Who uses microfiber towels?

[billt460]

Microfiber is ALL I use. They do absorb better once they get slightly damp, but it's better than dragging a terry towel across the surface and buffing out the scratches later. Terry towels are one of the reasons I don't let dealerships or full-service car washes wash my car.

Same here. Microfiber is all I use. Cars, guns, tools, appliances, name it, and there is reason to have a few microfiber towels around to wipe it with. Plus, you can get them for a song at places like Harbor Freight. They often have 3 and 6 packs of them in various different sizes for cheap.

They're great for dusting as well. They trap and hold dust, instead of just pushing it around like Terrycloth does. I can't find a better cloth for cleaning flat screen TV's. Hell, we even dry our dog with them after he gets a shampoo...... Which is usually at least once a week.

 

[WylieCoyote]

Same here. Microfiber is all I use. Cars, guns, tools, appliances, name it, and there is reason to have a few microfiber towels around to wipe it with. Plus, you can get them for a song at places like Harbor Freight. They often have 3 and 6 packs of them in various different sizes for cheap.

They're great for dusting as well. They trap and hold dust, instead of just pushing it around like Terrycloth does. I can't find a better cloth for cleaning flat screen TV's. Hell, we even dry our dog with them after he gets a shampoo...... Which is usually at least once a week.

I have a ton of them, all different types. Small edgeless from The Rag Company, and all sorts of different sizes from Harbor Freight and WalMart. They all have a specific job. The junky small ones from Walmart get glass, chrome and wheel duty, because they're not very soft as they age. The ultra-soft, 'fuzzy' white ones I got from Harbor Freight aren't very absorbent, but they're excellent for wax wipe-off and a final pass on windows. They leave ZERO fibers behind, unlike some of the others I have that tend to sluff off on glass. I haven't quite reached the point where I'm ready to make the investment of the big, thick drying towels from The Rag Company ($$$, imo), but I found some really nice, large blue drying towels at Walmart a few years ago that work very well for drying, and always come out of the dryer extremely soft.

I got something similar to these at Walmart a couple years ago, and they turned on me. https://www.walmart.com/ip/40-40CM-...-for-Car-And-Home-Polishing-Washing/285621868. I don't know what went wrong, but they became less and less absorbent every time I used them. Even after they do absorb some moisture, they continue to just push the water around, taking forever to get the car dry. I've washed them every way I can think of, and they just get worse, so they're utility towels now. Too bad, because they're really soft and thick.

 

[nomas]

When my mom passed away we were cleaning out her apartment and found a basket full of Microfiber face cloths and hand towels . Probably a dozen or so . I use these for all sorts of things and I wash them by hand in case they are oily . I have a big laundry sink in the garage .

 

[Rand]

I use cheap sams club microfiber for basic detailing, and more specialized for washing/applying and drying.

Nastier ones get repurposed for garage rags, rags with basic dirt(not oily, tires etc)get washed separately with free n clear detergent after I get a bucket full.
I have a couple of the nice drying towels but rarely use them. electric leaf blower for mirrors and trim lines.. then some products applied are used/compatible with small amounts of water.

 

[eddy21]

I absolutely love The Absorber for drying vehicles. True to its name, it absorbs water well!

Amazon.com

I have one from the 90's still works great.

 

[Hillbilly Deluxe]

Chime in if you use and like microfiber towels.

I'm still puzzled at why they are used. You ever try to use one? Ever try to dry a car off with one? You are there a l l d a y l o n g.

My 35 year experience with drying towels is this.

1.Chamois - THE clear stand out towel for removing water.
2.Cotton towel - Good but a bit lacking compared to a real chamois. Still a solid choice if you lack a chamois. Cotton is highly absorbent compared to #3 below.
3.Microfiber towel - Nothing but a water pusher. Does not absorb anything. Why? The fibers are made of polyester PLASTIC. Once I found out what they were made from, made total sense. I've even tried the high dollar ones and never placed in the clothes dryer ect....... Still a total failure.

You're buying cheap microfiber towels.

Here's a video explaining MF towels, the differences and what different ones should be used for.




How to care for them-

 

[slomo]

You're buying cheap microfiber towels.

