Are "good" microfiber towels truly worth it?

[pcw25]

I've always bought my microfiber towels from Sams Club, Costco, and other places? What's the difference between their microfiber and Autogeeks? As long as the towels are clean wouldn't performance be the same? I'm just not sure what the point is in investing extra money in so called "better" microfiber towels.

[Flash Gordon]

I prefer Cotton over Microfiber

Whoever strated the lie that Cotton is bad for your paint is an idiot


:)

[pcw25]

I've used cotton and it's worked fine! I just don't know what all the hype is about these super duper microfiber towels.

[Flash Gordon]

I've used cotton and it's worked fine! I just don't know what all the hype is about these super duper microfiber towels.

I really don't either to tell you the truth. I've had far more problems using microfibers then I ever have with cotton

Someone should come out with a nice cotton line IMO

[slickooz]

I really don't either to tell you the truth. I've had far more problems using microfibers then I ever have with cotton

Someone should come out with a nice cotton line IMO

Where do you get your cotton towel from?

[Garry Dean]

Baby diapers work well.

[Flash Gordon]

Where do you get your cotton towel from?

Whatever Hotel I may happen to stay in :p

[Garry Dean]

Whatever Hotel I may happen to stay in :p

Come on Flash, its ok to admit you wear diapers. Im the MAN

[ShineTimeDetail]

Come on Flash, its ok to admit you wear diapers. Im the MAN

LOL

I actually wouldn't mind trying some nice cotton towel some time- I'm not sure if cotton towels would be the same but I know I hate micro fibers because they pick so mu crap up and things get stuck in them.

[IID]

I know I hate micro fibers because they pick so mu crap up and things get stuck in them.
(Since there was no specific mention for the OP's original intended use):

I think that's why MF's work well for "waterless washes",hence picking up micro dirt/debris from the vehicles surface,instead of dragging across the paint-micro marring ;)

[Rsurfer]

(Since there was no specific mention for the OP's original intended use):

I think that's why MF's work well for "waterless washes",hence picking up micro dirt/debris from the vehicles surface,instead of dragging across the paint-micro marring ;)
:iagree:Good answer Chris.

[Rayaz]

I'm no expert but....

I have found it almost impossible to find 100% cotton towels any more. They tend to be cotton fibers woven into a rayon lattice. When the cotton wears, the under material shines though and that causes me problems. The edge stitching tends to be of plastic or something unsuitable.

That having been said, I admit to owning more than one bag of Costco specials for door jams and under the hood. I have always liked the microfiber characteristics and I take very good care of mine.

On the other hand, some pretty senior detailers with quite a few spectacular results like cotton. What do I know?

[Tundra1316]

I think costco microfiber towels, work perfectly fine. Especially cleaning electronic equipment, and removing or spreading around wax and glazes from a vehicle and they work awsome to do a quick clean in the engine bay, with some cleaning chemicles.
I would use cotton, but it sometimes leaves a cotton residue behind.

[davidc]

Zaino has cotton towels

Dave

[tuscarora dave]

There's nothing like setting out to do your best work, compounding, polishing then finishing down to an absolute mirror finish on a black vehicle and then wiping off the PO85RD residue with a poor quality microfiber towel and then realizing that the towel has just left millions of fine scratches in the otherwise perfectly finished paint.

I really don't know the technology used in the manufacturing of microfiber towels but I do know for sure that some towels do leave these millions of fine scratches behind. In my opinion, the yellow ProForce microfiber towels that a friend had given me a brand new sealed package of from Sam's Club were the worst example of this type of towel. My friend owns a pizza shop and uses these towels at his restaurant and spoke very highly of them. It was very generous of him to just give me a jumbo sized package of these towels and I hated to have to tell him that they were just horrible for doing finishing work on finely polished paint. Trying not to sound like a total ingrate, I told him that they work fine for cleaning the engine bay. Honestly I won't even use them for door jams.

I also found that the gold towel that comes in the box of Opti-Coat 2.0 leaves behind similar fine scratches. This towel just lays unpackaged in the cardboard box with the syringe of Opti-Coat 2.0 and the applicator so you have whatever dirt or dust that may have been in the cardboard from the box manufacturer plus whatever it may have picked up in the packaging process at (wherever these kits are boxed up at) Optimum or Auto Geek. All I know for sure is that I was quite turned off having spent 30 hours perfecting the paint on a black Toyota Solara then spending $70 for a coating just to find that the towel that came with the coating marred the paint on the final wipedown.

Quoting Mike Phillips, "Find something you like and use it often" I now take any complimentary towels that come with any of my car care product shipments and throw them in the utility rag bin and go to my cheap 70/30 microfiber towels bought at a local body shop supply for my final wiping chores and once they're used once they go in the utility rag bin as well.

When I get involved in a detail where I plan on doing anal retentive paint polishing, I just add $20 into the price quote and use a brand new package of the towels that work for me. This is the simplest solution to a problem that I have found to be otherwise complicated and frustrating. The $20 for the dozen brand new towels is cheaper than the time it takes to re polish a panel so this system "works for me and I use it often".

Anyone need a hundred or so good microfiber utility rags for cheap? :xyxthumbs: