DF Towel

offcenter

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Today I tried the DF Towel with ClearKote Quik Shine. The results were disappointing. The towel 12x12 did not absorb anywhere near as well as Pak Shak MF's. My usual method is to spray Quik Shine on each panel and wipe with a Pak Shak 16x16 towel. I fold the Pak Shak into quarters and use a quarter for 1/4 of the car then I turn the towel.I can do the entire car and the towel is barely damp while the car is smear free and shiny. One of the benefits of using Quik Shine is the smear free gloss that it offers.

I tried the same thing with the DF Towel and noticed that after a couple of panels, the hood and door, the towel was already wet and not really drying the surface. Yeah, I know the DF Towel is 12x12 but I did not fold it in quarters like a Pak Shak and even after 2 panels it was smearing, not good. I went over each panel slowly since some comments were made about the slower absorption rate compared to Pak Shak and other MF towels. Still smeared, I had to use a Pak Shak towel to remove all the smearing. I also tried it on the windows, it left smears as well. Oh well, my first choice in MF towels for use with a QD remains Pak Shak.

Based on the poor water absorption of the DF Towel, I won't even attempt to use it to dry off the car after it has been washed, the waffle weaves are much more absorbant. The DF Towel performs like a 100% cotton towel, nothing more.:confused: I will try the 29x16 towel next time but that seems a little large for QD'ing or for doing the windows plus it costs almost twice as much as a 16x16 from Pak Shak.

Pak Shak, JT International and Microfibertech are my choices for best towels/most cost effective solution for drying the car and QD'ing.
 
Yes, that has been my experience as well. The DF towels are equivalent to really, really soft cotton towels.



They do seem to be good at removing wax/polish, and they are an excellent replacement for any application where you were planning to use a standard cotton towel. They are also probably a bit easier on the finish than synthetic microfiber towels.



I like the california water blade and the absorber for drying tasks. Everything has its strengths.



Sean
 
I agree, our towels are not made for this express purpose, they are designed more for polishing and preventing scratches. HOWEVER there is a trick involved. The yarns used actually absorb more liquids than any other EXCEPT they absorb at a much slower rate. So what you have to do is wipe much slower, a fast wipe won't work as well. It's like how we recommend cleaning windows... spray, wipe fast to spread the solution, then wipe slowly to dry. Do the same with any QD and you will see how well it works.



Finesse! :)
 
It's like how we recommend cleaning windows... spray, wipe fast to spread the solution, then wipe slowly to dry. Do the same with any QD and you will see how well it works.



Finesse! :) [/B][/QUOTE]



This morning after washing my car I tried the 29 x 16 inch towel to dry the car. It worked pretty well on the paint but for the windows- I followed your procedure above- the towel left white lint all over the windows. (I washed the towels prior to the first use). So this added another step- having to use a waffle weave to remove the white lint. Sorry, I'll stick with Pak Shak, JT International and Microfibertech. They are much more versatile, don't lint, can be used for dry for dusting, wet/dry for cleaning, for QD'ing and much more absorbant for their size and only require a single swipe to dry a surface.
 
Sorry you had the lint problem but this can happen with very plush towels such as this, the loops hold onto stray lint, usually another washing cures the problem. Use hot water and a good tumble dry, it's ok. Nobody has ever reported lint problems after two or three washings.
 
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