Micro Fiber Towel Fibers...

[Michael Stoops]

Re: Micro Fiber Towel Fibers...

Pardon my nubee question, but do cotton terry towels really scratch the paint? I get no lint from my terry towels, but every one of my MF towels leaves lots of fine hairs left on the windshield and other black parts. I'm convinced that all MF towels leave these fine hairs, but not everyone notices them, because they are only visible under the right angle and light conditions.

Cotton terry is more aggressive than microfiber, of that there is no doubt. But if you're using a towel to simply remove a light layer of hazed/dried wax then you aren't using any towel in an aggressive fashion, so it probably won't make a huge difference. Unless you have really scratch sensitive paint. But not all towels are created equal, whether you're talking about terry or microfiber. Some terry towels are far softer than others, and those that aren't so soft can put very fine scratches in the paint pretty quickly, especially once you start to use them even a little bit more aggressively - like when removing polishes and paint cleaners.

Where the extra bite of terry cloth can help you at times is when trying to remove a bad, isolated scratch or maybe heavy oxidation on an old single stage paint job. But far too often we see people use a product like ScratchX 2.0 with a terry towel and, even though they successfully remove the scratch, the paint looks hazed when they're done. In this case, the terry cloth probably helped with the defect removal but it also hazed the paint. It sure wasn't the ScratchX 2.0 that hazed it, because if you go over the same area with the same product but switch to a foam applicator you'll remove the haze. That's because the foam applicator pad has almost no bite at all. But you're also working pretty aggressively in this instance; far more aggressively than simply wiping off a hazed/dried wax.

[darita]

Re: Micro Fiber Towel Fibers...

Thanks! I'll try the Cobra 600s and see.

[2010V8Colorado]

Re: Micro Fiber Towel Fibers...

I've got so many different kinds of MF towels!!! Thought I had found the perfect one in the AG Shamrocks, very plush and soft. Did the correct wash routine before I used them. They ARE NOT made for black vehicles. The first time I used them, there were green fibers all over my truck. So bad that they collected in the door seams and could be seen from several feet away. I washed them several more times before using again and same result. These were not cheap towels. AG no longer has them on their web site I guess because of the number of complaints. I have some Cobra 600's that are my favorites for removing polish, etc. They are super soft and do not lint.

[Mary S]

Re: Micro Fiber Towel Fibers...

Pardon my nubee question, but do cotton terry towels really scratch the paint? I get no lint from my terry towels, but every one of my MF towels leaves lots of fine hairs left on the windshield and other black parts. I'm convinced that all MF towels leave these fine hairs, but not everyone notices them, because they are only visible under the right angle and light conditions.

Anything abrasive like microfibers or terry towels have the potential of causing light scratches or swirls, but if you are using soft ones and use them gently, especially when there is lubrication to protect the paint, you should be okay. Maguiars still sells terry towels. If they work for you better than microfibers, that is a perfectly acceptable option.

[darita]

Re: Micro Fiber Towel Fibers...

Pardon my nubee question, but do cotton terry towels really scratch the paint? I get no lint from my terry towels, but every one of my MF towels leaves lots of fine hairs left on the windshield and other black parts. I'm convinced that all MF towels leave these fine hairs, but not everyone notices them, because they are only visible under the right angle and light conditions.

[Mongoose]

Re: Micro Fiber Towel Fibers...

My latest lint experience with the Supreme Shines are not as I hoped. When removing wax (NXT2.0 and UQW) there seem to be no problems. Start using QD and UQD (tried both to see) and fine lint is left behind in some(about half) cases. Some meaning that some towels left it and some didn't with each detailer. These have been washed multiple times now and lint shedding is still hit and miss. So far the only recourse is either use the grey towels as mentioned in an earlier post by me or use one for QD application and another for buffing and even then that's no guarantee. Would grounding the car (i.e. grounding straps from say the fenders or frame to the ground) to remove static build up from the car itself help eliminate the lint?

[OBSSEST]

Re: Micro Fiber Towel Fibers...

Just curious, when everyone says the lint sticks to their cars, does this remain after driving it?

I've seen some fibers before and a simply huff and puff seems to blow them off....or a quick trip around the block.

Nope. They are literally stuck on there. The tiny fibers are so thin and lie so flat against the paint that they won't come off with driving or air blown at them, because there is no resistance. Even wiping with one of the non linting towels gets some of them, but alot of the fibers just move around. Literally, a water rinse is the only thing to fully remove them.

I got a 3 pack of Griot's Wax removal towels (white with red trim) yesterday, washed them like I normally do and tried them today with Last Touch. VERY HAPPY with both products. The Griot's towels left no lint, even on the glass, which really tests the fiber strength of most microfibers. They left my paint pristine.

