Noob's Microfiber Towels Review

[irunnoft]

Ok so I'm new to the whole wide world of detailing. Darn that Morpheus. . . I should never have entered the Matrix.

Anyhow, I thought I'd provide some reviews from the perspective of a rank amateur for other people out there who might be in the same situation I was or who might have some questions that they feel are too silly to ask. Again, I'm not a Dylan or AJ, but I'm gonna get there!

So one of my first questions was what's the deal with all the MF towels? Isn't a towel just a towel? The short answer is: no! Before I would order various Adam's products, I would read the threads in the forum pertaining to the subject. I'd try to get all the info I could out of Adam's videos, Junkman's videos and comments from other Adam's experienced forum members.

First and foremost, a quality MF towel is essential if you want to keep your paint free from damage and swirls. I had a bag full of the cheapies I bought in the Automotive section at Wal-Mart. I now use them to clean my pet taxi and as shop rags. If you think about it, it makes absolutely no sense to spend good money buying high-end Adam's products only to turn around and ruin your results with a cheap MF towel!

Ok so here's the run down on what I've bought and why.

1) Adam's Great White Microfiber Drying Towel
Adam's Great White Microfiber Drying Towel

Do yourself a favor and spring for the deal on 2. It's worth the money and you'll just wind up buying another one later. I did. At first, I bought 2 and then I came back and bought one more and then one more. Right now, I've got 4 and I could probably stand 2 more (I've got three vehicles here to work on at any given time). I will say this, even if you're thinking about buying a MetroVac Master Blaster, I'd still recommend buying the GWT. More on that in a minute.

So these towels are amazing. They soak up water like a sponge. They are very easy to use, they will NOT scratch your paint and you can easily wash them in the washing machine once they get dirty. From what I've read, I don't dry mine in a dryer (even without a fabric softener sheet as there is always residue of those sheet in the dryer'd drum). I wash all my MF towels in an Allergy formula soap (I use All) and then I hang them on clothes hangers in my laundry room to air dry. In particular, some Adam's Forum Members have had issues with their GWT picking up some residual fabric softener from the dryer and that has effected the performance of the GWT. If this happens, just re-wash the towel and air dry it. It will be as good as new.

I have a Dodge Challenger, and it takes at least 2 GWT to dry the car. You might be able to get away with just one if you have a smaller car, but when you can pick up a second one for just $15 more, it makes more sense to order 2. Trust me, you want at least 2 of these!

So what if you're planning to order the Master Blaster or the Side Kick? I would still buy at least 2 GWT towels. I did, in fact, order the Master Blaster and I highly recommend it, but the combo of the GWT and the Master Blaster is great. I use the GWT to cover the large panels of the car and remove the water. Once I've got the majority of the water removed with a GWT, then I come behind it with the Master Blaster. This tool or the Side Kick will get all the water that's hiding in your tail lights, head lights, side mirrors, etc. So the GWT and the Master Blaster is a very FAST way to get my car TOTALLY dry. Let's face it, nothing's more annoying than trying to polish or wax your car and then have water come dripping out from below your tail light. Those days are done. I consider the GWT an essential MF towel.

2) Adam's Single Soft Microfiber Towel
Adam's Single Soft Microfiber Towel

You need like 8 of these things. Again, this is another product where Adam has put together a deal if you buy 2. Trust me - buy 2 at the very least. One thing you need to consider if you're thinking about buying just one towel of any type - what happens if you drop it? Uh-oh. That towel's done until it's washed! No! You can't snap it and go back to using it. No! You can't wipe it on your pants and go back to using it. Trust me - it's got dirt or grit in there if it hit the ground or driveway. You don't want to ruin all your hard work, so having plenty of extra towels around, for me, has been a great thing.

Adam's Single Soft MF towels are amazingly plush and soft. They are great for removing just about any Adam's product. They can be used on the interior as well as the exterior of your car. I've used them basically for any product removal (Spray Sealant, Brilliant Glaze, Swirl & Haze Polish, Fine Machine Polish, Machine Super Sealant, etc.). There's no such thing as too many of these fine towels. I've never had the pleasure of using a better MF towel than this. Like all the others, throw it in the wash when it's dirty and let it air dry. It'll be ready to go overnight.

