How To: Maximize Your Drying Towel

[AutopiaTech]

Vehicles are getting larger to accommodate all the stuff we like to carry around with us. What used to be considered a midsize sedan ten years ago now falls into the compact class. And just like the dollar menu at your favorite fast food joint, you get more for your money. While the vehicles are growing in size, so are the products needed to maintain them. With the right products and a little knowledge, you can make drying your vehicle easier.

We have an abundance of drying towels here at Autopia ranging from natural to synthetic. Everyone has their own personal preference when it comes to the towel/tool they use to dry their vehicle with. The ideal method is to avoid touching the vehicle altogether while drying, and while this is certainly possible with the 8.0 hp Metro Master Blaster, not all of you have one of these awesome machines yet.

The towel I`m going to demonstrate for this article is a member of the Cobra family of microfiber towels. It`s appropriately named the guzzler and it`s available in a variety of different sizes ranging from 16" x 24", to 20" x 40", and a massive 28" x 44". For a compact to midsize sedan, the 20" x 40" is a great size (I keep a 16" x 24" for the wheels, tires, and door jambs). The towel is super soft and can hold over seven times its weight in water.

Below is a picture of a 20" x 40" Cobra Supreme Guzzler Waffle Weave spread out across the hood of my Accord.

Even with the towel folded in half, it`s still a good size.

Folded again.

Folded one more time. Because it has been folded so many times, it`s very easy to hold and you can maximize the absorption capacity. You don`t have to worry about portions of the towel dragging across the pavement as you dry lower panels.

Before you use any towel on your vehicle`s delicate finish, pull the tag off! It only takes two seconds and with the Cobra towels the tag is lightly glued on, not stitched so you avoid the risk of damaging the towel.

In order to get the most out of your drying towel, here is a tip that has been used for years that most of you should be familiar with if you visit this forum frequently. It`s called flooding the surface.

Below is what the water typically looks like after you`ve washed the vehicle and rinsed it off. As you can see, the water is beading on the roof.

While it`s pretty to look at, all the water beads will quickly saturate your drying towel.

With a brass shut off valve attached to the end of your hose, you can stop the flow of water and remove your nozzle. This is really convenient because you don`t have to walk to the back of the house, shut the water off, unscrew the nozzle, fold the hose, and turn the water back on. This is an excellent example of working smart, not hard.

With low pressure stream of water (you can adjust the brass shut off valve accordingly) flood the surface, starting at the top of the vehicle and working your way down.

In order for this to work properly, you need to have a quality wax or sealant on the paint. If you haven`t waxed your car in five years, you`re not going to get the same affect.

No more water beads!

After you finish flooding the paint and have removed the majority of the water sitting on the surface, fold the drying towel to a comfortable, easy to manage size and start drying.

Some prefer the patting method of drying, while I like to do it the old fashioned way. The Cobra Waffle Weave drying towels feature a super soft edge so there is no risk of scratching or marring the paint as you drag the towel across the surface.

As the towel becomes saturated with water, fold it until you find a dry side. When folded properly, you should have a total of eight sides of the towel to dry with.

After folding it a couple times I revealed a dry side of the towel.

This is what the towel looked like after drying an entire Toyota Corolla. About 85% of the towel is saturated with water and there are still dry spots on it. I did not have to wring it out once.

Here I am wringing out the towel after drying the entire vehicle. Very little water came out of the towel as a direct result of the impressive absorption capacity of the Cobra Waffle Weave Guzzler along with the flooding the surface technique. If your vehicle has a coat of a high quality wax or sealant, you should have no problem drying the entire vehicle without having to wring out the towel once. The best way to dry the towel is to hang dry it.

Hopefully this article shed some light and provided a couple helpful tips and tricks on how to properly dry your vehicle without using four different towels. With a high quality towel such as the Cobra Waffle Weave Guzzler and a little bit of knowledge, you can maximize your investment by getting the most out of it.

Microfiber Towels

[JaredPointer]

You should also point out that after removing the tag, the towel should be (correctly) washed prior to using it on your vehicle. Never use a new MF without washing it first - you don`t know where it`s been, who touched it, etc, etc.

Great example of the flood rinse technique.

[Old Pirate]

Yes, great write upon up on the Towel, and just like JP has mention don`t forget to wash every new towel ( With a product like Detailer`s Pro Series Microfiber Cleaner ) you get before touching your paint.

[AutopiaTech]

You should also point out that after removing the tag, the towel should be (correctly) washed prior to using it on your vehicle. Never use a new MF without washing it first - you don`t know where it`s been, who touched it, etc, etc.

Great example of the flood rinse technique.

That`s an excellent point that I should have made clear. It`s always important to properly wash your drying towel before using it again.

Great catch.

[ca.detailchick]

Nice reveiw there AT!

I always enjoy your write ups.

Appox How long does it take to air dry in the sun?

[Mr. Gloss]

Great example of the flood rinse technique.

I`ve never used the elevated flood rinse technique displayed here. My rinse attachment is a pliable hose attached to a shut off valve which is attached by a quick connect fitting. My method is simply pushing the water off the car with the flood rinse.

I`ll have to try the splash method and compare results.

I always dry the glass first and never have streaked glass. Do any of you dry the glass first with the dry towel?

[TroyScherer]

Nice write up...


One thing that I have found that works well for me is to soak my WW towels in water prior to use. I then wring them out and proceed to dry the car. By getting some moisture in the towel it actually helps it to wick up the remaining water on the vehicle. I started using this method after I picked up some special value Cobra WW MF towels that were not Guzzlers. Since implementing this method I have been happy with them.




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[mc2hill]

Nice write up. Using this rinsing technique and detail spray I am able to dry the car, and the towel is still good for another car.

I have this setup:

- an old piece of hose and a female adapter.

[Old Pirate]

Nice write up...


One thing that I have found that works well for me is to soak my WW towels in water prior to use. I then wring them out and proceed to dry the car. By getting some moisture in the towel it actually helps it to wick up the remaining water on the vehicle. I started using this method after I picked up some special value Cobra WW MF towels that were not Guzzlers. Since implementing this method I have been happy with them.




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Just like the same way Charmois towels are use, better wet then dry.

[wgilles]

Nice write up. I`ve always been curious as to the correct way to use a microfiber drying towel. I always just laid it flat on the car and went to work!

[rzatch]

I`m with mc2hill on the short hose attachment. I feel much safer than a brass coupling close to the paint. Accidents do happen.

[tropicsteve]

good info. and i`ll be putting my new cobra guzzler to work very soon . (thanks to the autopia winter car care giveaway goodies that came in today-autopia car care rocks !)

[umi000]

Nice write up...

One thing that I have found that works well for me is to soak my WW towels in water prior to use. I then wring them out and proceed to dry the car. By getting some moisture in the towel it actually helps it to wick up the remaining water on the vehicle. I started using this method after I picked up some special value Cobra WW MF towels that were not Guzzlers. Since implementing this method I have been happy with them.
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This has been the case in my experience as well. What I do is dry the glass first - by the time they`re done, the towel will have absorbed enough water so that it continues to absorb water easily.

[blk5.0]

Great write up. I just got those towels in. I have been ONR washing my car I finally went old school with a hose and forgot to sheet off the water and was like these towels are no good but realized I was drying off a fully wet car. Next time I sheeted the car and found these drying towels to work very well glad I picked them up

[theamcguy]

I like to use compressed air after the flood rinse. Then use a good micro-fiber towel.