Last year I bought a large package of micro fiber towels from Sam’s Club, now that my Mini is here and after having read a few posts about not getting the cheap towels at Wal-Mart or Costco I’m wondering do I have cheap towels and should I get some others to use on the paint? What parts can scratch and how can I tell if these have those?

 

I got a some cheapo ones at Target that definitely were not paint friendly and left fine scratches and swirlies, so I only use them on wheels and interior, but I've had no ill effects on paint with Meguiar's microfibers and quik detailing spray. For waxing and polishing I like the Meguiar's ultra plush terry cloth towels.

 

If I should be wary of these, and I'm not sure if I should be yet, favorite sources for batch of good MF towels at a best price would also be appreciated.
I really like having 20 some towels so one goes in the bucket, is used and then into the dirty pile and onto to a clean one. No double dipping.

 

I'm pretty happy with Sonus's line of towels.
Actually I use an MF mitt for washing and applicator for waxing, but that's just my preference.

The Der Wonder Towel is great for the price, nice MF weave, good pile, and heck 2 for 10 bucks.

The Concours Buffing Towel is to die for (I would like my bed sheets made out of this stuff!) but certainly pricier.

They have a couple other options there in between those price points as well.

 

The Sonus towels ROCK!

I've got 2 blue waffleweave drying towels and 4 of the ultimate buffing towels. All of my other microfibers have been relegated to interior cleaning and door sill wiping-up.

 

The danger with some mf towels is that the edges may be bound with polyester or some other twine that is harmful even though the rest of the towel is fine.

The Eurow towels from Costco and possibly other places are great towels and recommended for the value. Just be sure to remove all traces of the label sewn into them before use.

 

There was a time when the best deal in town was buying the yellow MF towels from Costco. At that time they were manufactured from a company called Euro Crowe Riley-- I know my spelling is off. When I bought my first pack of towels, they were soft and thick and of really high quality. I know people who bought them by the carton, and well they sold like hotcakes.

For several months my local Costco's were out of stock and when they finally came in, I bought 2 packs and I immediately noticed something different. The first pack I used, left microfibers all over my paint---clear, fine straight particles similar to lint. Even after a thorough washing, they continued to shed fibers. Something was clearly wrong.

The towels also felt thinner and weren't the same quality as months previous. A quick call to the manufacturer, resulted in a nice package of their highest quality microfibers being sent to and an apology.

These 2 packs became my painted wheel towels.

Several months after this, those yellow towels at Costco no longer bore the name Euro Crow Riley, although the bags still looked the same. The quality of the towels had definitely gone down--a deliberate cost cutting measure.

Sadly, I never saw those good towels again. My recommendation is stick with a brand name microfiber like Meguiar's where the quality of their manufacturing reflects squarely on their reputation. Their Supreme Shine Microfiber is large and plush and has satin edging to prevent any scratches. You fold this towel into quadrants when you use it. At a retail price of $9.99 for 3 high quality microfibers, it's pretty affordable.



http://www.meguiars.com/?car-wash-to...er-(Three-Pack)

If you aren't sure if you can afford a lot of these towels, just buy one for $4 and compare it to any other cheapie you may be considering. You'll immediately notice the difference.

http://www.meguiars.com/?car-wash-to...ine-Microfiber

Also for drying your car after a wash, get an Absorber. To me this is the best and safest way to dry your car because it doesn't involve rubbing your paint.

You just unfold the synthetic towel, wring it if its wet, lay it on the paint, smooth it out, count to 5 and lift it off. The surface will be dry. Lift it off, and move it to another section of paint. Smooth it down....

It's great for convertible canvas tops too. Basically anything that needs to be dried--and then you just store it wet back in its storage tube and its ready for use. Cleaning is as simple as letting it soak in a sink full water with a tiny bit of detergent overnight, then wringing it out in the morning.

 

I also recommend and use the absorber.
Target stopped selling it and replaced it with their own, but looks to be the same PVA sponge towel.

 

My local Target has both the Absorber and their own called ZOOM. I actually like the Zoom better. Only one side is usable for absorbing but the other side has dimples making it easy to grip and I like the orange color!

Hard to see the dimples but you can see the size here

 

Actually bought an Absorber last night. Thanks for all the feed back.

Any need for “better” MF towels beyond something like the Meg. [FONT=Verdana]Supreme Shine for buffing wax off where you don’t have a lot of lubricant between the paint and towel as you do when you are soaping?[/FONT]

 

Your Target post went up while I was writting my post.

Darn - I bought Absorber at Target and looked at the Zoom, but thought better to stay with the name brand. I feel an exchange coming on . . . .

 

The absorber works fine (I've never tried the Zoom... when my Absorber kicks the bucket, I'll try it) and the pics and description above are perfect. Once you get the bulk of the water off, switch to a high quality waffle-weave microfiber (cough-Sonus-cough) for the final drying process.