waffle weave drying towel questions

[Finick]

I've had a few waffle weave drying towels my friend gave me from years ago, stored away for some time, always washed responsibly, but they've never really satisfied me with their drying capabilities. I'd gently wipe them across the surface just to see water seemingly smeared across the paint rather than dried.

Ever since I started rinseless washing I've just used a couple 70/30 towels to dry as I go, and eventually even just used them after traditional washing. The waffle weaves just seem like they honestly don't do anything. I'd like to switch back though just for the simplicity of using one waffle weave to do all my drying.

I picked up a meguiars water magnet while i was at wally world yesterday, and have yet to try it out, but I was just wondering;

1) Are there any tips to getting them to pick up more water
2) Does anyone get them wet and ring them out, and then start drying? Wiping a dry towel across the paint has always seemed very odd to me, even if the surface is clean and the towel is soft.
3) Mm I just expecting too much when I think that they'll absorb all the water and leave nothing behind?

 

[willowcat11]

Pluffle

 

[Eldorado2k]

2) Does anyone get them wet and ring them out, and then start drying? Wiping a dry towel across the paint has always seemed very odd to me, even if the surface is clean and the towel is soft.

Here's where your problem lies... Getting a waffle weave wet then wringing it dry [it's still saturated] and then expecting it to dry?? Now that's odd.

Start with a bone dry 70/30 waffle weave. You've been doing it wrong.

 

[Eldorado2k]

I dunno about you... But once a waffle weave is saturated with water it becomes pretty much useless and I switch over to a new drying towel. So where's the logic in Starting with a useless towel? Lol.

If that's not true, then we'd see professional detailers who have to wash & dry over a dozen cars per day get by with only 1 waffle weave to dry all the cars.. However that's not the case, and most of them don't even bother using waffle weaves for that exact reason [they saturate quik and become useless] and they aren't going to go through a ton of drying towels when a Water Sprite can truly be wrung out and be used again and again.

Getting a waffle weave wet before using is a bad idea. Besides waffle weaves are made of microfiber. It's not going to scratch your paint!

 

[Kamakaz1961]

I've had a few waffle weave drying towels my friend gave me from years ago, stored away for some time, always washed responsibly, but they've never really satisfied me with their drying capabilities. I'd gently wipe them across the surface just to see water seemingly smeared across the paint rather than dried.

Ever since I started rinseless washing I've just used a couple 70/30 towels to dry as I go, and eventually even just used them after traditional washing. The waffle weaves just seem like they honestly don't do anything. I'd like to switch back though just for the simplicity of using one waffle weave to do all my drying.

I picked up a meguiars water magnet while i was at wally world yesterday, and have yet to try it out, but I was just wondering;

1) Are there any tips to getting them to pick up more water
2) Does anyone get them wet and ring them out, and then start drying? Wiping a dry towel across the paint has always seemed very odd to me, even if the surface is clean and the towel is soft.
3) Mm I just expecting too much when I think that they'll absorb all the water and leave nothing behind?

I have a couple of WW towels and I do #2 on your list. I get the WW Towel wet and wring it dry and use that to dry my ride. It works great. You will dry your ride faster (IMO) that way. I do not use a dry WW towel as IMO that might scratch the surface of your ride.

Try #2 and see...you may go back to the WW towel. I use the 20 x 40 Supreme Guzzler sold by AGO. That has been my go to drying towel.

 

[Finick]

I dunno about you... But once a waffle weave is saturated with water it becomes pretty much useless and I switch over to a new drying towel. So where's the logic in Starting with a useless towel? Lol.

If that's not true, then we'd see professional detailers who have to wash & dry over a dozen cars per day get by with only 1 waffle weave to dry all the cars.. However that's not the case, and most of them don't even bother using waffle weaves for that exact reason [they saturate quik and become useless] and they aren't going to go through a ton of drying towels when a Water Sprite can truly be wrung out and be used again and again.

