Wash Micro Fiber before Use?

[Stype4life]

I see a guy here had scratches from using a MF towel from Cobra.
It was advised he washed the towel 1st. Is this nessceary?

 

[ScottB]

I suggest it ....

 

[Kurt_s]

I see a guy here had scratches from using a MF towel from Cobra.
It was advised he washed the towel 1st. Is this nessceary?

1) Did he remove the label before using. Labels can scratch but the cobra's have stick on labels that are easy to remove.
2) WW drying towels work better after washing once or twice
3) I wash my MFs before using. Be careful, many of the darker towels run. I have a few artic white towels that have a glacier blue tinge to them after washing with indigos.
4) Be careful with spray detailers as they are not meant for super heavy grime. Bird droppings may have sand in them

Good luck!

 

[Harleyguy]

Always wash them before first as mentioned also stay away from fabric softener and those drier sheets.

 

[Silverstone]

And if you use one to remove a sealant, especially a Wolfgang sealant, don't wash it with the rest of your towels because they'll ALL repel water afterward. (Ask me how I know.)

I use one dedicated towel for that now and wash it by itself.

 

[2kredbb6]

And if you use one to remove a sealant, especially a Wolfgang sealant, don't wash it with the rest of your towels because they'll ALL repel water afterward. (Ask me how I know.)

I use one dedicated towel for that now and wash it by itself.

:iagree:
Wax also! Will contaminate other towels, so basically if you use a towel for wax or sealant removal then those towels are pretty much useless now, other than for wax or sealant.

 

[jlb85]

Not necessarily true. Good MF detergent and warm water will break up any sealant or wax. As long as you launder them correctly they should be fine.

However, I separate all my towels into many groups. For example, I sort by plushness, product used, dirtiness, etc. At least for us since we do many different kinds of jobs, each sort is adjusted as needed. But towels should be laundered as soon as possible IMO and taken care of by drying, folding and inspecting, and storing them.

But back to the OP, do you have a link to this story? I would like to see how it happened. The more plush the towel, the higher the need to wash before using. The risk is not due to particles that would scratch per se, but to lint.

 

[Stype4life]

I suggest it ....

OK. will do.

1) Did he remove the label before using. Labels can scratch but the cobra's have stick on labels that are easy to remove.
2) WW drying towels work better after washing once or twice
3) I wash my MFs before using. Be careful, many of the darker towels run. I have a few artic white towels that have a glacier blue tinge to them after washing with indigos.
4) Be careful with spray detailers as they are not meant for super heavy grime. Bird droppings may have sand in them

Good luck!

#1 I have no clue
#2 Waffle Weavle? is that it?
#3 the Bleeding has no effect on the Paint does it? Just dosent look Nice right?
#4 yikes never thought of sand in bird poo. If I were too just clean some bird droppings and have no time to wash, I would use ONR really quick should be fine?

Always wash them before first as mentioned also stay away from fabric softener and those drier sheets.

And if you use one to remove a sealant, especially a Wolfgang sealant, don't wash it with the rest of your towels because they'll ALL repel water afterward. (Ask me how I know.)

I use one dedicated towel for that now and wash it by itself.

:iagree:
Wax also! Will contaminate other towels, so basically if you use a towel for wax or sealant removal then those towels are pretty much useless now, other than for wax or sealant.

Not necessarily true. Good MF detergent and warm water will break up any sealant or wax. As long as you launder them correctly they should be fine.

However, I separate all my towels into many groups. For example, I sort by plushness, product used, dirtiness, etc. At least for us since we do many different kinds of jobs, each sort is adjusted as needed. But towels should be laundered as soon as possible IMO and taken care of by drying, folding and inspecting, and storing them.

But back to the OP, do you have a link to this story? I would like to see how it happened. The more plush the towel, the higher the need to wash before using. The risk is not due to particles that would scratch per se, but to lint.

Good Heads up on wax and sealent. I will be using Pinnacle MF detergent and truely dont own a washing Machine so is this stuff good enough to break down sealent, wax, car wash, polish, and detail spray all in one load without those products effection the other towels? man im actually glad im not putting all that stuff in my washing mashine lol....
The story I will try to find it. I came across it googling weather or not Auto Zone and Target MF towels were just as good as the Cobras. Some say the VRoom Towels from Target were just as good, Some say at autopia the Cobras got harder after a few washes and didnt remain as plush as them. But I will try to locate that thread again by googling what I was looking for at 1st. One post in that thread said that an Issue without washing can be that after packing and manufacturing that loose debree could get into the towel during storage and should be washed out, BRB imma go find it

 

[Stype4life]

I suggest it ....

