Detailing 101: What Cloth Should You Use for Your Cars?

Your car will naturally encounter wear and tear from all kinds of debris. While cars can withstand different harmful environmental variables, you shouldn't underestimate their resistance to scratching. This is apparent once you look for cleaning options for your vehicle.

There's a wide range of towels for your vehicle. Unfortunately, using the wrong material can harm your car's exterior and interior surfaces. It can lead to light scratches at best to paint removal at worst. For this reason, some car owners may be confused about buying the right product.

Using the Right Towels

Simply using any rag or washcloth isn't enough for your car. Instead, you should look for products built from microfibers. This means a product is built with a synthetic blend or combination fibers which are usually polyamide mixed with polyester.

High-quality microfiber towels are labeled as 80/20 or 70/30. This represents the ratio of polyester to polyamide with the cloth. Polyester helps with the cloth's overall texture and durability, while the polyamide content reinforces its absorbency and ability to catch debris.

Contrary to popular belief, you don't need rough towels to scrub your car's exterior and interior components. Instead, you should mix a combination of moderate water pressure, light cleaning agents, and a soft microfiber cloth to work together. For this reason, a 70/30 ratio for higher softness is recommended for detailing purposes.

Differentiating Detailing and Drying Towels

Quality detailing towels are soft enough to work on polished paint without causing scratches. Ideally, you should look for a cloth without a laser-cut edge. Additionally, some types of hemmed edges and borders can also lead to scratching.

With drying towels, you have various options ranging from waffle weaves to extremely thick high piles. Although some towels have strong liquid absorbent properties, they may hold debris that can be dragged through your car's surfaces. This is why waffle weave or twisted loop hybrid should be your go-to options.

When dealing with interior detailing, you have more freedom to choose your cloth. However, you must be cautious about wiping over instrument panels and soft plastics.

Washing Your Cleaning Materials

Microfiber towels are delicate materials you should treat carefully, even when washing. Listed below are some guidelines when cleaning your microfiber cloths:

• Washing tools: When washing your microfiber towels, you need to wash them with similar material. This is why you should keep one for washing your cars and another to clean your microfiber cloth.
• Liquid detergent strength: Remember to use a specialized detergent that handles microfibers well. Moreover, you should avoid fabric softeners that can affect your cloth's texture after washing.
• Drying temperature: When drying, keep your dryer on low heat since microfiber cloths can easily melt at high temperatures.
• Proper organizing: When washing your different washcloths, you should label them accordingly. Otherwise, you might use the wrong towel for the inappropriate surface.

Conclusion

Besides using a suitable washcloth, you should also use the proper strength of soap and water pressure. Anything too light or powerful can compromise your car's frame. This is why DIY car detailing is a delicate procedure you need to learn and practice with precision. The more you know about your car's different properties, the more likely you'll make the proper product purchases for them.

At Pearl Nano Detailing Supply, we provide car owners with the right tools to care for their vehicles. Our product catalog includes plenty of DIY detailing products, from wash bundles to spray-on ceramic coating. If you're looking for quality microfiber towels, order from us today!