The five second rule doesn’t apply in this case
If you’re not already using microfiber towels to dry or clean your car, you should start. They’re not only much softer and more absorbent than traditional sponges, but also readily available, inexpensive, and effective for drying paint, cleaning windows, and detailing interiors. However, they require care, and if they get dirty, you’d be wise to retire them.
Microfiber towels are usually made out of tiny strands of polyester. The thickness of these strands can vary significantly depending on the quality of the towel, with some having strands 1/100th the diameter of a normal human hair. A single square inch of one of these towels can pack more than 200,000 fibers.
These tiny fibers are perfect for picking up dirt, grime, and gunk that builds up on a car’s exterior and interior, so it’s no surprise why they are the go-to for car detailers around the world. Microfiber towels are especially useful for drying a car, as a single large, high-quality towel can dry an entire car without risking damage. They are also much safer on paint than traditional chamois, or shammy, cloths.
All those fibers can trap unwanted dirt
The downside of using a microfiber towel is that it can pick up unwanted dirt. If you accidentally drop a microfiber towel while washing or drying your car, it’s very likely to pick up microscopic pieces of rock or sand from the ground. If you then use that towel on your car’s delicate paintwork, there’s a good chance you’ll create a bunch of swirl marks that’ll glisten in the sun and detract from your car’s overall look.
You can safely wash microfiber towels in your washing machine, and many companies even sell dedicated detergents designed specifically for them to remove oils, waxes, and polishes. However, not even fancy detergents are guaranteed to remove all the debris a towel may pick up from the pavement. So, if you drop a towel, it’s best to throw it away immediately. If you keep using it, you’ll likely damage your paint and leave scratches that only a professional detailer can remove.
If that sounds a little wasteful, a simple alternative is to use these towels elsewhere. Microfiber towels clean shower screens or benchtops just as well as they do a car’s paint, so moving them from your garage to your kitchen could be a good idea. Alternatively, you can use older microfiber towels to detail a car’s interior, such as wiping down door panels and dashboards. Just as we’d recommend against using dirty ones on your car’s exterior, it’s also wise to keep them away from interior screens, as dirt and sand can be incredibly abrasive.
