Post by Candyman on Jul 1, 2008 8:58:10 GMT -8
There is a diverse offering of microfiber products for automotive detailing, including towels, applicators, gloves, dusters and wash
mitts. In the towels category alone, you will find dozens of different weaves, material weights, fabric blends, colors and sizes - microfiber detailing towels, microfiber waffleweave towels, and even a chamois towel. It's almost dizzying when you look at the different products side-by-side. Here's how I categorize microfiber towels for my own use:
1. General Purpose - This is typically a microfiber towel (16" by 16") with a standard terry cloth weave and an 80/20 blend of polyester and polyamide. The towel has no specific purpose, and will be equally adept wiping paint, glass, vinyl, plastic and leather. This towel will have a medium thickness (plush-ness) nap. If you do a lot of quick detailing on your car, this will be the towel you use most frequently.
Made in China from an 80/20 blend of polyester and polyamide, this is a general purpose detailing towel with a short terry nap on one side and a medium plush-ness nap on the other side. The towel can be used for cleaning, polishing and quick detailing.
2. Glass & Polishing - Microfiber towels that work well for polishing and glass cleaning seem to have the same basic characteristics. First, the towel should be 100% lint free. In most cases, this means the weave is going to have a shorter nap than a general purpose towel. Many people believe that a good glass towel will leave as little water as possible so the droplets will evaporate without leaving a spot. A good glass towel needs scrubbing power to successfully remove the residues that cause streaking. It's the same characteristic that makes a good polishing cloth.
The towel on the below is marketed specifically for cleaning glass. The towel on the right is a new product from Sonus called the Sonus Der Wunder Polishing Towel. This new generation of "edgeless" microfiber towels reduces the possibility of scratching by removing the binding.
3. Drying - There are two different microfiber towel weaves that make good drying towels: terry cloth and waffle (Piqué) weave. I have found that a short terry loop or one of the offset (longer on one side than the other) terry loops work well for drying. If you choose a microfiber terry cloth with a heavy, plush nap, you won't be able to wring it out when it gets wet.
My favorite drying towel material is the Piqué fabric that mimics a waffle pattern, known as microfiber waffleweave towels. It has the ability to wick up water like nothing else I've found or tested. According to Leo Cerruti, a manufacturer of natural microfiber products, "[Piqué fabric] isn't more absorbent than terry but the ridges act as hundreds of little squeegees which push the water up into the cups giving the fabric time to absorb." As with the terry material, it's best to find a fabric that's not too heavy, or you won't be able to wring it out when it gets saturated.
Microfiber "waffle weave" drying towels come in a range of colors and fabric weights. The fabric weight and differences in the weave dramatically change how the towels feel and perform. The highest quality drying towels offer satin bound edging, as seen on our Sonus Der Wunder Drying Towel below.
4. Cleaning - There are a few microfiber towel weaves that are marketed specifically as "cleaning towels". The nap is very tight and course, and the microfiber strands are not split. These towels have very little absorbency. The intended purpose of these towels is janitorial work, not car detailing. What I have found works best for me are hand towel size waffle weave towels and polishing towels.
These Microfiber Detailing Towels are an excellent solution for interior cleaning, window cleaning and wiping down door jambs.
5. Final Buffing - A couple years ago microfiber "suede" fabrics hit the clothing market. These fabrics crossed over into the automobile detailing arena as final wipe towels and final buffing bonnets. I have not been overly impressed with the fabric for automotive use. It is soft, but it does not seem to perform any better on paint (for final buffing) than a general purpose towel.
You may have seen microfiber towels labeled for other uses, but I have not found anything to date that does not fit into the five categories I listed above.
After buying and using microfiber products for more than five years now, I have made some interesting observations about microfiber detailing towels:
1. Look and feel is deceptive. You cannot judge how a microfiber product will perform by its look or feel alone. You must test. Some towels that look and feel very soft and plush may, in reality, leave micro marring on a delicate paint finish.
2. Color makes a significant difference. Dark colors will not feel as soft as light colors. You can take towels of the exact same fabric that are dyed different colors and the darker towel will not feel as plush or soft.
