Is it possible to put a fingernail-catching scratch into car paint using a clean microfiber cloth? I was polishing my freshly washed car using clean microfiber cloths when I noticed a medium depth scratch right in the area I was polishing in. Could my cloth have caused this scratch or did it exist before and just wasn't noticed?
Scratches from cloths
- Thread starter Toadster
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dorkiedoode
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- Apr 1, 2013
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using the wrong microfiber can scratch your cc. especially those cheap thin and not plush one.
cleanmycorolla
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- Apr 27, 2012
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It's possible, perhaps there was debris in the towel you didn't notice, perhaps your paint is soft, lots of variables...
davey g-force
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Wait - you were applying the polish using a MF, or buffing it off with the MF? What polish were you using?
As stated, anything is possible.
As stated, anything is possible.
Mike Phillips
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- Dec 5, 2022
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Do the scratches mimic the pattern that you moved the microfiber towel over?
When "touching" paint, you always need to be very careful as modern clear coats are easily scratched. The paints tend to be harder than traditional single stage paints but still scratch very easily.
This characteristic is called...
Scratch-Sensitive
See my article here,
How to correctly fold and use a Microfiber Towel
The techniques in my article above and tons more are also in my how-to book here,
Detailing How-To Book and Detailing How-To E-book by Mike Phillips
:xyxthumbs:
swanicyouth
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But a "fingernail-catching scratch" it sounds like you mean one deep annoying scratch, no a "haze" or area of scratches. If that's the case, its my opinion that its unlikely the towel, but something got caught in the towel or something else happened you were not aware of - or maybe it was there before you started and didn't notice it until less deeper scratches were polished away?
Don't feel bad. Most of use have done it. You just try and be super careful the next time. It is frustrating trying to detail your car and you realize you just did something to scratch it.
I`ve been using Microfiber towels for many years. When they came out they didn`t have these super fluffy towels, I never put a scratch in any of my cars and I use cheap M. towels
To actually scratch paint you would need something almost as hard as the paint to do it and to remove the surface of the paint you would need something as hard as paint to do it. Or create enough friction and heat to dull it.
Wiping down a car to dry it or buffing off wax with a microfiber never reaches any level of friction to scratch the paint. In other words you can`t scratch something with something that`s softer than the item you are trying to scratch unless one applies far, far more pressure than anyone ever applies to wipe or buff a car at least any sane person. It`s all pretty much Physics, as I see it.
To actually scratch paint you would need something almost as hard as the paint to do it and to remove the surface of the paint you would need something as hard as paint to do it. Or create enough friction and heat to dull it.
Wiping down a car to dry it or buffing off wax with a microfiber never reaches any level of friction to scratch the paint. In other words you can`t scratch something with something that`s softer than the item you are trying to scratch unless one applies far, far more pressure than anyone ever applies to wipe or buff a car at least any sane person. It`s all pretty much Physics, as I see it.
silverfox
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- Oct 5, 2010
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Anything that comes into contact with the paint can scratch it, and that includes towels, your clothing (yes, thats important too!), anything on your hands (rings, watches), the belt on your pants, hoses, etc...
I finally figured out that my jacket sleeve was scratching my paint when I washed my car in the winter...
I finally figured out that my jacket sleeve was scratching my paint when I washed my car in the winter...
Setec Astronomy
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- Aug 31, 2010
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As others have said, if you picked up a piece of grit in your towel, you could easily scratch the car with it. I think it was during one of the Detail Fest live feeds, Mike Phillips shared a tip (I think he attributed it to one of his frequent Thursday-night helpers) of, before you use a fresh towel, smoothing it with your hand on to feel for any debris stuck in the towel.
I think you hit on the reason people think they scratch paints with a Microfiber towels, "there`s some sort of foreign particle in the towel that does the scratching not the M. towel itself.
I will agree with you, except for you saying "ANYTHING THAT COMES IN CONTACT with paint CAN SCRATCH" Anything means everything and everything cannot scratch paint. The item that scratches the paint must be harder than the paint to scratch it, and Microfibers are not harder than paint. IMHO Jim
dorkiedoode
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If a microfiber scratch a CD it'll scratch the paint. The mango microfiber towel that I bought. Those scratch the CD when I tested it. Although I might get away with it if its super clean and wiping it very softly.
Setec Astronomy
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I have seen some weird tribological stuff that would unfortunately disprove that theory.
IMO. If you use a Microfiber the way it is supposed to be used, meaning wiping off water or buffing wax off, I just don`t believe you can scratch paint.
We might need to define what a scratch is here. To me a scratch is breaking the surface of the paint, in this case I don`t believe Microfiber towels can do that, of course that`s IMHO.
Water is softer than paint but if you put it under pressure it can remove the paint but that`s not what we are talking about here.
Another possibility that I don't think has been mentioned is that the "abrasive microfiber towel in question" is scratching a soft topcoat of wax/sealant rather than the underlying clear coat.
In any case, since I've not seen this phenomenon, and I'm not alone, it would be great if someone would make a video showing how various microfiber towels scratch their paint (after first showing that the towel itself is free of grit, and what specific towel it is) under normal wiping. Then maybe apply a paint cleaner to show that the scratches are still there. This would eliminate the possibility that only the topcoat is being scratched.
Until we start to get some specific factual data to document this and potentially solve it or at least single out some of the worst/softest paint and worst MF towels, there will just be endless threads of speculation like we've already seen.
Is anyone with soft paint (and MF towels that scratch) able to get the ball rolling on this?
In any case, since I've not seen this phenomenon, and I'm not alone, it would be great if someone would make a video showing how various microfiber towels scratch their paint (after first showing that the towel itself is free of grit, and what specific towel it is) under normal wiping. Then maybe apply a paint cleaner to show that the scratches are still there. This would eliminate the possibility that only the topcoat is being scratched.
Until we start to get some specific factual data to document this and potentially solve it or at least single out some of the worst/softest paint and worst MF towels, there will just be endless threads of speculation like we've already seen.
Is anyone with soft paint (and MF towels that scratch) able to get the ball rolling on this?
Setec Astronomy
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I have seen softer materials scratch hard materials with enough pressure. Kind of the same concept (but not really) that you cite with pressure washers taking off paint, or a paint chip being able to damage the window of the space shuttle (if it's going at 18,000 mph).
RMM
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