Okay, so my new Honda Fit is Black. And I've slowly been restocking my automotive detailing and washing supplies. With my old car, I wasn't afraid, or didn't care about using a drive-thru car wash, but with a new black vehicle? It's back to doing it all by hand. No, problem. I knew this was coming. It's not the first black vehicle I've owned.

But what I discovered when visiting several automotive supply sections is that Microfiber seems to be the "new" material of choice for almost everything in regards to automotive care. Wash your car? Microfiber wash mitts...Dry your car? Microfiber drying clothes..Doing the interior? Microfiber dust clothes.

Okay, so I've been mostly out of the loop for a while. But I'm nervous about using microfiber on my vehicle. Seems to me Microfiber is designed to trap dirt and particles. But in the case of a wash mitt I actually think that could be really counter productive or even potentially damaging. My logic being, as it was in the past, that I want the flowing water and the soap and suds to lift my dirt away. While I might have to use a mitt for stubborn areas, one that is potentially trapping dirt or particles within itself, which then could get pressed, or scraped along my paint surface seems dangerous. Seems to me by definition of the character of Microfiber that I don't want it as a wash mitt or a drying towel.

I've used microfiber for dust on plastic surfaces within my vehicle. That works great...but I just can't get onboard with it being a good material to use on painted surfaces outside my vehicle. Unfortunately, it's so popular now that finding a Non-Microfiber wash mitt is actually kind of difficult.

Seems to make more sense to me to use a wash mitt that is simply absorbent and as soft as possible...but not one that is necessarily made out of a material designed to trap particles.

So is my logic sound? Or my fears unfounded? Anyone use a microfiber wash mitt? Do I need to catch up with the times, or continue my search for a better quality wash supplies. I really was suprised how hard it was to find basics, that weren't microfiber.

 

I have microfiber everything for the main reason that it simplifies the washing procedures. By washing I mean washing the various mitts and cloths AFTER washing the car. Microfiber mitts work fine too. All microfiber is not created equal and special care is required to keep the cloths/mitts in good shape. Some exceptional MF stuff can be found here: Results for Prima Microfiber The best cloths are NOT cheap but I've had mine since I got the Fit (almost three years) and they're going strong still. My paint color, by the way, is Blackberry Pearl which is a nightmare to keep perfectly scratch free. It's almost like black with thousands of "features". With washing with the "two bucket system", A full detail (clay bar, ultra fine polish and two coats polymer coating) every six months and fanatical gentle treatment with super soft MF cloths (check Prima's "monster fluffies) My BBP 08 is relatively perfect except for a few paint chips in the front end. It looks like a purple mirror on the top and sides. It takes time, commitment and can be a pain but I think it's worth it. Sorry I wandered. Microfiber materials are exceptional and all your cloths and mitts can be MF and work superbly but again cheap MF products will yield lesser results than high quality MF products will. This rule goes for anything. Buy all your car care products at Walmart and you'll get Walmart results!

 

I owned a black vehicle in the past, so I know the commitment it takes to maintain them.

However, that was before the Microfiber "fad" seemed to take hold. Now it seems almost all wash/wax and detailing supplies are Microfiber.

I'm just suspicious when something becomes a marketing buzz word. I think that is the potential problem. Top Quality products be they microfiber or otherwise will always offer better results. But an inferior Microfiber, I think could be very damaging.

Basicly if we are talking about a wash mitt? Then I want something as soft and non-abrasive as possible that will lift dirt, but actually release it easily into the water and/or bucket.

I don't really feel good about a material designed to trap it.

 

After washing a section with the MF mitt I aggressively hit it with the hoze nozzle, Dip it in the rinse bucket, wring it out and put it in suds bucket so it'll be ready for the next section. Some of the absolute fanatics use lambs wool mitts which are pricey and don't last that long. It's your car and your call. NO MATTER WHAT system you choose you'll induce some scratches. That's what a periodic detail is supposed to fix. I also work from the top down when washing as the roof, hood and sides are easier to see scratches on. The wheels are ALWAYS done last due to brake dust and it's potential damage to paint. If you google for the detailing forums you'll find a thousand different ways to do any car related task. Some make sense and work and many are absolute stupidity. There are times when I wished I'd got a white or silver fit just because of those colors abilities to hide flaws.

 

Same here I use mf and have had no probs at all but rinse them out right do a section rinse do another section rinse as long as I keep the mitts clean no probs and they work great

 

Chenille for me is a good, cheap alternative to microfiber and lambswool - mainly because it's really absorbent and still soft. My wash mitt is made of the stuff. Everything else I use for cleaning is microfiber.

