When it comes to car care, every step in the process is as important as the last. Having applied your polish or wax after a good clean, you could be forgiven for thinking the tough part is over. However, botching the last steps could see all your hard work undone, resulting in more trouble than you started with.
Once you’ve applied your dressings to the car’s bodywork – or even after a scrub down – it’s vitally important to exercise a soft touch in the latter stages so as not to cause further scratches or blemishing to the clear coat. To carry out this task adequately and with results worthy of your previous steps, you'll need a soft cloth – enter the microfibre towel.
Why are microfibre towels useful?
As the name would suggest, a microfibre cloth is a towel comprised of synthetic fibres with a diameter of less than 10 micrometres or finer than one denier (one gram of weight per 9000 meters of length). Microfibre cloths have application potential all over the house for their microbe-catching capabilities and extremely absorbent design, but car detailers especially like these rags for their soft touch.
When drying off or removing the dressing from a car’s clear coat, a non-abrasive cloth is crucial as anything too rough may grind particles on the cloth or the bodywork into the paint, causing further scratching. A microfibre cloth performs this job perfectly as, by virtue of the static charge generated from the fibres rubbing together, its soft touch attracts and lifts dirt rather than spreading it around. The ultra-absorbent fibres are also great for a quick dry (microfibre can absorb eight times its weight in water) while avoiding any watermarks.
Features to look out for
Although all useful, not all microfibre cloths are alike. There are different designs, features and builds to look out for across a moderate price range. When choosing your microfibre cloth, it would be best to consider its purpose and then buy accordingly.
Size - Microfibre cloths come in all different shapes and sizes. Bigger usually is better, as a farther reach can expedite any wiping or drying process. If you were drying off an entire car for example, we would recommend going for a larger option. However, you may find that these cloths start to become unwieldly as you go further up the size range.
GSM - When shopping around for microfibre towels. you'll likely come across a gsm level in the product description. This stands for grams per square meter and pertains to the thickness, length and absorptivity of the towel. Regular household towels are usually around the 300 GSM mark, though they can reach upwards of 1200.
Edges - Edgeless towels? Some microfibre cloths are manufactured with no hard edges for the softest possible touch. These cloths are designed for detailing as they're perfect for removing dressings without any unwanted abrasion, so you may want to consider a set if this is your intended purpose.
Design - As well as standard issue cloth form, microfibre weaves have been fitted to several other appliances, including washing mitts, applicator pads and sponges. You may come across more radical design concepts on the market such as microfibre noodle gloves for the hardest reaching spots - more on this below.
Pile Length
Short Pile
The pile length of a microfibre towel has a significant bearing on its utilitarian potential. A microfibre towel with a GSM level of anywhere between 200 and 400 is classified as short pile. These towels are best suited to cleaning or drying windows, mirrors or other glass surfaces as the ultralow profile of the material leaves no streaks nor lint in its wake.
Best for windows and other glass surfaces
These low profile, low pile cloths from Autofibre are perfect for the job. The diamond-cut design creates very little friction between the surface of the glass and the cloth, allowing for smooth and easy glides across windows and mirrors. This cloth is 16" by 16" and comes in a pack of four.
Medium Pile
Moving up the range, if a microfibre towel has a GSM level between 400 and 700, it would be considered medium pile. As the name would suggest, these are great middle-ground towels fit to take on a number of different tasks. On the one hand they are low profile enough to remove waxes, sealants and polishes while still absorbent enough to dry a whole car. We would recommend always having a set of these to hand, but should you need to take on a more specific task, a long or short pile towel may be better suited.
Best all-rounder
Autoglym is one of the most venerated car care brands in the world, manifested in the royal warrant it boasts on all its packaging. Its standards are high, and not at all lost on the microfibre cloth range. This example is a 60cm square for eight clean sides when folded, so you can exercise streak and lint-free drying around the whole car following a scrub down. Once the towel has reached its capacity, give it a wash and wring it out to go again.
Long Pile Towel
Anything over 700 gsm is long pile territory. These are the thickest, softest and fluffiest towels on the detailing market - the perfect choice for extensive drying following a full clean. You may find some examples as high as 1400msg, but 700 will still do the job.
Best for drying
This double-layered drying towel from 26JPN is a 1060gsm example of long pile. The double-layered design is far more absorbent than conventional towels, and without edges for a soft and non-abrasive touch. The large 70x90cm size is perfect for covering large vehicles in a short space of time.
Other Designs
Suppose you want something a little more practical than a simple cloth? Well, there are numerous other cleaning, drying and applying products that bear a microfibre exterior.
Most practical
This mitt from ArmorAll boasts a two-in-one design concept, combining microfibre noodles with a microfibre mesh beneath. Once applied to the surface of a body panel, the noodles spread out to cover the largest possible area, though without costing any manoeuvrability in mitt form; the mesh surface is able to remove stubborn grime. This mitt, as with most other microfibre products, is sturdy and machine washable for countless reuse.
Easy to use
www.cleanyourcar.co.uk
This microfibre sponge features a 70/30 blend for an ultra-soft touch. This example has 250,000 strands of advanced microfibers per square inch, enveloping an interior sponge for water displacement first. The light sponge provides the safest possible touch to your car, negating the risk of further scratching from an ergonomic package.
Tips when using microfibre towels
• Always exercise a soft touch when drying or applying with a microfibre towel - let the cloth do the work.
• When working around the car, consistency is imperative for quality results. To that end, we recommend using a fresh microfibre towel for each panel so as not to transfer any of the grit or grime picked up on the previous. Most cloths come in sets and are machine washable.
• If your microfibre cloth is steadily wearing out, it may start to become more abrasive. Consider replacing it to avoid any unwanted marks or scratches.
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