Microfiber cloths,a primer

**etyu** · 03-11-2008

I found this on the internet while researching to buy some waffle weave microfiber cloth:

"What is Microfiber? Well, unlike what most people believe MF (short for Microfiber) is a process rather than a material. It’s a process that takes ordinary material like polyester, and weaves it into fibers so small that a single strand is a 100 times finer than a human hair. The advantage to such a process is that the material that results is much softer than the original. Also, several materials can be woven together to take advantage of specific properties they may poses. An example would by polyester, and polymide, which are the two most common materials, found in a MF towel. Polyester is used for its ability to be split and hold dirt, while polymide is used for its absorbency. Other materials that are often woven into MF are cotton, nylon, and even silk. Another key term used when describing MF is whether or not the material has been “split”. Splitting refers to the actual process used to split the fibers that make up a MF towel. When split, the fibers are better at removing contaminants from the surface, and pulling them into the material away from the finish.
What is the advantage of Microfiber? Well, a few of the many advantages are greater absorbency, reduced risk of scratching, and greater cleaning ability. The truth is a MF towel will beat a 100% terry cloth towel every time in the above categories if they are of equal quality.

What makes a good Microfiber towel? A good MF towel is a mixture of many things, but perhaps the most important is weave style. Different weaves are used for different applications. The best example of this is waffle weave drying towels. It was discovered that a waffle type weave was better at removing water from the surface because of the suction effect created by the weave as it moves across the surface. Other examples include coarse weaves for wax and polish removal, and softer thicker weaves for quick detail use. Another key element in a good MF towel is the material that is used, and the percentages of them. The most common materials are polyester and polymide. Depending on the towels use, these materials will be varied in percentage. Usually the percentage is 80-20 polyester to polymide. However, natural fibers like cotton are also used. These towels while softer and more scratch resistant usually don’t have the “bite”, or cleaning power of synthetic blends. This again emphasizes that certain towels are for certain jobs. Perhaps the final key element that makes a good MF towel is the seams. The seams of a towel are the most dangerous areas as they can easily scratch the surface. There are several ways manufacturers go about seaming their towels. There are seams where a material such as silk is sewn around the edges. This is nice as it limits the chance of fraying, but the thread used to sew the silk on the edge can scratch a vehicles finish. Another type of edging used is hot cutting. A hot blade is used to melt the edges together. This is also good as it limits fraying however once again the melted material can scratch the paint. The third type of edging is actually no edge at all. Often called edgeless towels these towels employ some sort of reverse sewing that keeps the wave together. This is most scratch resistant, but depending on the mfg they may be more prone to fraying with continued use.

Do you really need Microfiber? The simple truth is MF has proven to be safer on painted surfaces than 100% cotton. However, it really comes down to the person. Many people still feel uncomfortable using synthetic materials like polyester on their paint, while others don’t want to go out and buy all new towels. Eventually though, MF will take the crown for detailing towel of choice.

Where can you get Microfiber towels? You can get MF at almost all auto parts stores and warehouse stores around, whether or not they will be of acceptable quality is another story. For now, the Internet is the best source of MF around…and the only place to get the best towels. However, recently large detailing supply companies like Meguiars have started offering a line of MF. In fact, the majority of the Megs MF offerings are very nice for their price and availability. Companies like Zwipes also sell decent Microfiber products.

Here are some quality MF vendors on the internet- (special note: Many of these sites also have great info about Microfiber if you wish to read more.)

http://www.autopia-carcare.com/towels---chamois.html
http://www.properautocare.com/micprod1.html
http://waynestowels.com/
http://www.pakshak.com/
http://www.dftowel.com/
http://www.prestostore.com/cgi-bin/s...ef=exceldetail
http://www.autofiber.com/
http://www.microfiberplus.com/microfiber2.htm
Thanks, Pzev!"

cyberdrakon · 03-11-2008

One question i have had is, what do you do with MF towels that have lint on them? I've been using a dogge brush (very fine metal wires) to clean the lint off, but it's only 90% effective at best, and it's very labour intensive...any tips? or are you just supposed to throw the towels away?

**etyu** · 03-11-2008

The same property that the microfiber cloth uses to remove dust particles is also trapping lint. Have you tried machine wash with warm water, regular detergent (no bleach, no fabric softener), double rinse and see what happens to the remaining lint? If not one may have to use the special detergents they sell to "recondition" the microfiber cloth.

**ghostdunks** · 03-11-2008

hmm... you didn't wash the MF towel in the same wash as other stuff did you? Because thats a big no no because it'll pick up all the lint/crap from the other stuff. I always wash my MF stuff separately.

Try using a dedicated microfiber wash to get rid of the lint. It seems to come out much cleaner and softer than if I use a normal washing detergent. Another no-no is to use the powder washing detergent as you then run the risk of it not dissolving fully and then it'll get stuck into the MF and then when you rub that over the paintwork, bad results.

ryan.stephens · 03-11-2008

I've just purchased a triple pack of Meguiars Super Shine Microfibres for £14.99, they are supposed to be completely lint free and have sewn edges to prevent scratching the paintwork.

