togwt
The Old Grey Whistle Test
Micro fibre came about by combining two DuPont inventions: a hydrophobic Polyester (a scrubbing fibre) and a hydrophilic Polyamide (an absorbing fibre) this nylon hybrid is created during weaving to create microscopic loops, which form a network of tiny hooks, scrubbing away dirt and grime. The nature of this yarn is that it is an absorbent; the reason polyester appears to absorb liquids is the many thousands of micro fibres that collectively encapsulate liquids.
They actually lift the dirt or wax from the surface you are cleaning and then store the particle or liquid in the towel until it is washed. The polyester and nylon are alternatively forced through a nozzle that combines them through a heat weaving process. The fibre is then split a number of times to create the micro fibres that are then intertwined to create an ultra absorbent material. The polyester and polyimide are combined during weaving to create thousands of microscopic loops.
They are available in different ratios i.e. a 70% polyester/30% polyamide (or 80/20%) The polyamide is used as the core of the hybrid fibre and the polyester is the outer skin. Each micro fibre towel contains approx 50,000 for an average micro fibre towel and up to 200,000 fibres per square inch for a plush micro fibre towel that trap dirt and remove it from the surface. Each fibre has specific qualities, that when properly blended, can be used to weave functionally specific fabrics by varying nap length and / or densities.
These loops form a web of hook-like claws that can reach into the tiniest nooks and crannies, it actually lift the dirt or wax from the surface you are cleaning and then store the particle or liquid in the towel until it is washed. This is what makes Micro fibre the ideal choice for gently buffing dirt particles off delicate glass and paint surfaces, without fear of abrasion.
The splitting of the fibre creates millions of edges that enable you to clean closer to surfaces and trap all the dust and dirt that bonds to the micro fibre material and is not released until the cloth is washed in hot water. Therefore the dirt is not transferred from surface to surface while cleaning. And, micro fibre cloths work especially well on mirrors, windows, and glass because the surface will dry totally streak free.
Removing Wax / Sealants
The polyester and polyamide content of Microfiber is typically; a blend of 80% polyester (a scrubbing fibre) and 20% polyamide (an absorbing fibre).The nature of this yarn is that it is an absorbent; the reason polyester appears to absorb liquids is the many thousands of micro fibres that collectively encapsulate, this is what makes them so good at cleaning.
a) Microfiber towel - made from polyester/polyamide will remove product, as they actually lift the dirt or wax from the surface you are cleaning and then store the particle or liquid in the towel until it is washed. due to its inherent properties (that’s why they are so good at cleaning without the use of chemicals). The polyester and polyamide are combined during weaving to create microscopic loops, which form a network of tiny hooks, scrubbing away dirt and grime while trapping it within the weave.
These very fine fibres have little 'hook like claws' that reach into the tiniest of crevices, pulling out dirt, dust, grease, grime, and even bacteria. They hold these foreign materials in their web of weaves until they are washed in warm water where the fibres relax and release these materials.
Conversely the same attributes that make Microfiber so good at cleaning have an adverse affect when applying wax. A polymer sealant forms a molecular bond with the paint surface, so when you remove it, you are removing excess product. An organic wax however, doesn’t form a bond with the paint surface but merely adheres to it, forming a chain-link type coating.
I can't say enough about cotton towelling for removing organic waxes. While Microfiber has some advantages over 100% cotton I have always been an advocate for the use of 100% cotton micro fibre towels for the application and removal of wax products. For some cotton towelling is a thing of past.
But for many of the required tasks involved with the application or removal of organic waxes cotton seems to me to be the ideal choice, I just couldn't find anything that could out perform an all-around old fashion 100% cotton micro fibre towel.
Swisswax, Victoria Wax and Zymol (among others) manufacture quality, lint-free 100% cotton towels (IMO one of the best of this type of towel was manufactured by a company that is no longer trading, DFTowel) Cotton is long lasting if cared for correctly, it’s a renewable resource, and it's also biodegradable, smooth and soft, as well as being both durable and strong.
b) Cotton Towel - high thread count, 100% cotton lint-free, with limited absorption so saves on product These detailing towel with terrycloth weave are spun with long staple cotton and then woven into 100% natural looped terrycloth or velour, the larger fibre loop size that makes up the towels nap are trimmed to produce a fine nap, ideal for buffing. A micro fibre 100% cotton towel will leave enough of the wax behind to enable it to form a surface coating.
