Need RW towel advice.

[RMD]

MyI’ve used quite a few different towel types for rinseless over the years. Always trying the latest thing. At least towel collecting is relatively cheap compared to other hobbies. I use the Gary Dean bucket of towels method. I prefer a thicker towel, but the length of the nap/pile plays into it heavily for me. Some of the higher gsm towels have longer fibers than others. Longer fibers lay flat when wet and to me it doesn’t seem like they are picking up dirt and holding on to it. the right length of fiber seems more like it is brushing the surface (safely) and distributing the dirt over the entire surface of the towel. With longer fibers I find that the leading edge of the towel does all the work and you are pushing a line of dirt across the panel, although gently rolling your hand as you move the towel helps.

The second factor for me is that the towel needs to retain some shape when wet. Too thin of a towel will make it a “squishy” lump when wet. I squeeze the towel, not wring it out, just to the point that it isn’t dripping heavily. Some people like the blue/grey 700’s from PBMG, but to me these fall into the squishy category. Too thick on the other hand and you have a huge heavy lump that you can’t maneuver or use effectively on side panels. Perfect example of this was the CG Sasquatch towel, 800 gsm with extra long pile- heavy squishy lump; won’t conform to curves, total waste of time.

So, the best towel is a balance, and everyone will have their own preferences and value different things.

Here Is my take on some of the towels I have used recently.

Hands down the best combo of towel heft and proper fiber length is the navy blue microfiber madness 800’s. Substantial, and keep enough shape that they are easy to hold. The negative is that they are $15 per towel.

Runner up are the green 600 dual plush from microfiber tech. These also hold their shape enough to be able to hold in your hand, and the fiber length is perfect for rinseless. These are the ones with the green borders. Microfibertech also sells green 600’s with white borders - I have those too and they are not good. The white border ones are two towels sewn together and the two sides separate so that the towel won’t fold or lay flat. Avoid those, get the greens with green border if buying from MFT.

TRC had a towel called Everest that was 800, but the fibers aren’t super long. This towel didn’t glide along the surface as well for me as the above two, but with a slick LSP they come into their own. The ones I have are all white, but the ones on TRC’s site now have a black border. Not sure if the towel is the same.

TRC creature. Just picked up some of these to try out and used yesterday for 6he first time. Very squishy and won’t hold their shape. won’t be using them again for RW. Might be a great QD type towel though. Haven’t used them for that.

PBMG purple 600’s. Not bad, this towel is easy to maneuver for bumpers and valences.

The one TRC towel I haven’t used is the TRC eagle. It’s odd I don’t have any, I have ordered towels from TRC a half dozen times but have never bought those.

[DetailZeus]

I don`t do a ton of rinseless anymore but when I did, I used a bunch of dual-plush 600 gsm towels in a bucket. Those actually turned out to be a bit clumsy when fully saturated. Also by the time you folded to the 7th or 8th side, you`d be ready for a little more solution.

If I were to do it again, I`d go with something in the 300-400ish range, single plush. I`d just use 4 sides each and a couple more towels (although the short-nap side would work fine for glass). Also make sure you buy something lighter colored so you can see the dirt accumulating.

[Accumulator]

Well, I waited too long and missed the closeout on 14x14 Eagles Eh, those would`ve been just right for me. Eh, guess I`ll just keep using my Shamrocks and all those MF mitts I`ve accumulated.

RMD- Thanks for the good post! FWIW, I want/need both the "hold their form" and the "squishy" styles for what I`ll be doing with them. Getting a thick/firm towel into tight spots is a hassle and/but trying to use a really flimsy one on the sides is just as frustrating for me as it is for you

DetailZeus- I agree 100% on the need for them to be light colored so you can see any contamination! I have some dark ones that I basically never use because I just won`t notice a speck of (presumably abrasive) dirt on them. I`ve never understood why people want dark ones..."you don`t see the stains" doesn`t sound like a feature to me

[davidc]

Just a little info on TRC. Under discounts they have a code for Military 10% off along with Police/Fire Fighters. The Military includes Veterans.

Dave

[Setec Astronomy]

Yeah, well...all this talk made me decide to order some more (different) towels so I can try again to like the "bunch of towels in a bucket" method. If you guys see me sleeping on the side of the road it will be because there`s no room left in my house for me.

[mc2hill]

davidc- IIRC it was Tom P. who liked the Persil. Yeah, that one slipped my mind; oughta try it some time as it`s cheaper than MF-detergents even if it is a bit pricey for regular stuff.

mc2hill and Britsdaddy brought up some good points:
(with a nod to personal preference...)

