# Best value micro fiber towels??



## BigDeep1 (May 20, 2012)

I have really been enjoying and appreciating all the information and help I have recieved from this Detail section of Bimmerfest. 

From reading all the wealth of information, I realize that it doesn't make sense to apply proper and expensive products with cheap Wal-Mart micro fiber towels. Can someone kindly recommend some good quality microfiber towels at a good value. I know I may need different towels for different tasks (interior - leather seats, dash, glass, navi screen; exterior). I have read that 100% cotton is recommended for the leather seat cleaning (distiller water). I guess I should use a different towel for applying Leather Masters products after the hydration/cleaning. 

Also, how do you all store and maintain your MF towels?

Thank you in advance


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## Johnz3mc (Jan 5, 2005)

Our sponsor, Phil, at Detailer's Domain has quite a sale on his microfibers right now.
He offers great ones. It'd be bad for business if he sells junk ones so have a look at his. He offers washing info and care info and even sells the proper washing/cleaning stuff for them too. 
So, with his sale and great quality products, it's a great time to buy from Phil.
edit: and pick up one of those RoboReels too. It looks like a real winner of a gizmo.


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## BigDeep1 (May 20, 2012)

I was thinking that it is time I took a step towards quality and customer service. From what I have read, Detailer's Domain fits the bill perfectly! I will have to get in contact with Phil.

I have read on the Autopia site that 100% MF towels are recommended. I never did find in print that the Uber MF towels are 100% cotton. I still trust them, but just curious about this point.

http://www.detailersdomain.com/Microfiber-Specials_c_245.html


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## Johnz3mc (Jan 5, 2005)

Microfiber towels never were pure cotton. Never will be either. They always were a blend of polyesters and polyamides. Japan seems to have invented them first back in the 70s, then refined by the English and finally perfected by Sweden in the early 1990s for cleaning purposes. 

Have a look at the Wikipedia article and when you see the cross section of a microfiber strand, you'll see why they absorb so much and couldn't possibly come from any natural strand like cotton.

There is a need for cotton in detailing of course. Surgical towels, called 'Huck' towels can be great for glass and excel at cleaning because they have way more 'bite' than microfiber.


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## Ilovemycar (Feb 19, 2010)

I love huck towels too for specific apps, but I've never found a reason to use them yet for BMW interior. I really like microfibertech for value. I have bought lots of stuff from DD, and it's usually the first store I look at for various items, and I've bought lots of MFs from them too, but I'm personally going with MFT again on the next purchase. I was willing to splurge more, I'd like to see what Pakshak is all about sometime, but who knows. 

^That is some interesting MF history, I didn't know that stuff. 

Care and maintenance, there are novels written and typed on the matter. Nutshell, don't use fabric softener, I personally never use drier (but plenty of people I trust do), you're generally advised to use extra rinse function. See if you can start color coding function of towels. Wash separate batches for dirty towels, anything for wheels, tires, etc, and the gentle/clean stuff. I've researched MF detergents, even tried one before, I don't care to read about that anymore. 

Speaking of cotton, never wash MFs with cotton products.


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## Johnz3mc (Jan 5, 2005)

The history stuff gave me a giggle along the way. 
Apparently the Japanese were interested in using the newly invented microfiber material for casual wear like bathing suits. Imagine somebody with a new microfiber bathing suit going into the water. Within a few seconds, the microfiber would soak up about 80 lbs. of water and the swimmer would have a real problem doing anything. I'm exaggerating a bit but the idea for swim suits was scrapped in quick order. Gotta love those Swedes though.


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## TOGWT (May 26, 2004)

History	
As one of the answers of how to use petroleum waste products efficiently, then micro fibre emerged as a way to take something that was useless and turn it into a product that everyone could use. Here is some background on the development of micro fibre and some of the uses for the material.

Micro fibre came about by combining two DuPont inventions: hydrophobic Polyester (a scrubbing fibre) and a hydrophilic Polyamide (an absorbing fibre) this nylon hybrid is created during weaving to create microscopic loops, which form a network of tiny hooks, scrubbing away dirt and grime. The nature of this yarn is that it is an absorbent; the reason polyester appears to absorb liquids is the many thousands of micro fibres that collectively encapsulate liquids.