3) Adam's Double Soft Microfiber Towel
Adam's Double Soft Microfiber Towel

Everybody should have at least 1 of these. This is quite simply the world's most incredibly soft, full, fluffy microfiber towel. Period! I'd like a bath robe or a blanket made out of this stuff. It's amazingly thick and plush. I use my Double Soft MF towel for buffing out Americana Paste Wax or Buttery Wax. I also use it to go over my ride once I'm finished will all the polishing and waxing. It's just a luxurious way to pamper your car. I started out with 1 of these but now I think I have 3 or 4. Again, here as before, go for the 2 pack. You'll save money and be glad to have the extra towel in the long run.

That leads me to this point I'd like to stress. Please do yourself a favor and check out the various kits and packs that Adam has put together. I've priced these out and you save money when you buy things this way. Plus there's never something in the kit that's just "filler". You'll need everything in any given kit at some point or another, so you might as well save some money and buy them in a pack.

4) Adam's Microfiber Glass Cleaning Towels
Adam's Microfiber Glass Cleaning Towels

Now you may think like I did, "Why do I need a glass cleaning towel? Can't I just use my regular MF towel?" Yes, you can. You could also use a banana but just because you 'could' doesn't mean you 'should'! I was skeptical at first that there would be any appreciable difference between this towel and the other MF towels I'd already purchased. WRONG! These towels are specifically designed to work on glass. One thing I like is that, like a lot of Adam's products, these are color coded. Adam's Glass Cleaner is green and so it makes sense that these towels would also be green. I never have to wonder what towel to use on my glass. I grab a green one. I also never have to wonder about what that towel had been previously used for or what product might have been used on it. If it's green, it's only had Glass Cleaner on it.

One thing I noticed about these towels is that they are dual sided. One side has a more flat texture while the other has a more suede like feel to it. This is a perfect one two combo for making sure your windows are perfect. I start out with the sueded side to lightly clean the windows of any grime or grit and then finish with the flatter side. My windows have all come out spotless with this MF towel and Adam's Glass Cleaner. (For dirtier, bug-gut covered windows, I'd probably recommend Clay before the Glass Cleaner).

These towels come in a 2 pack and I'd buy at least one set, but there's also an option on the website to upgrade to a 5 pack for just $10 more than the price of 2, so here again, I'd opt for the better deal. You'll never be sorry that you have plenty of MF towels on hand!

5) Adam's Edgeless Microfiber Utility Towel
Adam's Edgeless Microfiber Utility Towels

It's easy to overlook this towel, but don't. You don't want to use your clean, white Adam's Single Soft Microfiber Towels to remove Spray Sealant from your wheels or to clean around your door jamb! These black towels are perfect for using in areas where you know you're going to run into more dirt and grime. Don't let the appearance of these fool you, though. These towels are just as safe to use on any painted surface of your car. They won't hurt your finish. They are black so you don't have to worry about them getting filthy and showing their wear. These are going to be your go to MF towels for working on your wheels, cleaning around your engine bay, cleaning the areas around your doors, trunk, etc. A word of caution, though, do not wash these with anything else other than black MF towels. The color will bleed and discolor anything else it's washed with. This color transference will occur even if you place this black MF towel in a pile with other MF towels. This did happen to me. I'd placed this black MF towel in a pile with 2 wet GWT towels and some other MF towels and the water from the GWT caused the black MF to bleed. Most of the black came out of the GWT when I pre-treated it with Adam's All Purpose Cleaner before washing.

Like the MF Glass Cleaning Towels, these come in packs of 2 or 5. Go ahead and pick up 5 for $10 more. Better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it!

6) Adam's Microfiber Waterless Wash Waffle Towel
Adam's Microfiber Waterless Wash Waffle Towels

I'd recommend picking up at least 2 of these (they come in a pack of 2). These blue waffle towels were designed to be used with Adam's Waterless Wash which is - surprise - blue! Maybe you've read or figured out "Hey, isn't the Great White Towel a waffle towel? Can't I just use that?" Yes, you can, but I can tell you from experience that it's much easier to handle the blue waffle towel for the smaller areas you're going to be concentrating on than the GWT. The process for using the Waterless Wash involves strict adherence to the directions - one of which is constantly folding the towel and working with a clean side. This is much harder to do with a GWT because they are so large! I also don't want to use chemicals on a towel that I use specifically for drying the car. Like I said earlier, fabric softeners impede the GWT ability to absorb water. I don't want to introduce anything to my GWT that might cause it to lose its effectiveness. Although I doubt very highly that Waterless Wash would do anything to harm a GWT and although I believe that the towel would be returned to full effectiveness after a machine wash, I'd rather err on the side of caution.

