Microfiber scratched my Car?
 

Guess what I noticed ALL over my car today. Microscopic swirls everywhere, the kind you get when you take an old towel and rub really hard in circles, side to side, up and down. Obvioiusly people weren't sitting or throwing themselves on the hood and fenders of my car, so I know that I did it all myself.

I recently washed my car, and used those Vroom orange microfiber mit and sponge. I've had em for like 2 years though. I keep them in very good shape, they're so soft, and I wash them after every use, and even go through the trouble of picking through it for small rocks dust etc. Do I need new sponges? What are the best kind you can buy at a store and not online?

OR

After that wash, I also waxed. NXT Paste wax, using their supplied applicator. Maybe this thing caused the scratching?

Jeesus, I just spent like 3 days washing, polishing, and waxing my car, and then I notice in the sunlight all this crap that was never there before. Now I have to do this all over again....

hmm... did u rip off the little rectangular tag on the microfiber towels before using them? those are not soft and might leave micro-scratches/ swirls... also.. if u can see any discoloration or dirt staining on them that means it's time to throw it out and use a new one. u should be able to get rid of the swirls from polishing, zaino-ing etc. it takes practice, as i'm learning how to do it properly myself also.

You used a sponge? Ack!

Everyone uses a chenille covered sponge. Regular sponges seem to glom onto dirt and not release it. Still OK for the wheels though.

NXT will cover the scratches and eventually polish them away...

get good microfibers, if they are thick get them, if thin, dont.

swirl marks are a part of life, polish polish wax.

Yah, I didn't wanna have to polish my whole car yet. But I guess now I have to. Along with good cleaning products. Damn. If I use the NXT Paste wax with my dual action, and just buff all around the car, will it get rid of the swirling? How many times would it take to see results?

Go get yourself some nice Lake Country pads and a good swirl remover polish like an Optimum or Chemical Guys products. Also I advise getting some very very good microfiber s from either Danase, Chemical Guys or Excel Detail. When you wash use 2 buckets, one for wash and one for rinse. If you can afford to get away from OTC stuff then go for it. NXT is good but I don't use waxes. Look for either S100 if you must go OTC. When applying the wax did you use a back and forth motion or circular motion?

-Brett

Poorboy's swirl removers (SSR 2.5, followed by 2) should do the trick.

Sponges = teh bad

Depends on the level of swirls. I too use PB except I do SSR 2.5 then SSR 1. SSR 2 is still too abrasive and close to the 2.5. I then follow it up with EX-P then Natty's blue.

Also, a quality microfiber towel will not have tags at all. Open loops are even better and no stiched seams.

http://www.altspace.com/rx8/rear1.jpg

http://www.altspace.com/rx8/rear2.jpg

I didn't have luck with the SSR's nor DACP. This weekend I'm going to try my Optimum Compound for some scratches I have.

Which SSR did you use and what type of pad?

So how good are the Vroom (orange) microfiber clothes from Target? Or those yellow 25-pack Costco ones?

I use the Costco ones & Zaino products without issue

i've been using the vroom ones from target and they seem to work ok. a bit pricey though. i think they are like $10 for a 6-pack.

SSR 2.5 on an orange LC pad

This is what Zaino says about micro fiber:
Zaino has been testing various Micro-Fiber products. Unfortunately, the jury is still out on them. Some of them are excellent and do not scratch. Others are terrible and definitely scratch. The quality control of these products from overseas, especially Korea, is not consistent, so you never know if they will be the same scratch-free quality. Even when using the same brand, we found the quality to be inconsistent. For now, we do not recommend using them. However, lab testing is ongoing, and we will post an update when we have more conclusive results.

NOTE: If you are already using microfiber towels, look carefully at your paint finish under flourescent light when you are using your towels. If you are not getting any swirls or fine scratches from the microfiber towels, then you are okay and can continue to use them. Remember it's better to be safe than swirly.

And about what they recommend:
Towel Guidelines
I prefer high quality name brand 100% Cotton Towels Large White Bath Size for washing, drying and polishing. I don't like sponges natural or synthetic or any wash mitts, since they all can scratch.

Another great tip is to use a Toro 210mph Electric leaf blower. Dries your car in about 5 minutes.... without even touching the paint surface....

I prefer high quality name brand 100% Cotton Towels to dry the car. Chamois or the Absorber and especially the Water Blade are flat and could trap a piece of dirt and scratch the paint finish. Towels have nap and are much safer and forgiving. Even if it were to pickup a piece of dirt, the nap would cushion it.

Again Towels must be name brand high quality 100% Made in USA.

You must use only white. Not colored towels..... colored towels are not to be used because the dye leaves a chemical residue on the paint finish. Always wash your towels first before using. Use Liquid detergent and rinse twice.

When washing your towels. Only use Liquid detergent such as All or Tide, etc. Do not use Bleach, Powdered Detergents or any kind of fabric softener. They will leave a chemical residue on the towels which will transfer to your paint finish. Make sure to run rinse cycle twice to remove all detergent.

You should cut the selvages (borders) off the perimeter of the towels. This selvage contains nylon and polyester stitching that could possibly scratch your paint finish. The towels will fray a little once this is done. But it's better to play it safe.

Drying the towels on high heat will make them hold a static charge. I use the regular heat setting and remove them a little damp and let them air dry. You can fluff the towel real good when it's dry to make it softer.

As the towels get older they will lose there nap and absorbency and will have to be replaced.

Where to buy towels........

Some name brands make a lower quality version of their towels for K-Mart, Walmart and other big discount chains. These towels say 100% Cotton but that is not, totally true. The nap is 100% cotton but the backing material has polyester blend in it. So if you press a little to hard on the towel you can get some fine scratches or swirls. The point I'm trying to make is a lower quality towel is selling in a discount store for $6.00 or less (approximately) it is not the good stuff. I buy all my high quality towels at stores like Linens and Things and Bed, Bath and Beyond.

I realize that Cannon-Fieldcrest aka (Pillowtex) is no longer in business... but there are plenty of other towels still available. I buy all my Cannon & Fieldcrest towels in the Bath & Linen shops in the bigger stores in the mall. I pay anywhere from $10 to $20 per towel. You can also try Linens and Things or Bed, Bath and Beyond... If you cannot find the Cannon or Fieldcrest line, then any high quality substitute towel from the above stores is acceptable.

These are the real deal. I buy about 3 or 4 towels and they usually last me about a year.