Synthetique or Genuine Chamois ?

EdLancer

EdLancer

New member
Which should I use to dry my newly detailed Autopian ride ? or should I even be using a chamois to dry it, what do you guyz use ?
 
For about 8 or 9 years I have used the "Absorber" it is a syn chami. I swore by it, till today. I got my WW MF and tried it today, It rules!!! Completly dried the whole car, no streaks, at all. It was about $18 but well worth it.
 
I too used chamois for a number of years and then Autopia introduce me to Waffle Weave towels and i never look back since.
 
I discarded all my chamois after I got WW MF. They work remarkably well. I'll never use a chamois on my cars ever again.
 
Absolutely, ditch that chamois and go ww. It's the new standard in proper drying :xyxthumbs
 
I bought a syn chamois and used it once - not good at all.

I have a big blue mf and I agree with the rest of the gang -

it is much better than chamois.

I have also read that natural chamois will strip wax/sealant

when you use it on your paint - urban legend?



I do have a question, though. What do you guys use

to dry your windshield/windows. I find that MF's are

not the best material - they leave water droplets on

the windshield that will leave the glass hazy.

The natural chamois leaves my windshield totally dry.

But it is too much hassle to use the chamois (wetting it, etc).
 
CarWeenie said:
... What do you guys use

to dry your windshield/windows. I find that MF's are

not the best material - they leave water droplets on

the windshield that will leave the glass hazy.

The natural chamois leaves my windshield totally dry.

But it is too much hassle to use the chamois (wetting it, etc).
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I use a WW MF and follow up with a dry MF. That leaves it totally clean and dry.
 
The "Absorber" is prolly the only decent immitation chamois on the market besides the Water Sprite. The Absorber needs a few good uses before it is broken in and then it works well.



To me both these are better than a real chamois for absorbancy and softness ,,, BUT !!!



Neither of these are on the same level as a good MF Drying towel and your better off to spend your hard earned $$ there.



JT International has some nice inexpensive ones and you will need 2 to 4 of them.. I use 2 on my Passat.



The better ones are the Waffle Weave like you can get from PakShak



JMHO
 
Well, I understand that MF is the big thing these days, but chamois certainly has a few advantages. It's much cheaper, it's much easier to clean after use, and you can continue to use it (if you're inclined to do so) on multiple vehicles on the same day - you just have to wring it out.



Generally, synthetic chamois absorbs more water, but it also tends to "grab" the paint more than natural chamois. Also - in my experience - many synthetics tend to "flake off" very small pieces as they age, which end up sticking to the body and glass; you won't have that problem with natural chamois.



They all have their advantages and disadvantages.
 
percynjpn said:
...chamois certainly has a few advantages. It's much cheaper, it's much easier to clean after use, and you can continue to use it (if you're inclined to do so) on multiple vehicles on the same day - you just have to wring it out.
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I don't mean to :argue but I seem to have had a different experience. I used a natural chamois for years, and I've used artificial ones too (Griot's, the Absorber, the Water Sprite), still have 'em. The WWMFs just beat the others hands down (again, just in my experience).



I throw the WWMF in the washer/dryer when I need to with my other MFs, nothing's easier for me than that. And I use the same WWMF to do any number of cars on the same day, though I might get out a fresh one for the "final passes" if the original one is so damp that it leaves tiny water droplets. But I *always* got the tiny droplets with a chamois (both natural and artificial). They might've been so small as to be almost invisible (other people said they couldn't see what I was talking about), but they were there. The WWMF is the only thing besides cotton that ever got *all* the water for me.



As to the "leaving water on the windshield"- if a WW is leaving any water behind, it's either just too saturated to do the job (get out a fresh one) or it has built-up contamination (wash in hot water with vinegar or MicroRestore). I thought my BBT was toast until I tried the MicroRestore.
 
In my experience the WW MF holds about 10 times the water that a chamois does and it doesn't absorb it into the fiber like a chamois. The MF holds the water in the weave design. Most (nearly all) WW MF drying towels are comprised of polyester and polyamide in a 70/30 blend. Being synthetic, they don't absorb water into their fibers. When squeezed out they are nearly dry, unlike a chamois which always retains water especially around the edges and corners.



I don't know what kind of chamois some people buy but the last one I bought was Made by Pittards of England and cost me about $25. I bought two of the Meguiar's WW MF Drying towels for the same money. Like I stated earlier, I'll never go back.
 
I've noticed that a natural chamois works better as a 'squeegee' and the ABSORBER that I currently use is a much better "absorber" of water. I have used small MF towels for drying (cotton diaper sized) and they work well, but need to be wrung out often (I find that they work best if you get them wet then use them damp).
 
Don M said:
I have used small MF towels for drying (cotton diaper sized) and they work well, but need to be wrung out often (I find that they work best if you get them wet then use them damp).
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I think you will find that not all MF are good drying towels .. it depends on the makeup of the towel.



I use a JT International 24 x 24 to pre dry the car by holding it by the corners and doing a walk around og the car pulling the towel then I dry the lower valances with it. I then take my 25 x 36 waffle weave and fold it in quarters and I first dry the windows then horizontal surfaces then the sides and usually I only flip the towel over once .. In the end the WW is little more than damp in a few areas.



I have 2 other older JT Int towels that are specifically assigned one to door/trunk edge under hood duty and the other *only* for wheel drying.



None of the towels require wringing out in the process.
 
I've only used natural chamois, as they care very durable. Funny, it seems that I am the only one that doesn't use chamois for drying.
 
Accumulator said:
I don't mean to :argue but I seem to have had a different experience. I used a natural chamois for years, and I've used artificial ones too (Griot's, the Absorber, the Water Sprite), still have 'em. The WWMFs just beat the others hands down (again, just in my experience).



I throw the WWMF in the washer/dryer when I need to with my other MFs, nothing's easier for me than that.
Click to expand...



Actually, my point was that a chamois doesn't need to be washed (or dried, if you have to do so in your climate) by machine - at least in my experience; it seems to me that that fact makes them easier to care for.



I understand the absorbency advantage MF has, however. One other thing I prefer about chamois is their size; IMHO, they tend to be smaller and easier to run under rear wings, or between wheel spokes without dragging on the ground, etc.



If I ran a detailing business, I'd invest in MF; considering my needs as a private car nut, I'll stick with chamois. Of course , everyone's situation is different.
 
percynjpn said:
If I ran a detailing business, I'd invest in MF; considering my needs as a private car nut, I'll stick with chamois. Of course , everyone's situation is different.
Click to expand...



I think also if you had a swirl free black car you might invest in high end MFs also.
 
percynjpn said:
Actually, my point was that a chamois doesn't need to be washed (or dried, if you have to do so in your climate) by machine ...that fact makes them easier to care for.



One other thing I prefer about chamois is their size... they tend to be smaller...



Of course , everyone's situation is different.
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OK, I see where you're coming from. As you said, everyone's situation is different and as long as what you're doing works for you that's what counts.
 
The best synthetic chamois is Wizards Water Bandit. Like it better than The Absorber.



But after buying 2 Big Blue drying towels I'd never use anything but.



Haven't used a real chamois in almost 10 years, probably.



The problem with chamois is there is no place for that errant piece of debris to go. So nowhere to hide means it's going to scratch your surface. This was the same problem with the California Water Blade. With a waffle weave microfiber towel, it can get lost in the fibers. This is a very important reason for using waffle weave microfiber. Most scratches are from improper washing (and drying!) technique.
 
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