Can a Chamois Leather be replaced by a microfibre cloth?

[IceBoy]

Hi All,

I was cleaning my car the old way, by using the chamois leather after I had rinsed it.

Now I change my Chamois every 9ish months, just incase any dirt is there....I always rinse it out in clean water after every wash.

So the question, can a chamois leather really be replaced by a microfibre cloth?

So what makes a good microfibre cloth and do you used it exactly the same way as a chamois?

I was in Costco and they have a 36 pack for about £15....is this any good....what makes a good microfibre cloth?

Cheers
IceBoy

[blank]

Microfibre drying towel would be better.

[mudster]

Not only can a chamois be replaced, it's actually meant to be a lot better. All the tiny microscopic bits of grit go into the microfibre weave and away from the paintwork (rather than being spread around as a chamois would do). You can get dedicated drying microfibre towels such as Meguiars Water Magnet specifically for drying cars and they absorb more water than a chamois.

I've only used microfibres on my car for a few years now.

[steveo3002]

i converted to towels a few years back , they are nice and fast to use

just make sure you wash them after use

[thinfourth2]

Yep a Chamois leather is something that can be left at the back of the cupboard and ignored

A microfibre cloth can also be left in the cupboard and ignored

[rix]

a MF is far better IMO - I use those yellow costco ones too - just rip off the tag in case it scratches. For drying the whole car a large waffle weave MF towel is unbeatable - available in Halfords (Meguires) as well as the better value alternatives from various online retailers

[PhillipM]

The Megs one isn't fantastic actually, I'd avoid that one.

[Mermaid]

A microfibre cloth for taking the water off and the leather for finishing, but both mangled frequently for best results.

[Dogwatch]

thinfourth2 said:

Yep a Chamois leather is something that can be left at the back of the cupboard and ignored

A microfibre cloth can also be left in the cupboard and ignored

The difference being that the Chamois doesn't like it and the microfibre doesn't care.

[Buzzkill]

I'd suggest buying a dedicated drying towel, possibly two depending on the towel and vehicle size.

I personally like Sonus der Wunder's.

Edited by Buzzkill on Sunday 24th January 19:55

[R60EST]

I am no expert on detailing , or cleaning as we used to call it before we watched all the American crap on TV , but I got a large Microfibre drying towel last year and it's miles better than a chamois.

You should wash the towel regularly be aware that fabric conditioner should NOT be used.

The towel I use dries my Audi A6 Avant in one pass without the need to wring it out.

[10JH]

The big microfibre cloth packs from Costco are great, probably not the highest thread count or whatever but they work great.

[IceBoy]

I'm guessing all MF cloths are not the same. So how do I know if it is a good quality one or not?

Material?
Weave?
Thickness?

Sorry for the numpty questions.

IceBoy

[Muzzer]

Yes.

I haven't used a chamois for ages, and I use the microfibres from Costco.

Two cloths does the whole car, although I use a drying towel for the roof and bonnet as these accumulate a lot of standing water.

[chevronb37]

Drying towel transformed car cleaning for me. Never felt very kind dragging a chamois over my paintwork...

[4mo]

Quick wipe with synthetic chamois to remove excess water, then a microfibre to dry.

As for microfibres keeping the grit trapped and preventing scratches, you've just washed it, it shouldn't be covered in grit!

[JDs Paul]

+

IceBoy said:

I'm guessing all MF cloths are not the same. So how do I know if it is a good quality one or not?

Material?
Weave?
Thickness?

Sorry for the numpty questions.

IceBoy

Microfibre is definitely the way to go to reduce the chances of marking a vehicle. Even after a wash a car can still have some tiny bits of grit left on it and even if you are 100% certain you have got it all, it can simply drop out of the sky while you are drying! Sadly it doesn't take much to mark a modern finish, using Microfibre just helps to reduce the chances of dragging anything across the paint.

To be extra careful - the car should be patted dry and not wiped.

Microfibre is most commonly made from a mixture of polyester and polyamide. Ideally you should be looking for a drying towel that is labelled as a blend of somewhere between 70/30 and 80/20 (polyester/polyamide). Other signs of a good towel are a non-scratch edging (made from either satin, microfibre or simply laser cut) and a sticker label (ripping a sewn in label off is a pain and can leave a scratchy edge). Pile is also important

To avoid the danger of full geek overload, the best bet is to go online to a specialist retailer of valeting/detailing gear and bear in mind that to an extent you get what you pay for with microfibre. Mail me if you'd like a place recommended.

How far you go to limit even the tiniest of marks depends on how particular you are, but pat drying with a good microfibre towel is often quicker than using a chamois and rarely slower.

[RobM77]

I've tried a few artificial chamois replacements and my clear favourite is a big hair towel I got from the Polished Bliss website. It soaks up the water really well and takes quite a while to get saturated. Washes well too.

[RichB]

I've been looking at all these towel/cloth things and now I'm confused I've been using Meguires (sp?) yellow waffle weave cloths for a few years and they work ok but to be honest you need two to dry a car then I've read about the fluffy towels are these any better at absorbing water?

Edited by RichB on Wednesday 5th May 08:31

[RobM77]

RichB said:

I've been looking at all these towel/cloth things and now I'm confused I've been using Maguires (sp?) yellow waffle weave cloths for a few years and they work ok but to be hinest you need 2 x dry ones to dry a car then I've read about the fluffy towels are these any better at absorbing water?

Yes, I've got a Meguires waffle weave cloth and bought a soft fluffy towel a few months ago (bought from Polished Bliss) and the fluffy towel works a lot better. What I tend to do is to hold one end of the towel in the air and use the other end to brush off most of the water, then swap ends and use the dry end to buff completely dry. One towel will dry my whole car using this method. It takes a while to dry afterwards, even hanging up on the washing line, but it's far more effective. I think it's simply because the hairs on the towel give it a much greater surface area and the furry design is just much better at drying the car. With the waffle weave towel the car never really ended up completely dry, and any dirt picked up by accident would be smeared round, rather than lifted off.