Not all towels are equal! Such a statement should be a given, but many people who take a stab at detailing their vehicle don’t know the difference between a quality microfiber towel that’s specifically designed for detailing or the application of sealants. Knowing the difference will ultimately help you give your vehicle the best detail and one that’s safe to reduce the risk of scratching, etching, or damaging the surface of your vehicle’s paint or clear coat.
Microfiber towel technology is much more than just the feel of a microfiber towel to your touch. It involves many aspects of a towel, from its absorbency to other features, such as having a bordered edge and a higher GSM (grams per square meter) density of its pile length and thread count. All these factors are essential when choosing a microfiber towel.
A microfiber towel gets its name from having a synthetic fiber that is finer than one denier or thread. Many microfiber towels utilize various polyesters, polyamides, or combinations to form their fibers to create a durable composition that is safe to utilize on sensitive surfaces that you do not want to scratch. However, you still want it to be effective for the removal of dirt and the application of polishing products.
The small fibers in microfiber towels are often smaller than a strand of silk and have been developed in ways that are the best at the removal of elements without moving the element around on the surface to prevent scratching or damage. Other cloths or ones not made of microfiber tend to push dirt and elements around on the surface instead of absorbing the element, so it no longer touches the surface.
Additionally, microfiber clothes are versatile enough to be used for many types of chemicals as they are extremely absorbent and often dry fast. In fact, when you properly use some sealants, you can virtually use a dry good-quality microfiber towel to wipe the surface without fear of scratching it. While we don’t recommend doing such, the process proves how versatile and safe good microfiber towels can be versus an inferior microfiber towel or one made of cloth or other materials.
Microfiber towels come in all shapes, sizes, thicknesses, different GSM, have tags, come without tags, and often have multiple colors to choose from. The fact of the matter is you will want to make sure you’re using the right microfiber towel for your specific detailing job and avoid being left with one that is inferior that ultimately wastes your time with a poor detailing job or leaves behind streaks or unsightly residues depending on the chemical that your applying.
The features that you should look for in a microfiber towel are ones that matter to have the best and most effective detailing job or application of a polish or paint sealant on your vehicle. Make sure that your microfiber towel has the following:
A bordered edge – A bordered edge on a microfiber towel prevents the towel from bunching up at the edges, fraying, de-threading, or simply shedding microfiber material all over your surface. Basically, a microfiber towel with a properly bordered edge could fundamentally fall apart over use or bunch up to collect excessive dirt that could eventually cause damage through scratching. Lastly, a bordered edge will help ensure the towel lasts a long time through several washes and reuses.
Have a high GSM or Thread Count – The GSM or thread count of a microfiber towel should usually be high, but it greatly depends on your type of use. Usually, a 350GMS to 400GSM is an ideal level for a microfiber towel used for washing your vehicle and application of a paint sealer like TopCoat® F11® or TopCoat® F11PRO®. At such a level, the microfiber towel will be extremely soft and super absorbent. Microfiber towels with a low fiber are thinner and are not as absorbent, leaving you with a towel that’s difficult to use in many situations and could risk scratching a surface.
Have a high absorbency - A simple way of testing if a microfiber cloth is good is through its absorbency. If a microfiber towel does not hold an abundance of water, then it may be an inferior towel and not ideal for cleaning or polishing a surface.
Have a bright color – Microfiber towels are very good at absorbing liquids and debris, so most often, debris and liquid are hidden within a microfiber towel, giving you the impression that it stays clean. However, if you use a brightly colored microfiber towel, you will be able to see dirt and debris, and sometimes liquid collected in the towel. By seeing these elements, you will know when it is time to stop the use of a microfiber towel to prevent using a dirty or saturated towel that can cause unwanted damage to your vehicle’s finish.
Have a removable tag or no tag – Microfiber towels commonly come with tags. Sometimes a tag on a microfiber towel may get in the way or could cause micro-scratches on vehicles. Choosing a microfiber towel that has a removable tag is recommended, so you not only know what type of towel you have, but you can remove that tag just before use to prevent unwanted scratching.
Microfiber Towel Recommendations: At TopCoat®, we specially spec our microfiber towels for detailing and polishing applications. Our TopCoat® microfiber towels, such as the TopCoat® Micropro™ 18 Professional Microfiber Towel and TopCoat® Micro™ 16 Premium Detail Microfiber Towels, are both high quality, extremely soft, very absorbent, won’t scratch or swirl surfaces, have at least a 350 GSM, last a long time, have a binding edging, and use MacroGrab technology.
Pro tip: Microfiber towels should be clean and dry before use, and in most cases of performing a delicate detailing process, we recommend that you use a brand-new microfiber towel. If you ever drop a microfiber towel on the floor or ground, we strongly recommend that you discontinue the use of that towel until it is properly cleaned. Dropping a microfiber towel will pick up scratch-prone debris from the ground, and you never want to apply that to your vehicle’s surface.
We want you to be 100% satisfied with everything you buy from TopCoat. And if you’re not entirely happy with your purchase we will refund your money in full, or exchange the goods. All we ask is that you contact our customer services and then return the products back to us.