At first I didn't think I'd need this towel, but once I bought Waterless Wash, it was a must. I also have found that the Waterless Wash is great to use in areas on the interior of my car, so these waffle MF towels are great for the interior as well as the exterior!

So hopefully this helps cover some newbie questions about the various MF towels available at Adam's. Yes, it's a little overwhelming at first, but once you start getting your feet wet in the detailing process, you'll begin to understand and see the need for the differentiated microfiber towels that Adam's sells. They all have a place in your arsenal. I definitely have more of certain types than others.

I am not an Adam's Authorized Reseller, Distributor or Employee. I'm just a customer who appreciates all the help I've received directly and indirectly from this forum and the great people who moderate it, contribute to it and tireless answer PMs. I wanted to do a little something to pay it forward.

[Golf for Life]

Good review Irunnoft, one can never have too many Adams Micro fiber towels. They work great.

[irunnoft]

Thanks, Mark. The funny thing was I can remember back when I was placing my initial orders I thought "Ah, I'll just get a few of the Single Soft MF towels. I don't need these other ones."



Yeah, right!

I better understand that they really all have their place in a detailing arsenal. They also work great, so that's a bonus, too.

[07RS4]

Quite impressive on the review Jim. Nice job for anyone on the fence about getting any of the MF's.

You will find that the Waterless Wash towel is so versatile, you will need alot more than two however. I thought the same thing when i first tried them out....now I have 16 and don't regret it one bit. Less laundry loads and less wear and tear.

Again, nice job.

[egott_91]

Great review. I have 5 or 6 single softs (never used yet), 3 or 4 double softs, 3 great whites, 2 utility towels, 1 waffle weave (will get more eventually), and 4 or 5 glass towels. I just got the waffle weave for christmas and haven't been able to use it yet either due to sucky Indiana weather. I got the single softs too late in the season to put those to use too.

[Grubrunner]

Adam's Great White Microfiber Drying Towel - Yes, a superb product that will all but eliminate your drying time, that holds water insane. Kudos to the person who came up with its size too.... very astute.

Adam's Double Soft Microfiber Towel - It took a lot for me to toss out my old Big Blue Back-bordered microfiber towels - as I thought they were the best available - but I switched to these very recently and I'm sold. I now have close to twenty of them and think maybe I should get more. The best I've used thus far!

Adam's Double Soft Microfiber Towel - Yes, a great towel.... until it's washed/dried. Lint like crazy for me. I'll stick with the singles.

Adam's Microfiber Glass Cleaning Towels - Had the opportunity to use them very recently as I was a spkeptic for some time. True, works fantastic on a "dirty" window, but I saw no visible differenced on freshly washed/detailed glass. Again, I'll stick with my tried-n-tested singles.

Adam's Edgeless Microfiber Utility Towels - Have yet to have the pleasure as I use the el-cheapo Sam's Club MF towels for the "dirty" stuff. I probably will pull the plug soon.... though I wish Adam's offered them in a multi-pack of like 30 or so.

Adam's Microfiber Waterless Wash Waffle Towels - Wow! If you use Waterless Wash and you don't have these towels, then you're simply short-changing yourself. Do yourself a favor and grab these towels.... they're worth every cent. I've quickly become a HUGE fan!

Just calling it the way I see it.

Also.....

Thanks for taking the time to forward a detailed review.

[VelosteRyan]

Great review!

[dipolley]

That is an excellent write-up. I know you think you are a noob Jim but you seem to be doing everything right. Searching the forums, reading the threads, watching the videos, and using every tool at your disposal before making a buying decision or working on your rides. Koodos to you and I look forward to seeing more wite-ups from the noobs point of view. Before you R. U. N. N. O. F. T. to the expert world.

[irunnoft]

Originally Said by dipolley That is an excellent write-up. I know you think you are a noob Jim but you seem to be doing everything right. Searching the forums, reading the threads, watching the videos, and using every tool at your disposal before making a buying decision or working on your rides. Koodos to you and I look forward to seeing more wite-ups from the noobs point of view. Before you R. U. N. N. O. F. T. to the expert world.

HA! You're the first one that got my O Brother, Where Art Thou reference! My favorite line from that movie was when the little Hogwallup crashed through the burning barn and hollered "Get in fellas....I'm gonna r.u.n.n.o.f.t!" It still cracks me up. That and the image of George Clooney with a hair net on holding a squealing pig!

[Dylan@Adams]

Nice writeup! Thanks for the feedback.