Thanks

 

[Kurt_s]

#1 I have no clue
#2 Waffle Weavle? is that it? Waffle Weave drying towel is correct
#3 the Bleeding has no effect on the Paint does it? Just dosent look Nice right? Towels work fine but the towels can take on a new color. I have blue streaks in a yellow towel too.
#4 yikes never thought of sand in bird poo. If I were too just clean some bird droppings and have no time to wash, I would use ONR really quick should be fine? You should read Mike Phillip's sticky on bird droppings. I wouldn't be surprised if the scratches were from cleaning bird droppings and rubbing sand grit into the paint. You can use a detailer to remove the dropping but may want to use multiple towels for the car. ONR works great by the way.

Good Heads up on wax and sealent. I will be using Pinnacle MF detergent and truely dont own a washing Machine so is this stuff good enough to break down sealent, wax, car wash, polish, and detail spray all in one load without those products effection the other towels? man im actually glad im not putting all that stuff in my washing mashine lol.... I normally hand wash my MFs using an allergen free detergent then use the washer with a MF detergent and a white vinegar rinse (instead of a fabric softener. Don't use fabric softners or detergents with fabric softerners or you will ruin your MFs). I just used up the last of my Pinnacle and bought another MF detergent from AG to try. Can't remember the name off-hand but it has an integrated 1oz measuring system built into the bottle. Nice!. The really dirty wheel MFs may also get an oxiclean/detergent presoak. Seems to work pretty well. The vinegar helps return the static feel to MFs from what I can tell. I use vinegar and water to clean my laminate and tile floors without leaving a sticky residue if that tells you something about vinegar.

The story I will try to find it. I came across it googling weather or not Auto Zone and Target MF towels were just as good as the Cobras. Some say the VRoom Towels from Target were just as good, Some say at autopia the Cobras got harder after a few washes and didnt remain as plush as them.

I own older VRoom MFs, Cobras, Meguires, and several others. The high end Cobras hold up very well and I do think there are a step up from the Target towels. I use the old VRooms for dirty cleaning like wheels, engines, my BBQ grill, etc. The Cobra Indigos and Artic whites (very nice edgeless towels) are definately a different towel than I've seen at target or costco. I have seen linting with the super plush MFs so a first wash (or two) with plush towels makes sense. Yes, I've seen both the Cobras and other plush towels lint at this point. I didn't use a dryer initially but they seem to delint nicely with the dryer after a wash or two. I have noticed that some plush towels have broken down more than the Cobras.

 

[Stype4life]

Lots of good info in this thread here.
Hey kurt I cant find that thread I tried to google all to no avail it is here though.
I apreciate all the info.
Kurt what do you think about that electric dryer autogeeks has for sell? is it blowing the water off or is it drying alot of it on the car? this cuts lots of time washing the car if it works like its suppose to! and cuts risk of swirls

 

[Kurt_s]

Lots of good info in this thread here.
Hey kurt I cant find that thread I tried to google all to no avail it is here though.
I apreciate all the info.
Kurt what do you think about that electric dryer autogeeks has for sell? is it blowing the water off or is it drying alot of it on the car? this cuts lots of time washing the car if it works like its suppose to! and cuts risk of swirls

How to safely remove dried bird droppings (link below)
http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/how-articles/23231-how-safely-remove-dried-bird-dropping.html

I tried a Toro leaf blower and my shoulder has been bothering me since. I can't say that it was the blower but I am back to using WW MF towels or my water sprite. I noticed teeny, tiny, white spots when using the blower. Since I use OID during the drying step, these came right off. There are many guys that swear by leaf blowers and electric dryers as a time saver. I am still looking for a lightweight blower for removing water from handles, badges, and crevices. Someday!

 

[Stype4life]

How to safely remove dried bird droppings (link below)
http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/how-articles/23231-how-safely-remove-dried-bird-dropping.html

I tried a Toro leaf blower and my shoulder has been bothering me since. I can't say that it was the blower but I am back to using WW MF towels or my water sprite. I noticed teeny, tiny, white spots when using the blower. Since I use OID during the drying step, these came right off. There are many guys that swear by leaf blowers and electric dryers as a time saver. I am still looking for a lightweight blower for removing water from handles, badges, and crevices. Someday!

