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View Full Version : Microfiber Divas - Does it make sense?



bunkeroo26
03-10-2014, 09:33 AM
Here, very many people are very particular when it comes to their mf towels. The question is, are some people too anal. Let`s discuss some reasons that towels are important, and some reasons that detailers might take the quality towel thing too far.


Paint, specifically clear coat, is one of the hardest things to maintain on a car. While we might not visibly scratch the surface, many towels might leave swirls or micro abrasions on the surface. This creates extra work for us, and leaves the surface dinghy. But, what is so dangerous about a mf towel?


Aside from scratching the paint with embedded dirt, the next boat danger to paint is the edges of towels. I decided to write this because of a review of sams club towels where the edge baling was pulling out. I completely understand how this can be an issue. That backing can easily scratch. Is this reason to not use the towel at all?


I think NO.


Towel scratches mostly come from user error (in my lay opinion). If you know that the edges are abrasive, why would you ever run an edge along paint? When washing my towels, there is generally some static cling. I like this cling. What happens with my towels, is the edges roll over onto themselves slightly. This "hides" the marring backing. Does this make it safer?


What if you try everything possible and your towels still marr the surface slightly? Is this a big deal? Some detailers will swear up and down at how much of a time waste this is. What if you are already polishing? Could you use your marring towels pre-polish?


I don`t see why not. Clay still Marrs, but most of us use it. The towel swirls will come out with easy polishing, so is it worth it to not use cheap towels at all?


I completely agree with non marring towels after polish, or when you won`t be polishing at all. But isn`t it up to the user not to put pressure onto marring surfaces on their paint? I can take the best mf, and can scratch paint with extreme negligence. Is the reverse possible? Can you take sub par mf and pamper the paint with extreme diligence?


Of course ymmv, but this is more food for thought. Can fifty cent sams mf be used with minimum damage to the paint? If only used pre-polish, I could argue that no damage was done to the paint. Of course, you wouldn`t even think of marring paint that didn`t already need polishing. How realistic is that scenario?

flipthatcar
03-13-2014, 10:53 AM
This is`a`very viable`editorial`because it touches on one of the`most basic`issues (and costly issues)`when first`developing`your`wiping`technique.`Many of us, including myself have become accustomed to the micro-fiber`and it`s amazing ability to collect product from the surface of clear-coat ...but the first 15 years of my career I was successfully using soft towels and/or grabbing a clean`cloth`from of a`bag o` rags. The reason us old guys were able to deliver a black car into blazing sunshine without a swirl was because we`were simply`accustomed to using soft towels or soft cotton rags.`I bet that most proficient detailers today, began`there careers with the`micro-fiber cloth.`It`s all relative to your workplace`environment. If you don`t`have micros, you`ll learn how`"not to need micros". The problem with micro-fiber cloths, is that they are perfect for`the auto detailing industry and the wiper cloth`manufacturing sector knows`it.`Personally, if I were the President of all North American`Automobile Detailers, I`d`place a nationwide moratorium on`the use of all micro-fibers until the manufacturers brought their`prices down. WHAT?! There isn`t a North American Detailers` Association? Damn.``

Accumulator
03-13-2014, 12:26 PM
wwww-willywallywashwax- I sorta straddle the fence on this one, seeing validity in both viewpoints.


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Baseline#1- if a MF won`t pass a CD test, even with vigorous and hard rubbing, it doesn`t get near my paint.` Period.` All my made-for-detailing MFs pass this test so it`s almost a moot point, but it does establish a baseline for my opinions/experiences.


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Baseline#2- I`m utterly fanatical about inducing marring.` I go to real extremes to keep my vehicles virtually (yeah, "virtually", but pretty close to literally ;)`) marring-free for years on end.` NO POLISHING every year or two, that`s for sure!` So what others would accept as "the normal course of use/maintenance in the real world" is *not* acceptable to me.


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That said...


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I`m still using some older MFs that many here would scoff at (even though they were the hotness back when they first came out).` I`m *VERY*`careful about the edges/edging and I don`t have any problems.


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I don`t have problems where I need a specific type of MF for polish vs. LSP buffing.` The minor diffs aren`t transparent to me, but they`re not significant.


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I *DO* use only the thickest, plushest MFs for any job where the surface might be contaminated- ONRing, QDing, things like that.` But my "thickest plushest" aren`t the newst cutting edge state-of-the-art ones either.


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As my MFs wear out I`ll replace them with the newest/best and I`ll put more weight on the minor differences.` Just a little added insurance and *maybe* it`ll make my work a little easier.` The increased cost isn`t significant to me; I`m willing to pay for peace of mind.`As the Filson motto goes, "might as well have the best."


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BUT, that`s just me, and since I`m doing fine with my crappy old MFs, I sure won`t argue if somebody says that buying "premium" ones is a waste of money.` And I put that "premium" in scare-quotes because yesterday`s premiums MFs (e.g., my old YoSteve ones, the original MiracleTowel) are today`s also-rans.` And if somebody goes so far as to say they don`t care if they mar their paint, well...OK, it`s not my car.

Accumulator
03-13-2014, 12:40 PM
Uber-Shine- You touched on a topic I can relate to, the "back in the day, before MFs..." thing.


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I`ve been doing this stuff since the days of old-school single-stage, and I had plenty of cars that wore black lacquer before I got tired of the constant upkeep and switched mostly to other colors in the early `80s.` I think my experiences were different from yours.``For me and the other detailers I knew, keeping that kind of paint perfect was virtually impossible *WITHOUT the use of fillers*.` Even the softest cotton towels (Cannon/Fieldcrest ones didn`t come close...) would often mar it; when we found towels that were soft enough (and they didn`t stay that way for long), we bought stacks of `em.` So IME`most "perfect" cars from say... forty years ago usually`looked that way because the products did some concealing, especially after daily use in the real world.`

David Fermani
03-16-2014, 11:03 AM
I think it`s really relative to the paint you`re working on. I`ve seen some paints (no matter the towel) show towel marring without any effort. This is obviously isn`t the norm, but it really sucks to not only work on them, but be the owner of one. I`ll go out on a limb and say this, a brand new (not washed) Costco MF towel, no matter how many people snub their noses at them, are every bit as delicate on these soft clears as any other towel.`

bunkeroo26
03-16-2014, 12:06 PM
I specialize in black vehicles, because people think that is the hardest. I have used sams microfiber (proforce) and have gotten zero marring from my towels.


That being said, I always fold my edges up, and use a delicate touch.


Any towel can scratch paint with improper use. Just get it dirty and press hard.