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togwt
07-23-2011, 10:06 AM
Micro fibre came about by combining two DuPont inventions: a hydrophobic Polyester (a scrubbing fibre) and a hydrophilic Polyamide (an absorbing fibre) this nylon hybrid is created during weaving to create microscopic loops, which form a network of tiny hooks, scrubbing away dirt and grime. The nature of this yarn is that it is an absorbent; the reason polyester appears to absorb liquids is the many thousands of micro fibres that collectively encapsulate liquids.



They actually lift the dirt or wax from the surface you are cleaning and then store the particle or liquid in the towel until it is washed. The polyester and nylon are alternatively forced through a nozzle that combines them through a heat weaving process. The fibre is then split a number of times to create the micro fibres that are then intertwined to create an ultra absorbent material. The polyester and polyimide are combined during weaving to create thousands of microscopic loops.



They are available in different ratios i.e. a 70% polyester/30% polyamide (or 80/20%) The polyamide is used as the core of the hybrid fibre and the polyester is the outer skin. Each micro fibre towel contains approx 50,000 for an average micro fibre towel and up to 200,000 fibres per square inch for a plush micro fibre towel that trap dirt and remove it from the surface. Each fibre has specific qualities, that when properly blended, can be used to weave functionally specific fabrics by varying nap length and / or densities.



These loops form a web of hook-like claws that can reach into the tiniest nooks and crannies, it actually lift the dirt or wax from the surface you are cleaning and then store the particle or liquid in the towel until it is washed. This is what makes Micro fibre the ideal choice for gently buffing dirt particles off delicate glass and paint surfaces, without fear of abrasion.



The splitting of the fibre creates millions of edges that enable you to clean closer to surfaces and trap all the dust and dirt that bonds to the micro fibre material and is not released until the cloth is washed in hot water. Therefore the dirt is not transferred from surface to surface while cleaning. And, micro fibre cloths work especially well on mirrors, windows, and glass because the surface will dry totally streak free.



Removing Wax / Sealants



The polyester and polyamide content of Microfiber is typically; a blend of 80% polyester (a scrubbing fibre) and 20% polyamide (an absorbing fibre).The nature of this yarn is that it is an absorbent; the reason polyester appears to absorb liquids is the many thousands of micro fibres that collectively encapsulate, this is what makes them so good at cleaning.



a) Microfiber towel - made from polyester/polyamide will remove product, as they actually lift the dirt or wax from the surface you are cleaning and then store the particle or liquid in the towel until it is washed. due to its inherent properties (that’s why they are so good at cleaning without the use of chemicals). The polyester and polyamide are combined during weaving to create microscopic loops, which form a network of tiny hooks, scrubbing away dirt and grime while trapping it within the weave.



These very fine fibres have little `hook like claws` that reach into the tiniest of crevices, pulling out dirt, dust, grease, grime, and even bacteria. They hold these foreign materials in their web of weaves until they are washed in warm water where the fibres relax and release these materials.



Conversely the same attributes that make Microfiber so good at cleaning have an adverse affect when applying wax. A polymer sealant forms a molecular bond with the paint surface, so when you remove it, you are removing excess product. An organic wax however, doesn’t form a bond with the paint surface but merely adheres to it, forming a chain-link type coating.



I can`t say enough about cotton towelling for removing organic waxes. While Microfiber has some advantages over 100% cotton I have always been an advocate for the use of 100% cotton micro fibre towels for the application and removal of wax products. For some cotton towelling is a thing of past.



But for many of the required tasks involved with the application or removal of organic waxes cotton seems to me to be the ideal choice, I just couldn`t find anything that could out perform an all-around old fashion 100% cotton micro fibre towel.



Swisswax, Victoria Wax and Zymol (among others) manufacture quality, lint-free 100% cotton towels (IMO one of the best of this type of towel was manufactured by a company that is no longer trading, DFTowel) Cotton is long lasting if cared for correctly, it’s a renewable resource, and it`s also biodegradable, smooth and soft, as well as being both durable and strong.



b) Cotton Towel - high thread count, 100% cotton lint-free, with limited absorption so saves on product These detailing towel with terrycloth weave are spun with long staple cotton and then woven into 100% natural looped terrycloth or velour, the larger fibre loop size that makes up the towels nap are trimmed to produce a fine nap, ideal for buffing. A micro fibre 100% cotton towel will leave enough of the wax behind to enable it to form a surface coating.



Note - a terry weave towel has slight abrasive ability, which may be useful with some cleaning products



Be cognizant of the material (s) used to bind the edges of the towel (Microfiber or 100% cotton) These are much more likely to cause surface marring than the towel itself, the solution is to ensure they are paint friendly or remove the edge binding



Swisswax Cotton Towel - high quality Swissvax Cleaner Towel is made from high thread-count100% pure cotton, with long fibres. These towels aren`t sized nor are chemicals applied to make them ‘fluffy’, this naturally soft surface won`t cause micro-abrasions or swirls Specially woven in Germany along with protected edges, for easy distinction, Swissvax has coloured the Cleaner Towel black and the Wax Towel red.



