A microfiber towel is just an ordinary towel right? Well not necessarily. There are various types of microfibers with different sizing, weight, and fabric that all impact the outcome of your clean. So, this is to break it all down so you know what to use and when.
WHAT IS A MICROFIBER TOWEL?
A microfiber towel is called that because the fibers are micro, aka extremely fine. Being so small, they don’t even leave lint or dust behind. They are usually made of polyester or a polyester blend. While microfibers are used to make many things like mats, apparel, and upholstery, it’s extremely common in cleaning supplies. These towels can be soft enough to not scratch paint, tough enough to remove wax, absorbent enough to grab oils and grease, and more water repellent than other types of towels – perfect for cleaning cars.
HOW TO USE
The best way to utilize the entire microfiber is to fold it in fourths and then glide it across the surface and roll. Next reposition your hand to use the next section of the microfiber. This ensures you aren’t scratching your car with dirt and particles previously collected on the microfiber. Then, you’ll keep unfolding it and turning it over until you’ve used all sides.
WHAT DOES GSM MEAN?
GSM is short for grams per square meter, but that’s just a fancy way of saying how much it weighs, which does have some impact on the quality of the fabric too. So, all in all, when you see “GSM” in the specs when looking to buy the towel, you’re looking at the density. They can vary between 300-900 GSM. The lower the number, the lighter and thinner it is, such as a gym or kitchen towel. A medium GSM would be a bath or beach towel as the heavier it is, the more absorbent it is. BUT, have you ever been to those luxury hotels with the giant, fluffy bath towels? That’s probably 600-900 GSM, meaning dense, heavy, and absorbent.
Common factors that influence GSM are type of material it’s made out of and how it’s woven. For instance, these are the towels we use for cleaning and what GSM they are:
TYPES OF MICROFIBERS FOR CLEANING
Interior & Waterless Wash Microfiber Towel
These are actually the same towels, just different colors. We did this so you can dedicate the 2 different colors to two completely different aspects of your car. If you mix them up, you could risk staining or scratching your car.
- These are a Terry weave 300 GSM 70% polyester /30% polyamide blend. Terry weave is made of uncut loops. These loops increase surface area, enhance absorbency, and maintain a soft feel.
- We recommend using this Interior towel to clean leather, vinyl, plastic, carpet, metal, and wood. It’s safe to use on sensitive surfaces including electronic equipment.
- The exterior waterless wash towel is used for cleaning dust, dirt and grime.
Premium Glass & Window Towel
- The glass & window towel is a diamond weave which means the fibers are very short and tight. This helps it glide easily over glass.
- It’s a 350 GSM 80% polyester /20% polyamide blend.
- This is used for cleaning windows, glass, and mirrors. You can also use this when polishing chrome and other shiny metals. This is safe to use on electronic equipment such as computer and cell phone screens.
Drying Towel
- This thick microfiber is one of my personal favorites. It’s a twist loop weave 550 GSM 70% polyester /30% polyamide blend. The twist loop allows the towel to glide over surfaces while absorbing very quickly.
- Before this towel, I would use multiple towels to dry my car and frequently have to wring them out to keep going. This drying towel is super absorbent, making it the perfect drying towel to complete an entire car.
Wash Mitts
- This mitt is chenille with a stitched cuff to keep your hand inside while washing.
- Using a microfiber wash mitt is ideal for washing your car, because it holds a lot of water, making it easy to glide across the surface of your car without damaging the paint.
- Since this mitt is so open, it releases dirt easier in the rinse bucket, so you can keep washing your car without scratching it.
HOW TO ORGANIZE & WASH THEM
It’s important to not mix towels used for different things to avoid cross contamination. For example, you wouldn’t want to wash your paint with a towel that was used on the tires as it could scratch your paint with brake dust. And you wouldn’t want to clean your engine and then try to clean your steering wheel or you’ll end up with stains.
Along with organizing them in the shop, you also want to organize them when washing. So, only wash microfibers with other ones that were used for the same thing. And nothing else should be in your washer.
The most recommended way to wash your towels should be in hot water with detergent specifically for microfibers, but you can also use regular laundry detergent, not self-softening, soap-based detergents. Also, don’t use fabric softeners or bleach. The oils and other ingredients in softeners and self-softening detergents will clog up the fibers and make them not absorbent. Make sure you dry your microfibers on low heat, as high heat will make them hard and they can then scratch your paint.
