WHAT ARE GOOD TOWELS FOR DRYING AND BUFFING
- Thread starter Bull6791
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BudgetPlan1
Well-known member
For drying I like twisted loop like Gyeon Silk Dryer or Rag Company’s new Slim Dryer. Griots was one of the first with twisted loop I believe with their PFM’s; nice double-sided but large one can get a bit unruly.
Pretty much everybody makes twisted loop drying towels so personal preference plays a part. I like the Silk & Slim dryer style as they have one twisted loop side for drying and the other side is another material that I’m not sure what it’s good for. I fold/store with that side out so I can safely put anywhere without worry of contaminating the side used for drying.
For other ‘tender’ paint work the Rag Company 350gsm Edgeless or 500gsm Edgeless.
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Pretty much everybody makes twisted loop drying towels so personal preference plays a part. I like the Silk & Slim dryer style as they have one twisted loop side for drying and the other side is another material that I’m not sure what it’s good for. I fold/store with that side out so I can safely put anywhere without worry of contaminating the side used for drying.
For other ‘tender’ paint work the Rag Company 350gsm Edgeless or 500gsm Edgeless.
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Vegas1
Member
Griots 16x16 PFM's. Purchased them when they first came out and haven’t used anything else since.
TroyScherer
Ummm.... Ya.....
I mostly stick to Microfiber Madness & The Rag Company towels. They would have all the different types and sizes of towels you would need.
Budget Plan1 is correct: Griot's Garage large PFM (Pure Frickin' Magic is what it stands for!) Twisted-Loop drying towels can be cumbersome to handle, based on experiences posted in this forum. SOOOOO, I bought four (Two 2-Packs) of the 16x 16"-size towels to mitigate this "problem" and have never looked back wishing to adding a larger size of this towel. Yes, it takes about three towels to properly dry off a large vehicle that has been blown dry by my Toro Leaf Blower, BUT the small-size towels are a joy to handle without worrying that I will drag them on the ground when wiping off lower panels or trying to get into smalller areas like the grill-work or door jams.
This towel design was all the rage here in this forum (Forum-Favorite, as we Autopian's call it) when it first came out and it still is. It the towel that got me to switch from goat-skin REAL chamois to microfiber towels. I had a Detail Image waffle-weave drying towel when it first came out, but I was not impressed with its drying abilities, so back to the chamois. Then came the GG PFM-DT and the rest, as they say, is history.
For drying wheels (rims) I use The Rag Company's The Gauntlet in the smallest 12" x 12 " size just to have something different for drying rims. They work very well and would be a second choice for an overall drying towel. To me they are a "clone" of Microfiber Madness's Chipmunk drying towel, so named because of the chipmunk-stripe resemblance. And , yes, The Gauntlet is made in large drying-towel sizes, if you like or prefer that sizing.
By the way, towel absorbency and softness over the life of that towel is directly related to how it is cleaned (washed and dried). You can search this forum for information on what works best, but if I could give some useful pointers/suggestions/does-and-don'ts for microfiber care, here they are:
1) Wash them (the microfibers) by themselves, not with other cotton towels or cloths used in detailing or with regular clothing washes
2) If you can, use a microfiber-towel specific detergent soap. If not, I use Tide Ultra Stain Release or Persil OXY ProClean.
3) Use hot water or at least warm water
4) NEVER use fabric softeners with them; it plugs or coats the fibers.
5) Add white vinegar to soften them at the beginning of the first rinse cycle, then rinse them a second time (You may not need to use vinegar if you use a microfiber-specific detergent soap, see the bottle instructions)
6) Dry microfibers by themselves on medium heat in the dryer, NEVER High Heat, as that heat can melt the ultra-fine synthetic fibers of a microfiber.
7) NEVER use drying softener or static-eliminator sheets, again. because it coats the fibers.
8) If you line dry them outside, just make sure there is not a lot of leave or lawn litter in air from the neighbor cutting the lawn next door or dry spring seed dander or fall leaves dropping on a windy day. Great for drying, terrible for microfibers that get embedded with that stuff!!!
