I am from the "old white t-shirt" school of cleaning your car but gonna start treating my new CM with some microfiber towels. So far I see why I should use them but not sure of the types I need. Sooo
What types MF do I need to do the following
- clean interior, leatherette seats, dash floor mats.

- windows- I use Stoners Inv

- Washing and Drying the car.

I would like quality over quantity

Thanks in advance
Frank

 

not sure how to kill/delete a thread but got my answer off the chart on autogeek site.
Thanks

 

Actually, this isn't a bad question and could best be answered by some of the pro's on this thread and vendors.

For the interior and glass, I've always used all purpose microfiber towels. After they get worn out from interior cleaning, they are relegated to cleaning door jambs, engine bay and wheels.

For drying, I use a couple of large waffle-weave microfiber towels.

Washing, I use the microfiber wash mitts and uber wash sponge.

 

Very very cool- the all purpose was what was giving me the brain cramp. Do you use any certain brands.

 

Check out Octaneguy in the detailing threads. He is the guru of towels and detailing.

 

T . Eric Allan at Autoality, a newer NAM supporter , also has a really good microfiber selection and really reasonable prices. I haven't found many places with quality microfiber for less and there is a NAM discount code. Autoality.com

 

Phil at Detailer's Domain has them as well. He's always fast at answering any questions that I send his way, and set me up with a good all-around starter kit when I got my R56 last year.
You get an NM discount from him as well.

 

I switched to microfiber towels years ago, though admittedly not different ones for different purposes...

but buy do I hate how they feel on bare fingers if you have the slightest skin pull or hangnail or scuffing from, you know, working with your hands..

 

You would be amazed at how much there is to learn about Microfiber. I get people all the time at the store who believe microfiber is microfiber, but just like clothing, it's not all created equal.

Microfiber is a combination of Polyamide and Polyester. Polyamide is the water absorbing fiber aspect of the blend. You will see a bunch of different blends on the market. The most common are 70/30, 75/25 and 80/20. The larger number is always the polyester while the smaller number is the Polyamide. In general, the more Polyamide the more the water absorption. However, water abosorbing dyes used to color the microfiber can also impact the amount of water absorption.

When it comes to fiber structure, there are three common types. There are looped fiber towels and these are the most common. There are also waffle weave towels and feathered fiber towels.

Looped fiber towels are by far the most common. Many retail towels will be a short looped structure and most of the All Purpose Towels on the market are short looped.

Many of the premium detailing companies will sell a dual-sided towel, where one side is short looped and the other is longer/plusher loop. The short looped microfiber is great for removing wax, polish and compound residue. Where as the longer looped side is great for detail sprays, spray waxes and removing any fine powder left after your initial wax removal. My Plush Microfiber Towel is this type of towel.

Waffle Weave towels are great for drying your vehicle. Instead of looping the fibers out from the core of the towel, these fibers are laid side ways so you expose more fiber surface. By laying the fiber side ways, you can absorb more water that looping the fiber, because more fiber is exposed to the water.

Feathered towels are not very common as they have limited uses. A feathered towel like my Fluffy Towel, is great to use with detail sprays and waterless car washes. The longer, fluffier fibers will wrap around dust and dirt safely picking up all the contaminants with a long fiber. Feathered towels are not good for wax removal as the fiber will bend too much to easily pick up the residue.

Towels can also be banded differently. There is a micro-band banding, stitched banding and microfiber silk banding. Micro-fiber silk is what you find on most of the premium towels where the stitched edge is on lower priced towels.

16" x 16 is the most common size and 16" x 24" is also popular. Most people will fold their towels into quarters when using, which is why 16" x 16" is the most common size...it fold very conveniently into quarters. A drying towel is generally 25" x 36" so it can hold a significant amount of water.

Country of manufacture is also important. Towels made in Taiwan generally hold up better over time than Chinese made towels.

Always remove any tags on the towel, as they can scratch your surface and always wash your towels prior to using them. With micofiber, although they look clean, you never know what they may have picked. Washing them first will ensure a contaminant free towel touches your car.

To answer you questions specifically...

For interiors, All Purpose Towels. Try to pick up a few different colors, that way you can color code them to the specific surface you are cleaning..

For glass, a short looped microfiber towel or a 16x24/16x16 waffle weave towel.

For drying the car, a larger sized waffle weave.

For washing, I would go with a Microfiber wash mitt or a lambswool wash mitt. The Meguiar's Microfiber Wash Mitt is probably the best mitt for the money.

For wax removal, I like a dual sided towel. Use the short loop side for initial removal and then flip the towel to the plusher side to pick up any fine powder that is left behind.

I hope this helps! I know this post isn't all encompassing, so please feel free to contact me with any questions! Thanks!

T

 

T Eric- you have been so kind and really updated me on what I need I will be ordering from you today or tomorrow.
Will need a couple large wafle weave and the smaller ww for glass and the was mitt.

Thanks for the info. Frank

 

Frank,

Glad I could help out. Please always feel free to contact me with any questions!

T

 

order placed...

 

Thank you very much!

 

fkelly5,

Thank you again for your order. I added the 10% North American Motoring discount to the order.

Just as a reminder, all North American Motoring Members can save 10% at Autoality.com by using coupon code NAM at checkout. My codes stack, so you can use this member code on top of any other sale codes that may be going on.

Thank again!

T

 

I just placed an order with T as well. He is very knowledgeable and helpful! I appreciate his level of customer service!

 

Talk about customer service. My order shipped in one day and is supposed to arrive from PA to Texas in just 3 days! That is awesome service!

 

Order arrived today ! That was quick and the towels look great!!!! Thanks T.

 

If you need towels for detailing. Check out Autoality in Pittsburgh. The towels I ordered look great and I can't wait to try them out. Three of the towels I ordered were not available for a couple days but T. Went ahead and sent the order. the order arrived Saturday just days after ordering. The other towels arrived today via priority mail! Talk about customer service! T. Does a great job!