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!

Can I Use a Bath Towel to Dry My Car

So, can I use a bath towel to dry my car?

The short answer is no. You can physically do it, but it’s definitely a bad idea.

One of the most important aspects of car maintenance is a regular car wash because your car comes into constant contact with a lot of different substances, like:

• Dirt
• Debris
• Bird droppings
• Bugs
• Grime
• Salt 

All these, when left untreated can damage the paint and finish of your car. They can also damage the metal beneath the car.

A regular run through the car wash can help eliminate all of these deposits. Your ultimate rule of thumb should always be: When you see dirt, it's probably time for a car wash!

Drying Your Car

Regular car cleaning is critical, and the often overlooked step of drying is one of the most important parts - even though it’s not always done correctly.

Most people neglect and overlook this step because they assume that once the car is clean, all they have to do is eliminate the drops of water, but doing it right will make a significant difference in how your car looks (short- and long-term).

There are a few reasons why you should always dry your car right, such as:

• Protecting the overall finish and paint
• Avoiding scratches
• Improving the appearance of the car

Should you towel dry your car after washing? It’s not the best method, and some types of towels cause damage. Once you learn the proper way to dry your car, you'll never look back.

Can You Dry A Car With a Bath Towel?

Can I use a bath towel to dry my car? It’s hard to believe that the bath towel, which seems like the most perfect car drying solution is actually a big NO, NO. It is a cheap option, and well, it's right there! But the truth is that a bath towel will do more harm than good.

Unfortunately, almost all car owners are guilty of this grievous sin at one time or another!

So, let us tell you why this is never right, and why you must never dry your car using a bath towel.

Bath Towels Are Too Harsh

Can I use a normal towel to dry my car? Again, nope. The main reason to not use a bath towel is that it is too harsh. The fibers are too coarse and harsh for your car’s paintwork. 

These harsh materials are actually the reason why you find ugly scratches and swirls on your car’s clear coat. The paint on your car consists of a few layers, and two of the most important ones are the base coat and the clear coat.

The base coat is what gives the car its beautiful color, and the clear coat is found on the top and helps protect your car from corrosion, dirt, and UV damage. This helps your car not fade with time.

Now, the clear coat is not as tough as you may think, and in fact, it is actually quite delicate. Any friction on the car causes the coat to scratch, and these are not the kind of scratches you will see easily with normal lighting, but rather you can see them under direct sunlight.

They make your car look flat and dull.

The only way to get rid of the scratches would be to remove or cut off a layer of the paint, in order to reveal the smooth flat surface that reflects light evenly, and nobody wants to do that! 

When you remove a layer of the coat, you expose your car to even more damage. 

It Drags Dust On The Paint

You will slowly realize that what you need to do is protect the paint of your car for as long as possible, in order to keep it looking great for longer.

Now, whether you dry your car a few seconds after rinsing or you wait a little later, you will inevitably cause dust to settle on its surface.

Even if you find an enclosed car wash to clean your car, dust will settle on it either on a lesser or higher level.

Now, the issue with bath towels is that when wiping across the panel, they will drag this dust on the paint and cause your car’s paint to get scratched and look ugly.

Which is The Safest Method To Dry Your Car

There are many other safer methods of drying your car other than using a bath towel. Here are a few of them:

Best Towel To Dry Car Without Scratching

A microfiber towel is one of the safest and most popular methods of drying your car. It is also the best towel to dry car without scratching. A microfiber towel can be purchased at almost any store and it is reasonably priced as well, simple to use, and washable.

It’s much better than a bath towel, but the downside is that it’s still a towel, so it can scratch your car.

The best part about it is the fact that it is designed for use on almost any car paint. Typically it’s made of a polyester/nylon blend that’s denser than the regular towels as a result of its microscopic fibers.

This allows the towel to have more fibers present in any given area on the towel and it also makes it soft, less prone to wrinkling, and more absorbent compared to shirts and regular towels.

Using A Blow Dryer To Dry Your Car

A blow dryer provides moving air. Using moving air to dry your car is arguably the safest method for drying your car - much better than using a towel. 

It’s perfect because you will not make any physical contact with the paint surface, and the concept is what you would find at automated car washes, but with a small blow dryer, comes compressed air, which works great as well. 

Some people suggest using a leaf blower to dry your car, but this isn’t a good idea, as it’s likely to kick up some unwanted materials from the ground. There are some dedicated vehicle driers you can use, but drying your car really should be a roof-down approach in order to keep the water moving towards the ground.

But, What Exactly Is A Car Dryer?

You’re probably picturing a powerful hair dryer that’s specifically for dry surfaces, but that’s not exactly it.

A car dryer is designed to blast water from your car without scratching it. Because your car is an extremely expensive investment, you should try to retain its value as best you can. 

But Is It A Worthy Investment?

Yes.

This is a great investment, as you will find most car washes do not have a blow-drying machine for your car. 

The value you accrue from maintaining your car scratch-free is more than the cost of the blow dryer. This is because it ensures you keep the car looking great for longer, and this maintains its resell value if you ever want to sell it.

Should You Towel Dry Your Car After Washing

So, can I use a bath towel to dry my car? Only if you want to damage your exterior.

A dedicated dryer, such as BLO Car Dryers, provides you with the best and safest method to dry your car without scratching it. Our car dryers offer a warm-filled and safe way to ensure the paint remains intact at all times.

The no-contact drying will ensure you do not get any abrasions, swirls, or scratches as you would with a towel, no matter how soft the towel may be.

So remember, never ever dry your car using a bath towel, no matter how enticing it may look. The bath towel will cause more harm than good.