Reach To Microfiber Towels For A Thorough Detailing

Behold, the microfiber towel!

A stack of these synthetic wonder-cloths help with everything from removing streaks from the windshield to scrubbing down dusty rims. Unlike paper towels or shop towels, microfiber towels don’t shed or lint, and can be used over and over again.

“You could easily say that no single advancement in the world of car care has had a larger impact in the last decade than microfiber,” said Nate Bloom of Adam’s Polishes, a Colorado-based manufacturer of car care products.

Microfiber towels--a cloth of ultra-fine threads woven together--come in a variety of patterns and thread counts, each design offering specific benefits and uses.

So which microfiber towel is the right one to grab for the task at hand? Bloom says it depends on the task.

Towels with deep fibers or plush patterns are best suited for gentle tasks, like wiping or polishing a layer of clear coat. Grab the microfiber towels with shorter, looped fibers for washing and scrubbing.

“Plush or deep fibers are generally best for extremely delicate jobs, while shorter or looped fibers have superior scrubbing and cleaning power,” Bloom said.

Does your microfiber towel’s weave pattern resemble a waffle? Those are best for drying, while microfiber towels with a flat pattern are the best choice for streak-free windshields and windows.

“Waffle weaves offer the best absorbency,” Bloom said. “Towels with a flat weave are ideal for surfaces where streak-free performance is paramount.”

Basically, there’s a reason professional detailers adore microfiber towels: They work.

Bloom offers the following insights on microfiber towels:

• Microfiber is a combination of polyesters and polyamides. Made in laboratories, each microfiber strand is around 1/100th the diameter of a human hair and the ultra-fine thread produces a delicate touch and soft texture.
• Different patterns for different tasks. Microfiber towels come in a variety of patterns. Plush patterns are best suited for delicate surfaces, while the waffle-weave design is ideal for drying. Flat-patterned microfiber towels are the best choice for glass.
• Weight matters. Grams Per Square Meter (GSM) indicates the towel’s fiber density. Typically, the higher the GSM the softer the towel. Microfiber towels used on delicate surfaces should be at least 360 GSM, while towels in the 200-350 GSM range are best for non-delicate surfaces and tasks, like scrubbing leather seats or wiping off components under the hood.
• One thing to remember: As magical as microfiber towels are, they must be washed after each use. The thing is, getting tire grime or carnauba wax out of these towels is far different than removing grass stains from jeans. Learn how to care for microfiber towels.