I just can't put my finger on why microfibers are so inconsistent, and price means virtually NOTHING.

[ColonelCash]

Re: Micro Fiber Towel Fibers...

Just curious, when everyone says the lint sticks to their cars, does this remain after driving it?

I've seen some fibers before and a simply huff and puff seems to blow them off....or a quick trip around the block.

[darita]

Re: Micro Fiber Towel Fibers...

Every time this topic comes up I am torn as to whether I should live in agony, or warn others of my painful experience.

I have been trying to chase down a reliable micro-fiber towel for several months now, but haven't found it yet. Several Meguiar's products are my favorites, but the microfibers have had major lint problems for me.

-I have 3 Meguiar's Supreme Shines that are AWESOME, no lint.
-I bought 9 more because I loved them so much, but they lint like crazy when I remove products and especially if I try to use them for quick detailing.
-The retiailer sent my 9 more as replacements because I am a whiny little girl, and those lint like crazy too.
-Bought 3 Ultimate Wipes, even worse linting with a detail spray for me.

They are all washed the same (warm water, front loader, no softenener, blah blah), 10+ times now so it's not like the lint is going away. Nobody can tell me why I have 3 out of 21 Supreme Shines that are FANTASTIC and 18 that disintegrate on my paint. I have 18 really sweet dish towels in the kitchen now, and they don't lint on tile or other hard surfaces, but that's not what I bought them for.

I also tried 3 different Cobra towels, same linting problem. I have found that waffle weave style towels don't seem to lint, ever. Not as safe for quick detailing but I'm willing to risk it so the paint doesn't look like it was snowed on.

Seriously, I think a lot of you that claim your towels are "lint free" don't have black paint and you just aren't aware that there is significant lint left behind. I can use these on our white "pearl" SUV and although the lint is the same, it can't be seen without direct lighting.

I think you're right. When I first started using the MF towels, I thought they were great. I thought I finally found a great drying and detailing towel. Then, on my windshield, the sun was shining at a particular angle and I saw the dreaded fibers. As I started looking at the rest of the car, I saw the fibers in a lot of places. If you're not absolutely hunting for them, you don't see them. Looking straight on, I would never have seen them, but at that perfect angle, there they are.
By the way, my car is a Civic Si and is Redline Orange Pearl...kinda of a dark orange pearl. On a lighter car, I would never have noticed the fibers. Wish I had bad eyesight, cause if I step back, they disappear.

[fredcandetail]

Re: Micro Fiber Towel Fibers...

pretty interesting thread here ........
so all things being equal .. or not, If lint is accumulated in the washing/drying cycle; How would you remove lint from the washing/drying process?
i too have only one cheapy towel that lints ... it is a very plush $10 MF that i bought at a auto parts store (yellow and gray) and it lints like crazy.. occasionally i will get some lint on windows on regular MFs but i blame it on the windows being a little gritty .... this could also be one of the reason why some folks see lint left behind.
It very well could be that small contaminants are grabbing at the fibers?

[Bunky]

Re: Micro Fiber Towel Fibers...

A good quality towel may cost more, but it will last longer. The most important thing to remember is that a good quality micro fibre towel will provide better cleaning results and is less likely to cause surface scratches than lesser quality towels Micro fibre quality is very often reflected in the purchase price, best advice; use only high quality micro fibre towels from a reputable source. As with most things, you'll get what you pay for; as Henry Royce once commented [the quality tends to be remembered long after the price has been forgotten]

Are you saying the Meg's towels are not a good quality towel? For a buffing towel (low nap), I think they are good.

[Mongoose]

Re: Micro Fiber Towel Fibers...

Out of all the microfiber towels I have my favorites are a set of 4 given to me by a friend who runs his own window washing/ pressure washing business. He uses microfibers when doing the final wipe on windows and they work great. I have no idea of the manufacturer or his supplier but they leave absolutely no lint and remove product like no other. The Griots towels are good ( yellow polish and white wax) but their blue Speed Shine towels leave lint sometimes as do some of the others I have. I'm waiting for my first Supreme Shine towels I ordered to see how they do.

[TOGWT]

Re: Micro Fiber Towel Fibers...

Things to look for in a micro fibre towel

A Microfiber towel made from polyester nylon (a scrubbing fibre) and /polyamide (an absorbing fibre) will remove product due to its inherent properties. The polyester and polyamide are combined during weaving to create microscopic loops, which form a network of tiny hooks, scrubbing away dirt and grime while trapping it within the weave.

