Comparing Microfibre Car Cleaning Cloths

The market for microfibre car cleaning cloths, is fierce. With the demand for microfibre increasing in both retail and professional channels, dozens of small factories in Korea and China have sprung up, seemingly overnight, to compete solely on cost. These factories are flooding the American and UK markets with low-cost, inferior products.

There is a significant difference between quality microfibre car cleaning cloths and junk coming in by the boat load.

Here's what you need to know:

1. Most inexpensive cloths use microfibre thread that is not split. Quality microfibre cloths absorb 7-8 times their weight in water because the fibres are split, creating more surface area. The cheap cloths are not split because the equipment necessary to produce micro-replication splitting is very expensive.
2. The microfibre threads on cheap cloths are larger.  Quality microfibre strands are .01 to .02 denier.  Lately, we've been seeing very inexpensive cloths coming from China with a denier of .5 or higher.  That’s about the same as the polyester thread used in bath towels for increased durability.
3. Some of the inexpensive cloths may also be 100% polyester or have low polyamide content.  As a result, the towels will have little absorbency capability.  Before you buy a bundle of microfibre cloths at a ‘ bargain” price, look, feel and read the label. Some inexpensive microfibre detailing towels are thin and have a short nap.

Budget Microfibre Towels

Beware of budget towels, these cloths are not suitable for detailing your car. Look closely at the top of your microfibre applicator pad.  Do you see the thin nap? If so, this is a good example of the low-cost product coming from the "budget" factories in Korea and China. 

Just because it's "microfibre" does not mean it's a quality product.

The Importance of Quality Microfibre Car Cleaning Cloths

1. Towel density is important.  Density is a measure of fibres per square inch of fabric.  The range for quality microfibre is 90,000 to 225,000 fibres per square inch.  Generally speaking, the higher the fibre count the better the towel will absorb water and clean.
2. The ratio of the polyester and polyamide blend is important.  While 80% polyester and 20% polyamide is typical, a 70/30 blend will absorb water faster.  As polyamide is much more expensive than polyester, you can expect to pay more for a 70/30 blend.
3. Make sure you look at the weave and fabric thickness (plush-ness) of the towel.  Depending on the specific task the cloth is designed to perform, the fiber ends may be hooked (for cleaning), feathered (for polishing and glass cleaning), or tufted (for drying). The DMD Detailing Super Plush Microfibre Drying Towel has a tight weave with an ultra plush pile perfect for the demands of cleaning your lcar.  The Sonus Microfibre Buffing Towel is safe for all paint finishes and glass and will not scratch the surface yet it is tough enough to remove all wax and polish residue.
4. We all know the saying; it costs more to make quality.  Microfibre is no different.  Quality construction is not always obvious, so let me share some observations.  The biggest complaint with automotive microfibre is that towels with cheap edging scratch your paint.  There are two possible reasons.  First, the factory uses a hot wire system to cut their towels.   If not properly adjusted, or if a cheap machine is used, the hot wire will melt the fabric.  When polyester and nylon melt, they turn into hard plastic.  The second complaint is that the towel creates excessive lint.  Microfibre lint is caused by towels with a high pile or a broad weave using a fibre split that’s inappropriate.  The high pile or loose weave allow the fibres to break off, creating lint.  The same split fiber used in a towel with a higher fabric density will lint less or not at all.  Don’t assume that a towel that does not lint is a high quality towel. The cheapest towels don’t lint because they do not have split fibres.