I have a black IS. I have always been using Meguiar's Supreme Shine microfiber towels to buff off wax (whether spray wax or Meguiar's Ultimate Liquid wax). I also have extra as "backup" lol. I have other microfiber towels that I specifically use for a quick wipe after a drive to get rid of bug guts and bird poop. This is for the exterior body only, not the glass.

When cleaning/washing these dirty towels after use, I follow the general procedure: apply non-scented and fragrance free detergent and wash on cold cycle in the washer, then put in the dryer for a quick 10 min fluff without any heat (and no dryer sheets) and I finally hang the towels on a rack to air dry. I've always followed this process without issue.

After I washed my car this weekend, I decided to use spray wax and use the Meguiar's towels to wipe and buff off. What I noticed is after I spray and wipe off with the towel, tiny little lint was left behind and under my white garage light, you can see it on my black car on certain areas. I ended up using my extra towels that hadn't been used before and it cleaned up fine thankfully.

At least for me, about every single so-called premium brand of towel leaves lint behind and particularly for a black car, it can be noticeable. So a few questions:

1. Does this mean that the Meguiar's towels that I have been using are at it's end of life? (I thought they could last for a decent amount of time if cared for properly)
2. How often do you guys change out towels?
3. Is there such a thing of towel brand that does not leave lint that can be used for buffing/wiping off wax? (I've seen so many marketing gimmicks of "LINT FREE" that leaves a ton of lint or fuzz behind)
4. I have the same issue for my waffle weave towels that are used to clean the windows... lint is left behind too.

Any thoughts and input are greatly appreciated!

 

When you wash your microfiber towels are you washing anything else non microfiber at the same time?

 

Nope. Everything in the wash are other dirty microfiber towels.

 

It’s probably fibers from the towels. When they’re brand new, the fibers are tight and don’t move. After some use and being put through the wash, the fibers loosen up and come off. It’s not so obvious, but in your situation you can see it clearly - fibers on a mirror clean black car under a garage light. It’s possible more expensive towels are more resistant than this, but it sound like a normal occurrence. I wouldn’t worry about every spec or fiber you see.
Another possibility is the lint is coming from whatever else goes into the washer and drier. Unless you have a washer and drier specifically for your towels, which would be weird, then lint from all your clothes and bedding will get on your towels too. Run your finger across the inside of the drum of your drier - 100% there’s lint attached by static.

 

You'll want a low nap microfiber so it won't lint as much.

 

Thanks. I've heard of a suggestion to use lint rollers after the MFs go through the wash and get air dried, but before putting them in storage (I put them in a clear plastic bin with a cover in the garage). Has anyone done that?

 

I notice my fibers (regardless of brands, I've used high end and amazon cheapies) lint too. I notice what causes this usually is either wiping too hard or wiping paint that's sticky or too dry. In other words, the fibers are mechanically being pulled out by friction or pressure or a combination of both. needs slickness, some lube, or light pressure to mitigate this issue.

So lets say i'm using the blue waffle weave glass towels, i'll do my wet wipe, flip, then a light buffing dry. that will usually stop the lint from being pulled/stuck onto the surface. Also wiping in one direction helps. Sweep stuff off instead of pushing it around.

I have bright LEDs above my car so I can immediately see what technique is working and what isn't.

 

Thanks E46CT. I don't know what it is, but I definitely don't apply much pressure when wiping off wax and buffing - just for the shear sake of not scratching the already soft paint. Only because I'm limited on time and it's been crazy humid here, I've just been doing a quick spray wax after a wash so maybe the spray itself is sticky vs. a genuine liquid wax (like the Ultimate Wax I normally use)... not sure.

 

So I just tried to do some buffing of wax the other day using my Meguiar's Supreme Shine MF towels and the ones I've used left behind a ton of little fibers that you can see at certain angles. Guessing they have reached their lifespan? I even tried the suggestion of using some lint rollers prior to using but they still linted.

I've looked at The Rag Company, Chemical Guys, etc. and they all have mixed reviews. I ended up ordering another set of "quality, lint-free, scratch free, yadda yadda, fill in the marketing jargon here" MF towels from Ethos Car Care. Anyone use them before? They have a Labor Day sale going on for 12 MF (300 GSMs all purpose towels) for $24 and the reviews say they are good supposedly. I don't spending a little more if these actually are good quality.