Microfiber

I think there is a huge difference. If you can just compare the feel and texture of the cheap towels and the boutique towels. I personally have a few cheap towels to use in the engine bay, interior, and on wheels but thats it. My paint only gets touched by new boutique towels, and even those are retired to junk duty once they outlive there usefulness on paint.

While there are some great towels on AG ( like the 530 supremes and some of the cobras) google pakshak. I don't have any towels from them yet but I did place an order and have heard great things about them from some of the best detailers I have seen on these forums.

Your going to get the same answers here as you did on autopia.com. There is big difference. You get what you pay for. Softer, less lint and etc. Try the supreme 530 towel on autogeek's site. Compare them to the cheap ones.

When choosing microfibe 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. Microfibre quality is very often refelected in the purchase price, best advise, use only high quality microfire towels from a reputable source. As with most things, you'll get what you pay for. A good quality towel may cost more, but it will last longer. The most important thing to remember is that a good quality micofibre towel will provide better cleaning results that ordinary towels or cloth.


See article 'Microfibre' DetailingWiki a series of informative, unbiased articles dedicated to automotive detailing.

I hate the "plush" microfiber towels for buffing off polish and wax products so I use them to dry off my wheels after washing my car.

I love using the waffle weave microfiber towels to dry off the rest of my vehicle; the paint, the glass, the trim, etc.

I use all-purpose towels for buffing off polish and wax.

I think that while there is an obvious difference in quality when going with cheaper or more expensive microfiber towels, you can get good towels for cheap. The problem with ordering MF towels online is that you don't get to feel them until after you buy them.

AG's Cobra MF towels are pretty darn good; even the cheaper all-purpose ones are surprisingly useful without creating any swirls or scratches on the paint.

shop AG for towels ... simple and great towels without issue.

killrwheels@autogeek said:

shop AG for towels ... simple and great towels without issue.

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:whs:
Remember when your Mom siad "Don't touch the Iron, it will burn you" but you just had to, and you got burned? Take killrs advice, buy your MF at AG, dont get burned!

I've just recently begun my foray into semi-serious auto detailing with the purchase of a black sapphire metallic 335xi. (My last car was white.) I first picked up a few cheap microfiber towels from Target, and I've since bought several different microfiber products from AG.

The cheapies have more lint and it is pretty obvious that they will not last as long as the Cobras, but they still work better than a t-shirt or terry cloth. I've relegated the cheapies to the dirtier work, like door sills, wheels, etc. That way, I save the Cobras a bit.

Of the Cobras, I've been using the HD Guzzler for drying and prefer it to a chamois, though it's not the drying miracle I hoped it would be. It needs to be about twice as big. I use Cobra Miracle Towels for buffing the last of the water (fluffy side) and applying the QD (short side). These work very well for these tasks. I highly recommend the Indigo Edgeless cloths for removing polishes, sealants, and waxes--clearly superior to the other types I've tried for that task. And, the glass waffle-weave towels are nice for glass. I don't put anything on them when cleaning the inside of my windows. It's not marketed this way, but the waffle-weave helps with grip when the towel tends to grab the clean glass. I also grabbed a six-pack of Cobra multi-purpose towels (white with red edge) and use them here and there as needed.

Overall, I'd say the prices I've paid for the Cobras are in line with the apparent quality differences vis-a-vis the cheapies. The cheapies are not worthless, though, and I'm glad to have a few of them around.

EG

If you haven't tried this it's an eye opener and a fun experiment. Take a "CD" disk. Divide it into sections with a marker pen. Rub each of your towels in a section with a little pressure. You'll see the difference.

Jimmie said:

If you haven't tried this it's an eye opener and a fun experiment. Take a "CD" disk. Divide it into sections with a marker pen. Rub each of your towels in a section with a little pressure. You'll see the difference.

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Oh Man, I wish I hadn't read this at work, now I will be thinking about this "Science experiment" All Day

Thanks Jimmie sounds like a fun test.

Jimmie said:

If you haven't tried this it's an eye opener and a fun experiment. Take a "CD" disk. Divide it into sections with a marker pen. Rub each of your towels in a section with a little pressure. You'll see the difference.

Click to expand...

Great way to check them, really though if you have a Cobra towel in one hand and a cheapo in the other you will not have a heard time figuring out which one is better.