Ok, I saw this commercial this morning for Shamwow, a synthetic chamois...seems too good to be true......their website ---- www.shamwow.com ----says it is made out of rayon. I wonder if this rayon material will cause swirling ........has anyone tried this?

a high quality microfiber towel, like the DP drying towel, what material is the microfiber spun from?

 

I've used similar synthetic chamois products (like "The Absorber") with good results. They soak up huge amounts of water, and wring dry easily. The main reason I switched to the Detailer's Paradise "Waffle Weave" drying towel is that it's better for spreading Hydro (Prima's most-excellent "wax-as-you-dry" miracle) over the paint as I dry it. Also, the synthetic chamois tends to be much more "grabby" and doesn't glide over the paint as easily, which might cause a problem if you have any dirt/grit left on the paint when you start drying.

As for the materials, most microfibers are made from synthetics like polyester and polyamide, in varying proportions. The key thing is that the individual fibers in MF cloths are so darn thin that they don't cause scratching/swirling. If you use a polyester or nylon brush (which is equivalent to ~20 threads per inch) on your paint, you'll destroy it in pretty short order. But many of the MF cloths have ~200,000 threads per inch (or more), so they don't scratch the paint (or if they do, the scratches they leave behind are so much finer than the inherent surface imperfections in even the best paint that the end result would actually be that the paint would be *smoother* afterward, not swirled).

 

huh, looks like a great drying towel for utility use.

 

I'm with Ken on this. Nothing like a good MF

Mark

 

When I dry my car, I use the two handed approach. I have the "absorber" in my right hand, and Detailer's Paradise "Waffle Weave" in my left. First pass with the Right, clean up with the left. The two combined make quick work on the Mini.