Here's a video explaining MF towels, the differences and what different ones should be used for.




How to care for them-

If you would take the time and actually read what I posted..... I've bought expensive ones in the past. Always went back to my chamois. Just no comparison in the water holding capabilities between the two.

 

[slomo]

I watched those videos a long time ago. I bought into these "new" towels as being the best you can buy. None were even close to my real deal chamois. You can swipe your forehead with a micro and it's saturated LOL.

 

[SammyChevelleTypeS3]

Chime in if you use and like microfiber towels.

I'm still puzzled at why they are used. You ever try to use one? Ever try to dry a car off with one? You are there a l l d a y l o n g.

My 35 year experience with drying towels is this.

1.Chamois - THE clear stand out towel for removing water.
2.Cotton towel - Good but a bit lacking compared to a real chamois. Still a solid choice if you lack a chamois. Cotton is highly absorbent compared to #3 below.
3.Microfiber towel - Nothing but a water pusher. Does not absorb anything. Why? The fibers are made of polyester PLASTIC. Once I found out what they were made from, made total sense. I've even tried the high dollar ones and never placed in the clothes dryer ect....... Still a total failure.

I used them for auto detailing such as polishing and waxing. I agree with you. They can be extremely agravating if you attempt to use them for any thing else. Definitely not for drying anything!!!

 

[FordMan59]

I use them for washing the cars and for removing wax.

 

[jmillet]

I switched from cotton to microfiber several years ago. I buy most of microfiber products from the Rag Company via Amazon. I clean my microfiber using the Pan Method with Tide Free and Gentle and vinegar in the bleach dispenser.

 

[gregk24]

Microfiber is all I use. You just have to know how to use it.

 

[Chevelle3221]

I have found that depending on what you wash a MF towel in can change its ability to suck up water.

 

[Spyderman24_7]

You're buying cheap microfiber towels.

Here's a video explaining MF towels, the differences and what different ones should be used for.




How to care for them-

Videos such as those are simply opinion and not much else... why is it that if so and so makes a video it must be fact we should all listen to, lmao?

 

[pharden]

According to my wife I have any too many MF towels. Just be careful when you wash them. Always wash them but them selves and not with other fabrics. Also don't use fabric softener, wash in hot water and dry at low temp.

 

[dbias]

I use chamois here too. 25 years of washing fire trucks every single day and I have same good ones that are like soft leather. Makes the back of the hood and top center of the windshield on the atlas without breaking out the ladder.. easy to dry as you can literally just throw it out flat and drag it back to you.

 

[SammyChevelleTypeS3]

I use chamois here too. 25 years of washing fire trucks every single day and I have same good ones that are like soft leather. Makes the back of the hood and top center of the windshield on the atlas without breaking out the ladder.. easy to dry as you can literally just throw it out flat and drag it back to you.

That is exactly what I been using. I do use my blower at times to get a little head start. You still need to finish it off good with the soft leather drying (?probably artifical I am guessing?) chamois that you can buy everywhere like WalMart / AutoZone etc... like you I toss it out flat across the tops and hoods or trunks and just pull it back and it works great. (well You know it you been using them so long - like me!)

 

[dbias]

That is exactly what I been using. I do use my blower at times to get a little head start. You still need to finish it off good with the soft leather drying (?probably artifical I am guessing?) chamois that you can buy everywhere like WalMart / AutoZone etc... like you I toss it out flat across the tops and hoods or trunks and just pull it back and it works great. (well You know it you been using them so long - like me!)

Lol I make it a point that my first two swipes I go from the front head light up the hood, up the windshield over the roof and down onto the trunk in one quick continuous swipe for each side. Gets 90% of the big stuff off quick.
I do have microfiber too and they dry better when prewetted and wrung out like a chamois.

 

[sgtrockjoe]

Cotton baby diapers for drying. Soak up water like crazy. Never had a problem with them scratching paint.

 

[Bill_W]

According to my wife I have any too many MF towels. Just be careful when you wash them. Always wash them but them selves and not with other fabrics. Also don't use fabric softener, wash in hot water and dry at low temp.

So wash in hot water, dry cool? I have heard not to go above 140F in the wash.