Towel confusion

N

nate010753

New member
I have been reading several posts on the types of towels to buy and throughout all my reading I have seen several discrepencies. Everyone says use Terry cloth towels 100% cotton made in the USA. So I set out to search for this oh so elusive towel. I tried like 9 stores confused the hell out of every clerk I came across and myself as well. At anyrate here is what I came up with Egyptian combed cotton seems to be the softest best out there? A lot softer than Terry cloth so I said asked everyone about them and no one could point me in the direction of terry cloth towels? So I am wondering why people wouldn;t use Egyptian comed cotton seeing as how it seems to be superior to its terry cloth counterpart. I am just curious in the reasoning behind the use of terry over any other kind of cotton? Is it more absorbant? Cause I know it isn't softer? help!
 
hmm... you speak of a "search" for the perfect towel. How about a "search" for the perfect answer on this board (use the search function please) before posting a new thread about it??
 
thanks I did infact search ( as I mentioned in my opening sentense) but still no one touched on the actual definition of what "terry cloth" is. There was all kinds fo tlk of cotton this and cotton that but nothing definitive as far as I could see.
 
oh ok sorry, I mis-read the original post...



but yeah the "terry" part is just the way the cotton is formed into a towel.... just like the "pile" of a carpet being thick shag versus level-loop, etc.
 
So it is more of the way the towel is stitched. Lets say in loops. So does that mean that any towel that has the cotton stitched in loops would be terry? I don't mean to drag this out but everyone I asked at places like Bed Bath and Beyond , Sears, K-Mart, etc was not able to tell me beyond a shadow of a doubt what Terry cloth was.



So having said that it would certainly be ok to go out and get a whilte Egyptain comber cotton ( what I discovered to be the softest) and safely use it on my car.



Thanks
 
essentially, yes... but its important to note that for auto detailing we typically like to use the thicker-looped, more "plush" towels as they can usually absorb more and work best. The egyptian cotton is good, and safe. Just make sure what you get is 100% USA or Canada manufactured to ensure it is fully cotton. Some of the best (although most expensive) are the Charismas which are available at bed, bath, and beyond for example. :up
 
As others have said, Terrycloth is a weave that results in the threads being looped above the surface. Now, there are different types of Terry but basically the two you need to concern yourself with are Turkish and French. Turkish Terrycloth is looped on both sides of the fabric while French Terrycloth is looped on one side and flat on the other.



Egyptian long staple cotton is one of the finest available yarns and can be woven in Terry or other weaves. The absolute finest cotton yarns are Pima and Sea Island but these are typically used in very fine and expensive men's dress shirts.



When looking at the content label of store bought towels be very careful of the wording! Many towels, INCLUDING those made in the USA, sometimes may claim "100% terry loops" which is technically correct but the base yarn may be polyester while the loop is cotton.
 
dengsxr said:
So it is more of the way the towel is stitched. Lets say in loops. So does that mean that any towel that has the cotton stitched in loops would be terry? I don't mean to drag this out but everyone I asked at places like Bed Bath and Beyond , Sears, K-Mart, etc was not able to tell me beyond a shadow of a doubt what Terry cloth was.



So having said that it would certainly be ok to go out and get a whilte Egyptain comber cotton ( what I discovered to be the softest) and safely use it on my car.



Thanks
Click to expand...



You might PM DFTowel.Never mind he has already posted a response. He is in the textile business which lead to the development of the DF Microfiber Towel. Check out the web site. I just got one of these "all natural" microfiber terry towel to see how they compare to the more popular refined polyester microfiber. It is a great alternative for those detailers who just do not trust polyester type MF's ( I have found this distrust unfounded for quality polyester derived MF's).It is unquestionably softer ( Is this added softness needed since most hi-end MF's are already leagues softer than 100% cotton terry :nixweiss). The DF Towel Microfiber is extremely soft, very, very plush, and well constructed(the whole towel is naturally derived including seams and stitching). Natural does not necessarily mean better. When I finish my testing this week I will write an complete analysis of the "all natural" MF alternative. Initial results are very impressives.:xyxthumbs :wavey



Suggestion: Before you go and spend a whole lot of money on one type of towel, try a few different types.

MicrofiberTech Elite ( very plush), PakShak (best value), DF Towel (natural, very, very soft and plush and closest to a true terry weave).:wavey
 
If anyone works on Manhatten I just went up to Century 21 near Fulton street. I bought some Fieldcrest 100% cotton charisma towels. They are huge 30 * 52 for $9.97. Just be braced for crowds as it is the holiday season.
 
What you really want is something that is not going to scratch your car. You will want to stay with a towel that has consistent quality from one batch to the next.



If you decide you want to go with a cotton blend, I swear by the Fieldcrest brand. In particular, Royal Velvet and Charisma.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top