Getting a waffle weave wet before using is a bad idea. Besides waffle weaves are made of microfiber. It's not going to scratch your paint!

You misunderstand, I don't personally do that, I was just curious if it's something some people do, since I believe others also feel weird about rubbing a dry towel across the paint, however silly that might sound.

My main reason for asking is that when I do stick it out, by the time my waffle weave has gotten slightly damp it actually seems to pull the water up a lot faster.

I'll try my water magnet and see how it performs, I am hoping it's because my waffle weaves I have are close to a decade old. Not a decades worth of use, they sat in storage in a box for awhile. If I'm not satisfied with this perhaps I'll give some other drying towels a try

I have a couple of WW towels and I do #2 on your list. I get the WW Towel wet and wring it dry and use that to dry my ride. It works great. You will dry your ride faster (IMO) that way. I do not use a dry WW towel as IMO that might scratch the surface of your ride.

That's good to know. Maybe I'll wet one of my old ones and try doing half the car with that and the other half with the new one.

 

[pickles]

MF towels are at best when their damp. Think right out of the washing machine damp. That's when your WW will preform their best.

 

[Eldorado2k]

MF towels are at best when their damp. Think right out of the washing machine damp. That's when your WW will preform their best.

If this was truly the case, then why do so many people recommend using 2 waffle weaves for cleaning glass? 1 is damp with glass cleaner/2nd towel remains as dry as possible.
That's because if the 2nd towel becomes damp/wet/saturated it immediately begins to streak because it becomes useless for drying.

Do you dry your glass with damp waffle weaves? I bet you don't, because it'll streak... So why streak your paint instead of actually drying it? Unless of course you want to continue rubbing on your paint with yet another towel and wonder why light swirls somehow wind up on your paint. Just sayin.

 

[FUNX650]

I've often overheard, as well as seen written
in peer reviews, where Professional Detailers
advise that: whenever drying (not cleaning)
the majority of vehicles' surfaces with Waffle
Weave(WW) microfiber drying towels...its best
to start out the vehicle drying process with the
WW microfiber drying towel slightly dampened in
order to reduce the dreaded, often swirl inducing:
"Dry Rag Drag".

Of course: M&YMMV


Bob

 

[Kamakaz1961]

I've often overheard, as well as seen written
in peer reviews, where Professional Detailers
advise that: whenever drying (not cleaning)
the majority of vehicles' surfaces with Waffle
Weave(WW) microfiber drying towels...its best
to start out the vehicle drying process with the
WW microfiber drying towel slightly dampened in
order to reduce the dreaded, often swirl inducing:
"Dry Rag Drag".

Of course: M&YMMV


Bob

Yoda Bob has Spoken! Therefore, it is SO!...LOL All kidding aside IMO a DAMP WW towel dries better on your ride. As for Glass that is a different story. That is a different drying technique altogether.

Thanks for your input Bob.

 

[Finick]

I've often overheard, as well as seen written
in peer reviews, where Professional Detailers
advise that: whenever drying (not cleaning)
the majority of vehicles' surfaces with Waffle
Weave(WW) microfiber drying towels...its best
to start out the vehicle drying process with the
WW microfiber drying towel slightly dampened in
order to reduce the dreaded, often swirl inducing:
"Dry Rag Drag".

Of course: M&YMMV


Bob

Thanks for the reply, Bob. I'm hoping this new water magnet soaks up the water for me, it would be nice to have a dedicated drying towel again.

 

[Eldorado2k]

I've often overheard, as well as seen written
in peer reviews, where Professional Detailers
advise that: whenever drying (not cleaning)
the majority of vehicles' surfaces with Waffle
Weave(WW) microfiber drying towels...its best
to start out the vehicle drying process with the
WW microfiber drying towel slightly dampened in
order to reduce the dreaded, often swirl inducing:
"Dry Rag Drag".

Of course: M&YMMV


Bob

"Professional Detailers"? In capital letters? If they're so special, why are you being so vague? I've "overheard" alot of stuff too... I believe the term for that is heresy.

