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Microfiber or terry cloth bonnets for removing wax/polish?
I have been using microfiber and terry cloth towels to remove polish and wax. I think I am going to start using bonnets. Is this a good idea? Which ones should I use?
I know that Zaino recommends to ONLY use "100% cotton, USA-made white cotton towels from a good Bath store", as they claim that even microfiber can vary immensely in quality and the lower-quality stuff can scratch. I can confirm that cheap microfiber from an auto-parts store CAN and WILL scratch, so I'm converting to all-white terry towels for my hand polishing.
I personally just use a hand-towel to buff off polish dust or wax residue. If you're allowing the wax to dry properly, it shouldn't take much elbow grease to remove the dried residue. Same thing goes for "removing" polish remnants (usually dust).
If you're talking about APPLYING polish or wax using a mechanical process like a RO polisher, I'd go with a foam applicator designed for the purpose. A medium- or fine-grade "cutting" pad is appropriate for polish and a fine-grade pad is appropriate for wax. The nice thing about foam is that is absorbs far less product than terry or microfiber, which equals less product used and a thinner, more even coat when applied.
What products do you use and on what polisher? I know that Detailer's Paradise has a nice selection of foam applicators and a VERY nice microfiber line from all reports...
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~Matt Cook | Dublin, Ohio | '92 Classic Mini Sprite: "Fiona" + Purple Haze 2005 MCS Cabrio: "Dawn". See old MODs from "Nano" HERE - post #166 - many with How-to links!
I use the Griot's Garage Microfiber towels for removing waxes and polishes. (The yellow ones and the white ones). I've also experienced scratching/hazing with cheap microfiber towels, but not with the Griot's ones.
I agree that there's not enough effort involved in removing product to warrant the use of bonnets on a polisher for that purpose.
I use the Griot's Garage Microfiber towels for removing waxes and polishes. (The yellow ones and the white ones). I've also experienced scratching/hazing with cheap microfiber towels, but not with the Griot's ones.
I agree that there's not enough effort involved in removing product to warrant the use of bonnets on a polisher for that purpose.
Scott
the Griot's MF is exactly what i have been using, but the only concern
is the wash tag stubby on those towels. it will swirl the paint. i noted
this to Griots asking them to have their manufacture not sew it on.
until Griots fixs this, im going to use the Monster Fluffy towel. it's 16x16 and perfect
size, no tags.
I just got a batch of Griot's MF towels and... no tags. Maybe they've improved their product ??
Used them many times in the 10 days I've had them... great towels !
Ooooh... good news. Thanks for letting us know, man.
GAWD, I'm such a geek.
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~Matt Cook | Dublin, Ohio | '92 Classic Mini Sprite: "Fiona" + Purple Haze 2005 MCS Cabrio: "Dawn". See old MODs from "Nano" HERE - post #166 - many with How-to links!
Noooo problem. With all I've learned from the Detailing 101 forum and your post about installing boot stripes, I still owe you a whole bunch of info !!
You think you're a geek ?! I'm so anal, I cut off the extra 1 inch or so of red thread hanging off my MF towels so they would look nicer.
Griots or no, get a polishing towel from a known vendor who specializes in car care. They tend to have the good stuff = the stuff you want touching your MINI's paint!! Accept nothing less!!
I know that Zaino recommends to ONLY use "100% cotton, USA-made white cotton towels from a good Bath store", as they claim that even microfiber can vary immensely in quality and the lower-quality stuff can scratch. I can confirm that cheap microfiber from an auto-parts store CAN and WILL scratch, so I'm converting to all-white terry towels for my hand polishing.
I personally just use a hand-towel to buff off polish dust or wax residue. If you're allowing the wax to dry properly, it shouldn't take much elbow grease to remove the dried residue.
2 key elements to this post, regarding cotton towels:
1) Make sure they are made in the USA AND
2) They state 100% cotton on the tag.
