Great buy. I also use this towels frequently, not the only ones I have but they are part of my arsenal.
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How do you know if a MF towel is of good quality?
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Great buy. I also use this towels frequently, not the only ones I have but they are part of my arsenal.
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cardaddy
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I have the wife pick up a pack of them about twice a year, and here they are only about $14 last time I checked. We'll use them a lot on dirty jobs, interiors, jambs, oil changes, wheels, tail pipes, bottoms of rocker panels, even glass. At that price point they can be used whenever and however and just thrown away.
Good quality? Well they are not anything as bad as their old Euro yellow towels that's for sure. Quality there is much better. They are also TONS better than auto parts store towels and the cheaper Wal-Mart towels (they have some that are a bit better, but you can buy towels much better for much less). Yet I know a local high-end guy that uses the cheapest version of Wal-Mart towels, right from the pack (without even washing them first) even on paint correction, and seems to be ok with it.
The Kirkland gold towels actually weigh out at a spec that'd make them a 350 GSM towel. Yet when you put them next to say MFT's 360's, or Gold Plush Jr's, or forbid.... CG's similar towels (that have sewn in tags!!!) you'll find that while they weigh within a few grams of the other towels they are NOWHERE NEAR what would be considered a "quality towel". Like I said, better than Wal-Mart or auto parts store towels, (and certainly a steal for the money), but once you have a decent 350 GSM towel in your hand you'll figure out what all the hoopla is about.
hernandez.art13
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Does Amazon have something similar? I don't have Costco Membership but do have Amazon Prime.I have the wife pick up a pack of them about twice a year, and here they are only about $14 last time I checked. We'll use them a lot on dirty jobs, interiors, jambs, oil changes, wheels, tail pipes, bottoms of rocker panels, even glass. At that price point they can be used whenever and however and just thrown away.
Good quality? Well they are not anything as bad as their old Euro yellow towels that's for sure. Quality there is much better. They are also TONS better than auto parts store towels and the cheaper Wal-Mart towels (they have some that are a bit better, but you can buy towels much better for much less). Yet I know a local high-end guy that uses the cheapest version of Wal-Mart towels, right from the pack (without even washing them first) even on paint correction, and seems to be ok with it.
The Kirkland gold towels actually weigh out at a spec that'd make them a 350 GSM towel. Yet when you put them next to say MFT's 360's, or Gold Plush Jr's, or forbid.... CG's similar towels (that have sewn in tags!!!) you'll find that while they weigh within a few grams of the other towels they are NOWHERE NEAR what would be considered a "quality towel". Like I said, better than Wal-Mart or auto parts store towels, (and certainly a steal for the money), but once you have a decent 350 GSM towel in your hand you'll figure out what all the hoopla is about.
cardaddy
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I haven't seen anything Art that is similar to the Costco/Kirkland towels. At least at NOWHERE NEAR, not even CLOSE to their price point.
If you want a bundle or two LMK and I'll have CarMomma stop by and get them. You'd have shipping, but it couldn't be much. Like I said, I think they are closer to $14~$15 a bundle. (They were $13.95 last one she brought home, but that was back first of the year.)
Thought that I might have a spare bundle, just went and checked and have one, but it's the only one... I'll be opening it and washing them this week because there are only a couple dozen clean ones. (And they get really dirty, and quite often thrown away.)
Seriously though, LMK (PM or e-mail) if you want some, she works up that way and can stop by there. I take cards, (or PayPal) so it's easy enough. :dblthumb2:
AutowerxDetailing
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dennis hiip
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why not safe? please explain
cardaddy
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Nicholas, you should see a local guy here, (CQF authorized) use the super thin (unwashed out of the package) Wal-Mart towels!
I won't even use those towels in door jambs AFTER THEY HAVE BEEN WASHED. Literally they are good for oil changes, engine bay, weather stripping, and wheels. I've tried several times to get him to use better towels when I was doing some jobs with him and he just wasn't interested. Yet he'll swear *I* am the guy that doesn't know what I'm doing. Takes all kinds. :dunno:i've used them on fully corrected paint no problem..... so why would you say they are not safe for paint? i even corrected a panel and then checked to see how much pressure it took to scratch it again, and i literally had to lean in on my thumb to press hard enough to get a scratch... if i had done this somewhere like a hood or trunk instead of a pillar, i would have dented the car before scratching it
for anyone wondering since i saw allen asking what someone meant by "costco". they are proforce brand towels, which can be bought on amazon as well for slightly more than in the store. they come 36 to a pack (used to come with a little less years ago). and are on the cheap side, less than 50 cents per towel. wash the whole bunch when you first get them and you'll see... they don't lint, they don't color bleed, don't come with a tag to rip off, and have a long nap side and a short nap side. i purchased the green towels from AG and they were beyond the quality of the green towels sold on here.
AutowerxDetailing
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On certain softer paint finishes the Costco microfiber towels will scratch the surface if they are used to wipe away compound/polish/wax/sealant/etc. Since it is the towels that are causing the damage I consider them not paint safe.
I suppose brand new out of the bag they are slightly less risky... and on harder paint finishes they might work just fine; however after spending anywhere from 8 to 40 hours correcting a vehicle why would I want to take the risk?
I figure at this point you would want to test any towel you are going to use to be sure that they dont scratch paint.
I still have yet to see anyone do any real testing to prove that one towel literally does scratch paint while another is angelically soft and never could accomplish such a devilish feat
AutowerxDetailing
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Absolutely! Inspecting for towel marring is part of the test spot process prior to a full-blown paint correction job.
