Quote:
Originally Posted by 72driver
Careful, micro-fiber is not your friend. Copied from an article written by Mary Moppins.
Imitation pads are made from 100% polyester, which is plastic. Plastic imitations will scratch the finish—but the scratches are so minute that they are barely noticeable at first. Eventually, continued scratching will remove the clear coat from the surface of your coach, vehicle, boat, floor, cabinets, and furniture. For this same reason avoid microfiber products to wash or dry your RV, car, boat, airplane, motorcycle, vehicle, furniture or cabinets. Microfiber is made from 80% polyester. Likewise avoid washing with brushes. Even though you may not see brush marks now, the damage will happen as the bris-tles wear down. One washing and your coach is fine but the next washing leaves it covered with scratches. Use lambswool wash pads to avoid these issues. Use only 100% cotton towels to dry your vehicle. Be cautious of terry towels made in Taiwan or China. They are not checked for fiber content as they enter the States and usually contain up to 30% polyester.
Don
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I'm going to counter point that with something else. Technically what is stated above is correct but...Good quality microfiber
WILL NOT SCRATCH YOUR PAINT. And here is why: (Quoted from Autopia Car Care)
The market for microfiber towel products, especially automotive towels, is fierce. With the demand for microfiber increasing in both retail and professional channels, dozens of small factories in Korea and China have sprung up, seemingly over night, to compete solely on cost. These factories are flooding the American market with low-cost, inferior products.
Here’s what you need to know:
1. Most inexpensive towels use microfiber thread that is not split. Quality microfiber towels absorb 7-8 times their weight in water because the fibers are split, creating more surface area. The cheap towels are not split because the equipment necessary to produce micro-replication splitting is very expensive.
2. The Microfiber threads on cheap towels are larger. Quality microfiber strands are .01 to .02 denier. That’s about the same as the polyester thread used in bath towels for increased durability. The finer the thread, the softer the towel, generally. Cobra Microfiber Towels have threads 100 times smaller than a human hair!
3. Some of the inexpensive towels may also be 100% polyester or have low polyamide content. As a result, the towels will have little absorbency capability. Look for a 70/30, 75/25, or 80/20 blend, like Cobra Microfiber Towels.
Before you buy a bundle of microfiber towels at a ‘bargain” price, look, feel and read the label.
Some inexpensive microfiber detailing towels are thin and have a short nap. These cloths are ok for utility towels but not for buffing paint.
THE IMPORTANCE OF QUALITY MICROFIBER TOWELS IN CAR CARE
When comparing quality microfiber towels, here’s what you need to know to make an intelligent buying decision:
1. Towel density is important. Density is a measure of fibers per square inch of fabric. The range for quality microfiber is 90,000 to 225,000 fibers per square inch. Generally speaking, the higher the fiber count the better the towel will absorb water and clean.
2. The ratio of the polyester and polyamide blend is important. While 80% polyester and 20% polyamide is great for detailing, a 70/30 blend will absorb water faster. As polyamide is much more expensive than polyester, you can expect to pay more for a 70/30 blend.
3. Make sure you look at the weave and fabric thickness (plushness) of the towel. Depending on the specific task the cloth is designed to perform, the fiber ends may be hooked (for cleaning), feathered (for polishing and glass cleaning), or tufted (for drying).
4. We all know the saying; it costs more to make quality. Microfiber is no different. Quality construction is not always obvious, so let me share some observations. The biggest complaint with automotive microfiber is that towels with cheap edging scratch your paint. There are two possible reasons. First, the factory uses a hot wire system to cut their towels. If not properly adjusted, or if a cheap machine is used, the hot wire will melt the fabric. When polyester and nylon melt, they turn into hard plastic. The second complaint is that the towel creates excessive lint. Microfiber lint is caused by towels with a high pile or a broad weave using a fiber split that’s inappropriate. The high pile or loose weave allow the fibers to break off, creating lint. The same split fiber used in a towel with a higher fabric density will lint less or not at all. Don’t assume that a towel that does not lint is a high quality towel. The cheapest towels don’t lint because they do not have split fibers. Trust Cobra to for soft, plush, lint-free detailing and buffing towels.
So believe what you want about terry cloth but I'm sticking to microfiber as I have for the last 10 years.
I know there is a ton of info on the internet that can be confusing. Don is correct in that some microfiber is absolute junk. I won't deny that one bit. But there are some excellent quality microfiber towels out there that will do the trick for most instances. If you are going to buy them, buy from a reputable source. I've listed some websites prior that have some of the best towels money can buy. I will swear by their quality. If someone would like that list I'll be more than happy to post it again. The other thing I would say is, if you have a system that you are happy with, run with it. No 2 people do things the same way and no system is better than another if it works for you. I just try to help people along the way with informed decisions on things they would like to try. Whatever you do, just be happy with it.
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