A Case For The 16 x 24 Microfiber Towel

[RaysWay]

For years now, 16x16 sized microfiber towels have dominated the microfiber market. I`m here to make a case for those odd sized, asymmetrical microfiber towels you`ve been neglecting for too long.


Since I`ve started detailing regularly, I`ve had to go deeper and deeper into my microfiber stash. Like the most of you, I would always reach for my 16x16 towels first, They`re not too big, not too small and their perfect symmetrical construction allows you to fold them into perfect squares.





When used properly, this gives you 8 different clean sides to work with and is easy to hold in your hand.





My problem with the 16x16 towel, is the small surface area. When folded, you only have a 8 x 8 square to work with. I`ve found myself using A LOT of microfiber towels and it`s caused me to look for larger MF towels. Like the 16 x 24....





When a 16 x 24 towel is folded into fours, you still get 8 different sides to use, but you get 50% more surface area at 8x12. Those 4 extra inches matter! That`s 50% more surface area.



Surface Area
16x24 = 384 inches2 (768 inches2 for two sides)
16x16 = 256 inches2 (512 inches2 for two sides)


That`s 50% more surface area when you use a 16x24 towel instead of a 16x16.


Cost Difference:
Since I`m looking to order a large quantity of towels, I`ve been researching the costs of different microfiber towels and the difference in price is negligible across the board. Technically the 16x24 towels are generally more cost effective, but only by a very small margin. Usually a handful of cents for every batch of towels ordered. So as far as cost is concerned, they`re about equal.


Conclusion:
So since they`re priced just about the same, we can conclude the only real benefit of using a 16 x 24 towel is having 50% more surface area in your hand at one time; and that`s good enough for me. Theoretically if I have to stop to grab a new towel 50% less during detailing, then using a 16 x 24 towel is a no-brainer.


Thoughts?

[RTexasF]

I have about a dozen of the 16X24 towels and I find them superior to the smaller more "standard" size in every respect.

[Ronkh]

I got small hands, use 16x16

[GearHead_1]

No argument on the overall surface area but a 16 X 16 in. towel folded as you`ve described gives you an 8 X 8 in. working area. I`ve got as many of the larger towels as I do the smaller ones. I use the smaller ones simply because I like working with them.

[pheerix]

I can see them being useful for drying clean surfaces but I mainly do rinseless/waterless with 16x16 towels because the towel is easier to control. With that extra surface area flopping around in the wind it`s easier to touch an unwanted area like the tires or worse, the floor.

[Accumulator]

vega- I see your point, and I guess it might boil down to a personal preference thing. I like to work small areas and to refold/change out my MFs very frequently, so usually find myself reaching for the smaller towels for pretty much everything except light-LSP buffing.

[XxBoostinxX]

For me it just depends on how thick the towel is. My MM yellow fellow towels are 16x24 and the way I fold them keeps them small. My chinchilla towels are 16x24 and they are too thick to fold the same way. One problem I have noticed with folding the 16x24 is it will roll on me where a 16x16 in fours doesn`t. If that makes any sense?

[pheerix]

Yea the more times you fold a towel the more it folds on itself than moves across the paint.

[Pats300zx]

Great thoughts Ray. I find myself reaching for the 16 x 16 towel more than larger ones. It just seems to fit in my hand better and I have better control with it. I do find myself reaching for larger towels for drying, wheels, etc.

[Migue]

I hate it when the towel rolls on me as i`m wiping a surface, so i find the 16x24 better because those extra inches allow me to make a small grip/handle area for the towel, significantly reducing any rolling as i`m wiping. I use the 16x16 for wiping wheels and doorjambs.

[RaskyR1]

I`ve always preferred the 16" x 24" towels over the 16" x 16".

[RaysWay]

I`ve decided I`m going to try using only 16 x 24`s and see how it goes. I`m hoping the larger towels will last longer before I have to swap them out. This would be hard to test. Maybe I can compound/polish half a car with 16x16`s, then do the other half of the same car with 16x24`s to count how many towels I`ve used of each.

Hmmmm....

[ShawnF350]

I just ordered a dozen of the larger towels.
I prefer them over the 16x16.

[Angus]

IMHO it really depend on the application. For example, I have use both 16x16 and 16x24 Chinchilla towels for Waterless washes and I prefer the 16x16`s since I have better control over them vs the 16X24 which always seem a too big/ clumsy. So perhaps the real question is, even though the 16x24 has 50% more surface area - is it actually 50 % more usable area for the task at hand (pun intended) ?

[AutopiaTech]

Outstanding write up Ray.

I`m a big fan of the 16 x 24 as well, mainly for quick detail sprays and waterless washes. The larger towel makes it possible to cover more area, reducing the amount of wipes needed per panel.