I'm no detailing expert though, I don't obsess over it as much as other people do.

 

There is definitely a difference in the micro fibers you buy at KMart and Wal-Mart versus the Automotive store. Some of these are rough to your skin and if you find them dragging on the back of your hand - they are going to do the same on your paint. I have to admit that Meguiar's microfiber towels are the best I have ever found. I have some from last year and they are still soft and doing a great job in getting the car detailed.

Cat :x

 

Lambskin for the washmit, microfiber for everything else. Again as many have stated here, if you buy cheap products expect cheap results (for the most part). I caught a killer sale on microfiber towels at pepboys and stocked up. They are good quality and have not done me wrong yet.

I have a BBP fit so I know almost as much as a black fit owner how hard it can be keeping the car clean. However after my detail day not too long ago where I clayed, polished and then waxed I have had very little to maintain. Again my car is garaged at work and at home so it's a bit different for me and I wash my fit weekly with Gold Class car wash from Meguiar's.

Bottom line, microfiber is not just a fad it is just the new standard by which automotive cleaning and detailing is being done with. You probably won't catch an up-to-date detailer without an entire stock pile of microfiber towels. And if you buy the right ones you will have a great set of cleaning/polishing towels for your Fit.

 

had a black car before and keeping it shiny is no joke. used to have the meg's mf towel and used that religiously to dry out the beads. until it snagged a tiny pebble and did it's deed on a few panels.

 

i got a grit guard from Detailed Image - Premium Auto Detailing Supplies

the heavy particles do indeed wash down when you scrub against it

 

I still use lambswool for hand washing (along with a grit-guard). As you stated I wouldn't trust microfiber for removing dirt.

But for drying I do use large, thick microfiber towels. My current favorite is the Chemical Guys 25" x 36" Miracle Dryer Absorber on sale for $9.95 each.

I have two for the Fit and one for our smart fortwo. Highly recommended!

Scott

 

Everything is microfiber now because it's better than cotton. Well, it should be. Except that you can get "cheap" microfiber, which will scratch the heck out of your paint. I just bought a 40 pack of microfiber cloths from Costco for a ridiculously low price. Will these be touching my paint? Heck no! I'll use them to clean dust off the inside and to detail the engine bay though. The good MF towels are not cheap, as someone else mentioned.

Not that there's anything wrong with a good cotton towel, except MF is a bit better and not scratching the paint.

Also, with MF, you can have different weaves. This changes it's properties. The Waffle weave has very good water absorption, but isn't as good as the split ends for removing product.

 

I like to use a waffle weave for dabbing (not wiping) the water off of my paint (NOT windows). Usually I can do the whole car with my waffle which is this one here:
DI Microfiber Waffle Weave Drying Towel - 36" x 24", Free Holiday Shipping Available | Detailed Image

That usually leaves wet spots all over the car, so I like to go back through with the softest, most plush MF towel I can find -- a trusty reTHICKulous towel like this:
DI Microfiber reTHICKulous Towel - 16" x 15", Free Holiday Shipping Available | Detailed Image

I apply a quick detailer while wiping with the reTHICKulous towel. My detailer of choice is this chemical guys speed wipe spray when not claybarring. I have a huge 2 gallon jug of it:
Chemical Guys Speed Wipe (Anti-Static) Quick Detailer - 16 oz, Free Holiday Shipping Available | Detailed Image -- this stuff even works on windows and trim, I love it. And no static = dust won't settle quite as well on your car.

Afterwards I dry my windows with separate plush microfiber towels like these:
DI Microfiber Ultra Plush Two Sided Towel - 16" x 16", Free Holiday Shipping Available | Detailed Image

While drying my windows I use this Meguires stuff. It's like a window cleaner "for dummies" and is safe on tint:
Meguiar's NXT Generation Glass Cleaner (24 oz) : Detailing.com

That leaves my blue paint nice and swirl free between waxes. Heres the car 2 months after a wax, after a "maintenance" wash:




I'm a huge fan of MF towels, and have spent a decent amount of $ building my collection. One common mistake people make though is that once they are done washing their cars, and they've hung their towels up to dry, they toss them all in a washing machine. This is a bad idea because you're mixing chemicals and dirt together. I keep separate towels for everything -- engine, wheels, paint, wax, windows, interior -- that way you're not trying to dry your windows with a towel you used to remove wax, or scratching up your paint with a towel you used to dry your wheels.

Edit: Oh yeah, and putting the MF towels into a dryer. Don't do that.

 

Meguiars has the best microfiber towels and they have last me for 2 show seasons. I will be replacing some of them this spring for waxing and polishing then the old ones will be repurposed.

Cat