Are all Microfiber towels the same???

Can I purchase at Wal-Mart or do I need to spend a fortune at some "specialty" shop?

Thanks.

 

About the only thing that is the same, is the name Microfibre, sorry. Good MF towels have very high thread counts, in the 100s of thousands per square inch. The cheapo Mal-Wart kind have low thread counts, and are only good for tires, engine bay clean-up, that kind of thing.

Good towels, though a little more money, will be WAY LESS likely to scratch your paint, plus, if treated properly will last for years.

Mark

 

Yep, what Mark said.

The cliche, "You get what you pay for"... it applies to Microfiber towels, too.
I highly recommend the "Monster Fluffy" towel from Detailer's Paradise. They're so thick and soft, you'll want to use it for a bath towel. But don't...you're not worth it. Your car is.

Seriously, they're not that expensive. I have 8 of them in my detailing cabinet and they're used often (like several every week).

Hey... just tried to access their website to give the OP the link. Seems their site is down. Dear God, if that goes on for more than a few days I might need therapy !!!

 

They depend on what you're using them for. I have dozens of cheap Costco MFs that I use on wheels, plastic trim, the engine bay, the interior, etc.

However, if you want to have the right tools for the job you'll also want some waffle-weave MFs for drying (work much better than anything else, and you only need 2 to dry an entire MINI), and some Monster Fluffies for buffing, using quick detailer, removing wax or polish, etc. The cheapies often have edges sewn with synthetic thread which will just induce swirls and scratches, and some have tags sewn into the edges which will also scratch if not entirely removed.

 

Whew... okay, the DP website is back up. Here's the link:

http://www.detailersparadise.com/Vie...2-691513519674#

And a pic to entice you. It doesn't tell you how soft it is, but you can tell how thick the pile is:

 

Got it!!!! We're OK
http://www.detailersparadise.com/_sy...qryDefault.asp

I like these,
http://www.detailersparadise.com/Vie...20081125151439

Mark

 

That reminds me... this is the DP month on the NAM calendar, IIRC. I'll have to get the coupon code of my calendar (it's at work) and order some new Monster Fluffies and some other stuff.

 

Ooo crap...my calendar is packed somewhere

Oh well...I don't think I actually need anything right now anyway. Figures, that's how it always is when there's a sale!

 

I've got both...low and high end MF. I use the low end for the rims, the high end for SprayOn Car Wash Application, drying, wax removal, etc. My low end came from Costco. My high end from Griot's Garage and DP. My low end that I've had awhile still sheds though, but my high end never has...that's the difference!!

 

Whatever you end up choosing for your "utility" MF towels and your "nice" MF towels, buy a whole bunch of them - like dozens. For one, it will keep you from being tempted to use one towel for longer than you should. (When you only have two or three "nice" MF towels, it's tempting to try to get through the whole job on one towel, or to keep using a towel you just dropped on the ground because "it didn't get too dirty").

Also, if you have a bunch of MF towels, you can wash an entire load of MF towels together (and still have clean ones left in the garage), rather than being tempted to throw them in with the rest of your laundry.

 

Good tip. You can fit a lot of towels into one load. I've got about 10 waffle weave towels now, plus another 10 buffing towels and I probably could fit twice that many in the washer. Super double secret bonus about microfiber towels: They dry really quickly, even in a low temp dryer.

As to the original post - order a couple white waffle weaves from Detailers Paradise and compare them to the ones in auto-parts stores, etc. and you will see the different right away.

 

I only dry my microfiber towels for about 15 minutes, just to get some of the water out of them. Then I hang them on an indoor drying rack to finish drying. Seems they stay softer that way.

 

Mark

 

i also found that if you soak your mf towels in your washing machine with a
cup of vinegar after the initial fill, that removes the hardness out of them too.

this was heather's trick btw and it helped TREMENDOUSLY after my older platinum
MF towels were getting a little stiff. i could fold them and it would stand up like a
piece of paper before.

 

LESSON LEARNED

I just bought my first microfiber towels yesterday (split the difference in price and quality by purchasing by an auto parts store). Be sure to WASH YOUR MICROFIBER PRIOR TO USING the first time! I now have micro-freakin'-fibers all over my windows!

 

Do yourself a favor and get glass-cleaning cloths for the windows. They're thinner, can't damage your glass, and you won't waste your microfiber towels on the filthy windshield and rear glass all the time.

 

Actually my experience with the worst of the cheap microfibers is that if its shedding fibers, they towels are bad and will continue to shed even after washing.

Quality MF towels like from Prima or SCD won't do that, even if you don't wash them first.

Richard