Speed Master “The Notorious Dry” towel 1st impression…

[Eldorado2k]

I’ll get straight to the point, because for me alot of lingering questions have just been answered. These were some of the questions I’ve had for the past few months…

1. Have my drying towels always sucked like this?

2. When did they begin to suck?

3. Did the new soap actually make a noticeable difference?

4. If the soap has actually done it’s job, does that mean that these towels weren’t as good as I once thought they were?

5. Am I living in denial?

-Enter this new towel. Speed Master The Notorious Dry Towel.

Speed Master The Notorious D.R.Y. Towel - 26" x 36"

I was at my wits end. I didn’t really care what drying towel I was going to buy, all I knew was that I was going to order 1 or some that day. This just happened to be the newest 1 and it was on super sale + the description was certainly impressive. 1400 GSM. That’s 200 more than the Big Blue Towel and that’s a beefy towel… 280 more than the edgeless PFM. Those stats weren’t the reason I bought it though, more like icing on the cake.

I just finished doing a bucket wash on my car and pulled this towel straight out of the bag, gave it a quick inspection and decided it was ready to use. Sheeting rinse post wash, no drying aids.

I began the way I usually do, starting at the front fender and begin walking the towel along the side of the car, but as I got to the end of the drivers door I stopped and witnessed something I hadn’t seen in a very long time, something I had almost forgot was even possible… Bone dry.

My normL OCD went straight out the door because I had to see if it could do what it just did on the hood, so I put the rest of the vertical panels on hold and layed the towel on my hood and dragged it across the paint which took 3 times to cover the hood and all 3 times, Bone Dry.

I went to the trunklid, same amazing results. Roof? 1 drag, Bone Dry once again. I had the 26x36” towel folded in half and the same side dried the entire car Bone Dry in a single pass from beginning to end.

My questions have finally been answered.

1. My other drying towels have diminished to the point where they’re bearly comparable to what they once were.

2. That soap didn’t completely work. At best it worked maybe 50-60% tops. I’ve used enough of the gallon and I still hadn’t been convinced it had worked… But after today I’m certain it hasn’t worked. Even after pre soaking for days. Washing in hot water.

This is how my PFM performs these days when bone dry. Leading to my next point.

3. I’ve been in denial.

… Either that or this Speed Master towel is the best towel man has ever seen? I dunno, but compared to my PFM that I’ve been trying to revive for the past 3-4 months? It just walked all over it. And that should never happen, right?

So in conclusion: Yes, this towel is great. But so is the PFM, a Brand New PFM…

Are any of you living in this same denial?

 

[2black1s]

Great perspective!

Drying towels can be a PITA. They rarely work to my satisfaction so my standard process is my dedicated leaf blower followed by a quik detailer.

And going a step further, I rarely take a hose to my truck or bikes. It's most often a waterless wash. The hose is reserved for those times I want to blast out the wheel wells and undercarriage.

 

[Bill D]

Hmm. My PFM is about 2 years old and still performs very well. Must be a case of YMMV

 

[Klasse Act]

My PFM's work too and they're a couple years old, as do my Sucker towels. My big question is this though about the towels, cold or hot water. Griots says to use hot water and the Sucker towels say cold. maybe I should split the difference, LOL. I get how heat can damage the fibers but wouldn't that be more towards the drying part?

 

[Desertnate]

I take it you were able to dry the entire vehicle without the towel becoming saturated or having to be wrung out?

I'm using some dying waffle weave towels I've had for years, which just don't cut it any more. For those, even when saturated you could wring them out and still get pretty good drying for the rest of the vehicle.

I'm ready to move on to better things if they will actually save me some time and effort.

Thanks for the review!

 

[57Rambler]

My PFM's work too and they're a couple years old, as do my Sucker towels. My big question is this though about the towels, cold or hot water. Griots says to use hot water and the Sucker towels say cold. maybe I should split the difference, LOL. I get how heat can damage the fibers but wouldn't that be more towards the drying part?

If your hot water is hot enough to damage microfiber, it's also going to "damage" you ... :wowwow:

 

[57Rambler]

Thanks for the review.

And ...

3. I’ve been in denial.

… Either that or this Speed Master towel is the best towel man has ever seen? I dunno, but compared to my PFM that I’ve been trying to revive for the past 3-4 months? It just walked all over it. And that should never happen, right?

So in conclusion: Yes, this towel is great. But so is the PFM, a Brand New PFM…

Are any of you living in this same denial?