3. Edge binding makes the most significant difference in towel safety (as a detailing towel). Towels surge bound with heavy polyester thread or improperly cut by a hot wire are more likely to cause micro marring on your paintwork.
4. The weave determines the best function of the towel, not the material blend or weight. While it's true that polyamide is more absorbent than polyester, a towel made from a blend of 70% polyester and 30% polyamide is not necessarily a better drying towel than an 80/20 blend (respectively). The weave and fiber treatment (splitting) will determine the wicking ability of the towel as much or more than the material blend.
USING MICROFIBER
Using microfiber towels is pretty simple. For cleaning, you simply wet, wring and wipe. For drying you wipe, wring and wipe. How much easier could it be? Of course, there’s a lot more to detailing than just cleaning.
One of the most common uses of the microfiber towel is quick detailing. If you’re not familiar, quick detailing is a light cleaning to remove dust, finger prints, water spots and other minor contamination. Microfiber towels make quick detailing a snap. Simply mist your car with a quick detailing spray and wipe. There is a catch. When using microfiber towels, it’s best to wipe in a single direction until all visible dust and contamination is removed, flipping the towel frequently. A good microfiber cannot unload particles without being immersed in water. If you wipe back and forth while quick detailing, you will be rubbing the dirt you pick up back and forth over the paint.
When using microfiber detailing towels to remove polish or wax, wipe in a back and forth motion, not in circles. Most microfiber polishing towels perform better this way. When used in a circular motion, the fibers will unload some of the product previously picked up. Flip and refold the towel frequently to maintain a fresh side. When the polish or wax begins to smear, it’s time to get a fresh towel.
TIPS ON MAINTAINING MICROFIBER TOWELS
I’ve read a lot of tips on how to clean and care for microfiber towels. People seem to be all over the map with their recommendations. It’s really very simple.
The best general purpose cleaner is a liquid detergent. It’s better to use too little than too much. Liquid is recommended over powder because some powders do not completely dissolve and the granules will lodge in the toweling.
Wash in cold water only. Warm water can be tolerated, but hot water cannot. Polyester and polyamide both shrink in hot water. If you wash in hot water the fibers will shrink and the towel will not perform as intended.
Do not use fabric softeners of any kind. The softener will become lodged in the microfiber reducing its ability to absorb water, clean and pick up dirt. In short, you’ll have a soft towel that’s useless.
Do not dry above medium heat. Treat microfiber towels the same as you would your delicate clothing. Drying with high heat is worse that washing in hot water.
At Sonus, we have created a special detergent specifically designed for washing detailing products out of microfiber and foam detailing accessories. Sonus Der Wunder Wasche is a highly concentrated liquid detergent that a cleaning solution was developed specifically for cleaning microfiber towels. Sonus Der Wunder Wasche is an active cleaner designed to restore microfiber towels, wash mitts, applicators and foam buffing pads to their as-new condition. Der Wunder Wasche is an engineered blend of micro cleaning agents designed to lift, emulsify and suspend waxes, polish residue, oils, proteins, silicones and soil for complete removal in the rinse water.
The Der Wunder Wasche formula cleans without bleach and softens through natural fiber lifting. With regular use, Der Wunder Washe extends the life of all microfiber textiles and foam pads.
MOST VALUABLE PLAYER
The most versatile microfiber towel product I have discovered to date is the waffle weave detailing towel. Originally designed to be a drying towel, the (Piqué) waffleweave towel has the best characteristics of several different weaves, making it adept as a drying towel, polishing towel, glass cleaning towel, and a quick detailing towel. The Piqué pattern does not allow it to be a good cleaning towel because it does not have hooked fibers to pull dirt away. If you’re looking for a single towel to do the most work, go waffle!
Choose a light grey, purple or white waffle towel (these are the softest) in a medium weight. The heavy weight towels are good for drying only. For drying, the best size is 25’ by 36” (bath towel size). For all other work the best size is 16” by 26” (hand towel size).
SUMMARY
The future of this wonderful technology is very bright. Manufacturers are developing unique ways to deal with towel bindings to eliminate potential paint scratching problems. Competition from the low-cost providers is keeping the quality towel prices in check. We should expect to see better fabrics with new weaves and even higher thread counts in the near future.