I'm not much for being vague. Here's a real professional detailer, Mike Phillips demonstrating how to use a Cobra waffle weave to dry a black car. [you can skip to the 6:00min. mark if you want to cut to the chase]

Spoiler: He uses a dry waffle weave. On a black car with no fear of scratching the finish because seriously why would he even be worried about that...

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=VmXZG85dByk

 

[JeffsRealm]

I guess to add to eldorada2k

I have always used the techniques here from a very old autogeek video titled how to dry your car. Again use a dry one. I use the pat dry technique and never had any issues. The only variations I do to this is the very roof of my truck because it is so high I can't get up there. I pat most of it dry then using the slightly damp WW towel because I need the weight in it I throw the towel to the center then pull the towel slowly to me. Draggin and soaking up any water on the way.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BZCi0_55ZDo

I have never found Mike to deviate much from these techniques as shown in Eldorado2k video.

Or Mike demonstrating it here at the end of this video
https://youtu.be/x2uSYvuLucA?list=PLf9SO3pQlzJ-WLpwg7U4mUqaB4UuPQ91m&t=1518

Or Also here
https://youtu.be/85i-0Nu749M?list=UU5x3E51Y0-SA9CWVICtNIeQ

All of those Mike suggest starting with a dry one, blotting to get the main part then you can drag gently. I am sure there are more videos of Mike showing the same thing but these are just a few that come to mind. And then yes I use multiple towels to get my truck dry, takes 4 of the large ones then one smaller one I take with me when I go around blow drying the nooks and crannies.

 

[FUNX650]

"Professional Detailers"? In capital letters?
If they're so special, why are you being so
vague? I've "overheard" alot of stuff too...
I believe the term for that is heresy.

I'm not much for being vague.
Here's a real professional detailer,
Mike Phillips demonstrating how to
use a Cobra waffle weave to dry a
black car. [you can skip to the 6:00min.
mark if you want to cut to the chase]

Spoiler: He uses a dry waffle weave.
On a black car with no fear of scratching
the finish because seriously why would
he even be worried about that...

•Mike Phillips is a bona fide:
Professional Detailer.
(I always capitalize job titles;
it's called professional courtesy)

•"heresy": does not define what you
are implying (Spoiler: try "heresay")

•Aren't you being vague when you imply
that you follow Mike Phillips' car-care
instructions/directions?

-I bet you still use steel-wool on auto-glass?
{Spoiler: Mike Phillips never has; never will.}

Count me on the "don't use steel wool on glass" gang...


I don't use steel wool on glass, never have and never recommend it.


I know there are a lot of guys and even detailers that recommend it but steel scratches glass. Just because you cannot visually see the scratches doesn't mean they are not there.

Plus there are a lot of glass polishes available that are safe, no risks at all.

•IMHO:
-You don't get to pick and choose what
detailing methods/processes that Mike
Phillips uses, in an attempt to try and
prove your side of a discussion; (nor
to show your indignation of me and
my postings).

-Not adhering to all of Mike Phillips'
detailing aspects...that is a definition
of heresy.



Bob

 

[Eldorado2k]

•Aren't you being vague when you imply
that you follow Mike Phillips' car-care
instructions/directions?

I never said anything about myself following Mike Phillips car care instructions... I simply said that he doesn't do the little "soak a waffle weave and wring it out before using" ...And I happen to agree with him.

Don't try to spin it. If you want to explain something, why don't you try and explain why a damp waffle weave completely fails at drying glass properly? Lets hear you explain that 1, Bob. Lol.

It also fails to dry chrome [both real and plastic chrome], piano black door pillars, I wouldn't even dry OEM wheels with soaked waffle weave, because it would leave them streaked as well.

 

[Paul A.]

Here's what I do...

