Do Microfiber Towels Scratch Car Paint?

This post contains affiliate links. Read the full disclosure here.

Is a microfiber cloth capable of scratching? I mean can that seemingly smooth and delicate-looking silky=like material that feels so soft to the touch and caresses so gently while cleaning, actually cause a scratch to a car paint? Anyway, like they say, looks can be deceiving, so instead of assuming, let us rather dig deeper to find out the real truth about this.

Microfiber cloths are specially designed to thoroughly clean surfaces, glass, mirrors, tabletops, and the likes. As they clean, they remove stains, germs, grease, grime, and streaks.

Now, if they are able to perform these functions and perfectly well too if I may add, how then do we have people experiencing their car paint scratched while using a microfiber cloth? How then do we have people come up with the question: Do microfiber towels scratch car paint?

Will i scratch my car with microfiber towels

Ideally, a microfiber cloth is meant to be washed after each use. Consumers are advised to wash out the grease, dirt and lint gathered from its previous cleaning task before setting it to perform another.

In a Hurry? Don’t go without checking this TRENDING Topic Out - 6 Best Towels For Blackstone Griddle In 2022 out

The reason is not farfetched. It is actually because a dirty microfiber cloth cannot eliminate germs, kill bacteria, or clean well in general.

The dirt and lint on the microfiber cloth can mar the fine coat of your car paint if you fail to adhere to the simple and unambiguous guidelines of using the microfiber cloth.

It’s a straightforward analogy and very easy to understand. The microfiber needs to be clean to give you a squeaky clean result.

Contents

Are microfiber towels meant to clean cars?

Microfiber towels are actually an excellent tool to use in cleaning your cars. They are great at disinfecting your car interiors, sucking in germs and bacteria at the same time, giving the exterior that shiny glossy look.

They clean car glasses sparkly clean, leaving no form of streak. However, for the exterior, a high-quality microfiber towel should be used else you risk scratching the car paint while just about any other microfiber towel can suffice for the interior. 

What other ways can the microfiber cloth scratch car paint?

Now that we know how unclean microfiber cloths can cause a scratch on your car paint, let us familiarize ourselves with some other possible ways in which a microfiber cloth can cause a scratch on your car paint.

Asides from keeping them clean, a low-quality microfiber towel may scratch your car paint while cleaning. Low quality microfiber towel is one made out of substandard properties.

For example, the synthetic fiber used i.e polyester might be less than 100%. The bottom line is that you stand at great risk of scratching your car paint if you make use of a low-quality microfiber material plus for the purpose of cleaning or waxing your car, only high-quality microfiber towels are recommended.

Trending Searches

How to know a high-quality microfiber cloth

A lot of people are wired to think that the more high-priced a microfiber towel is, the better it is. While that may be true, let us take a look at other practical ways in which we can know microfiber towels with the best qualities. 

One of the ways we can identify a high-quality microfiber cloth is by taking the time to go through the labeling claims. What are its properties? What does the ratio of polyester to polyamide read?

The correct ratio has to be either 80/20 or 70/30 What is the size of the fibers? Normally, high-quality microfiber towels should be below 0.5 deniers.

Denier is the term used to measure microfibers. As a rule, the smaller the fiber, the better its grip and overall effectiveness. It is specially designed to be extra small to enable it to pick up dirt and bacteria within. So, you cannot really say that you have a high-quality microfiber towel if this fact is not checked out yet.

Secondly, a lot of people subject different kinds of microfiber towels made by different brands to a series of tests to discover the one that is thicker, more durable, better absorbing, and with a good texture.

This is not a bad idea in itself, but a lot of people might not be able to afford this test or would not be willing to throw money away just to conduct it.

An alternative to doing this would be to visit the websites of different brands, read about the products then move on to the customer reviews to see if the feedback from the consumers consolidates the claims of the producers.

Carefully reading these details on the websites of multiple brands while checking in with your personal needs would give you an idea of the brand you should settle for and just what to expect from the product.

Ideally, a good microfiber cloth should weigh about 250 grams per square meter or more, be super absorbing, a great disinfectant, and highly durable.

Ways to prevent your microfiber cloth from scratching car paints

Washing your car with microfiber towels is meant to enhance its look and not make it worse by stamping ugly-looking marks or lines on it. The simple techniques for achieving and sustaining a well-maintained coat color for your car have been outlined below: 

The number one rule is to ensure you get a high-quality microfiber towel for your car wash

 The simple ways in which you can spot original high-grade microfiber towels have been summarized above. For washing of your car, car polishing or waxing, car detailing etc. a good microfiber towel is required to give you the results you desire.

Always ensure your microfiber towels are clean before use

It really does not matter if it is very dirty or slightly dirty, for intense cleaning such as car washing, your microfiber cloth intended for use should be washed clean.

Intend purchasing a new microfiber towel for your cars

Be sure to wash it again before use. Even a new microfiber towel has to be washed before use to let out the dust and lint that might be on it. These things if not washed away are capable of adding scratches to your car.

Always remember to cut off the labels from the microfiber cloth

That tiny piece of silky material might seem harmless, but they are very much able to put scratches and small marks on the car paint. 

Avoid dropping your microfibers on the floor

I repeat, do not drop it on the floor. The microfiber towel is naturally engineered to attract and suck in negatively charged substances like dust, germ, and debris.

So while you look on unsuspectingly after laying your microfiber cloth on the ground, it stays busy dragging in dust, bacteria, hair, threads, and every other thing you can think of. If you proceed to pick it up and using afterward on your car, the end result is better imagined.

When old and fray looking, convert them to performing other simple cleaning and get a new one for your car wash

Your microfiber towel cannot give you the optimum cleaning you are used to when it is old and worn out.

FAQs

Apart from microfiber cloths, what other cloth can I use to clean cars?

In the absence of an ever-efficient microfiber towel, cotton cloth can do the job fairly well. However, you are bound to spend more time while drying as they do a poor job absorbing water, compared to the microfiber cloths.

Sponges and towels are strongly not advised as sponges may not completely wipe dirt off and towels, on the other hand, are bound to leave lint behind.

What other variations of microfiber cleaning tools do we have?

Ever heard of microfiber tops? Microfiber mops or scrubbing sponges? Well, now you have. Asides from the microfiber cleaning cloths for cleaning surface areas, upholsteries, or cars, microfiber as an active cleaning and sanitary agent is used to produce other cleaning tools like mops and scrubbing sponges and they are just as effective as you would expect.

How do I go about scratch repairs on my car?

Scratches on an otherwise well-coated car can be so annoying and ugly looking. Luckily, waxing is a way to get them off or make them less visible at the very least.

Add a tiny amount of wax to a microfiber cloth and gently rub continuously on the affected area. You would need to add another coat of wax if the scratch can still be seen. However, for deeper scratches, you might need to drive down to a detailing center.

Do Microfiber Towels Scratch Car Paint – Conclusion

The microfiber towel is an all-purpose cleaning tool. They clean and keep bacteria’s at bay leaving your environment relatively safe. Perfect for cleaning cars and leaving them good as new, it is ranked as the most efficient cleaning tool for your automobile.

If you have a microfiber cloth and cannot relate or attest to its efficacies, it might be that what you have, is of very low quality or you lack the prerequisite knowledge needed to properly care for them.

You might need to employ the tips used in identifying high-quality microfiber towels listed above then acquaint yourself with guidelines on how to take care of it.

Leave a Comment