Note - a terry weave towel has slight abrasive ability, which may be useful with some cleaning products
Be cognizant of the material (s) used to bind the edges of the towel (Microfiber or 100% cotton) These are much more likely to cause surface marring than the towel itself, the solution is to ensure they are paint friendly or remove the edge binding
Swisswax Cotton Towel - high quality Swissvax Cleaner Towel is made from high thread-count100% pure cotton, with long fibres. These towels aren't sized nor are chemicals applied to make them ‘fluffy’, this naturally soft surface won't cause micro-abrasions or swirls Specially woven in Germany along with protected edges, for easy distinction, Swissvax has coloured the Cleaner Towel black and the Wax Towel red.
Zymöl Microwipe - is an alternative to final buffing with a cotton towel. The ultra light-weight, "rubber" (nylon & nytril) quadaxial woven material repels wax, forcing all of your wax or glaze to bond during application.
Zymöl Buffing Towels - made from high thread count 100% pure cotton, which is excellent for safely bringing out a deep shine from your latest waxing, woven from 100% terry cloth cotton, with no harmful silicone or other synthetic content. These towels feature a thick loft that naturally draws excess wax and particles up and into the cloth. Unlike all other cotton towels, Zymöl Buffing Towels aren't chemically fluffed (or "sized"), making a naturally softer surface that won't cause micro-abrasions or swirls
Victoria Wax - both the matting and loops are of 100% cotton, a combination that is hard to find now days. Dyed blue for colour coding and ease of keeping separate from other towelling; these towels get better every time it is laundered and it is just right in thickness and weight.
100% Cotton Terry Towel; this type of weave is also ideal for removing oxidation as it provides a gentle form of abrading action that will either be the sole means of abrasion or add to whatever the abrasive your using
Product Application
The main priority is to ascertain the material you are trying to clean and then select a chemical that is compatible to clean it with. Do not use the product if it adversely changes the material’s colour or texture. Providing the cleaning product selected is suitable, apply product to an applicator not the area to be cleaned (the only exception to this is glass surface cleaning)
What is equally important with any towel is the way they are used; they need to be turned frequently, and don’t apply too much pressure, especially at the edges. Fold the towel in half, then in half again, using very little downward pressure, gently wipe the surface and then flip the towel to a clean surface and wipe again. When you see the towel start to show a line of dirt, flip it around and use a different, clean section.
With it folded properly you'll get a couple of first wipe / second wipe sections out of it. It usually takes 4 or 5 towels to wipe down an average vehicle. When you are ready to clean them, rinse well, re-wash and leave to air-dry (See Micro Fibre Washing / Care)
Constructive criticism and comments are always welcome as it helps us all improve
They actually lift the dirt or wax from the surface you are cleaning and then store the particle or liquid in the towel until it is washed. The polyester and nylon are alternatively forced through a nozzle that combines them through a heat weaving process. The fibre is then split a number of times to create the micro fibres that are then intertwined to create an ultra absorbent material. The polyester and polyimide are combined during weaving to create thousands of microscopic loops.
They are available in different ratios i.e. a 70% polyester/30% polyamide (or 80/20%) The polyamide is used as the core of the hybrid fibre and the polyester is the outer skin. Each micro fibre towel contains approx 50,000 for an average micro fibre towel and up to 200,000 fibres per square inch for a plush micro fibre towel that trap dirt and remove it from the surface. Each fibre has specific qualities, that when properly blended, can be used to weave functionally specific fabrics by varying nap length and / or densities.
These loops form a web of hook-like claws that can reach into the tiniest nooks and crannies, it actually lift the dirt or wax from the surface you are cleaning and then store the particle or liquid in the towel until it is washed. This is what makes Micro fibre the ideal choice for gently buffing dirt particles off delicate glass and paint surfaces, without fear of abrasion.
The splitting of the fibre creates millions of edges that enable you to clean closer to surfaces and trap all the dust and dirt that bonds to the micro fibre material and is not released until the cloth is washed in hot water. Therefore the dirt is not transferred from surface to surface while cleaning. And, micro fibre cloths work especially well on mirrors, windows, and glass because the surface will dry totally streak free.
Removing Wax / Sealants
The polyester and polyamide content of Microfiber is typically; a blend of 80% polyester (a scrubbing fibre) and 20% polyamide (an absorbing fibre).The nature of this yarn is that it is an absorbent; the reason polyester appears to absorb liquids is the many thousands of micro fibres that collectively encapsulate, this is what makes them so good at cleaning.
a) Microfiber towel - made from polyester/polyamide will remove product, as they actually lift the dirt or wax from the surface you are cleaning and then store the particle or liquid in the towel until it is washed. due to its inherent properties (that’s why they are so good at cleaning without the use of chemicals). The polyester and polyamide are combined during weaving to create microscopic loops, which form a network of tiny hooks, scrubbing away dirt and grime while trapping it within the weave.