- Different types/lengths of nap can matter to some folks
- Some of us believe that for this application a towel can easily be "too much" in the sense of GSM

I`m kinda intrigued by the ones in the ~360gsm range...almost bought some of the 303-branded ones last time I saw them on sale. Eh, I`m gonna think this to death

For me, the MicroFiber Tech towels are sufficient for a few reasons:

• Multiple colors - get a different each time
• nice price - $2.60 per when buying more than 3
• Checking what Mike Phillips and Larry K. use, they seem to be using towels in the 400-600 GSM range
• I only use the fluffy side on paint

[LashingStanley]

For me, the MicroFiber Tech towels are sufficient for a few reasons:

• Multiple colors - get a different each time
• nice price - $2.60 per when buying more than 3
• Checking what Mike Phillips and Larry K. use, they seem to be using towels in the 400-600 GSM range
• I only use the fluffy side on paint

I thought larry K was a big fan of the 16x24 microfiber terry towels between 300-350gsm? I could be wrong about that

[DetailZeus]

I thought larry K was a big fan of the 16x24 microfiber terry towels between 300-350gsm? I could be wrong about that

Yeah he uses 300-350 gsm. The video is called "How to Wash Microfiber Towels" and he mentions it around 4:30.

[Accumulator]

For me, the MicroFiber Tech towels are sufficient for a few reasons...

Yeah, that`s the weight I prefer for this too (noting that 4-600 is quite a broad range!) and I`d *probably* be OK with them only being plush on one side since I don`t do the refolding/etc.

BUT...I just rechecked their website, and those just don`t have long enough nap for me.

Eh, I`ll probably just have to wait for the next TRC sale or try the ones at Shineys.

[LashingStanley]

Yeah, that`s the weight I prefer for this too (noting that 4-600 is quite a broad range!) and I`d *probably* be OK with them only being plush on one side since I don`t do the refolding/etc.

BUT...I just rechecked their website, and those just don`t have long enough nap for me.

Eh, I`ll probably just have to wait for the next TRC sale or try the ones at Shineys.

I think you would really like the TRC Creatures or the TRC 365 Edgeless

Also the Edgeless 300 is great for polish/wax removal.

I use the Edgeless 245 for glass cleaning and interior detailing.

The 300 and 245 are will NEVER lint and last a long time IME

[kajunman]

The Edgeless 363 is a Terry loop. I thought a Terry loop was a big nono for rinseless wash.

[Accumulator]

LashingStanley- Don`t get me wrong as I genuinely, absolutely, *DO* appreciate your input on this...but those just don`t seem plush enough, or maybe it`s that the nap isn`t as long as I want. The MFs I have that appear similar aren`t satisfying me. (I even, just now, rechecked the sites for both of those to make sure I know what I`m talking about ).

I thought I`d like the Creatures, but again, considering them in light of what I already have convinced me that that`s not it.

Note that I currently have maybe, oh I dunno...a few dozen MFs that I use for washing, of five/six different types.

I have *one* really nice edgeless that I got from...somebody...as a freebie and that`s what I`d like for my "lightweight" ones. If I *had* to guess it came from CarPro. For my other RW MFs, I`m pretty sure I want something like the Eagles.

[Accumulator]

The Edgeless 363 is a Terry loop. I thought a Terry loop was a big nono for rinseless wash.

I have some like that and they never touch the parts that show/I really care about.

[davidc]

I have never tried the Eagles, guess I will add it to the list. I have used this mitt and it has worked very well.

https://www.autopia-carcare.com/micr...l#.WmuRr3xG200

Dave

[LashingStanley]

LashingStanley- Don`t get me wrong as I genuinely, absolutely, *DO* appreciate your input on this...but those just don`t seem plush enough, or maybe it`s that the nap isn`t as long as I want. The MFs I have that appear similar aren`t satisfying me. (I even, just now, rechecked the sites for both of those to make sure I know what I`m talking about ).

I thought I`d like the Creatures, but again, considering them in light of what I already have convinced me that that`s not it.

Note that I currently have maybe, oh I dunno...a few dozen MFs that I use for washing, of five/six different types.

I have *one* really nice edgeless that I got from...somebody...as a freebie and that`s what I`d like for my "lightweight" ones. If I *had* to guess it came from CarPro. For my other RW MFs, I`m pretty sure I want something like the Eagles.

Makes sense, Eagles are a premium towel and the clear choice for many. They hold up over time better than the creatures which can start degrading and losing softness after 15-20 washes (I know there are way more factors involved in maintaining towels softness but this is just my experience). The 100% split weave of the Eagle makes them release dirt easier which is ideal for rinseless washing. If I was only caring for my personal vehicles I think eagles would be my choice as well. I just wanted to provide my opinion on the creatures because even though they are chinese towels IME they are better than most Korean towels for the price.

You should definitely pick up 1 edgeless minx as well just because they are insane. I have really rough calluses from lifting and the minx is softer and less grabby than even the eagles by a long shot. I`d love to hear your thoughts on them.