9) AND a Common Sense, Keep the Spouse Happy Tip: Wipe out the washer tub at the water line after washing ANY type of detailing towels or cloths. microfiber or cotton. It can get pretty oily, dirty, and gunky and you do not want that stuff on the next load of clothes your spouse washes. I use a degreaser. like Optimum's Power Clean and blue paper shop towels or old cotton face wash towels or old T-shirt rags and a spray bottle of distilled water to rinse it out and wipe off. A small long-bristled brush or tooth brush for brushing of the holes at that water line may be necessary to clean the tub out completely. Happy spouse, happy life and not ruining two hundred dollars of new, only-worn-once good clothes the other half is washing next a few days later after you've washed your detailing towels and cloths. ( A most "unfortunate" Captain Obvious grounds-for-divorce experience that COULD have happened had not the the other half noticed the dirty tub ring!!)
This towel design was all the rage here in this forum (Forum-Favorite, as we Autopian's call it) when it first came out and it still is. It the towel that got me to switch from goat-skin REAL chamois to microfiber towels. I had a Detail Image waffle-weave drying towel when it first came out, but I was not impressed with its drying abilities, so back to the chamois. Then came the GG PFM-DT and the rest, as they say, is history.
For drying wheels (rims) I use The Rag Company's The Gauntlet in the smallest 12" x 12 " size just to have something different for drying rims. They work very well and would be a second choice for an overall drying towel. To me they are a "clone" of Microfiber Madness's Chipmunk drying towel, so named because of the chipmunk-stripe resemblance. And , yes, The Gauntlet is made in large drying-towel sizes, if you like or prefer that sizing.
By the way, towel absorbency and softness over the life of that towel is directly related to how it is cleaned (washed and dried). You can search this forum for information on what works best, but if I could give some useful pointers/suggestions/does-and-don'ts for microfiber care, here they are:
1) Wash them (the microfibers) by themselves, not with other cotton towels or cloths used in detailing or with regular clothing washes
2) If you can, use a microfiber-towel specific detergent soap. If not, I use Tide Ultra Stain Release or Persil OXY ProClean.
3) Use hot water or at least warm water
4) NEVER use fabric softeners with them; it plugs or coats the fibers.
5) Add white vinegar to soften them at the beginning of the first rinse cycle, then rinse them a second time (You may not need to use vinegar if you use a microfiber-specific detergent soap, see the bottle instructions)
6) Dry microfibers by themselves on medium heat in the dryer, NEVER High Heat, as that heat can melt the ultra-fine synthetic fibers of a microfiber.
7) NEVER use drying softener or static-eliminator sheets, again. because it coats the fibers.
8) If you line dry them outside, just make sure there is not a lot of leave or lawn litter in air from the neighbor cutting the lawn next door or dry spring seed dander or fall leaves dropping on a windy day. Great for drying, terrible for microfibers that get embedded with that stuff!!!
9) AND a Common Sense, Keep the Spouse Happy Tip: Wipe out the washer tub at the water line after washing ANY type of detailing towels or cloths. microfiber or cotton. It can get pretty oily, dirty, and gunky and you do not want that stuff on the next load of clothes your spouse washes. I use a degreaser. like Optimum's Power Clean and blue paper shop towels or old cotton face wash towels or old T-shirt rags and a spray bottle of distilled water to rinse it out and wipe off. A small long-bristled brush or tooth brush for brushing of the holes at that water line may be necessary to clean the tub out completely. Happy spouse, happy life and not ruining two hundred dollars of new, only-worn-once good clothes the other half is washing next a few days later after you've washed your detailing towels and cloths. ( A most "unfortunate" Captain Obvious grounds-for-divorce experience that COULD have happened had not the the other half noticed the dirty tub ring!!)
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TroyScherer
Ummm.... Ya.....
GSM is more about the weight of the towel. So it comes down to do you want a thicker heavier towel or a thinner lighter version?
In my experience the GSM is not necessarily as important as the brand / type of towel. If you stick with a reputable brand that has a quality product you should be fine.
Lots of people seem to like the Griots PFM towels for drying. I have one and personally while it works well I don't care for the feeling in my hands.
TroyScherer
Ummm.... Ya.....
Some of the main towels I use.
CarPro BOA
The Rag Company Eagle Edgeless
The Rag Company Platinum Pluffle (Discontinued)
The Rag Company Creature Edgeless - I use these for rinse-less washing, drying, sealant and wax removal, and interior cleaning, almost everything. For me these are a good do it all towel.
CarPro BOA
The Rag Company Eagle Edgeless
The Rag Company Platinum Pluffle (Discontinued)
The Rag Company Creature Edgeless - I use these for rinse-less washing, drying, sealant and wax removal, and interior cleaning, almost everything. For me these are a good do it all towel.