My personal experience has been that my PFM's have lost a bit of their "thirstiness", but then I have always used (1) 20x28 + (1) 16x16 when drying either vehicle (CR-V or Impala). I get the bulk of drying done with the large towel and follow up with the small. And normally I have to wring the large towel a couple times over the course of drying a vehicle. As for detergents, I have not noticed any major benefits from "microfiber" soaps and have gone back to just using All Free & Clear. I do use hot water per Griots directions. And the one thing that I have noticed that does make a slight difference is the vinegar in the rinse trick.

I think this is another one of those cases of having to manage expectations.

And I don't think this is something unique to PFMs. I made the mistake of buying one of the Gyeon Silk Driers. That thing has been a POS since Day 1 and was thus relegated to drying windows. 2 yrs. on and it doesn't even do that job well anymore.

 

[swanicyouth]

FWIW I’ve noticed MF drying towels tend to lose their effectiveness as time goes on. I’m going to guess it’s from waxes & sealants from products we use contaminating them over time & it not being completely removed by washing. If you’ve ever tried to get a wax or sealant 100% out of an applicator it’s extremely difficult.

I now presoak mine in a small bucket with about 1/3 white vinegar before washing w/ microfiber detergent. A few ounces of any soap or detergent in many gallons of water will not remove waxes or sealants from towels effectively. Seems to make a huge difference.

 

[fly07sti]

Nice review. My PFM towels as well as the my other twisted loop drying towels all work as they did on day one. I never use any type of drying aid either. And as far as the R2R wash, it hasn’t really surprised or impressed me any more than my usual a Towel Kleen.
I will say though, while the PFM’s are great, I have some drying towels which are marginally better. Roger may know what towels I’m speaking of.

 

[PaulMys]

Hmm. My PFM is about 2 years old and still performs very well. Must be a case of YMMV

I'm with Bill on this one, Ric.

My original "Large PFM" is on season 4 this year, and it still works like new. Ditto for the "XL size" which is on season 2.

Could there be something to the hot water theory? I always just use warm/cold rinse for my MF's..... :dunno:

 

[Eldorado2k]

My PFM towels as well as the my other twisted loop drying towels all work as they did on day one. I never use any type of drying aid either.

I think that’s the deciding factor.

I on the other hand, tend to use more than less of everything.. For example, when I use Beadmaker as a drying aid I’ll spray 1 side of my car between 12-14 times then quickly wipedown with my drying towel.

As good as it felt to dry my car with this towel today, I don’t think I’ll be using any drying aids with any of my new towels going forward. BeadMaker on a dried vehicle from now on.


-And just to clarify, my old drying towels work ok if I use them with a drying aid, but when used by themselves, bone dry on a wet vehicle they cannot dry the panel. They leave a streaks. It’s not until they become damp that they’re able to work somewhat effectively.

This new towel left the entire car bone dry from start to finish the way it should be.

 

[acuRAS82]

I think that’s the deciding factor.

I on the other hand, tend to use more than less of everything.. For example, when I use Beadmaker as a drying aid I’ll spray 1 side of my car between 12-14 times then quickly wipedown with my drying towel.

As good as it felt to dry my car with this towel today, I don’t think I’ll be using any drying aids with any of my new towels going forward. BeadMaker on a dried vehicle from now on.


-And just to clarify, my old drying towels work ok if I use them with a drying aid, but when used by themselves, bone dry on a wet vehicle they cannot dry the panel. They leave a streaks. It’s not until they become damp that they’re able to work somewhat effectively.

This new towel left the entire car bone dry from start to finish the way it should be.

Great review and discussion.

I agree that PFMs or any drying towels can remain ‘like new’ as long as they are not used with drying aids. I purposely use 90% of my PFMs with no drying aids, and I use a couple with. Those couple don’t work as well after a yea or two but they are still reasonably ok.

When I use drying aids I generally use old drying towels (waffle weaves, some heavy MFs, and the 4 PFMs designated fit drying aids) which have always been used only for drying but definitely don’t dry great on their own anymore. They do good enough once drying aid juice gets soaked in.

 

[Coatingsarecrack]

Yeah i use my pluffles normally if using any sort of sealant to dry.

I’ll use QD’s and Hydrate exclusively with my twisted loop drying towels.

Funny about YMMV. I haven’t seen any towels better than a PFM including the Suckers. Alot of them on par.

All my twisted loops seam to leave paint bone dry.


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[Eldorado2k]

What about when it comes to washing them? Is it ok to wash them together? Or is it better to keep them separate? What do you guys do?