Take it easy!
Candyman
mitts. In the towels category alone, you will find dozens of different weaves, material weights, fabric blends, colors and sizes - microfiber detailing towels, microfiber waffleweave towels, and even a chamois towel. It's almost dizzying when you look at the different products side-by-side. Here's how I categorize microfiber towels for my own use:
1. General Purpose - This is typically a microfiber towel (16" by 16") with a standard terry cloth weave and an 80/20 blend of polyester and polyamide. The towel has no specific purpose, and will be equally adept wiping paint, glass, vinyl, plastic and leather. This towel will have a medium thickness (plush-ness) nap. If you do a lot of quick detailing on your car, this will be the towel you use most frequently.
Made in China from an 80/20 blend of polyester and polyamide, this is a general purpose detailing towel with a short terry nap on one side and a medium plush-ness nap on the other side. The towel can be used for cleaning, polishing and quick detailing.
2. Glass & Polishing - Microfiber towels that work well for polishing and glass cleaning seem to have the same basic characteristics. First, the towel should be 100% lint free. In most cases, this means the weave is going to have a shorter nap than a general purpose towel. Many people believe that a good glass towel will leave as little water as possible so the droplets will evaporate without leaving a spot. A good glass towel needs scrubbing power to successfully remove the residues that cause streaking. It's the same characteristic that makes a good polishing cloth.
The towel on the below is marketed specifically for cleaning glass. The towel on the right is a new product from Sonus called the Sonus Der Wunder Polishing Towel. This new generation of "edgeless" microfiber towels reduces the possibility of scratching by removing the binding.
3. Drying - There are two different microfiber towel weaves that make good drying towels: terry cloth and waffle (Piqué) weave. I have found that a short terry loop or one of the offset (longer on one side than the other) terry loops work well for drying. If you choose a microfiber terry cloth with a heavy, plush nap, you won't be able to wring it out when it gets wet.
My favorite drying towel material is the Piqué fabric that mimics a waffle pattern, known as microfiber waffleweave towels. It has the ability to wick up water like nothing else I've found or tested. According to Leo Cerruti, a manufacturer of natural microfiber products, "[Piqué fabric] isn't more absorbent than terry but the ridges act as hundreds of little squeegees which push the water up into the cups giving the fabric time to absorb." As with the terry material, it's best to find a fabric that's not too heavy, or you won't be able to wring it out when it gets saturated.
Microfiber "waffle weave" drying towels come in a range of colors and fabric weights. The fabric weight and differences in the weave dramatically change how the towels feel and perform. The highest quality drying towels offer satin bound edging, as seen on our Sonus Der Wunder Drying Towel below.
4. Cleaning - There are a few microfiber towel weaves that are marketed specifically as "cleaning towels". The nap is very tight and course, and the microfiber strands are not split. These towels have very little absorbency. The intended purpose of these towels is janitorial work, not car detailing. What I have found works best for me are hand towel size waffle weave towels and polishing towels.
These Microfiber Detailing Towels are an excellent solution for interior cleaning, window cleaning and wiping down door jambs.
5. Final Buffing - A couple years ago microfiber "suede" fabrics hit the clothing market. These fabrics crossed over into the automobile detailing arena as final wipe towels and final buffing bonnets. I have not been overly impressed with the fabric for automotive use. It is soft, but it does not seem to perform any better on paint (for final buffing) than a general purpose towel.
You may have seen microfiber towels labeled for other uses, but I have not found anything to date that does not fit into the five categories I listed above.
After buying and using microfiber products for more than five years now, I have made some interesting observations about microfiber detailing towels:
1. Look and feel is deceptive. You cannot judge how a microfiber product will perform by its look or feel alone. You must test. Some towels that look and feel very soft and plush may, in reality, leave micro marring on a delicate paint finish.
2. Color makes a significant difference. Dark colors will not feel as soft as light colors. You can take towels of the exact same fabric that are dyed different colors and the darker towel will not feel as plush or soft.
3. Edge binding makes the most significant difference in towel safety (as a detailing towel). Towels surge bound with heavy polyester thread or improperly cut by a hot wire are more likely to cause micro marring on your paintwork.
