hope this helps
Thank you very much.
12-16-2017, 10:57 AM
#46
Le Mans Master
What Kind of Microfiber Towels Should I Buy?
When purchasing for auto detail use always make sure there is a label specifying the Polyester/Polyamide mix. Almost all “synthetic Microfiber towels are made up of a Polyester/Polyamide content mix. It is the Polyamide content that determines the towels softness and when mixed with the Polyester helps prevent scratching/swirl marks.
For detailing purposes you should get towels with a maximum of 80% Polyester and a minimum of 20% Polyamide. A 75/25 or a 70/30 indicates a softer towel, but necessarily a better quality towel.
Hope this helps
Good reading. I love using the Costco/Kirkland towels. They pass the CD test and are 80% polyester and 20% Polyamide.
12-16-2017, 06:17 PM
#48
I just got a bunch of the Eagle Edgeless a few months ago and used and washed them several times. Mine don't leave any lint behind at all. Maybe a bad batch?! Hands down my favorite towel to use.
The following users liked this post:
Grzldvt1 (12-16-2017)
12-16-2017, 06:33 PM
#49
I've been using the same Absorber on dozens of cars for over 20 years! Make sure it goes back into its container soon after use or it dries out (dampen to restore). Great for drying, not for polishing. Lay flat, grab the corners and pull to edge of panel like an "old school" chamois.
P.S. 4.6/5 on Amazon with an "A" Fakespot rating. Zero maintenance and will last for decades (my experience as well as other reviewers). My experience is based on an old towel, I can't speak to the current ones for sale.
Last edited by WideVette; 12-16-2017 at 07:04 PM.
12-16-2017, 11:35 PM
#50
Le Mans Master
Member Since: Aug 1999
Location: Silicon Valley and Yosemite, CA
Posts: 5,511
Received 635 Likes
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I've been using the same Absorber on dozens of cars for over 20 years! Make sure it goes back into its container soon after use or it dries out (dampen to restore). Great for drying, not for polishing. Lay flat, grab the corners and pull to edge of panel like an "old school" chamois.
P.S. 4.6/5 on Amazon with an "A" Fakespot rating. Zero maintenance and will last for decades (my experience as well as other reviewers). My experience is based on an old towel, I can't speak to the current ones for sale.
P.S. 4.6/5 on Amazon with an "A" Fakespot rating. Zero maintenance and will last for decades (my experience as well as other reviewers). My experience is based on an old towel, I can't speak to the current ones for sale.
12-16-2017, 11:51 PM
#52
Chamois and absorbers are things of the past since microfiber came along. Produces too much friction to the paint. I'll use my old absorber on the windows and that's it! I have metallic black and use only the softest micro on it. What's your go to on ceramic? I just bought a new [another brand] car and have been correcting it all week getting it ready for my ExPel guy to cover it. My friend is hounding me to ceramic it after I get it covered next week. He uses Adam's on his but, I didn't like the removal process. It feels like your trying to remove tape residue when wiping it off. It smooths out after you hit it with Ceramic Boost. Does the coating enhance gloss over and above product used for correcting the paint?
12-17-2017, 12:07 AM
#53
That's why you wash it first!
Seriously, although I haven't seen it as an issue in 20 years of using one religiously, it's possible(?) even from simple airborne contaminants (I suppose?).
The Absorber is a one hit wonder, it doesn't double as a polisher as microfiber does. But it sure holds water and will literally last forever! I use both, just don't dry with microfiber. Maybe I'm making more work. Always open to improvements!
Thanks for the great detail provided in your previous post. I bookmarked the page for quick access due to your input.
Last edited by WideVette; 12-17-2017 at 01:05 PM.
12-17-2017, 07:36 AM
#54
Drifting
Thread Starter
Um, well, then I guess I could use my new Absorber on Mrs. DGA3's black Toyota RAV4!
12-17-2017, 01:00 PM
#55
Yes the Absorber can cause swirl marks if there is grit in it. Hot tip - Wash the car before you use the Absorber and you wont have that problem.
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WideVette (12-17-2017)
12-17-2017, 01:06 PM
#56
12-18-2017, 12:44 AM
#57
Le Mans Master
Member Since: Aug 1999
Location: Silicon Valley and Yosemite, CA
Posts: 5,511
Received 635 Likes
on
341 Posts
Final comment on the Absorber, yes washing is the ticket, but can pretty much guarantee their will be some reside on the car, the the Absorber will pick up and drag across the car. Keep in mind I see 6-8 cars a day. I ask customers how they wash and dry their cars.
If it works for you, wonderful, not going to argue.
If it works for you, wonderful, not going to argue.
12-20-2017, 09:49 AM
#59
Le Mans Master
Thanks for the tip
Last edited by Snowwolfe; 12-20-2017 at 09:49 AM.
The following users liked this post:
Dif (12-23-2017)
12-20-2017, 11:33 PM
#60
Thanks to everyone for all of the great comments