I have just licenced and insured my new Mobile detail business. At this point I have a Snap-On 3500 generator, Desiderio Auto steam/vapor/extractor, on board water, Greeen / ECO friendly detail products, PC random orbital, various pads and an assortment of microfiber. When it comes to actually getting the water off the vehicle I use a water blade then blow out water residue left in the trim and cracks etc. Here is my question. When it comes to the final drying, what brand and type of microfiber towels are the best for this purpose? I was planning in using a Cobra Gold XL towel. They seem to be quite large and of excellent quality. But...a bit spendy. What are you experienced guys using that have tried them all? Dan
Best all around microfiber for drying?
- Thread starter icunjl
- Start date
Accumulator
Well-known member
icunjl- I like the "softest in the product line" Waffle Weave MicroFibers (WWMFs). As best I can tell a lot of the "softest ones we sell" versions from different vendors are the same thing with only minor cosmetic differences.
As Shadow85 alluded to, the waterblade is risky (though efficient) ...sooner or later a speck of abrasive stuff will get trapped between the blade and the paint and you'll instill a nasty scratch. I'd argue against the long, sweeping motions that work best with the WB anyhow; they can result in long scratches and I'd rather any scratches I inadvertenly instill be short ones that'll be les obvious.
As Shadow85 alluded to, the waterblade is risky (though efficient) ...sooner or later a speck of abrasive stuff will get trapped between the blade and the paint and you'll instill a nasty scratch. I'd argue against the long, sweeping motions that work best with the WB anyhow; they can result in long scratches and I'd rather any scratches I inadvertenly instill be short ones that'll be les obvious.
I have used my California Water Blade on my expensive paint for years without a single issue. After I thoroughly rinse/ wash the car and final rinse, I have yet to damage paint at all. BUT....I am not so trusting or stubborn not to listen to sound advice. I will surely use my best judgment and just may let my air blower do most of the water removal. With that said, What type of towels are you using for the final drying off the remaining water? Dan
Accumulator
Well-known member
Heh heh, this topic is an almost exact duplicate of another thread I just posted on 
I too used one (actually I used a pair of them, talk about efficient!) with no problems for a long, long time...and only quit after that "it won't happen to me!" scratch occurred
Sounds like you might not be as stubborn as I was, no point in learning stuff the hard way.
Yeah, on that other thread I just mentioned my AirWand, works great for me.
Usually PakShak or Sonus "ultra soft" (or whatever they call 'em) WWMFs. Sometimes I'll use very plush MF mitts but those will leave a tiny bit of water behind unless things are almost completely dry already. Whatever I'm using, I almost always use a spritz of QD, which adds a touch of lubricity.
icunjl said:
I too used one (actually I used a pair of them, talk about efficient!) with no problems for a long, long time...and only quit after that "it won't happen to me!" scratch occurred
Sounds like you might not be as stubborn as I was, no point in learning stuff the hard way.Yeah, on that other thread I just mentioned my AirWand, works great for me.
Usually PakShak or Sonus "ultra soft" (or whatever they call 'em) WWMFs. Sometimes I'll use very plush MF mitts but those will leave a tiny bit of water behind unless things are almost completely dry already. Whatever I'm using, I almost always use a spritz of QD, which adds a touch of lubricity.
9935annivgt
New member
Sheeting is using a slow stream of water (the hose with no nozzle) to "wash " the water off, it actually works quite well even though you would not think so.
Kean
New member
....this is a little off-topic but I was wondering what other MF towels you use for polish and wax removal? After buying a batch of Shamrocks and Cobra Supreme 530's from Autogeek, I was sorely disappointed in their performance. It wasn't anything to do with their construction, softness, etc. but the fact that they shed. The 530's were not nearly as bad as the Shamrocks but they did leave behind visible lint on glass and black paint (the plush side more than the side with the shorter nap). I know how attuned you are to issues like these (where many may never notice) so I thought I would ask. I have had good success with the teal colored Cobra Detailing Cloths but not with their towels that have more nap and/or plushness (in regard to shedding). I'm just looking to replenish my "good" towels and also find some plusher ones for more gentle tasks. ....all without the lint issues I've had with the others. I appreciate the help. I've heard you speak of Pak Shak towels on occasion but wanted to get some feedback before wasting more money.Accumulator said:
....sorry for the hijack OP.
a.k.a. Patrick
New member
Did you bother to perform a search on the subject? This is disgussed quite frequently.....
Envious Eric
New member
same here...the 530's got about 5 uses and then were useless on paint!
Kean
New member
BigAl3 said:
toyotaguy said:
<O
</O…yeah, I expected more for the price I paid for those towels. The problem is that even with the multitude of threads and discussions on the topic, opinions vary (wildly in some cases). It feels like a crap shoot at times when trying different brands. I know how perceptive Accum would be to these types of performance issues so I figured I’d ask him his opinion while I was browsing this thread.Kean said:
i'm pretty picky about microfiber towels myself, and the most annoying thing is to pay a premium price and then have it not perform or last the way it should (i don't like having to re-wash or wipe a surface more than i have to). i've had problems with their purple cobra jr's in the past with the same issue. there are so many different sources for microfiber these days and you don't always have to pay a ridiculous amount to get good quality microfiber these days as they are getting better and better...
I agree with several other posters who have complaints about MF towel quality and prices. MF towels seem to have a great deal of range in price; perhaps they are an item with a huge markup. I have seen a 16x16 towel list for $19.99, which seems quite a lot of money to me for a single towel. Please note, I do not mind paying for quality, but I do not like overpaying either. I have seen 'almost exactly' (and in some cases, 'exactly') the same MF towel in various sites for very different prices.
My advice to the OP is that you might want to try the waffle weaves, and/or other MF towels, at stocktowelsnow - esepcially if you need to buy in bulk for a business. I think there has been a review or two of them here at autopia.
I read the reviews and gave them a try, having purchased towels from various online vendors at various prices and wondering if I was getting a bad deal. I found the stocktowelsnow MF towels to be great towels for the money, and very good towels in quality. I have had no problems with them other than them bleeding a little color the first couple of times I washed them with a white towel.
Good luck with the new business!
My advice to the OP is that you might want to try the waffle weaves, and/or other MF towels, at stocktowelsnow - esepcially if you need to buy in bulk for a business. I think there has been a review or two of them here at autopia.
I read the reviews and gave them a try, having purchased towels from various online vendors at various prices and wondering if I was getting a bad deal. I found the stocktowelsnow MF towels to be great towels for the money, and very good towels in quality. I have had no problems with them other than them bleeding a little color the first couple of times I washed them with a white towel.
Good luck with the new business!
sacdetailing
New member
icunjl said:
Hey man i thought you should of known that before???!!! :drool::down u cannot open the business without knowing simple things (i had the same problem, wall mart solved most of them microfiber problem)