Very good Link thanks. I would have to say if your going to QD the car afterwards the water marks shouldnt matter like you experienced. Hope the shoulder feels better, We wipe are cars down for hours a day and putting a big old heavy machine on it! :nomore:

 

[Kurt_s]

Very good Link thanks. I would have to say if your going to QD the car afterwards the water marks shouldnt matter like you experienced. Hope the shoulder feels better, We wipe are cars down for hours a day and putting a big old heavy machine on it! :nomore:

I found that I needed to use a QD to remove the pinpoint white dots when using the blower. I don't see the spots when uisng a WW MF towel or my water sprite with a QD when drying.

For interests sake, why do you spend hours a day wiping down cars? What big old heavy machine do you put on it?

 

[Stype4life]

For interests sake, why do you spend hours a day wiping down cars? What big old heavy machine do you put on it?

I have 4 cars I dont wash all in one day so 3-4 days a week im washing cars. Not including the old ladys car. Im not as quick as some of you guys, It takes me forever to wash a car twice and forever to dry. Then add waxing every 3rd week. = Sore shoulders. I was saying putting a heavy leaf blower over it would tax the shoulder like no other. I know mine wont like it I have dislocated it 3 times already. Maybe why it takes forever to do a car or the fact I been using household towels.

Let me ask you something Kurt, what kind of wax would you say brings the best out of a champaighn colored escalade??? I been using green turtle wax.

 

[Kurt_s]

I have 4 cars I dont wash all in one day so 3-4 days a week im washing cars. Not including the old ladys car. Im not as quick as some of you guys, It takes me forever to wash a car twice and forever to dry. Then add waxing every 3rd week. = Sore shoulders. I was saying putting a heavy leaf blower over it would tax the shoulder like no other. I know mine wont like it I have dislocated it 3 times already. Maybe why it takes forever to do a car or the fact I been using household towels.

Let me ask you something Kurt, what kind of wax would you say brings the best out of a champaighn colored escalade??? I been using green turtle wax.

I offer a short and long version for an answer. Maybe my answer should be in a different forum.

Short answer
I like WG DGPS 3.0 and Optimum Car Wax on our champagne beige BMW.
I have also used a non-AG traditional nuba which looks wet and radiates depth.
DGPS3.0 (sealant) and OCW (hybrid 'nuba) are my current favs, both using OID as a QD following a wash. I am a pretty big fan of Optimum products overall. :dblthumb2:

Long Answer (for commentary)
I hate to say this but everyone seems to have a preference for what they think looks best. Your paint should look glossy, clear and reflective before the LSP. If you properly prep your paint, the differences in LSPs get smaller.

However...
Some products seem to have a bit more depth while still having great reflection (my preference).
Some products seem to give a perception of a dripping wet look (especially on reds and blacks).
Some products may be more mirror-like with almost a shiny plastic look to them (there are many cars out there on the road).
Some products are beauty waxes that may last a week while other sealants/waxes can last months (I want months of protection).
Some waxes help hide defects (there are times when you need to temporariliy hide things).
Some stain trim (more work) and others can be applied to the entire car including windows (OCW).
Some products are wipe on, wipe off; and some require time to set up and bond (don't care).
Some products are paste, some liquid and some are spray waxes (everyone has a fav).
Some products need a VERY clean surface to bond and any polish residue removed (Use an IPA wipedown before LSP)
Some products can be applied in the sun and others must be applied to cool surfaces in the shade (this is important if you don't have a garage, car port or cover).
Some products are for different price points and market segments (i.e. DP line seems to be the value line and Wolfgang seems to be the premium line of the AG brands).

You need to decide on the qualities that are important to you but the best LSP starts with paint prep...

I haven't used Turtle Wax since I was a kid working on my friend's cars. I remember it being hard to remove if applied too thick and needing a soft toothbrush to remove it from crevices. If it's the same stuff, you will love the newer waxes and sealants! And yikes, household towels???

We have a champagne beige 535xi. WG DGPS is a simple recommendation from a protection standpoint with good reflection, depth, slickness, beading and longevity. If you would like a sealant with a great finish that doesn't require waxing every three weeks, give it a shot. I use my PCXP and a red pad to apply a thin coat of the sealant, but you can apply it by hand. A little goes a long way. It doesn't stain so you can get it on black trim without causing issues. With a thin coat, it wipes off easily after about 20 minutes of drying. I used DGPS on our white and champagne bimmers, and on a charcoal grey Audi A4 with great success.

It reminds me of a nuba finish with maybe a touch of the slick gloss of a sealant. You need to keep it dry for 12 hours after application for the polymers to set, but it was going strong when I overlayered it after a month or two with OCW. The Audi is going on 2 months now. A great sealant from a very good product line.