Normally I wash them in the washing machine with regular washing powder, although my friend actually bought a table top washing machine for about £100 especially for cleaning his car care equipment

How do you clean machine polishing pads?

cyberdrakon · 03-12-2008

i washed the MF towels with my cotton woven drying towels

3/4 liquid detergent, 1/4 regular bleach.

**Dolebludger** · 03-12-2008

In cleaning microfiber cloths, there is also the problem of getting them totally clean. Ordinary top loading washing machines often don't get the job done. There are special detergents that will get them clean of things like wax residue.

About a year ago, my wife bought one of those front loading washers. I had run out of the special detergent, so I tried regular front-loader detergent in the new machine with a "dedicated" load of microfibers. The result was surprising, as the microfibers came out cleaner and "clingier" than ever. Don't know if it is the front-loading machine, the special "he" detergent you must use in them, or both. But it works.

nevets · 03-12-2008

Quote:

Originally Posted by cyberdrakon

One question i have had is, what do you do with MF towels that have lint on them? I've been using a dogge brush (very fine metal wires) to clean the lint off, but it's only 90% effective at best, and it's very labour intensive...any tips? or are you just supposed to throw the towels away?

Ive had similar problems...also when they mistakenly fall to the ground...it seems impossible to get them clean...

03-11-2008	#1 (permalink)
etyu Founding Member #2 / Ambassador Of Good Will Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Orange County, CA Vehicle: 2008 SLK 55 Posts: 4,912 Country: Thanks: 314 Thanked 207 Times in 107 Posts	Microfiber cloths,a primer I found this on the internet while researching to buy some waffle weave microfiber cloth: "What is Microfiber? Well, unlike what most people believe MF (short for Microfiber) is a process rather than a material. It’s a process that takes ordinary material like polyester, and weaves it into fibers so small that a single strand is a 100 times finer than a human hair. The advantage to such a process is that the material that results is much softer than the original. Also, several materials can be woven together to take advantage of specific properties they may poses. An example would by polyester, and polymide, which are the two most common materials, found in a MF towel. Polyester is used for its ability to be split and hold dirt, while polymide is used for its absorbency. Other materials that are often woven into MF are cotton, nylon, and even silk. Another key term used when describing MF is whether or not the material has been “split”. Splitting refers to the actual process used to split the fibers that make up a MF towel. When split, the fibers are better at removing contaminants from the surface, and pulling them into the material away from the finish. What is the advantage of Microfiber? Well, a few of the many advantages are greater absorbency, reduced risk of scratching, and greater cleaning ability. The truth is a MF towel will beat a 100% terry cloth towel every time in the above categories if they are of equal quality. What makes a good Microfiber towel? A good MF towel is a mixture of many things, but perhaps the most important is weave style. Different weaves are used for different applications. The best example of this is waffle weave drying towels. It was discovered that a waffle type weave was better at removing water from the surface because of the suction effect created by the weave as it moves across the surface. Other examples include coarse weaves for wax and polish removal, and softer thicker weaves for quick detail use. Another key element in a good MF towel is the material that is used, and the percentages of them. The most common materials are polyester and polymide. Depending on the towels use, these materials will be varied in percentage. Usually the percentage is 80-20 polyester to polymide. However, natural fibers like cotton are also used. These towels while softer and more scratch resistant usually don’t have the “bite”, or cleaning power of synthetic blends. This again emphasizes that certain towels are for certain jobs. Perhaps the final key element that makes a good MF towel is the seams. The seams of a towel are the most dangerous areas as they can easily scratch the surface. There are several ways manufacturers go about seaming their towels. There are seams where a material such as silk is sewn around the edges. This is nice as it limits the chance of fraying, but the thread used to sew the silk on the edge can scratch a vehicles finish. Another type of edging used is hot cutting. A hot blade is used to melt the edges together. This is also good as it limits fraying however once again the melted material can scratch the paint. The third type of edging is actually no edge at all. Often called edgeless towels these towels employ some sort of reverse sewing that keeps the wave together. This is most scratch resistant, but depending on the mfg they may be more prone to fraying with continued use. Do you really need Microfiber? The simple truth is MF has proven to be safer on painted surfaces than 100% cotton. However, it really comes down to the person. Many people still feel uncomfortable using synthetic materials like polyester on their paint, while others don’t want to go out and buy all new towels. Eventually though, MF will take the crown for detailing towel of choice. Where can you get Microfiber towels? You can get MF at almost all auto parts stores and warehouse stores around, whether or not they will be of acceptable quality is another story. For now, the Internet is the best source of MF around…and the only place to get the best towels. However, recently large detailing supply companies like Meguiars have started offering a line of MF. In fact, the majority of the Megs MF offerings are very nice for their price and availability. Companies like Zwipes also sell decent Microfiber products. Here are some quality MF vendors on the internet- (special note: Many of these sites also have great info about Microfiber if you wish to read more.) http://www.autopia-carcare.com/towels---chamois.html http://www.properautocare.com/micprod1.html http://waynestowels.com/ http://www.pakshak.com/ http://www.dftowel.com/ http://www.prestostore.com/cgi-bin/s...ef=exceldetail http://www.autofiber.com/ http://www.microfiberplus.com/microfiber2.htm Thanks, Pzev!" __________________ *Eddy* To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 5 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. Pewter/Beige, PIII package, Airscarf, Hands-Free Communication System, Lighting package Designo Black Leather Cover on e-brake handle, ( To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 5 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. Bill T), SmartTop v1.0, Kleyman 3BFM (NoRegret Custom), Green Air Filters, *Mod. R170 ant.* EuroClear sidemarkers w/PIAA PlasmaIon lamps, chromed front & rear turn indicator lamps, PIAA SuperPlasmaGTX front parking lamps, HyperWhite license plate lamps ( To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 5 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. Scott), bilateral rear fog lamps enabled.
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03-11-2008	#3 (permalink)
etyu Founding Member #2 / Ambassador Of Good Will Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Orange County, CA Vehicle: 2008 SLK 55 Posts: 4,912 Country: Thanks: 314 Thanked 207 Times in 107 Posts	The same property that the microfiber cloth uses to remove dust particles is also trapping lint. Have you tried machine wash with warm water, regular detergent (no bleach, no fabric softener), double rinse and see what happens to the remaining lint? If not one may have to use the special detergents they sell to "recondition" the microfiber cloth. __________________ *Eddy* To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 5 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. Pewter/Beige, PIII package, Airscarf, Hands-Free Communication System, Lighting package Designo Black Leather Cover on e-brake handle, ( To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 5 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. Bill T), SmartTop v1.0, Kleyman 3BFM (NoRegret Custom), Green Air Filters, *Mod. R170 ant.* EuroClear sidemarkers w/PIAA PlasmaIon lamps, chromed front & rear turn indicator lamps, PIAA SuperPlasmaGTX front parking lamps, HyperWhite license plate lamps ( To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 5 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. Scott), bilateral rear fog lamps enabled.

