How to avoid MF towels from sticking to surfaces?

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iroc86

New member
I've recently changed out most of my worn-out cotton towels for microfiber, but I can't say that I'm particularly pleased with their performance. Unless I apply a significant amount of force with my hand, the towels tend to stick to the surface that I'm wiping. It's especially frustrating when the towel is folded, because it rolls up and causes my hand to slip right off the towel. I noticed the same behavior when I tried to switch to MF about ten years ago, and ultimately got annoyed and went back to cotton.

I purchased about five different styles of MF from Autogeek.net and they all behave the same way. It doesn't matter if I'm removing wax, cleaning a window, or drying a panel. It happens on all of my cars, including a brand new lease with unmolested paint. The towels behaved this way immediately out of the wrapper and also after a few washing machine cycles.

This sounds like such an elementary question, but is there some sort of wiping technique to which I'm oblivious? Do you also fight sticky microfiber towels?
 
I'm at a loss what to suggest for your problem. I just can't imagine the huge surface tension between the fabric and the paint, so much that it would cause a needed high pressure and the edge rolling condition.
My microfibers do the opposite - I have difficulty keeping them on the car. Any slope at all and they fall off without any effort and buffing is a breeze. I have to tuck them into my belt or the base of the windshield to keep them from sliding onto the ground.

So, let's start with the basics, what does your paint feel like when you rub your fingers lightly over the surface? Do you feel any little bumps or any sharp, high points? And when was the last time, approximately, you clayed the car?
Any recent wax or sealant on the car?
 
I will second the previous post. But my other thought immediately is your applying way too much pressure. The MF should almost be just gliding on the paint there is no need to scrub. Just my .02, I may be way off base. The LSP and clay question would be me my next step and I always clean my MF before they get to be used.
 
EVOlved said:
No I use Micro-Restore. I have used tide free and clear or whatever it's called and got just about the same results.
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Hmmm,
well I used a bit of Vinegar in one of my loads and the MF towels came out sticky and not soft.
I guess you've covered the claying suggested above?
Also, could it be this time of the year & the panels being cold? Or is it the same in all seasons?
 
I myself sorta *like* that "sticking" effect, but I've never had it be an actual issue on paint.

I doubt it's a need for claying uness the paint is just utterly contaminated and I wouldn't expect that here. But I do wonder about what LSP in on there....all of my LSPs result in MFs gliding smoothly across the surface. I can get some grabbing on glass, but that's just a "squeaky clean" effect and fogging the glass with my breath provides enough moisture/lubrication to solve the problem.

The glass should feel smooth and slick, unless you're using a LSP that just doesn't provide that characteristic, and in that case you might want to reconsider your choice.
 
I think some of you guys are getting confused about who the OP is.

I'll second the notion that it sounds a lot like the vehicle surfaces are not as smooth as they might be.
 
Thanks for the feedback, guys. Yes, I think there is some confusion about the OP in this thread -- that's me :).

I'd like to note that "sticky" wasn't my best word choice -- perhaps "grabby" is more accurate. The towels don't actually cling to surfaces, but there is noticeable friction between the panel and fibers that causes the towel to curl up and roll when wiped. It doesn't occur all the time, but frequently enough that it's annoying.

I'll try to address everyone's comments in order:

-- The paint feels smooth. On this particular car (the new lease), I used clay about two months ago. However, on my other vehicles, I've encountered grabby MF even after using the rotary buffer and polishing compound. Frequent applications of wax do tend to mitigate the issue, but it never really goes away.

-- I use a carnauba wax and try to reapply it every two months or so, but I realize that might be stretching the limits of a traditional wax.

-- For LSP, I've used Meguiar's Quik Detailer and most recently Detailer's Pro Rinseless Wash & Gloss. Both products seemed to go on similarly, but my towels have definitely grabbed when applying the LSP over a freshly waxed and buffed surface.

-- I've tried using lighter pressure, but my quarter-folded towels usually become a clumpy ball because the MF slides off of itself so easily. I need some force to keep the folds together, but I'm not scrubbing hard by any means.

-- I do use vinegar when washing my MF towels. No powdered detergent, no fabric softener. I wash the grungy MF (wheels, engine bay) separately from the good MF. I don't isolate the wax towels because it would require a third load, and I really don't want to use all of that water for just one or two rags. Despite all of this, I have encountered grabby towels immediately out of the package without any prior washing (probably a bad idea, but I wanted to find out).

-- I don't know if temperature plays a role, because I'm working in a heated garage in the winter.

If the car has been detailed (e.g. clay, wax, LSP), and I apply a second coat of LSP, the towels seem to work fine on that second application of LSP. It's during those intermediate steps that the trouble occurs. Like I said, this wasn't an issue with my ancient cotton terrycloth towels. I have a few waffle-weave MF towels that work a little better, so I wonder if it has to do with the fluffy nap on my regular MF towels... almost like there's too much surface contact.
 
I still can't wrap my head around your 'grabby' microfibers. The heat in the garage you mention shouldn't affect how the towels work in those circumstances. It sounds like you're washing the towels normally, nothing out of the ordinary there.

