Drying towel question.

Coopers ST

Coopers ST

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So this may be a stupid question but how do you know if you don't ask.
How many times do you use your drying towels before you wash them? The car is already clean all you are doing is getting them wet, if you hang them to dry they are still clean right?
I use mine twice usually then do a wash.
 
Coopers ST said:
So this may be a stupid question but how do you know if you don't ask.
How many times do you use your drying towels before you wash them? The car is already clean all you are doing is getting them wet, if you hang them to dry they are still clean right?
I use mine twice usually then do a wash.
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After every use.
 
i rinse/wring extremely well, hang dry and that's it. if there is any indication of anything on it...like, a rogue swipe of an exhaust tip or something that shows any contamination on the towel, i'll spray that spot with Shout, let it dwell and wash.

i am drying cars in a completely enclosed space so it's not easy to contaminate drying towels but it happens.
 
After every use, Always! It's inevitable your drying towel will pick up dirt and debris from missed areas. You don't want to be dragging that stuff all over your paint.
 
after every use. You may want to invest in about 5 waffle weave towels so you can wash them all together.
 
Picking up dust and left over dirt is a possibility. However, I am guilty of drying with my waffle towel and simply wringing it and doing a few good snaps with it and hang it. I've inspected it and stays really clean and seems to me that it's fine with this process. Should I wash and dry it after every use? Probably. The best thing would be to buy a couple as mentioned.

I use about 6 micro fibre cloths and a waffle towel after every wash so I could so a small load in dryer I suppose. I have large zip lock bags I keep my stuff in after drying so in between washes they are not collecting dust :)




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After a towel is used it's washed, always in my routine. I never let them sit.
 
if a towel was in good enough condition to dry a car when you were drying it...meaning, during the whole drying process, even at the end...

why wouldn't it be in the same or better condition after a rinse and wring (and hang dry)??

580552b41e6642643.jpg


like i said, i get it if there is an errant swipe of an exhaust tip, tire or something that might leave evidence. otherwise, no.
 
builthatch said:
if a towel was in good enough condition to dry a car when you were drying it...meaning, during the whole drying process, even at the end...

why wouldn't it be in the same or better condition after a rinse and wring (and hang dry)??

580552b41e6642643.jpg


like i said, i get it if there is an errant swipe of an exhaust tip, tire or something that might leave evidence. otherwise, no.
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That is what I figure, and why I ask the question.
 
builthatch said:
i rinse/wring extremely well, hang dry and that's it. if there is any indication of anything on it...like, a rogue swipe of an exhaust tip or something that shows any contamination on the towel, i'll spray that spot with Shout, let it dwell and wash.

i am drying cars in a completely enclosed space so it's not easy to contaminate drying towels but it happens.
Click to expand...

No matter how careful your wash technique; there will always be something that ends up on the drying towel that you don't want to press against the paint during future washes.


I cannot convince myself that when I fold up something that is dirty and wring it out; it is getting completely clean.

I believe that the process of folding/twisting a towel traps dirt and all of that dirt cannot escape with the water that is being wrung out of the towel.


Personally, I use three Cobra Guzzlers to dry the body Panels of my SUV. Additional towels are used for door jambs and a third set for wheels..


You have to do a load of towels anyway....why not make it a full one and remove one possible source of paint defects from your process?
 
I'm guilty of using it again for the next time if I didn't miss any spots on the car during my wash.

Just wondering for you guys that store your towels in plastic containers; do you bag them also?


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Do you guys use 'fluffy' drying towels or 'waffle weave' towels? Does the country or origin being China or S. Korea really matter?
 
Coopers ST said:
Do you guys use 'fluffy' drying towels or 'waffle weave' towels? Does the country or origin being China or S. Korea really matter?
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Mother's Drying towel is a foam core waffle weave. if i'm not using an electric blower on the car, that's the towel i use, mainly. i used to use that towel for initial drying then chase with some Cobra Guzzlers when laying down some spray wax or whatever potion i'm using at a given time but now i primarily stick with the Mothers towel. it's just so good at drying!
 
Coopers ST said:
Do you guys use 'fluffy' drying towels or 'waffle weave' towels? Does the country or origin being China or S. Korea really matter?
Click to expand...

Huge difference between SK and China imo...SKs are softer. I have two waffle weaves, when I use one, I hang it or throw it in my bucket to wash, then when I use the other and after that I wash them all.
 
matryx said:
I'm guilty of using it again for the next time if I didn't miss any spots on the car during my wash.

Just wondering for you guys that store your towels in plastic containers; do you bag them also?


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Yes. I use the Ziplock Big Bags.
 
I have mine in gallon zip locks but you can't get too many into one of those. Anybody know where a good source is to get larger bags?
 
1. i have those plastic drawer/bin cabinets for most of my media - pads and towels, mainly.
2. i have a few things stored in 2.5 gallon slide seal bags. they are like jumbo freezer bags. i think Hefty makes them, i'm not sure.
 
builthatch said:
if a towel was in good enough condition to dry a car when you were drying it...meaning, during the whole drying process, even at the end...

why wouldn't it be in the same or better condition after a rinse and wring (and hang dry)??

580552b41e6642643.jpg


like i said, i get it if there is an errant swipe of an exhaust tip, tire or something that might leave evidence. otherwise, no.
Click to expand...
The problem is this is only an assumption. I don't care how careful you may be, you will pick up some debris. A simple rinse and wring won't get everything out. And after a few times you would've accumulated several car washes worth of debris.

Let me ask you this. During your daily shower, if your skin and hair does not look dirty do you completely skip the soap? Would you go for a week at a time without soap?
 
microfiber drying towels (especially the fluffy ones) aren't all that great for drying IMO, they leave droplets behind and tend to push water around. waffle weaves tend to better IME and absorb more water...
 
I've had good experience with the wooly mammoth towel I got from CG. I blot with it and it holds tons of water. Leaves surface dry

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