After a thorough wash, drip method and blow dry I take about 3 WW drying towels and COMPLETELY inspect they are just about surgically clean. I then lay them flat on the slightly wet hood and blot dry both sides of each towel. That yields 3 slightly damp towels. I then take each towel and fold it into 4ths and go around the car removing any and all water (just like Mike is doing at that 6:00 mark in the video above). I use 2 of the 3 towels to dry the entire car. Each of those 2 towels are then wrapped around the side view mirrors. There is always drip water from those mirror housings and the towel wraps keep it off the dry door panels.

I then take my 3rd hood towel and follow my blower with it around all the nooks, crannies, badges, panel joints, side view mirrors etc. This is also the towel that gets to dry my door sills and door frames.

I then use those damp towels and fully wipe down my interior and leather seats. They are perfectly clean and just damp for this.

My car is BLACK and I very very very rarely get any even slight marring.

And every single drying towel is then washed after each and only one use.

 

[Eldorado2k]

@Bob. Did you take a minute to watch the videos JeffsRealm provided the link to?

Great info in those vids.

 

[SWETM]

It can be that the WW is of low caulity so it does not perform as good as a high caulity towel. Test your megs out and see how that performs for you. Remember to wash it with liquid washsoap first and no fabric softerner and let it air dry. The problem with your old towels can be that they simply got to the point it has lost their ability to work. You can revive them with a bath over night for example with a strong delution alkaline solvent based product. In the morning rinse and wring them out and wash them. And in were you put the fabric softerner you pour in some vinegar for the rinse program of your washing machine. Then the last thing dont mix in yours other microfibertowels as they can lint a little and clough your WW.

 

[Eldorado2k]

I don't mean to beat a dead horse but... This next quote mentions some of the worst logic I've ever seen anyone post.

I've often overheard, as well as seen written
in peer reviews, where Professional Detailers
advise that: whenever drying (not cleaning)
the majority of vehicles' surfaces with Waffle
Weave(WW) microfiber drying towels...its best
to start out the vehicle drying process with the
WW microfiber drying towel slightly dampened

Bob

@Bob. With all due respect, I think those "Professional Detailers" might've been ribbing you if they led you to believe that "whenever drying [not cleaning] it's best to start out with a slightly dampened towel"

You've got it completely backwards... There's no way, under any circumstance that you would attempt to "clean" any surface, whether it's a door jamb or a kitchen counter with a dry waffle weave... Same way you could never ever dry a wet glass windshield or IMO a wet vehicle with a pre soaked and wrung out waffle weave towel.

Waffle weave towel pre dampened with your choice of household cleaner or APC to Clean.

Fresh dry waffle weave towel to Dry surfaces.

It's just plain common sense. I think we can both agree on this 1.

 

[Finick]

I wasn't aiming for people to get into the debate of whether starting off with a damp towel was good or bad, simply pondering if it was a technique i had overlooked.

https://youtu.be/w0hzJImmvNU?t=340

This was the video that I got the idea from. Obviously he's not using a waffle weave towel, and he's using a drying aid, but his remarks about the water absorbency of MF aren't specific to his towel or the use of a drying aid, so I assume it could be applied to other towels as well. If i'm wrong about that, then my mistake.

Anecdotally, with my old microfiber towels I am talking about, as I work my way around the car, they honestly seem to wick the water up better as they become a little bit damp. I'm not talking about dunking them and wringing them out, but the amount of water they collect from simply drying my rinseless panels. The fibers on these towels are pretty stiff and clearly worn out, I'm not sure if that plays any role in this happening.

That being said, I'm not trying to say that I really think a wet towel will dry better than a completely dry one, assuming the same quality. I recently got in a waffle weave towel from a place that had them on sale (yet to try this or the new water magnet) and it's safe to say I had forgotten how soft a fresh new waffle weave towel really is. Comparing it to my old water magnet, it's a pretty significant difference. to the point where I questioned why I was rubbing that old thing across my paint in the first place.

I'm going to be washing my car tomorrow, and I'll obviously report back and (fingers crossed) surely end up talking about how nicely the new towels work.