 

[Coatingsarecrack]

I don’t separate any. Wash them together. If something is used for lsp i try to presoak. Two+ years and drying towels still good.

Again no strong Lsp drying aids for my pfm’s.


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[Eldorado2k]

I don’t separate any. Wash them together. If something is used for lsp i try to presoak. Two+ years and drying towels still good.

Again no strong Lsp drying aids for my pfm’s.


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But I don’t pre soak anything.. So in my case I’d have for example some PFM’s [4 small, 1 large] going in the wash that are loaded with Beadmaker, about 3 large waffle weaves loaded with glass cleaner, and the rest of the 7-10 random drying towels usually with Beadmaker on them… Along with my 2 new virgin drying towels.

My gut tells me it might be a good idea to wash them separately.

 

[Coatingsarecrack]

But I don’t pre soak anything.. So in my case I’d have for example some PFM’s [4 small, 1 large] going in the wash that are loaded with Beadmaker, about 3 large waffle weaves loaded with glass cleaner, and the rest of the 7-10 random drying towels usually with Beadmaker on them… Along with my 2 new virgin drying towels.

My gut tells me it might be a good idea to wash them separately.

That definitely is what is preached on here. I’m not worried about absorbency of any towels except drying.

I wash all including towels used with sio2 sealants and no affect to my drying towels yet.

But in all honesty it is being lazy. I just don’t do enough that when i finish one car i just wash all the towels together.


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[PaulMys]

Great review and discussion.

I agree that PFMs or any drying towels can remain ‘like new’ as long as they are not used with drying aids. I purposely use 90% of my PFMs with no drying aids, and I use a couple with. Those couple don’t work as well after a yea or two but they are still reasonably ok.

When I use drying aids I generally use old drying towels (waffle weaves, some heavy MFs, and the 4 PFMs designated fit drying aids) which have always been used only for drying but definitely don’t dry great on their own anymore. They do good enough once drying aid juice gets soaked in.

I went back and forth as a newbie trying to decide on wether or not to use a drying aid. Half of guys said "You HAVE to" and half said "I never use one".

Well all these years later, I am firmly in the "I never use one" camp.

Just a PITA step when I am trying to dry as quickly as possible, and I (personally) have never seen a benefit to using one.

After reading the last handful of posts in this thread, I'm thinking Ric's PFM's were slowly dying of "Bead Maker Poisoning"...........:coolgleam:

 

[acuRAS82]

But I don’t pre soak anything.. So in my case I’d have for example some PFM’s [4 small, 1 large] going in the wash that are loaded with Beadmaker, about 3 large waffle weaves loaded with glass cleaner, and the rest of the 7-10 random drying towels usually with Beadmaker on them… Along with my 2 new virgin drying towels.

My gut tells me it might be a good idea to wash them separately.

Not that anyone should emulate me, but I do separate loads that are specific for PFM towels. I let them pile up in their own hamper and wash when I see fit. No pre-soak needed since these are only touching clean paint and H2O.

Towels used for drying aids, I pre-soak these if the drying aid is substantial (I won’t presoak if I only used a light QD or something during drying aid). And it goes into my laundry hamper with all other spray wax/QD/WW/RW towels, which are also pre-soaked and rinsed 90% of the time. So I end up with somewhat clean, but still residue towels in this collection and then wash warm or hot.

Unrelated but in case anyone is wondering where they fit in, wash mitts get washed together. They are not presoaked but are heavily rinsed prior. Then double rinsed (or more) with the laundry cycle. I don’t wash after every car wash, but usually after every 3rd or 4th wash do the load size is about 20-25 mitts.

And then of course anything that touches wheels get washed separate as well.

 

[oneheadlite]

I've got a mix of PFM's of various size and age, and unfortunately I think some of them have been hindered by using drying aids. For a while I was using OptiSeal as a drying aid, and since then some of them just aren't like I remember.

The trouble is I can never remember which ones are good and which ones are compromised. I'm too lazy to figure out a way to mark them, so it ends up being a roll of the dice if you grab one of the good ones vs a disappointing one.

I wash all my stuff with Griot's MF cleaner and free/clear detergent, then lately I've been doing an additional short cycle with just vinegar. Nice towels are one batch, "dirty" towels another (wheel/jam/interior towels), window towels are another. Always did clean load/dirty load, but recently segregated window towels after some seemed to have picked up stray microfiber lint from being washed.

At some point I'll try picking up some RtoR and just wash all my PFMs and see if they end up any better.