03-11-2008	#2 (permalink)
cyberdrakon Elite SLK World Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: SoCal, USA Vehicle: SLK55 2006 Other Toys: 560SEC 1990, CLK500 2005 Posts: 1,316 Country: Thanks: 15 Thanked 40 Times in 30 Posts	One question i have had is, what do you do with MF towels that have lint on them? I've been using a dogge brush (very fine metal wires) to clean the lint off, but it's only 90% effective at best, and it's very labour intensive...any tips? or are you just supposed to throw the towels away?

03-11-2008	#4 (permalink)
ghostdunks Elite SLK World Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Melbourne, Australia Vehicle: SLK280 Posts: 206 Country: Thanks: 5 Thanked 2 Times in 2 Posts	hmm... you didn't wash the MF towel in the same wash as other stuff did you? Because thats a big no no because it'll pick up all the lint/crap from the other stuff. I always wash my MF stuff separately. Try using a dedicated microfiber wash to get rid of the lint. It seems to come out much cleaner and softer than if I use a normal washing detergent. Another no-no is to use the powder washing detergent as you then run the risk of it not dissolving fully and then it'll get stuck into the MF and then when you rub that over the paintwork, bad results.

03-11-2008	#5 (permalink)
ryan.stephens Elite SLK World Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Exeter, UK Vehicle: 2006 Mercedes-Benz ML320 CDI Sport - Fully Loaded! Posts: 239 Country: Thanks: 12 Thanked 6 Times in 4 Posts	I've just purchased a triple pack of Meguiars Super Shine Microfibres for £14.99, they are supposed to be completely lint free and have sewn edges to prevent scratching the paintwork. Normally I wash them in the washing machine with regular washing powder, although my friend actually bought a table top washing machine for about £100 especially for cleaning his car care equipment How do you clean machine polishing pads?

03-12-2008	#6 (permalink)
cyberdrakon Elite SLK World Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: SoCal, USA Vehicle: SLK55 2006 Other Toys: 560SEC 1990, CLK500 2005 Posts: 1,316 Country: Thanks: 15 Thanked 40 Times in 30 Posts	i washed the MF towels with my cotton woven drying towels 3/4 liquid detergent, 1/4 regular bleach.

03-12-2008	#7 (permalink)
Dolebludger Elite SLK World Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Yukon, OK Vehicle: '07 SLK 280; '04 C 320, '01 Honda S 2000, '98 Ford Ranger truck. Posts: 409 Country: Thanks: 33 Thanked 60 Times in 37 Posts	In cleaning microfiber cloths, there is also the problem of getting them totally clean. Ordinary top loading washing machines often don't get the job done. There are special detergents that will get them clean of things like wax residue. About a year ago, my wife bought one of those front loading washers. I had run out of the special detergent, so I tried regular front-loader detergent in the new machine with a "dedicated" load of microfibers. The result was surprising, as the microfibers came out cleaner and "clingier" than ever. Don't know if it is the front-loading machine, the special "he" detergent you must use in them, or both. But it works.

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