We have done extensive research on cotton towels. If they aren't made in the USA, believe it or not, they are actually allowed to state 100% cotton on them even when it is not true. They have to be a certain percentage cotton in order to state 100%, but they don't have to 100%! Often the stitching is nylon, despite the stupid tag statement!
If they are made in the USA and do not state 100% cotton, then, frankly they are not. The last time we checked (a little over a year ago, so maybe dated), there was literally only one US manufacturer who still made 100% cotton towels and they were thinking of phasing them out. Bottom line: check your tags carefully!! (then rip them off) Otherwise, use premium MF (microfiber) exclusively and from only good sources.
Zaino is right though... much of the MF out there stinks and can be dangerous.
So, we hand inspect every single piece of MF we sell. Even reliable manufacturers can have a bad run! We go to great (painstaking, I might add) lengths to make sure customers do not get any bad MF from us. And as Kenchan already mentioned, our buffing MF is always tagless.
I think its imperative to only buy your buffing/paint MF from reliable sources. Of course, you can buy the crappy stuff from other retailers as long as you use them on non-painted areas. I think a few crappy MFs can be handy for certain non-paint uses.
Finally, I agree that hand buffing off wax/polish is more efficient and effective than by machine.
2 key elements to this post, regarding cotton towels:
1) Make sure they are made in the USA AND
2) They state 100% cotton on the tag.
We have done extensive research on cotton towels. If they aren't made in the USA, believe it or not, they are actually allowed to state 100% cotton on them even when it is not true. They have to be a certain percentage cotton in order to state 100%, but they don't have to 100%! Often the stitching is nylon, despite the stupid tag statement!
Zaino has confirmed this very same thing - thanks as usual, Heather.
FYI - a recent trip to Bath and Body to find 100% cotton, Made In USA towels resulted in NONE FOUND. All were made in Pakistan, India or China. I might have missed a brand, but all I checked were foreign made, including the $45 a towel ( ) brands. Luckily, I dug through my worn-out towel closet (we all have one, right?) and located a large, slightly discolored bath sheet with the proper specs. I mamaged to cut 6 polishing cloths and 4 small "detailing" cloths (perfect for trim dressing and polishing tight spacs) from a SINGLE towel!
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~Matt Cook | Dublin, Ohio | '92 Classic Mini Sprite: "Fiona" + Purple Haze 2005 MCS Cabrio: "Dawn". See old MODs from "Nano" HERE - post #166 - many with How-to links!
Both Cotton Terry and Microfiber have a very wide range of qualities, and so you can't simply go with any.
Zaino's included free pads are terry for example. They are great first few times you use them, but they quickly become tough and possibly abrasive and fall apart. That is the quality they consider good enough to use. My standards are a bit higher.
I use a Sonus Der Wunder Applicator to apply my zaino, and the Concours Buffing Towel to buff/remove. Those concours towels have got to be some of the softest fabric I've felt, amazing considering they are MF. I wish I could get them as bath towels to use after a shower!
I see autopia has now made a Concours applicator so I will probably get one with my next order and see if I like that better than the Der Wunder.
I've been meaning to throw in a good word for Detailers Paradise. They shipped my small ($50 or so) order within two hours of the time I completed my online order. Their monster fluffy is incredibly thick and soft, and their drying waffles are bigger than any I've seen. But what really got me to place my order, strangely enough, was the fact that they have those stupid little two ounce plastic bottles! If you leave Zaino and Accelerant in em, they don't clean up well at all, so it was great to finally find some more.
End of thread hijack.
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It was a beautiful day.
The sun beat down.
I had the radio on.
I was driving.
'10 MCS Mayfair - HC/B
'04 MCS - BRG/W (174,000 miles!)
I use griot's white towels (they dont look like microfiber at all!) that came with my carnauba paste kit. I am a noobie at this but, they work well and clean well. I have microfibre for drying the car. I might switch to microfibre wax removing when the whites die... probably in like 2 years as I also purchased their wax removing detergent for cleaning them properly.
all of mine including the white ones have tags on them. 
Often the stitching is nylon, despite the stupid tag statement!