During the middle twentieth century, the manufacture of synthetic fibres began to expand into new areas. One of the breakthroughs of the era was to take the sludge that was left over after oil had been refined and turn it into a synthetic fibre that could be used in upholstery.

The process of refining this waste product yielded a substance known as polypropylene, which could in turn be processed into a thin olefin fibre. Olefin fibres were ideal to use in the production of car upholstery, home and office carpeting, and even some draperies. Olefin fibres caught on in a big way during the 1970's, with such companies as Hercules, Inc. of Wilmington, Delaware producing their own branded form of olefin fibre, which was dubbed Herculon®.

A Revolutionary Product

It's a revolutionary product that's not causing a revolution. After its debut in 1970 in Sweden and success throughout Europe, micro fibre cleaning textiles should have replaced most of the household chemicals that smear, powder, spray, and infuse almost every inch of the American home. Micro fibre cleans surfaces mechanically, not chemically, by scraping them with microscopic precision. And you don't throw the products away, but keep renewing them with machine or hand washing.

"It's one of the greenest products out there. From the research we've done, micro fibre cleans and removes dirt and bacteria with water alone. You do not need chemicals," says Judy Klein, director of retail cleaning for Newell Rubbermaid, the $6.4 billion Corporation that in 2007 introduced a consumer line of micro fibre cleaning products.

For the most part, though, disbelief has stunted micro fibre's proliferation. The claims of chemical-free cleaning are too vast to trust and too complex to understand for the average consumer and the products are too expensive to risk taking the chance. Because the terms "micro fibre or Microfiber" are not regulated, quality products share the same labelling with much lesser quality ones, exacerbating the problem of trust. [

_Or could it be that it is just not in the (financial) interests of large chemical companies for this material to be very sucsessful? _

TOGWT® Autopia Detailing Wiki - ****8220;Microfiber or 100% Cotton Towels***8221; *- http://www.autopia.org/forum/guide-detailing/136449-microfiber-100%-cotton-towels.html

_If you have any questions about this article or the techniques used, please let me know or feel free to send me a PM_


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## BigDeep1 (May 20, 2012)

Ilovemycar said:


> I love huck towels too for specific apps, but I've never found a reason to use them yet for BMW interior. I really like microfibertech for value. I have bought lots of stuff from DD, and it's usually the first store I look at for various items, and I've bought lots of MFs from them too, but I'm personally going with MFT again on the next purchase. I was willing to splurge more, I'd like to see what Pakshak is all about sometime, but who knows.
> 
> ^That is some interesting MF history, I didn't know that stuff.
> 
> ...


Once again, GREAT information ILMC (Ilovemycar)! The microfibertech does seem like a good value.

With DD having their current sale, I would say the prices between the 2 MF towels are comparable. It is interesting you have tried both the Uber MF towels from DD and the MF towels from MFT (microfibertech), and would opt for the MFT next time. As you said, with regular prices at DD, the MFT towels may be a better value.

http://www.microfibertech.com/Towels_c_231.html

It seems MFT has only 2 real options for type of MF: Medium or Plush. Any recommendation on what type of MF I should get, and where to use what.

TOGWT, great info as always. I love your Autopia website. It is an unbelievable source of information. I will say that you often recommend 100% cotton MF towels. I don't know if that is possible as it probably wouldn't be able to be a true MF towel if it was 100% cotton. I thought MF towels are such because they are a blend with polyster polyamide. Of course 100% cotton towels can be had; however, I doubt they could be classified as a true MF.


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## Ilovemycar (Feb 19, 2010)

BigDeep1 said:


> It seems MFT has only 2 real options for type of MF: Medium or Plush. Any recommendation on what type of MF I should get, and where to use what.


BigDeep, you need to dig a little deeper with the filter options. There are 7 different levels of plushness, ranging from 200 gsm to 600 gsm. However, I personally opt for Korean made firstly, and then the highest level of nap available once the more important criterion has been met, and what you get is 460 gsm. There are apparently only 3 Korean MF towels at that site, and their WW drying towel is so far the best I've used (but I've only used several kinds now I think). My only regret with my last order from them is that I just didn't order more to begin with.

