Microfiber towels have become a standard tool for high quality detailers. The ultra-soft fiber’s ability to safely lift and collect particles makes it ideal for so many parts of the detailing process. These towels can be a major investment for detailers who want to ensure they are using the proper products with good technique. A full detail can easily use 10 – 50+ microfiber towels. Since you will be using so many towels we have come up with some suggestions to help users maximize their microfiber towels performance and longevity.

One of the major benefits of microfiber towels is their ability to safely clean surfaces that can be easily scratched, such as the clear coat, coated wood, DVD and navigation screens, gauges, etc. A brand new quality microfiber towel will not add scratches to these surfaces, so it’s very important to keep your microfiber towels clean, for as long as you can. Never use these towels on an area that may trap large particles that could potentially be abrasive. Try not to drop your towel, put it down on a contaminated surface, or place it where it can fall or be blown on to the ground. Clean your towels immediately after each use and store them in a protected container, like large zip lock bags or a Rubbermaid bin. For more information about microfiber care visit “Microfiber Towels and Properly Caring for Microfiber“.

It is common to see the middle of a microfiber towel worn out while the edges look almost new. The problem with this is that the outside edges are still of high quality and safe while the middle may be contaminated and possibly dangerous to use on delicate surfaces like the clear coat. To maximize the functionality of the microfiber towel (16” x 16”) we recommend folding it in fourths while exerting pressure evenly across the towel. Folding the towel in fourths gives you eight different fresh surfaces to use and helps evenly distribute the wear and tear.

One of the primary functions of microfiber towels is hand removing excess polish, wax, etc. from the clear coat. After you have applied a wax over a small area fold your microfiber towel in fourths and remove approximately 80% of the excess product. Then flip the towel to expose a fresh side and remove the remaining 20%. This method gives you a fresh side of the microfiber towel to remove the remaining excess product, which better ensures you leave no residue behind. When you start to remove excess product from the next small section do not flip the towel, instead remove approximately 80% of the excess product. Then flip the towel and remove the remaining 20% and repeat the process.

Eventually all towels become too contaminated or worn out to be safely used on delicate surfaces. If you are unsure if a microfiber towel is still safe to use test it on the back of a CD. We recommend you categorize your microfiber towels into three different levels. The first level is for towels in pristine condition that will only be used on delicate surfaces. In time these towels will be downgraded to the second level, where they are used primarily for interior cleanings, glass care, leather care, metal polishing, etc. The second level is reserved for towels still in good to excellent condition but with slight wear. Eventually these towels will be downgraded to the third level where they will help clean the door jamb, engine bay and other contaminated areas. Heavily contaminated towels or towels with large abrasive particles may need to be discarded. We recommend storing and cleaning the different level towels separately, to help keep them in the proper level. Inspect each towel after each cleaning to ensure it’s in the proper level.

If you follow these tips you should be able to get more efficiency and functionality from each microfiber towel you have. This means more value from your purchases and better results at the same time.