I overlayered DGPS with OCW spray wax (liked it). I use OID as a QD over both the DGPS and OCW when drying. I will try Fuzion over DGPS in the next couple of weeks.

When I was looking for wax advice for our light colored cars, Fuzion, Sig II and Max Wax came up consistently. A week ago, I tried Fuzion on my white bimmer and only clayed before the LSP. The finish was stunning; however I find that Fuzion does not seem to hide defects (I will strip, polish and rewax shortly) so prep work is necessary for best results. As a hybrid-nuba, I understand Fuzion users get 4-8 weeks of protection with a nuba look. Max Wax (another hybrid-nuba for AG) is supposed to have similar finish qualities at a lower price point but may not last quite as long. If you are waxing every three weeks, it shouldn't matter.

Optimum Car Wax (OCW) has to be the easiest product that I have ever used. I think OCW is more forgiving of paint prep than Fuzion, but that's anecdotal not verified. OCW protection is still going strong after several months on a charcoal Mercedes. I have used it on the charcoal grey C-class, a metallic silver Maxima (the metallic fleck really popped), my wife's champagne bimmer and overlayered on my white bimmer. It may not be the best to some; however for ease of use, finish and longevity, this spray wax is pretty awesome. It applies like a QD, so even a once a month application to 5 cars should keep your shoulder in good shape. With 4-5 cars, the larger size bottles/containers may be more cost effective.

With your 4-5 cars to wash and wax, OCW is pretty simple recommendation over the Turtle Wax and it will save you many hours of work per month. If I had 5 cars to maintain (don't), still wanted to play golf (do), and could only have one LSP right now, I would be hard pressed to choose anything else because I could use OCW as a weekly or monthly LSP booster during the drying step. Four Star spray wax is also supposed to be excellent and some like it better than OCW, however I have not used it.

Just remember, all of the cars mentioned were clayed and polished with compounds, swirl removers and/or polishes with a PCXP and appropriate pads before the LSP. If your paint is swirled from household towels, buckets without grit guards and dish soaps instead of a good lubricating car wash and dedicated wash mitt, well I can't promise that your paint will look any better than using Turtle wax.

 

[Bunky]

It reminds me of a nuba finish with maybe a touch of the slick gloss of a sealant. You need to keep it dry for 12 hours after application for the polymers to set, but it was going strong when I overlayered it after a month or two with OCW. The Audi is going on 2 months now. A great sealant from a very good product line.

It is interesting to hear other experiences with WGDPS. I found WGDPS to basically enhance whatever the finish it. It does not seem to hide much looks with like wet polished paint. It also seems very neutral allowing the paint color to show - does not darken. I saw about 4 months (outside 24x7) protection.

 

[Kurt_s]

It is interesting to hear other experiences with WGDPS. I found WGDPS to basically enhance whatever the finish it. It does not seem to hide much looks with like wet polished paint. It also seems very neutral allowing the paint color to show - does not darken. I saw about 4 months (outside 24x7) protection.

I think that you have it about right.
Good longevity (I removed DGPS and OCW after nearly 8 months to try Fuzion).
Doesn't hide paint defects (Yup). Very revealing and paint prep is important! Fuzion may be more revealing but I'm not sure.
Pretty neutral to color (only tried white, champagne beige and charcoal gray) but looked great on each.
Not quite as deep as a pure nuba but the reflections, gloss and slickness are exceptional.
On artic white, fantastic but I liked OCW over the top which is a hybrid nuba.

DGPS seems to go 90+% towards a nuba look but that is dependent on color and paint prep. For me, there is a difference between reflective, slick gloss with depth and buttery deep which is the other 5-10% or so. DGPS seemed pretty consistent for several months while a nuba lasts a couple of weeks to maybe a few months. I have no problem recommending DGPS as a LSP and I am playing with nuba overlayers to gain a nuba depth with the protection of a quality polymer.

 

[Stype4life]

Short answer
I like WG DGPS 3.0 and Optimum Car Wax on our champagne beige BMW.
I have also used a non-AG traditional nuba which looks wet and radiates depth.
DGPS3.0 (sealant) and OCW (hybrid 'nuba) are my current favs, both using OID as a QD following a wash. I am a pretty big fan of Optimum products overall. :dblthumb2:

I will try this Combo when the goold ole turtle wears.

Long Answer (for commentary)
I hate to say this but everyone seems to have a preference for what they think looks best. Your paint should look glossy, clear and reflective before the LSP. If you properly prep your paint, the differences in LSPs get smaller.

