Why NOT dry with a cheap chamois?

[Jetspeed]

I have been using "The Absorber" chamois for the last 20+ years for car drying. It seems you all like using microfiber drying cloths like the Guzzler for drying. Two questions:

1. Why not a simple chamois like I have been using??
2. Do you wring-out the Guzzler like a regular chamois when full of water or do you use a new, dry Guzzler?

I use leaf-blower to dry my cars and follow-up with my cheap Absorber. Why should I use microfiber drying cloths??

Thanks.

 

[allenk4]

As long as the surface of the paint is "Surgically Clean", you can use whatever you want to dry it

For me, this would require washing inside the garage, so that no contaminants can land on the car between the washing and drying steps

I also usually find some small amount of dirt on my drying towel in the form of black smear(s). This contamination is usually picked up from a piece of rubber trim or a section of molding that trapped some small amount of dirt. To me, this is an indication that my wash process does NOT reliably yield a "Surgically Clean" surface

When you dry, is your Absorber perfectly clean at the end of the process?

Because of this; I want to do everything I can to make sure that the residual dirt I missed spends as little time in contact with the surface of the paint during the drying process

I seek to limit this surface contact by using microfiber towels that are designed to trap and hold particulate and water. I use both waffle weave and longer nap MF towels. The WW have small "pockets" that provide a space for the dirt to get trapped in. The longer nap MF reaches into seams and cracks around trim and the increased surface area, again, provides somewhere for the dirt to go

I favor using multiple towels instead of using one and wringing it out during drying. I don't want any section of the towel to pass over more than one section. Almost a Gary Dean method applied to drying.

In contrast, a flat weave or low nap drying tool such as a chamois or synthetic towel (Absorber) traps the missed dirt, creating a sandpaper like surface as it drags it against the finish. There is no place for the dirt to get out of the way

Quality towels are a small investment, compared to the time spent re-polishing a vehicle due to towel induced marring

 

[VISITOR]

a chamois/the absorber have no nap to bury itself (like a microfiber does) in so if you wipe you may drag some dirt/contamination across the surface and could potentially scratch the paint. if you use a leaf blower all you need is a mf towel (or two) to wipe any droplets left behind (you can also use a QD/spray wax with it as well). if you want to keep using the absorber don't wipe and blot with it and visually look at it to make sure there isn't any dirt/contamination as you keep using it...

 

[FUNX650]

I'm not going to argue with your success.

And:
As one of the more popular AGO-sayings goes:

"Find something you like and use it often"

{^^^BTW: A really good Mike Phillips article!!!^^^}


Bob

 

[Don M]

a chamois/the absorber have no nap to bury itself (like a microfiber does) in so if you wipe you may drag some dirt/contamination across the surface and could potentially scratch the paint. if you use a leaf blower all you need is a mf towel (or two) to wipe any droplets left behind (you can also use a QD/spray wax with it as well). if you want to keep using the absorber don't wipe and blot with it and visually look at it to make sure there isn't any dirt/contamination as you keep using it...

And don't forget to wash it after every use

 

[Kamakaz1961]

I'm not going to argue with your success.

And:
As one of the more popular AGO-sayings goes:

"Find something you like and use it often"

{^^^BTW: A really good Mike Phillips article!!!^^^}


Bob

:iagree: Excellent response Bob. Could not have said that any better

 

[sparkism13]

As long as the surface of the paint is "Surgically Clean", you can use whatever you want to dry it

For me, this would require washing inside the garage, so that no contaminants can land on the car between the washing and drying steps

I also usually find some small amount of dirt on my drying towel in the form of black smear(s). This contamination is usually picked up from a piece of rubber trim or a section of molding that trapped some small amount of dirt. To me, this is an indication that my wash process does NOT reliably yield a "Surgically Clean" surface

When you dry, is your Absorber perfectly clean at the end of the process?

Because of this; I want to do everything I can to make sure that the residual dirt I missed spends as little time in contact with the surface of the paint during the drying process

I seek to limit this surface contact by using microfiber towels that are designed to trap and hold particulate and water. I use both waffle weave and longer nap MF towels. The WW have small "pockets" that provide a space for the dirt to get trapped in. The longer nap MF reaches into seams and cracks around trim and the increased surface area, again, provides somewhere for the dirt to go

I favor using multiple towels instead of using one and wringing it out during drying. I don't want any section of the towel to pass over more than one section. Almost a Gary Dean method applied to drying.

In contrast, a flat weave or low nap drying tool such as a chamois or synthetic towel (Absorber) traps the missed dirt, creating a sandpaper like surface as it drags it against the finish. There is no place for the dirt to get out of the way

Quality towels are a small investment, compared to the time spent re-polishing a vehicle due to towel induced marring

^^this pretty much sums it up! I had one of those "absorber" and all types of leather chamois once upon a time. And then I discovered microfiber ww towels.

 

[cardaddy]

Maybe the title should read: "Why not dry with fine grit sandpaper?" :dunno:

The thing is, (as has been stated) microfiber towels, (whether they be traditional nap, or waffle weave), provide dust/dirt/microscopic particles a place to 'hide' rather than just sit directly on top of the VERY FLAT surface that an Absorber has.

I have 2 Absorbers actually, used them for years on cars that I didn't care about. Even now though they are great for exhaust tips, rocker panels, inside wheel wells, under the hood.... places like that.

As for chamois cloths, there are new synthetic microfiber cloths out these days that IMO work better than "The Absorber" as far as leaving embedded material inside the chamois. They can be washed and clean out better overall.

Would I dry freshly polished paint with them?
Uhhhhhhhh NO!

One thing comes to mind though about drying, and that is technique.
When you use a blower to remove most of the water that GREATLY reduces the chances of damaging the paint during the drying process. What I'll do, whether I'm using traditional waffle weave towels (like the Korean units from Microfiber Tech) or foam core waffle weave's (Cobra Guzzlers), or even 530GSM dual-nap towels (again from Microfiber Tech) is place the towel gently on the surface and gently pat the back of it with an open hand rather than go about rubbing it all over the place. (With the Microfiber Tech Korean towels I'll fold them for extra paddig and use one side at a time.)

I will NOT however use anything less than the above 3 mentioned towels. IMO a standard waffle weave is just too stiff, too unforgiving, too likely to end up with scratchs/swirls/RIDS. They are great for glass, just don't trust them on paint.