"The Absorber" - the microfiber drying towel of the 80's does anyone still use it? I do.

[Don M]

A few months ago, I came across an old "Absorber" towel, the synthetic chamois that was all the rage in the 80's. It was all dried out and hard, but curiosity got the best of me, so I soaked it with water and it immediately returned to its old state - almost like new again. So I wondered ...


I would NEVER use it on a "detailed" and "waxed" car in good shape, that is the place for my Griots Garage PFM towel. But what about a car that was ABOUT to be detailed and needed washed & dried? So when detailing season opened up here in Ohio, I used it on all three cars I've done so far. My niece's KIA Soul, my wife's Escape and my mother in law's Edge. It still worked great, and since I was going to be using Turtle Wax Hybrid Solutions 1 & Done Compound ANYWAY, if it left a slight swirl or two, would it matter?


Turns out it didn't 'mark up' any of the cars, it just worked as I remembered. For me, this was exciting, because I DON'T want to use my PFM on an undetailed car (call it a quirk). So now I have an old tool that I found, that once again has a purpose.


In addition to drying cars 'yet to be detailed,' I found another thing that it works great at. Drying buffing pads after they have been washed after use. Wring them out like normal, and place the Absorber on a clean table or bench, folded at least once and place the pad on top of the Absorber, and fold the other half of the Absorber over that pad and press down on the 'sandwich.' This will force what water is left in the pad out and the Absorber immediately soaks it up. Do this only a couple of times and the pad is nearly dry enough to use right away (you probably COULD use them right away, really).


So I started wondering if anyone else still had one and used it like this.

 

[PA DETAILER]

Not recently but went thru several back in the day. They were all the rage and best way to dry a vehicle. They did great at drying glass.

 

[Bill D]

I think I burned mine.

 

[Big DaveBig Dave is verified member.]

I threw a couple out when I moved house 3 years ago, I should have kept them for drying the garage floor when I wash inside, but I wasn't thinking that far ahead.

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[Eldorado2k]

I would NEVER use it on a "detailed" and "waxed" car in good shape, that is the place for my Griots Garage PFM towel. But what about a car that was ABOUT to be detailed and needed washed & dried? So when detailing season opened up here in Ohio, I used it on all three cars I've done so far. My niece's KIA Soul, my wife's Escape and my mother in law's Edge. It still worked great, and since I was going to be using Turtle Wax Hybrid Solutions 1 & Done Compound ANYWAY, if it left a slight swirl or two, would it matter?

You make way too many apologies… These days the DIY detailer is used to plush microfiber drying towels. Alot of professional detailers are as well. But in the world of mobile detailing, using plush microfiber drying towels can be counterproductive, especially if you’re doing a high volume of cars per day because where the heck are you supposed to put a bunch of soaking wet towels if you’ve got limited space? Not to mention you can only use them once.

That being said, a smart mobile detailer uses a drying towel that can be used over and over again throughout the day. With that in mind I set out to purchase a Water Sprite not too long ago but instead I ran into a towel I bet no one on here currently uses and it happens to be real similar to the Absorber that alot of us used to use back in the days.

It’s like an Absorber but with a Waffle Weave. Wizards Water Bandit. I’ve been using it for the past month and I have absolutely no apologies to make because it flat out works. And if you happen to be a professional detailer with multiple vehicles to dry per day it’s a no brainer vs. any plush microfiber drying towel because it can be wrung out and used over and over again.

I’ll use it on any vehicle.

 

[opie2]

Ive heard of wizards, but not that product.

While i had one long ago, im not a fan of using those. Just like i would not use a water blade like i did when i was a lot attendant as a kid.

I wash outside and to much debris always floating in the air off of trees and such.

BUT eldo i do see your point...a good point that i didnt think of, a mobile guy needs something thats not a mf towel to dry with.

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[PA DETAILER]

That WIZARDS looks pretty good.

 

[Eldorado2k]

That WIZARDS looks pretty good.

I just wish it was larger. It’s 17”x25” but naturally you wind up folding it in half before use so you’re basically left with a 12”x17” drying towel when it’s folded in half, which is usuable, but it’s nearing that fine line that almost makes you wish it was alot larger.

But it wrings out nice. Just like an absorber.

 

[Flash Gordon]

I use a Absorber on every car that I do. Anyone that claims this product will damage your vehicle is either very ignorant or they sell overpriced drying towels.
The Absorber also works great in the kitchen

 

[Big DaveBig Dave is verified member.]

I think when damage occurs using these products it's because they haven't been looked after. I have a synthetic chamois that is nearly 15 years old, it has never touched a dirty surface, and has definitely never touched the ground, it's great for wicking away water from gaps. People who damage their paint using the absorber would probably damage it using anything that touches the surface.

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[Desertnate]

I still have one and use it on wheels. It works great in that area because of the small size and I can dab the water off the wheel surfaces and it gets into the tight areas really easy. I'll also use it on the pooling water around the wiper cowling and inside the gas cap areas.

I'll never use one on a painted surface again, though. Years ago when I bought my first black car I used it as my primary drying towel. I couldn't figure out why my car was always getting so many swirls so quickly. When I switched to a soft MF drying towel, I noticed an immediate difference in paint condition. The only change for me was the drying media.

 

[02whitetundra]

Just bought the above Wizards absorber. Don't see the point to this thing as you can't really dry the car well. All it does is squeak along the paint and very tough to glide it over any standing water. What am I missing here?

 

[Eldorado2k]

"The Absorber" - the microfiber drying towel of the 80's does anyone still use it? I do.

Just bought the above Wizards absorber. Don't see the point to this thing as you can't really dry the car well. All it does is squeak along the paint and very tough to glide it over any standing water. What am I missing here?

Maybe you should try using a claybar 1 day… lol. J/k.

You’re starting off with it damp and wrung out, right? I usually find starting off using it “matador” style along each of the vehicle preps it good enough to prevent the situation you’re describing. Anyone who’s used an Absorber knows it has a bit of its own learning curve as far as drying towels go.

It won’t glide across a flat panel the way a plush twisted loop microfiber drying towel does on freshly waxed paint. That’s 1 thing these type of towels will never do. But it does have its advantages, mainly being it soaks up lots of water and can be wrung out and used repeatedly. I appreciate it for what it can do and I’m ok with what it can’t do. That’s why it’s not my only drying towel.

If you still find you don’t like the way it works to dry your painted panels, maybe you can find it useful as previously mentioned as a window drying towel. I personally don’t really use it on windows because I prefer to keep it away from possibly getting soiled with dirt that’s sometimes on rubber window trim, but if you were to dedicate it for that sole purpose it would work great as a 1st step prep on windows after a wash. From there finishing off the glass with your normal window towel would be a breeze.