These very fine fibres have little 'hook like claws' that reach into the tiniest of crevices, pulling out dirt, dust, grease, grime, and even bacteria. They hold these foreign materials in their web of weaves until they are washed in warm water where the fibres relax and release these materials.
Conversely the same attributes that make Microfiber so good at cleaning have an adverse affect when applying wax. A polymer sealant forms a molecular bond with the paint surface, so when you remove it, you are removing excess product. An organic wax however, doesn’t form a bond with the paint surface but merely adheres to it, forming a chain-link type coating.
I can't say enough about cotton towelling for removing organic waxes. While Microfiber has some advantages over 100% cotton I have always been an advocate for the use of 100% cotton micro fibre towels for the application and removal of wax products. For some cotton towelling is a thing of past.
But for many of the required tasks involved with the application or removal of organic waxes cotton seems to me to be the ideal choice, I just couldn't find anything that could out perform an all-around old fashion 100% cotton micro fibre towel.
Swisswax, Victoria Wax and Zymol (among others) manufacture quality, lint-free 100% cotton towels (IMO one of the best of this type of towel was manufactured by a company that is no longer trading, DFTowel) Cotton is long lasting if cared for correctly, it’s a renewable resource, and it's also biodegradable, smooth and soft, as well as being both durable and strong.
b) Cotton Towel - high thread count, 100% cotton lint-free, with limited absorption so saves on product These detailing towel with terrycloth weave are spun with long staple cotton and then woven into 100% natural looped terrycloth or velour, the larger fibre loop size that makes up the towels nap are trimmed to produce a fine nap, ideal for buffing. A micro fibre 100% cotton towel will leave enough of the wax behind to enable it to form a surface coating.
Note - a terry weave towel has slight abrasive ability, which may be useful with some cleaning products
Be cognizant of the material (s) used to bind the edges of the towel (Microfiber or 100% cotton) These are much more likely to cause surface marring than the towel itself, the solution is to ensure they are paint friendly or remove the edge binding
Swisswax Cotton Towel - high quality Swissvax Cleaner Towel is made from high thread-count100% pure cotton, with long fibres. These towels aren't sized nor are chemicals applied to make them ‘fluffy’, this naturally soft surface won't cause micro-abrasions or swirls Specially woven in Germany along with protected edges, for easy distinction, Swissvax has coloured the Cleaner Towel black and the Wax Towel red.
Zymöl Microwipe - is an alternative to final buffing with a cotton towel. The ultra light-weight, "rubber" (nylon & nytril) quadaxial woven material repels wax, forcing all of your wax or glaze to bond during application.
Zymöl Buffing Towels - made from high thread count 100% pure cotton, which is excellent for safely bringing out a deep shine from your latest waxing, woven from 100% terry cloth cotton, with no harmful silicone or other synthetic content. These towels feature a thick loft that naturally draws excess wax and particles up and into the cloth. Unlike all other cotton towels, Zymöl Buffing Towels aren't chemically fluffed (or "sized"), making a naturally softer surface that won't cause micro-abrasions or swirls
Victoria Wax - both the matting and loops are of 100% cotton, a combination that is hard to find now days. Dyed blue for colour coding and ease of keeping separate from other towelling; these towels get better every time it is laundered and it is just right in thickness and weight.
100% Cotton Terry Towel; this type of weave is also ideal for removing oxidation as it provides a gentle form of abrading action that will either be the sole means of abrasion or add to whatever the abrasive your using
Product Application
The main priority is to ascertain the material you are trying to clean and then select a chemical that is compatible to clean it with. Do not use the product if it adversely changes the material’s colour or texture. Providing the cleaning product selected is suitable, apply product to an applicator not the area to be cleaned (the only exception to this is glass surface cleaning)
What is equally important with any towel is the way they are used; they need to be turned frequently, and don’t apply too much pressure, especially at the edges. Fold the towel in half, then in half again, using very little downward pressure, gently wipe the surface and then flip the towel to a clean surface and wipe again. When you see the towel start to show a line of dirt, flip it around and use a different, clean section.
With it folded properly you'll get a couple of first wipe / second wipe sections out of it. It usually takes 4 or 5 towels to wipe down an average vehicle. When you are ready to clean them, rinse well, re-wash and leave to air-dry (See Micro Fibre Washing / Care)
Constructive criticism and comments are always welcome as it helps us all improve
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)...
about how I used cotton with products like Meguiar's M07 back in the day...doing the "hand-rubbed lacquer" thing on black cars; gee, wonder if they were as highly polished/marring-free as I thought they were!
