Diapers / Flannel - Truth or Hype?

[Scott301]

Hello all.



I spoke on the phone with the boys at One Grand as well as the famous Larry Reynolds. The boys at One Grand are diaper enthusiasts and Larry love flannel for polishing and waxing.



Either I read it somewhere or they told me that the finish you produce by buffing with diapers or flannel is superior to what you would get with MF towels because MF towels pick up too much of the product that should be staying on the car while buffing or something to that effect.



I`ve been searching on Autopia but couldn`t find a discussion of this but perhaps it is on here somewhere.



Any thoughts? :nixweiss



Brad

[chris0626]

Others on the board are much more well-versed in the physical properties of these materials, and I`m hoping they`ll chime in.



But for me, having gone from my dad`s approach (diapers or old towels) to high-grade cotton towels to MFs .... I`ve finally reached Nirvana. While I will continue to use MFs for lots of purposes, nothing but the Autopia Concours Buffing Towel (http://www.autopia-carcare.com/aucobuto.html) will ever touch my finish for QD`ing or buffing-off wax/sealant.

[Anthony O.]

Brad,



Great questions. It has been said that since a MF towel is designed as a cleaning towel and absorbs and removes oils it is then also possible that it will remove the wax you just laid down on your car. So some MF suppliers are selling "suede" MF towels. These are very soft MF towels without the "terry fingers" found on the average MF towel.



So if a flannel or diaper is desired then I would try these suede MF`s as they are both softer and IMO safer for your paint.



The other side of the argument is that ANY residue left over from a wax or a sealant is wiped away and wasted anyways. So a regular MF towel takes off just the residue and will not remove "all" the wax or sealant.



Ever see the guys who lay on their wax really thick thinking that the thicker the coat the better the protection and shine?? Well it doesn`t matter if the coat they put on is a foot thick because when it comes time to buff off the residue all of that wax is removed, cept for a micro layer.



And who is Larry Reynolds?? :)



Anthony

[imported_Intermezzo]

I spoke on the phone a few times with the ppl over at One Grand also. After receiving several assurances that their detailing diapers didn`t have any stitchings going up the middle, I placed an order for several of them. When I got them, sure enough, they had 2-3 stitch seams going right up the middle. If you really want to use flannel or diapers, send a PM to rd_volvo. He uses diapers that have no stitches or seams going up the middle.

[LDPaul]

Well, I have tried both - diapers and mf towels. I have used diapers to buff out for years and do not have the stitches up the middle. It is getting harder to find those diapers, so that is why I use mf towels to do everything, but the final buff. I figure that diapers are good enough for a babies bottom so why not a paint job. Just make sure you are using the highqualilty diapers and not the gaze type.

[chris0626]

Originally posted by rlspringer

I figure that diapers are good enough for a babies bottom so why not a paint job.

Well ... for one thing: Skin is organic and will regenerate itself if scratched or cut. Paint cannot/will not. So maybe the analogy isn`t altogether fitting?

[Taxlady]

If the baby`s bottom test was good enough, it would be alright to use disposable diapers to buff our cars. :eek:

[chris0626]

Good point, Taxlady. So ... we could also feed our cars cheap strained apples instead of expensive gasoline? :D

[Scott301]

Anthony,



Larry Reynolds is from carcareonline.com and is also the guy talked about on here previously in regard to his "anti-claying" views and how German paints don`t like certain types of sealants. When I spoke to him on the phone, he also mentioned several times his love for P21s products just as an FYI.



Griot`s sells cotton diaper cloths that have been mentioned on here previously and they are 100% cotton. I just wonder if it really makes a difference in the finish.



Thanks for the comments!

Brad

[Redcar GUY]

I have used the flannel and cotton, I think that they work good but I am it love with Rannys MF`s With MF;s getting better on price I see no reason to use the others

[medic159]

" These are very soft MF towels without the "terry fingers" found on the average MF towel."



OK Anthony, I`ll bite, what are "terry fingers?"

[Accumulator]

BradNC- I tried Griot`s cotton polishing cloths. Although a few other Autopians like them, they weren`t soft enough for me. Same with the diapers I`ve tried, but to each their own.



DFTowel - Anthony is referring to the strands or loops that make up the thick nap on regular towels (cotton and MF). You know how most MF`s are sorta like terry cloth towels, texture-wise (at least on one side)? Well, the suede-style ones are more like a piece of smooth fabric- think "old t-shirt". No long loops or strands. I`ve tried the suede-style MFs from CMA and TOL and I like them for final product removal. Especially CMA`s, named "The Max", which is also good for glass. It`s dark blue, so you can easily see products like SG on it, know when to fold or get out a new one. Gotta say I love it for SG removal.



The "problem" with nap-less cloths is that if you pick up a contaminant it has nowhere to go and will cause swirls.

[Anthony O.]

DF......



Yeah, what Accumulator said :)



Brad,



Thanks for the heads up. I think you mentioned that guy before to me in an earlier phone conversation we had. I might go check out that web site.



Anthony