However...
Some products seem to have a bit more depth while still having great reflection (my preference).
Some products seem to give a perception of a dripping wet look (especially on reds and blacks).
Some products may be more mirror-like with almost a shiny plastic look to them (there are many cars out there on the road).
Some products are beauty waxes that may last a week while other sealants/waxes can last months (I want months of protection).
Some waxes help hide defects (there are times when you need to temporariliy hide things).
Some stain trim (more work) and others can be applied to the entire car including windows (OCW).
Some products are wipe on, wipe off; and some require time to set up and bond (don't care).
Some products are paste, some liquid and some are spray waxes (everyone has a fav).
Some products need a VERY clean surface to bond and any polish residue removed (Use an IPA wipedown before LSP)
Some products can be applied in the sun and others must be applied to cool surfaces in the shade (this is important if you don't have a garage, car port or cover).
Some products are for different price points and market segments (i.e. DP line seems to be the value line and Wolfgang seems to be the premium line of the AG brands).

You need to decide on the qualities that are important to you but the best LSP starts with paint prep...

the only thing that matters for my Black cars are the dripping wet 3 D look.
Lighter cars prefer the Glass Look.

I haven't used Turtle Wax since I was a kid working on my friend's cars. I remember it being hard to remove if applied too thick and needing a soft toothbrush to remove it from crevices. If it's the same stuff, you will love the newer waxes and sealants!

That Turtle wax is no joke! I feel like the Karate Kid somedays.

And yikes, household towels???

Roflmao yes I figured the old towels that arnt soft enough are good enough for the car. I figure turtle and ragedy bath towels will do autozone micro fiber is expensive lol.

When I was looking for wax advice for our light colored cars, Fuzion, Sig II and Max Wax came up consistently. A week ago, I tried Fuzion on my white bimmer and only clayed before the LSP. The finish was stunning; however I find that Fuzion does not seem to hide defects (I will strip, polish and rewax shortly) so prep work is necessary for best results. As a hybrid-nuba, I understand Fuzion users get 4-8 weeks of protection with a nuba look. Max Wax (another hybrid-nuba for AG) is supposed to have similar finish qualities at a lower price point but may not last quite as long. If you are waxing every three weeks, it shouldn't matter.

I might try the fuzion and OCW I have a Mazada I want to try fuzion with not sure If that old paint got anything left but we shall see

With your 4-5 cars to wash and wax, OCW is pretty simple recommendation over the Turtle Wax and it will save you many hours of work per month. If I had 5 cars to maintain (don't), still wanted to play golf (do)

LOL I can still take the little ones to put put and lift a cold one every night. But yes man the Turtle wax is still hard as ever! when you done you ball your fist tight and here popping in the knuckles. I didnt know about these Boutique lines of waxes till I started coming here the most expensive I middled man for was mothers and never used it.
The escalade is in good shape just a pain due to its size looking forward to putting the seal on it with wolf gang DG and there wax or OCW I think there is one place here that has it locally. So I will stop by I think Souvern would be a waste on it. So I will save that for the Black cars. Thank Kurt

 

[Kurt_s]

[/B]
I will try this Combo when the goold ole turtle wears.

[/B]
the only thing that matters for my Black cars are the dripping wet 3 D look.
Lighter cars prefer the Glass Look.

[/B]
That Turtle wax is no joke! I feel like the Karate Kid somedays.
[/B]
Roflmao yes I figured the old towels that arnt soft enough are good enough for the car. I figure turtle and ragedy bath towels will do autozone micro fiber is expensive lol.



I might try the fuzion and OCW I have a Mazada I want to try fuzion with not sure If that old paint got anything left but we shall see


LOL I can still take the little ones to put put and lift a cold one every night. But yes man the Turtle wax is still hard as ever! when you done you ball your fist tight and here popping in the knuckles. I didnt know about these Boutique lines of waxes till I started coming here the most expensive I middled man for was mothers and never used it.
The escalade is in good shape just a pain due to its size looking forward to putting the seal on it with wolf gang DG and there wax or OCW I think there is one place here that has it locally. So I will stop by I think Souvern would be a waste on it. So I will save that for the Black cars. Thank Kurt

You might want to try OCW on the Escalade for laughs and giggles without the DGPS underneath. 10-15 minutes with an MF towel and done...

You will know if you like it immediately.

I recently tried a citrus-based car wash and gloss to remove the DGPS/OCW finish on my white bimmer per the instructions. Seemed to work well. If you don't like the OCW on the Escalade, it's a 30 minute car wash to strip the wax and you should be ready for another LSP like DGPS3.0, Fuzion or whatever floats your boat at the time.

That is unless you really need to practice your self defense moves. Wax on, Wax off...