[Burly]

What towel do you use when leveling and buffing a ceramic coating during application?

How towels do you usually use to level/buff coating on a typical car?

Do you fol

If using the Kirkland MF towel, do you only use the plush side or low nap/terry side?

My understanding is that ceramic coatings will basically ruin a microfiber towel once its hardened. I've read that most people throw them away after this use but I'll just use them for other stuff like cleaning engine bays. I'm thinking of using the brand new Costco/Kirkland microfiber towels for this leveling/buffing since their cheap.

Thanks!

[KirkH]

So the main thing you don't want to do is to ruin all your hard work by swirling up your newly coated surface with a bad microfiber towel.

A bad MF towel is 50 cents - $1

A good MF towel is $3-12

Go ahead and spring for the $3-5 towel from your major warehouse detailers like Autogeek, Autopia or Detailed Image. Get a 70/30 soft towel like an Eagle Edgeless from theragcompany.

After you use them on ceramic theyre not good for using on your car paint but still good for cleaning your glasses, interiors, etc.

Each towel has 8 clean sides. I usually use 6-8 towels on a coating job.

Don't let trying to save $25 wreck your newly coated paint surface.

[Glen e]

The idea of a mf towel turning into a massive amount of hardened glass is way overblown. I have probably coated 6 to 7 cars, using two or three different coatings, and yes my small micro suede applicator gets Stone-like, however I’ve never known it to leave my wipe off towels that way.

[KirkH]

Originally Posted by Glen e

The idea of a mf towel turning into a massive amount of hardened glass is way overblown. I have probably coated 6 to 7 cars, using two or three different coatings, and yes my small micro suede applicator gets Stone-like, however I’ve never known it to leave my wipe off towels that way.

Agree. I still use mine.

[TJay74]

If you immediately throw the application towel into a hot water wash they will be fine. I wash all of my towel as soon as I am done coating and or wiping the coating off.

[cmitchell17]

So even if we use the Costco (Kirkland) microfibers only once and never reuse them, since they are cheap enough to use once only, we are still going to scratch the paint with them?

Unfortunately I live out of an apartment now, I can't even get a water hose or electrical outlet to use, and on top of this I have to use my car as my daily driver and have to take the interstate to work. I think I will have to give up on trying to make my car nice, especially since its been extremely damaged from the rock chips from the interstate. Fortunately its all damage on the plastic front bumper that can probably be more easily replaced than a metal panel.

[SSport16]

Those wre good for wheels cleaning only! Don't use those MF towels on the paint at all!

[KirkH]

Chinese factories have a reputation for mislabeling their fiber and not having clean shops. Those cheap Costco towels are risky.

[SnakeEyeSS]

Originally Posted by Glen e

The idea of a mf towel turning into a massive amount of hardened glass is way overblown. I have probably coated 6 to 7 cars, using two or three different coatings, and yes my small micro suede applicator gets Stone-like, however I’ve never known it to leave my wipe off towels that way.

I have read to just soak them in a bucket of water with some APC for a few hours and they will be like new. I tried using plain hand soap on a rag out of curiosity and that worked too.

A cheap towel that a company will stand behind is the Meguiar's towels. As great as some of the new Turtle Wax stuff is I was looking at a bunch of the towels that Target is carrying now and they seemed like crap to me. Felt rough. Maybe they were just some bad towels, but none of them impressed me at all

[NeverDie]

Originally Posted by Glen e

The idea of a mf towel turning into a massive amount of hardened glass is way overblown. I have probably coated 6 to 7 cars, using two or three different coatings, and yes my small micro suede applicator gets Stone-like, however I’ve never known it to leave my wipe off towels that way.

The point is the coating dries IN the fibers and causes micro-marring, it doesn't turn it into a jizz towel but you are definitely doing damage by reusing them on corrected paint.n

It is particularly dangerous to be this flippant about these behaviors when talking to amateur and novice detailers who don't have the same experience level and should be more careful.

[Glen e]

Not my experience…, I visually inspected my towels every time I use them. run my hands across them and I don’t care if they have any stiffness in the fibers, it doesn’t scratch my cars. There is no ”flippant” here, been detailing for 15 years and I’ve never had this problem.

[NeverDie]

"in my experience" actually defines an anecdotal response, which isn't valid.

Just because you don't notice it (it's actual science though, no point in arguing it) absolutely does not mean it doesn't exist. There is a reason the manufacturers have these recommendations, because they know the chemical engineering and the effects thereof. It is best to follow them rather than offer anecdotal evidence that doesn't translate to the science, and again when speaking to NOVICES it isn't exactly proper to compare to an experienced professional because a NOVICE will make more mistakes and should follow instructions more closely... so yes, that was quite flippant as was the retort.

[SSport16]

No offense, but ceramic coatings aren't really designed to be applied by a novice as you say that you are. I would start off with a polymer coating like a Blackfire Crystal Sealant for someone like your self. Much easier and less chance of issues arising, and if something does arise, much easier to address and correct. I have been detailing for 20 years, seriously detailing for 5 years +, and I have no desire to use ceramic coatings on my vehicles, too much of a PITA, especially with me being OCD about everything...not to mention I have very high quality towels, D/A Polisher, tools, and materials, I still have no interest in it.

[NeverDie]

No offense taken as I am clearly not a novice nor did I even remotely imply or state anything close to that, I also have a very clear understanding of the chemistry here as well.

This is a message forum, there are people of varying degrees of skill level here. When someone asks a question such as this, it is quite simply irresponsible to state anecdotal evidence of a professional in this situation. The manufacturers recommendations should be all that you give, because you do not know more about these products than the manufacturer. Nearly all manufacturers recommend throwing out the towels, and yes as I have gone over it is for very good reason.

I'm confused about another part of your comment, there are multiple consumer-grade ceramic coatings on the market so that doesn't seem relevant. A sealant such as BlackFire isn't nearly as effective, doesn't last as long, actually isn't much easier to apply (if at all) and isn't in the same category as a coating. It isn't a bad product, depending on how you plan to use it and store the vehicle, but it certainly isn't a coating and as such it would be safe to reuse the towels with that product.


At any rate, it doesn't matter how many credentials each of us provide. I'm sure we have a combined 54000 years of detailing experience and we've all reverse engineered every product that's ever seen the market... but... when we are advising people of all skill levels it is dangerous and ignorant to relay anecdotal evidence that is clearly against the manufacturers recommendations as well as the actual chemistry of the product.