• How many times the fibres are split - a higher split ensues you get a more effective cleaning towel. Splitting the fibres creates millions of edges that trap dirt and dust that bonds to the fibres and is not released until the towel is washed in hot water. Therefore, the dirt is not re-deposited on the paint surface.
• Denier [: weight per unit length (linear density) measure of a continuous filament or yarn, used traditionally in textile industry]. The higher the number, the thicker the fibre
• Density of fibre - bear in mind that less density of fibre, translate into less cleaning power and far less durability. - is a measure of fibres per square inch of fabric. The range for quality micro fibre is 90,000 to 225,000 fibres per square inch. The higher the fibre count the more absorbent. The less dense cloths are also more abrasive to delicate surfaces. Look for at least 200,000 fibres per square inch of fabric.
• Ratio - of polyester and polyamide blend; 80% polyester and 20% polyamide is typical (80/20) 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.

• Quality - lesser quality versions can use a weave that is too wide or a pile that is too long, which causes the fibres’ to shed during use, leaving a lint trail.
• Construction - towel boarders, one of the of the advantages of a silk/satin edging is that they won't unravel when washed several times like a non edged towel nor will they cause marring of the paint surface, it also means that they will not snag.
• Weave -the weave on micro fibre towels can be adjusted to meet specific requirements; a terry-loop, cut, hooked feathered, zigzag or Piqué waffle weaves.
• Size - available in various sizes 16 -inch x 16 / 18 / 24 -inch, drying towels 25 -inch x 16 -inch being a usable size
• Thickness - some manufacturers are rating the thickness of their towels by weight; expressed in grams per square meter or g/m2. The ratio of polyester and polyamide usually remains the same.

When choosing micro fibre quality is very important, as a lack of quality inspection will result in variable results i.e. towels that will cause surface scratches, leave a trail of lint, etc. Many of the Micro fibre products being offered on the market are made from non-split (non-absorbent and ineffective) yarn.

The manufacturer forgoes the expensive splitting procedure to save money, and the result is a failing product. Not only does the blend lose over half of its absorbing and cleaning ability but it weakens with use, greatly reducing the life of the product. Some micro fibre products from China and Korea have less density and a denier (length of measure) of 0.5 or higher, which is 50x’s larger than the preferred quality denier of 0.02 or smaller.

A good quality towel may cost more, but it will last longer. The most important thing to remember is that a good quality micro fibre towel will provide better cleaning results and is less likely to cause surface scratches than lesser quality towels Micro fibre quality is very often reflected in the purchase price, best advice; use only high quality micro fibre towels from a reputable source. As with most things, you'll get what you pay for; as Henry Royce once commented [the quality tends to be remembered long after the price has been forgotten]

[OBSSEST]

Re: Micro Fiber Towel Fibers...

Every time this topic comes up I am torn as to whether I should live in agony, or warn others of my painful experience.

I have been trying to chase down a reliable micro-fiber towel for several months now, but haven't found it yet. Several Meguiar's products are my favorites, but the microfibers have had major lint problems for me.

-I have 3 Meguiar's Supreme Shines that are AWESOME, no lint.
-I bought 9 more because I loved them so much, but they lint like crazy when I remove products and especially if I try to use them for quick detailing.
-The retiailer sent my 9 more as replacements because I am a whiny little girl, and those lint like crazy too.
-Bought 3 Ultimate Wipes, even worse linting with a detail spray for me.

They are all washed the same (warm water, front loader, no softenener, blah blah), 10+ times now so it's not like the lint is going away. Nobody can tell me why I have 3 out of 21 Supreme Shines that are FANTASTIC and 18 that disintegrate on my paint. I have 18 really sweet dish towels in the kitchen now, and they don't lint on tile or other hard surfaces, but that's not what I bought them for.

I also tried 3 different Cobra towels, same linting problem. I have found that waffle weave style towels don't seem to lint, ever. Not as safe for quick detailing but I'm willing to risk it so the paint doesn't look like it was snowed on.

Seriously, I think a lot of you that claim your towels are "lint free" don't have black paint and you just aren't aware that there is significant lint left behind. I can use these on our white "pearl" SUV and although the lint is the same, it can't be seen without direct lighting.

[Murr1525]

Re: Micro Fiber Towel Fibers...

There are several kinds of Meguiars MF towels. Which one works best for drying? What other brand of MF towels makes good towels at a good price?

The waffle weave style towels are for drying. With Meguiars, that would be the Water Magnets.

The regular fuzzy kind would be for product removal. That would be the Supreme Shines.

The Ultimate Wipes are a bit fancier, I like them for final wipedowns, applying quick detailers, removing spray waxes, etc. But some people like to remove all the products with them.