The interesting part is when you say they start to act 'normally' after the second layer of your lsp. Not before. I'm wondering if there's something about your paint that's causing the problem. You don't mention car/paint/year so I'm wondering if the paint is single stage paint - no clearcoat and very porous. That's a scenario where it'd take the second layer to actually seal the paint and make it a bit slippery.

How does your towel react when you use it on a buddy's car with clearcoat and wax/sealant?
And single stage paint or two stage (clearcoat)?
 
I dont care for the long napped MF. They look nice and feel nice but dont work well for me. My best MF towels are short napped towels at my local Target! And they have lasted me for years .

Im not sure if grabby describes the problem but the long napped ones for me are harder to controle and bunch up on me and require more pressure to take wax off.
 
ca.detailchick said:
I dont care for the long napped MF. They look nice and feel nice but dont work well for me. My best MF towels are short napped towels at my local Target! And they have lasted me for years .

Im not sure if grabby describes the problem but the long napped ones for me are harder to controle and bunch up on me and require more pressure to take wax off.
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The plush nap isn't intended to be used for wax removal. Some MF towels are two sided, short nap side for cutting wax and long nap to buff out the residue.

The towels I have in service now are 100% Poorboy's towels. I'm completely satisfied with them. For drying, I use The Rag Company towel.

I haven't seen any at Target. I'll take a look at the Cartwheel and shop them out. Thanks!


My local Target doesn't carry MF Towels. Online orders only. I like to touch before buying.
 
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My best MF towels are short napped towels at my local Target! And they have lasted me for years .
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These are what I primarily use for wax and sealant removal. I have been using them for years !!!
 
For wax removal, I use the PakShak "Silver Surfer" Ultra-Edgeless Micro Fiber Towel. But it sounds like this issue is deeper than just wax removal.
 
iroc86 said:
-- I do use vinegar when washing my MF ....
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Try a couple of washes without the Vinegar and see how that goes.

Also what temp do you wash'em at?
Seen some MF saying wash up to a certain temp & some others say way hotter than that (up to 140F for example).
I've had better results in a warm & Not Hot wash,
also you most probably know this too but I'd avoid the dryer.
iroc86 said:
-- I don't know if temperature plays a role, because I'm working in a heated garage in the winter.
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Ok, that's a non issue then.:)
 
SGM2008 said:
For wax removal, I use the PakShak "Silver Surfer" Ultra-Edgeless Micro Fiber Towel. But it sounds like this issue is deeper than just wax removal.
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I use silver surfer's for polish / pre-wax cleaner removal. They can load up quickly (so need a few) but they give a clean wipe. I use PB's DMT's for sealants because I segregate my polish and sealant removal towels to wash separately.
 
I have that grabby towel problem that you speak of. The biggest problem I have with that is removing wax that has dried to fast. Also when polishing if I do too big of an area and don't get the polish wiped off before it starts to dry. I do get the problem using quick detailer but I think that problem is from me being heavy handed. I tried everything when it comes to washing them. Nothing wrong with using vinegar but use white vinegar. I have noticed my towel feel better if they have been rinsed using the vinegar versus not using it. I did look it up on line and white vinegar is used as a fabric softener. I have yet to figure out the exact fix for the towel rolling but try lighter pressure. When wiping off wax I actually grab a wad in my palm and make the first wipes, I use a second towel for final wipe. Also change the towels frequently when waxing.
 
Everyone here is being so helpful. Thank you :).

I'm not sure that the paint is the issue. The last car I detailed was my 2014 Volkswagen, which is brand new. I have a variety of paint types in my fleet, everything from single stage to typical bc/cc to original 1960s lacquer. I haven't tested my most recent MF towels with every finish, but grabby towels have cropped up numerous times over the years. I actually began wondering why everybody was raving about microfiber when my experiences have been less than stellar.

I can try washing the towels without vinegar. I was using the regular white stuff. I use a warm wash and cold rinse, but I do dry them on low heat.

A few of you have mentioned the long vs. short nap, and I wonder if that's related to my problem. The towel rolling that Dean (skibik) described above is dead on. My towels have long nap on one side and short nap on the other, and I hadn't given any thought to which side I was using. Usually I just fold my towel into quarters to have eight clean spots for buffing, but I might try to be more conscious of which side I'm using when the sticking happens. Would you suggest the short side for removing wax and the long side for LSP?
 
Try air drying instead of the dryer, have read in so many places that the dryer is a No No.
The only exception was Microfiber madness which actually recommended the dryer, but I'll stick with the safe route and just air dry.:)
 
So, paint isn't the issue either.
I'm starting to wonder if it's a carnauba issue, either as a wax or in your QD, and/or combined with a really plush microfiber. My old 'shamrock' really plush microfiber (>500 grams per meter square) is used for wax/sealant removal only. Normally I use ones around <=350 gr/m2.

Do you have any QDs or rinseless wash products without carnauba as a test?
 
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