Whichs Towels and Applicators for What?

[imported_plazaman]

Im about to make an order for towels and applicators



I need towels for the following:



Washing : Best, safest for washing

Drying

Glass

Wax/Polish/Sealant removal



and would a foam applicator (autopia) do the trick for applying wax, seals, polish?





I also have Costo MF, are these safe? where can i use these?



Im pretty sure i`ll be ordering from Pakshak and Autopia unless someone has a cheaper alternative

[White95Max]

For washing I prefer to use a MF mitt from http://www.exceldetail.com

For drying: I have 2 Pacific Blue WWs from Excel, and 2 Monterey blue WWs from Excel. They all work excellent. :up



For glass, I like the Winner`s Circle green MFs.



For removing products from the paint, I like the Excel Blue Supreme MFs.



I would assume the Costco MFs are much like the WalMart ones I have. I only use them for dirty jobs like exhaust polishing, interior cleaning, tire washing/drying, polish/sealant removal on wheels...



I use the 4" Meg`s applicators from Walmart for applying everything on the outside of the car. For glass, I apply cleaner with a rectangular MF applicator from ExcelDetail. For other interior applications, I use the round MF applicators from Excel.

[imported_Jinba ittai]

For washing, THIS THREAD (http://autopia.org/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=53901&perpage=12&pagenumber=1) may help you out. I`m leaning towards ordering a lambswool mitt from Autopia. Right now I`m using 100% cotton towels for washing.



For drying I use 100% Made-in-the-USA white cotton towels as dictated by Zaino. www.zainobros.com



I use the Zaino method for waxing/sealant. I also use NXT on the family car.



Glaze: I like 3M Imperial Hand Glaze #5990



Polish: Meguiars Scratch X



I use 100% cotton applicators from Zaino.



I haven`t gotten caught up in the MF craze. This sounds silly but I hate the way MF feels on my fingers. Weird, I know. :nixweiss

[White95Max]

I also dislike the way MF dries out my hands, but it`s not enough to make me give up the superior qualities of microfiber products.

Cotton towels just lint way too much for my liking.

[imported_Jinba ittai]

The tips of my fingers are super-sensitive to begin with. If I spend the day waxing/polishing my hands are all dried out and my fingers will literally crack and bleed if I don`t apply moisturizer constantly. One reason I like Zaino is because that doesn`t seem to happen with it. I can use Zaino all day and my skin is unaffected.



The MF must have the same effect as wax/polish. When I touch it I can feel the skin on my fingers shrivel up. :( I literally can`t touch the stuff. It`s weird. I guess I figure that if feels so bad on my hands it can`t be good for the paint. Logic and fact dictates otherwise but that`s how it sits with me.



I use very high quality cotton towels and have never had a problem with lint.

[jetskie]

IMO towel are not good for washing the car. The nap is just not enough to pick up the dirt. I like pure sheepskin mits. Make sure they are real sheep skin as the synthetic tend to cause more micro marring. You can tell by the label or the inside has a real leather like feel. The Costco MF are safe to use, but they tend not to take off hard to remove polish. I like the Excel MF better, or try thoes Viking Polishing MF for removing hard to remove polish. The costco MF work fine just make sure to remove their tag as it will scratch. As far as drying I like to use a WW drying towl or a water sprite. The WW is a little safer, but the water sprite is easier to use and you don`t have to wash it right after, just rinse out real good. A good locally avail WW is the Meguiars water magnet which is about $8 at Pepboys.

[imported_Jinba ittai]

I wrote Sal Zaino to ask his opinion about what to use for washing my car using his system. His answer to me was this:




I prefer 100% Cotton Towels Large White Bath Size (only use Cannon or

Fieldcrest name brands) for washing, drying and polishing.....



I don`t like sponges natural or synthetic or any wash mits, they all can

scratch...



Another great tip is to use a Toro 210mph Electric leaf blower. Dries

your car in about 5 minutes.... without even touching the paint

surface....



I prefer 100% Cotton Towels to dry the car. Chamois or the Absorber and

especially the Water Blade are flat and could trap a piece of dirt and

scratch the paint finish. Towels have nap and are much safer and

forgiving. Even if it were to pickup a piece of dirt.

The nap would cushion it.



Again Towels must be 100% Made in USA. Name Brand(Cannon or Fieldcrest

Towels)



You must use only white. Not colored towels.....Colored towels are not

to be used because the dye leaves a chemical residue on the paint

finish. Always wash your towels first before using. Use Liquid detergent

and rinse twice.



When washing your towels. Only use Liquid detergent such as All or Tide,

etc. Do not use Bleach, Powdered Detergents or any kind of fabric

softner. They will leave a chemical residue on the towels which will

transfer to your paint finish. Make sure to run rinse cycle twice to

remove all detergent.



You should cut the selvages(borders) off the perimeter of the towels.

This selvage contains nylon and polyester stitching that could possibly

scratch your paint finish. The towels will fray a little once this is

done. But it`s better to play it safe.



Drying the towels on high heat will make them hold a static charge. I

use the regular heat setting and remove them a little damp and let them

air dry. You can fluff the towel real good when it`s dry to make it

softer.



As the towels get older they will lose there nap and absorbency and will

have to be replaced.



Where to buy towels........



Cannon & Fieldcrest make a lower quality version of their towels for

K-Mart, Walmart and other big discount chains. These towels say 100%

Cotton but that is not, totally true. The nap is 100% cotton but the

backing material has polyester blend in it. So if you press a little to

hard on the towel you can get some fine scratches or swirls. The point

I`m trying to make is if a Cannon or

Fieldcrest towel is selling in a discount store for $6.00 or less

(approximately) it

is not the good stuff.



I realize that Cannon-Fieldcrest aka (Pillowtex) is no longer in business... but there are plenty of there towels still available.

I buy all my Cannon & Fieldcrest towels in the Bath & Linen shops in the

bigger stores in the mall. I pay anywhere from $10 to $20 per towel.



You can also try Linens and Things or Bed, Bath and Beyond...



If you cannot find the Cannon or Filedcrest line.. , then any high quality substitute towel from the above stores is acceptable...

These are the real deal. I buy about 3 or 4 towels and they usually last

me about a year.



Hope this helps...



Thank You,

Sal Zaino

(732)833-8800

http://www.zainobros.com



So now I`m really confused. :confused: I was thinking of looking for a chenille or lambswool mitt tomorrow morning before washing my car but am wondering if I should just use my new towels. They have a very long nap and are very soft.