Towel management (how OCD are you?)

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d33p

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Ive bought a lot of towels over the years but I really want to simplify my lineup so I can buy more towels for each part of the car and not so much for each task.

Question: Do you guys really use specific towels for only one task? ie one for polish, one for wax, one for QD sprays, one for RW/WW...etc.

I know people harp on cross contamination but with all the advancements in microfiber and cleaning solutions, wont all these towels get equally clean?

Id essentially like 3-4 types of towels (interior, exterior, jams, engine/wheels)

So for exterior I want one kind of towel for wax, polish, wipedown, QD sprays, WW/RW....basically anything that touches paint.

Interior- plush or short nap?

Jams- any soft towel will do

engine/wheels- same as the jams towels I guess.


I just bought some Eagles from trc and one of these towels from autopia. This towel below is crazy soft and softer than the korean eagle. Used it for a WW with d115 and it is excellent. Id love to use this towel for everything exterior. Will it be fine for wax? Then wash and use it for polish next time?


shine-buff-waterless-wash-towel-12.jpg
 
l have several groups of towels

glass and drying
sealants and wax removal
polish removal
general paint like jambs
dirty stuff

I am especially careful on drying and glass towels
to prevent any contamination.
 
Sorry, for drying I would use WW towels or cobras if I didnt run the wash.

Do you use different naps for sealant than you do for polish? Id think you can use the same type of towel for both.

Id like to buy 20 of the ones I posted and just use them for all exterior paint. Once washed it wont matter if I used em for wax prior to wash and then use it for drying (if need be)
 
i use the towel pictured for removing my LSP and honestly it's amazing. Soft as soft can be. It doesn't stick to your hands like that cheap microfibre
 
d33p said:
Sorry, for drying I would use WW towels or cobras if I didnt run the wash.

Do you use different naps for sealant than you do for polish? Id think you can use the same type of towel for both.

Id like to buy 20 of the ones I posted and just use them for all exterior paint. Once washed it wont matter if I used em for wax prior to wash and then use it for drying (if need be)
Click to expand...


That's how I do it. I have 4 types:

Paint
Jambs
Drying
Wheel well/engine

I wash the paint, jamb and drying towels together. Wheel well towel gets blasted with a hose, wrung out and laid flat for next time.

Btw, I use the Cobra MF towels for wheel wells. One started leaving swirls when wiping off wax so I downgraded it to wells and it has held up big time. That is one tough towel. It's been in wells and engine bays for right at a year now and still going. No rips anywhere. It's all stained up and ugly but still doing its job. 👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽
 
For past years, i had bought and tried different microfiber. Later i started to use only Meguiars supreme shine microfiber and ultimate towel (local accessibility)
Example:
- Always brand new towel for polish job, after wash use it for jam, engine, wheels.
-Interior started brand new and wash in same load. After it wears, I use it on wheel well or dirty job.
- For windows only I use meguiars ultimate microfiber.
- wash media/ QD/ rinseless/ waterless/ wax/ sealant all using brand new towel and wash in same load, also degrade them whenever I felt not safe for paint anymore.

Regards
 
Here's my line up of towels:

Drying towels
Window towels
Rinseless/Waterless towels
Wax/sealant/coating removal towels
Wheel towels/exterior trim towels
Interior/jambs towels
 
RW/Hose - I prefer sponges

Everything else gets MF but at different gsm, blend, thickness, softness, mfg, price...depending on the task. WaffleW sometimes for drying.
 
d33p said:
Sorry, for drying I would use WW towels or cobras if I didnt run the wash.

Do you use different naps for sealant than you do for polish? Id think you can use the same type of towel for both.

Id like to buy 20 of the ones I posted and just use them for all exterior paint. Once washed it wont matter if I used em for wax prior to wash and then use it for drying (if need be)
Click to expand...


This towel is great for WW/RW and wiping off sealant/wax/QD.. But for polish removal, short nap towels would be better
 
I had multiple categories for my towels before but honestly, it got tiresome and old very quickly. Now I just simplified my towel management by using "paint" and "non-paint" categories. Paint category towels will be used for polish/wax removal, waterless, rinseless and drying (usually waffle weave for this anyway). All my old MF towels get downgraded to the non-paint category and these towels will be used for the interior, wheels, engine and jambs.
 
I have:

1. Compound/Polish Removal Towels
2. MF Drying Towels Large and small for follow-up.
3. 3 Types of Sealant/Wax removal Towels
4. Glass/Interior Towels.
5. Wheel Towels for Cleaning (mainly throw aways)

The bottom line...most people here on AGO are OCD about everything detailing which is a good think (I think)...LOL
 
I have a bunch of towels - prolly more than 99% of the people here. Certain towels are good for certain tasks. You have to figure out what you like to use. IMHO washing them all separate is a huge waste of time. It's some thing that's sounds good - but doesn't pan out in the real world.

If you can find a single swirl on my cars (not likely) that could be attributed to how I washed towels together - I'll give you $100.

Basically I just split them up into "paint" and "non paint" towels. They all get washed together. Of course, I like certain towels for certain things - but the reality is everyone has a different opinion - so you have to decide for yourself.
 
:iagree: I have many towels but do not take it so far as to waste water to cleanse like towels together. I use certain towels for certain jobs, sure, but I'm confident in the way I wash them that cross-contamination doesn't bother me. Not having enough towels, that would bother me. :buffing:

Peace,

Darrin
 
I cant edit my first post but I plan on washing all my towels at one time no matter what they are used for (other than real grime)

There are some that will use the same towel in 2 different colors; one for polish and one for wax out of fear that they wont get perfectly clean. As if the towel will permanently get clogged and cant be used for anything other than its intended purpose.

Once they are washed I cant see the issue.
 
I don't over complicate things. one tote is for the non-paint related tasks such as wheels, engines, door jambs, interior, etc, and the other for the paint...
 
But do you have different types for paint, as in plush or short nap? I really want one towel for everything paint related lol

The one I posted in the OP is literally the nicest towel Ive ever felt.....it is so soft I could fall asleep on it.
 
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