So basically, I would prefer to use the nicest towel for both paint and interior. It's quite possible that for removing wax or polish residue, something less plush would work better, am not sure. But for cleaning*, I like the 460. WW for drying. I do often use ONR as a drying lube, Kwazar spray bottle mists/atomizes better than anything I've tried, and I try to be good about pat drying rather than moving the towel over the paint, but I admit I have become "lazier". I have a new order of Kwazar bottles coming for kitchen use, as they are much more chemical resistant with Viton seals and the materials for the springs. (I shall have OxiClean, vinegar, bleach, and Star San dilutions all underneath the kitchen sink.) They are expensive, perhaps overpriced to many, and so I resisted the purchase for a long time, but I have finally caved as I've had at least two other cheaper spray bottles go bad on me. How's that for a thread tangent?


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## FreddyG (Mar 20, 2007)

Have either of you tried mf towels from Chemical Guys?

They have so many towels that it's confusing, but their bulk towel pricing seems pretty good if they're on sale.


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## shine101 (Apr 16, 2013)

waffle weave for wet and borderless blondes for dry stuff like wax


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## BigDeep1 (May 20, 2012)

Ilovemycar said:


> BigDeep, you need to dig a little deeper with the filter options. There are 7 different levels of plushness, ranging from 200 gsm to 600 gsm. However, I personally opt for Korean made firstly, and then the highest level of nap available once the more important criterion has been met, and what you get is 460 gsm. There are apparently only 3 Korean MF towels at that site, and their WW drying towel is so far the best I've used (but I've only used several kinds now I think). My only regret with my last order from them is that I just didn't order more to begin with.
> 
> So basically, I would prefer to use the nicest towel for both paint and interior. It's quite possible that for removing wax or polish residue, something less plush would work better, am not sure. But for cleaning*, I like the 460.  WW for drying. I do often use ONR as a drying lube, Kwazar spray bottle mists/atomizes better than anything I've tried, and I try to be good about pat drying rather than moving the towel over the paint, but I admit I have become "lazier". I have a new order of Kwazar bottles coming for kitchen use, as they are much more chemical resistant with Viton seals and the materials for the springs. (I shall have OxiClean, vinegar, bleach, and Star San dilutions all underneath the kitchen sink.) They are expensive, perhaps overpriced to many, and so I resisted the purchase for a long time, but I have finally caved as I've had at least two other cheaper spray bottles go bad on me. How's that for a thread tangent?


Your information is awesome! So I should be good with getting 460 weight MF towels for most things (glass, leather seats, dash). Of course I would have a different MF for each area. As you said, I will try and get WW for drying the car.

What do you use to actually wash the car? 460? I bought a MF mitt the other day; however, I wonder if the plusher MF towels would be better.

What is ONR?



FreddyG said:


> Have either of you tried mf towels from Chemical Guys?
> 
> They have so many towels that it's confusing, but their bulk towel pricing seems pretty good if they're on sale.


I have not, but I have seen them online.



shine101 said:


> waffle weave for wet and borderless blondes for dry stuff like wax


The only "borderless blonde" towels I have seen are from Zaino. They are not MF, but look amazing (and soft).

http://www.zainostore.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=Z-BBFT-3


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## zeeba3 (May 10, 2008)

BigDeep1 said:


> What is ONR?


*Optimum No Rinse Wash & Shine*. A product when mixed at various dilution ratios can be used as a rinseless wash, a clay lubricant or a detailing spray.

http://www.optimumcarcare.com/onrwns.php?li=2


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## BigDeep1 (May 20, 2012)

zeeba3 said:


> *Optimum No Rinse Wash & Shine*. A product when mixed at various dilution ratios can be used as a rinseless wash, a clay lubricant or a detailing spray.
> 
> http://www.optimumcarcare.com/onrwns.php?li=2


Thanks. I almost bought a bottle the other day. May people seem to add it to their wash/soap solution, use it as a clay lubricant and as a detailer (as you said).


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## [email protected] (Feb 21, 2008)

best bang for your buck.

Uber All Purpose MF Towels 10 pack


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