Zymöl Microwipe - is an alternative to final buffing with a cotton towel. The ultra light-weight, "rubber" (nylon & nytril) quadaxial woven material repels wax, forcing all of your wax or glaze to bond during application.



Zymöl Buffing Towels - made from high thread count 100% pure cotton, which is excellent for safely bringing out a deep shine from your latest waxing, woven from 100% terry cloth cotton, with no harmful silicone or other synthetic content. These towels feature a thick loft that naturally draws excess wax and particles up and into the cloth. Unlike all other cotton towels, Zymöl Buffing Towels aren`t chemically fluffed (or "sized"), making a naturally softer surface that won`t cause micro-abrasions or swirls



Victoria Wax - both the matting and loops are of 100% cotton, a combination that is hard to find now days. Dyed blue for colour coding and ease of keeping separate from other towelling; these towels get better every time it is laundered and it is just right in thickness and weight.

100% Cotton Terry Towel; this type of weave is also ideal for removing oxidation as it provides a gentle form of abrading action that will either be the sole means of abrasion or add to whatever the abrasive your using



Product Application



The main priority is to ascertain the material you are trying to clean and then select a chemical that is compatible to clean it with. Do not use the product if it adversely changes the material’s colour or texture. Providing the cleaning product selected is suitable, apply product to an applicator not the area to be cleaned (the only exception to this is glass surface cleaning)



What is equally important with any towel is the way they are used; they need to be turned frequently, and don’t apply too much pressure, especially at the edges. Fold the towel in half, then in half again, using very little downward pressure, gently wipe the surface and then flip the towel to a clean surface and wipe again. When you see the towel start to show a line of dirt, flip it around and use a different, clean section.



With it folded properly you`ll get a couple of first wipe / second wipe sections out of it. It usually takes 4 or 5 towels to wipe down an average vehicle. When you are ready to clean them, rinse well, re-wash and leave to air-dry (See Micro Fibre Washing / Care)





Constructive criticism and comments are always welcome as it helps us all improve






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Accumulator
07-23-2011, 12:25 PM
TOGWT- Good post (even if I do mention a few differing opinions/experiences below), and I appreciate that you alluded to the difference in "picking up liquids" between cotton and synthetics, the diff I describe as "absorption vs. adsorption". In many ways I prefer the way cotton soaks up water (compared to synthetics), but I find I have to be extremely careful to avoid marring, much moreso than with synthetic MFs.



I`ve never tried those high-quality cotton towels you mentioned...the closest I`ve come are the old KoalaSoft towels and the apparently no longer available Concours Buffing Towels/DF Towels, which were described as "cotton microfiber".



Have you ever had cases of the cotton towels you mentioned marring paint? I ask because, despite assurances that it wouldn`t happen, I *have* marred paint with seemingly soft 100% cotton towels, including some of the CBT/DFT ones. "Never happen!", "don`t worry, it`s impossible!", yet I`ve had unfortunate, first-hand experiences to the contrary.



The use of fabric softeners on these (and, I suppose, any other...) 100% cotton towels is another subject that I guess I`ll leave alone for now, but suffice it to say that my experiences have differed from what all the "experts" say on that score too.



Moving on to MFs (the synthetic MFs that is ;) )...



I`ve had very few cases where "plush" MFs were able to get 100% of water off surfaces; they almost always seem to leave just a tiny bit behind (which admittedly often evaporates away, sometimes with issues, sometimes without).



On the subject of (organic) wax buffing/removal, I was intrigued by the "plush MFs remove too much wax" argument (which I first heard from my pal Irene at TOL; this must`ve been in the late `90s), so I did a number of direct comparisons between regular plush MFs, suede-style/no-nap "LSP buffing" MFs, and 100% cotton of various types using a few different waxes. I did not find an appreciable difference in any category (durability, appearance) except for ease of removal, where the cotton towels were sometimes better with "problematic" waxes (or rather, problematic applications of certain waxes). But again, even with the wax providing a degree of lubrication, I found I had to be very careful to avoid (micro)marring, and it sometimes occurred no matter what I did.



It seems I have some kind of ongoing problem with that presumably slight abrasive quality that makes cotton so good for things like oxidation removal :nixweiss Makes me :think: :confused: about how I used cotton with products like Meguiar`s M07 back in the day...doing the "hand-rubbed lacquer" thing on black cars; gee, wonder if they were as highly polished/marring-free as I thought they were!

imported_animes2k
07-23-2011, 12:25 PM
I appreciate all the informative posts.

