moecaballero

Colored towels I wash before first use...white towels rarely.

Just curious how many people wash their new towels prior to using them for the first time? Is it necessary? 

I do not do a full wash, but I run them thru a rinse cycle.

The only ones I'd recommend washing are the orange or gray towels. The orange ones especially severely lint, even after a couple washes

I dont always wash them, but perhaps throw them in the dryer/tumble only for 20min.
But i also wont use them on a perfect finish Straight from the bag/box.
And if they do shed or streak, you/me/us, cant complain because we knew that going in, that it could be a possibility. Same with scratching, who knows how or where they were made. Or how long they sat before being packaged etc...

If i have a large enough stack to make it worth while, i throw them in the washer. If its just one or two then ill just use them like that.

I don't.  I make sure to give them a good SNAP to get the loose fibers out.

Thanks Steve! I really need to get these updated Detailing Flow Charts and Handbook out ASAP because I think they will be a great visual aid for people new to detailing, and the experienced detailers might find them beneficial too

Here she is:
 

Not sure if this helps.
 
http://www.adamsforums.com/topic/20836-recommended-speeds-for-the-flex/?hl=%2Bflex+%2Bspeeds

Ballpark figures:
 
Speed 6 for Paint Correcting Polish + Orange pads
Speed 5 for Paint Finishing Polish + White pads
Speed 3 for Liquid Paint Sealant/Brilliant Glaze/Buttery Wax + Red or Grey pads

If you work in construction, your truck is new and hasn't been deconditioned yet, I would get the Paint Correcting Polish, Paint Finishing polish combo with the foam pads, a Clay bar kit, and Liquid Paint sealant, and go to town.
 
The MF pads tend to cut more than foam pads, which is why I recommended them to you.  If you watch his writeups, even Phil at Detailers Domain uses a compounding step on his new car preps, even cars "fresh off the trailer" tend to have swirls and scratches from careless preps, the automatic car washes they use to clean their cars, dirty towels to dry, etc.
 
Working in your field, you have a ton of stuff I'm sture embedded in the paint, so start with a good wash and Clay Bar session, get that paint smooth as glass, don't worry about swirls/scratches yet!  Then use the orange correcting polish with foam pad, the nice thing about it is that the work time isn't too long, so if you work a 2x2 area with a couple passes, you may wipe the residue away and find that your swirls/scratches are removed, if they aren't keep working it down.  When corrected, then you can go straight to white pad and polish to smooth and bring out the gloss.  That might only need a pass or two as well.  Then put a nice coat of the new Liquid Paint Sealant (or aerosol quick sealant if you prefer) and you will have protected your finish for the next 6 months.

My wife has a 2013 Tuxedo black Focus and the paint and clearcoat on the car is pretty hard, as with most american cars.You can use either microfiber or your foam pads to get great results. That paint should really "pop" because of the black paint and the amount of metalflake in the paint.Ford does a great job with thier recent new paint colors they have and tuxedo black is one of my favorites.Here are a couple of pics of my wifes Focus after I used Machine Sealant, Brilliant Glaze, and then waxed with Americana.The shine on the hood is from my neighbors trees next door, over 75 feet away!! Good luck!!
 

It's funny our different preferences for the same product. Some commenters love it while others are indifferent or even dislike it. But I'm sure we all agree the Undercarriage Spray smells great!
I think this product is essential for trucks and SUVs since the inner fender is so exposed. Not having a dark, even look to it can distract from the cleanliness of the paint (much like neglecting to dress the tires). Also, the rear frame rails are pretty visible by the wheels, and the IUC does a great job of dressing up the ugly coating on them. It's all about the details, right? These are the kinds of things that most people won't notice when they're clean, but they stand out when they're dirty.