Hello everyone,

I'm really trying to get into washing and detailing my car myself, with mixed success. I've been very frustrated with one particular aspect of this whole thing: towels. It seems like my towels are horrible, the first couple of times I washed my car I ADDED swirl marks to it because my drying towels were so bad.

I bought new towels though, but today I just washed them and they felt harder to me so I tried the "CD test" on a bunch of them and every single one scratched the hell out of a cd.. these are AUTO towels, most of them are the VROOM series or whatever that Target sells..this **** isnt free..both microfiber and terry cloth towels.

So what, i have to throw away all my towels now? I've already spent way more than I wanted to on random waxes, washes, towels, wipes, etc etc..and I still dont even have a portercable or proper polishes...



EDIT: the only thing I can think of is that the detergent I used is Tide with downy, so it's got fabric softener added..but isnt fabric softener supposed to..er..soften?

 

I use 100% cotton USA towels. When I wash them I don't use a fabric softener in the dryer.
I've never had an issue.

 

Where did you purchase the towels?

 

I just bought a 20-pack of Superex microfiber towels at Costco - try there?

 

First of all, use a jelly blade to get 95% of the water off your car.

Personally, I use a chamois to get the rest. I only use microfiber towels when removing wax.

 

Use a leafblower to get most off, then use a towel that passes the CD test to LIGHTLY wipe off residual water. Use your current towels on windows.

 

save your towels for home use..

this is how you wash microfiber

COLD WATER!! use small amount of detergent (liquid only) powder will get stuck in the fibers..

do NOTTTTTTT throw them in the drier.. polyestern (sp?) is like plastic.. if you heat it up it gets nice and hard.. hang them up! if not then put it on the coolest setting in your drier.. do not add softener..

a better way to clean it is just use car soap and hand wash! seperate your waxing towels for waxing.. window for window.. drying to drying and washing to wash..

you want to use in this order
new towel: drying or buffing
after few uses: retire to washing or applying
after that: windows or inside part of hood, engine bay/interior/trunk/exhuast tips
after that: rims (stock rims only) if you have aftermarket then treat them like paint

do not apply pressure when doing anything.. when washing remember to use lots of soap and water (lube = no scratchy) dont forget to rip off the little tag that says the washing instruction/made from china/stuff like that.. lastly expensive microfiber = rounded edges =)..

you can also get cheap microfibers at costco for $8 for a pack of 16 or 20..

- Eric

 

^ this is if your bored ._.

also do not wash ur towels with anything else..

cotton towels SEPERATE FROM MICROFIBER or else the lint on the cotton will get on the fibers

2 bucket method helps too

work your way from top to bottom

- Eric

 

go to costco or sam's club. i picked up a 25pk of microfiber towels for $11. awesome deal !!!

 

thanks for all the tips..alot of useful info I will definitely use.

I think it was the drying that did the microfibers in...

 

www.detailersparadise.com

get their Platinum MF towels. i did a 500w bulb test right up against
my dealer aftermarket painted aero kit (softer than factory) and was not
able to make any haze marks dry and with some decent force.

 

Here is an article we put together describing what makes microfiber unique and how to properly care for your microfiber products.

Not all microfiber is created equally. For your paint, I recommend investing in some high quality microfiber towels, not the cheapest you can find. I've had some distributors send me samples that I wouldn't go anywhere near my paint with. There is a lot of variation between towels, especially the cheaper ones.

Also, you can never seem to have too many, and work well in many applications around the house as well.

George

 

I use this thing to dry the car off after i wash it...

http://www.cleantools.net/website/in...ductsPage.aspx

IMO, its great! Just make sure the car is clean so you dont the "absorber" doesn't pick up sand and drag it on the surface.

-Sean

 

Leaf blower method is the bomb. I started drying the vette with a blower years ago best way to dry a car. Then just go over the car again lightly with a 100% cotton towel with no tags and the seams removed.

 

I'm thinking of buying a leaf blower too, just because I think minimizing towel usage minimizes risk of scratching.. would a 140mph blower be enough?

http://www.acehardware.com/product/i...entPage=family
or even better:

http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/...ctId=100050533

If not..I might just pay more and go with a bomb one.. $60 225mph:

http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/...ctId=100046062


EDIT: yes, quoting the "air speed" of the blowers excites me because I pretend I'm talking about cars