Could you maybe wrap them up in a conclusion paragraph or executive summary for lazy folks like me? :)

imported_sal329
07-23-2011, 02:04 PM
I like cotton towels for removing carnauba wax vs a MF towel, I have not tried these but I have been thinking of picking some up maybe I can get some feedback first? Car Wax, Car Polish, Auto Detail Supplies : CHEMICAL GUYS WHOLESALE AUTO DETAILING SUPPLIES CAR WASH PRODUCTS PROFESSIONAL CAR DETAIL SUPPLY FACTORY DIRECT (http://www.chemicalguys.com/category_s/138.htm)

imported_WCD
07-23-2011, 03:25 PM
Before microfiber, I used to purchase diapers for removing Blitz wax and they seemed to work quite well. One Grand still uses diapers and advocates for 100% cotton towels, although I pretty much work with mf towels.



Rob

Junebug
07-23-2011, 09:17 PM
I switched to terry cloth for interiors a while back and like them better for that.

C. Charles Hahn
07-23-2011, 09:56 PM
Before microfiber, I used to purchase diapers for removing Blitz wax and they seemed to work quite well. One Grand still uses diapers and advocates for 100% cotton towels, although I pretty much work with mf towels.



Rob



Heh... I still remember those days as well. When I first started out and during the early period of my being on Autopia I remember the threads about cloth diapers vs. cotton towels -- if I remember right Wamsutta Super Pima egyptian cotton towels were all the rage back then, as was the practice of trimming off the edging and sewing the edges to prevent fraying so as to reduce the risk of marring.




I switched to terry cloth for interiors a while back and like them better for that.



I do this as well; especially for carpet stain removal I find terry towels wick up dirt and crud that`s been loosened by Folex or my go-to TW spot cleaner far better than MF towels will.

togwt
07-24-2011, 04:17 AM
[Have you ever had cases of the cotton towels you mentioned marring paint? I ask because, despite assurances that it wouldn`t happen, I *have* marred paint with seemingly soft 100% cotton towels, including some of the CBT/DFT ones. "Never happen!", "don`t worry, it`s impossible!", yet I`ve had unfortunate, first-hand experiences to the contrary.]Accumulator



I’ve definitely caused scratches and marring (both your definition and mine) with both Microfiber and cotton towelling.



So how can a dense (hard) clear coat be so easily scratched?



Force acts through a body that has a surface area; if the surface area is really small while maintaining an equal force, the pressure becomes astronomical and the object under pressure capable of penetrating the surface of an otherwise tough material. (Newton`s third law of motion)



That’s why a micro fine thread that is twice as fine as silk and a 100 times finer than a human hair, in an otherwise soft towel will scratch your paint. And the same reason a mosquito can penetrate a rhino hide with its proboscis (stinger).



This can best be summed up as: your car’s paint finish, though it may feel hard, is actually rather soft. Nearly everything else that comes in contact with it, though it may feel soft, is harder by comparison and will scratch it with enough pressure – sometimes just the slightest of pressure.



As far as washing and care of towels, I will be adding a post in the "Guide to Detailing” section in the near future

togwt
07-24-2011, 04:21 AM
animes2k – I’ll work on a CliffNotesź Version

Accumulator
07-24-2011, 11:31 AM
Before microfiber, I used to purchase diapers for removing Blitz wax and they seemed to work quite well...



I guess there are all kinds of diapers, just as there are all kinds of towels, but the cotton diapers I tried marred paint :nixweiss

Accumulator
07-24-2011, 11:33 AM
Heh... ..if I remember right Wamsutta Super Pima egyptian cotton towels were all the rage back then, as was the practice of trimming off the edging and sewing the edges to prevent fraying so as to reduce the risk of marring...



The ones I got (hey, I think I still have some unopened bundles of `em someplace!) were reserged Charismas from a guy named Kevin Overall. This was back before Cannon/Fieldcrest got bought out.



And yeah, I too use cotton a lot on interiors, though it can sometimes leave lint to deal with.

DatacomGuy
07-25-2011, 11:24 AM
Good discussion.

autoconcierge
07-31-2011, 08:06 AM
What would really be great Jon is some pics of you doing anything of the myriad of things you describe, somewhere in the 50 years of detailing(Hands on so to speak..)experience there must be something you documented because you know the saying "No pics , it did not happen".

togwt
07-31-2011, 01:27 PM
As a scientist I would obviously refute "No pics, it didn`t happen" I`ve never felt the need to take photographs of something I know works for me and provides the outcome I was looking for.



Using the same application methods and products of one individual may or may not give you the similar results; but it’s always best to adopt your own methodologies by experimentation with different products, after all that half the fun of detailing