I've seen even 700GSM towels cause towel marring on soft paint. Sometimes I'll use a dampened towel or use some sort of detail spray to add lubrication which helps eliminate towel marring issues on final wipe off.
..... the weight of the towel and amount of microfibers shouldn't make a difference, they are all the same fibers, you may be able to encapsulate more particles with a fluffier nap, but when doing simple wiping, the number of fibers as long as there is enough to cover the surface of the towel, shouldn't determine if it will scratch or not.
basically attributing the weight of a towel or number of fibers per square unit to be the "softness", makes no sense when determining how safe a towel is unless you are taking into account exactly what is being absorbed, wiped, or cleaned. and that is what makes every case different. and why you should be able to use almost any microfiber towel (that is made of proper fibers), as long as you know how to use them without inducing scratches.
AutowerxDetailing
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If you say so. 
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allenk4
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I think weight DOES logically play a role in how likely the towel is to induce marring, in the "Real World"
Higher GSM is thicker, while being used, because the densely packed fibers are less likely to lay down. Picture a MF fiber laying down and the "shaft" of the thread dragging on the paint vs the "tips" of the thread on a higher GSM towel
Higher GSM towels provide more cushion between your hand and the paint. I think the higher GSM towels also distribute the pressure more effectively. These two qualities should, logically, decrease the chances of towel induced marring
On close examination, lower GSM towels (<360 GSM) almost seem like they are "tufted" on a backing of the MF towel. I believe that logically, these tufts are more aggressive than the tips of higher GSM towel fibers
Just my thoughts....i may be wrong
Higher GSM is thicker, while being used, because the densely packed fibers are less likely to lay down. Picture a MF fiber laying down and the "shaft" of the thread dragging on the paint vs the "tips" of the thread on a higher GSM towel
Higher GSM towels provide more cushion between your hand and the paint. I think the higher GSM towels also distribute the pressure more effectively. These two qualities should, logically, decrease the chances of towel induced marring
On close examination, lower GSM towels (<360 GSM) almost seem like they are "tufted" on a backing of the MF towel. I believe that logically, these tufts are more aggressive than the tips of higher GSM towel fibers
Just my thoughts....i may be wrong
I agree with there being more surface area for more weight distribution, hence why I mentioned that even low gsm towels should be fine when used correctly as well, the fibers themselves wony be the main factor, but the pressure being used with it. Notice alot of videos mike phillips makes, he uses the cheaper green towels alot and never says to press down hard, light touches only. Following thay method should be what everyone done instead of relying of tons of fibers to keep them from pressing too hard.
conman1395
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The easiest way I can explain how I think about it would be to talk about another fabric: cotton.
I have quite a few 100% cotton T-Shirts. I have cheap ones that I use for undershirts and some from The Gap that are more expensive. Obviously my cheap undershirts are not as soft as my Gap shirts.
I have a few nice Ralph Lauren Polo's too. They are also cotton, and they are some of the softest shirts I own.
The point being, how the cotton is processed into the product matters. As does, to a lesser degree, the source of the cotton.
This is why some batches of microfiber seem better than others within the same product. Also why and a 350 GSM Costco Towel and something like MFT's 360 are different types and qualities of a towel. A polo from American Eagle may look very similar to a Ralph Lauren, but softness and quality of fabric is apparent in the more expensive shirt.
I have quite a few 100% cotton T-Shirts. I have cheap ones that I use for undershirts and some from The Gap that are more expensive. Obviously my cheap undershirts are not as soft as my Gap shirts.
I have a few nice Ralph Lauren Polo's too. They are also cotton, and they are some of the softest shirts I own.
The point being, how the cotton is processed into the product matters. As does, to a lesser degree, the source of the cotton.
This is why some batches of microfiber seem better than others within the same product. Also why and a 350 GSM Costco Towel and something like MFT's 360 are different types and qualities of a towel. A polo from American Eagle may look very similar to a Ralph Lauren, but softness and quality of fabric is apparent in the more expensive shirt.
AutowerxDetailing
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Without getting all scientific... I'll just say that I've worked on paint that would mar excessively with Costco towels; while other, higher quality towels left no damage. Years back I came to the realization I needed something better for higher end paint correction work. My statements are based on experience, not theory.
I also agree that technique plays a large role IN ADDITION to the quality of the towel in use.
I'm recommending not to use Costco MF towels on paint from personal bad experiences. I still use Costco towels for interiors and wheels... they are a great value for these purposes.
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I also agree that technique plays a large role IN ADDITION to the quality of the towel in use.
I'm recommending not to use Costco MF towels on paint from personal bad experiences. I still use Costco towels for interiors and wheels... they are a great value for these purposes.
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Except that there are thousands of different types of cotton type fabrics available, even in the automotive sector, the jeans you wear and the baby diapers are both made from the same material, just woven differently. Microfibers from what I understand are a different blend, typically an 80 20 or 70 30 blend, and will be split on a microscopic level when made of high quality, after that the only differences come in the length of fibers and concentration of fibers, and yes those two qualities do make a difference up to a point.
Nicholas, I can respect that you dont recommend them due to your own personal experiences with them, but I still think it would be interesting to see some real comparative side by side testing of multiple different microfibers
allenk4
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Sis some research...thought this was interesting:
Understanding Microfiber Technology - How To Content For Cleaning Professionals. Tags: #DustersSqueegeesOtherTools #Microfiber
Understanding Microfiber Technology - How To Content For Cleaning Professionals. Tags: #DustersSqueegeesOtherTools #Microfiber