4. The weave determines the best function of the towel, not the material blend or weight. While it's true that polyamide is more absorbent than polyester, a towel made from a blend of 70% polyester and 30% polyamide is not necessarily a better drying towel than an 80/20 blend (respectively). The weave and fiber treatment (splitting) will determine the wicking ability of the towel as much or more than the material blend.
USING MICROFIBER
Using microfiber towels is pretty simple. For cleaning, you simply wet, wring and wipe. For drying you wipe, wring and wipe. How much easier could it be? Of course, there’s a lot more to detailing than just cleaning.
One of the most common uses of the microfiber towel is quick detailing. If you’re not familiar, quick detailing is a light cleaning to remove dust, finger prints, water spots and other minor contamination. Microfiber towels make quick detailing a snap. Simply mist your car with a quick detailing spray and wipe. There is a catch. When using microfiber towels, it’s best to wipe in a single direction until all visible dust and contamination is removed, flipping the towel frequently. A good microfiber cannot unload particles without being immersed in water. If you wipe back and forth while quick detailing, you will be rubbing the dirt you pick up back and forth over the paint.
When using microfiber detailing towels to remove polish or wax, wipe in a back and forth motion, not in circles. Most microfiber polishing towels perform better this way. When used in a circular motion, the fibers will unload some of the product previously picked up. Flip and refold the towel frequently to maintain a fresh side. When the polish or wax begins to smear, it’s time to get a fresh towel.
TIPS ON MAINTAINING MICROFIBER TOWELS
I’ve read a lot of tips on how to clean and care for microfiber towels. People seem to be all over the map with their recommendations. It’s really very simple.
The best general purpose cleaner is a liquid detergent. It’s better to use too little than too much. Liquid is recommended over powder because some powders do not completely dissolve and the granules will lodge in the toweling.
Wash in cold water only. Warm water can be tolerated, but hot water cannot. Polyester and polyamide both shrink in hot water. If you wash in hot water the fibers will shrink and the towel will not perform as intended.
Do not use fabric softeners of any kind. The softener will become lodged in the microfiber reducing its ability to absorb water, clean and pick up dirt. In short, you’ll have a soft towel that’s useless.
Do not dry above medium heat. Treat microfiber towels the same as you would your delicate clothing. Drying with high heat is worse that washing in hot water.
At Sonus, we have created a special detergent specifically designed for washing detailing products out of microfiber and foam detailing accessories. Sonus Der Wunder Wasche is a highly concentrated liquid detergent that a cleaning solution was developed specifically for cleaning microfiber towels. Sonus Der Wunder Wasche is an active cleaner designed to restore microfiber towels, wash mitts, applicators and foam buffing pads to their as-new condition. Der Wunder Wasche is an engineered blend of micro cleaning agents designed to lift, emulsify and suspend waxes, polish residue, oils, proteins, silicones and soil for complete removal in the rinse water.
The Der Wunder Wasche formula cleans without bleach and softens through natural fiber lifting. With regular use, Der Wunder Washe extends the life of all microfiber textiles and foam pads.
MOST VALUABLE PLAYER
The most versatile microfiber towel product I have discovered to date is the waffle weave detailing towel. Originally designed to be a drying towel, the (Piqué) waffleweave towel has the best characteristics of several different weaves, making it adept as a drying towel, polishing towel, glass cleaning towel, and a quick detailing towel. The Piqué pattern does not allow it to be a good cleaning towel because it does not have hooked fibers to pull dirt away. If you’re looking for a single towel to do the most work, go waffle!
Choose a light grey, purple or white waffle towel (these are the softest) in a medium weight. The heavy weight towels are good for drying only. For drying, the best size is 25’ by 36” (bath towel size). For all other work the best size is 16” by 26” (hand towel size).
SUMMARY
The future of this wonderful technology is very bright. Manufacturers are developing unique ways to deal with towel bindings to eliminate potential paint scratching problems. Competition from the low-cost providers is keeping the quality towel prices in check. We should expect to see better fabrics with new weaves and even higher thread counts in the near future.
Take it easy!
Candyman
