The Best Microfiber Towels for Every Car Detailing Task

Choosing the right kind of microfiber towels for different detailing jobs is really important if you want to get the best results.

I have tried probably close to a hundred different brands and blends of microfiber towels so have compiled this list with my top recommendations and things to look out for when choosing your towels.

I’ve split this article into the best microfiber towels for:

• Drying
• Glass Cleaning
• Wax, Sealant & Polish Removal
• Applying Quick Detailer Spray
• Removal/ Levelling Ceramic Coatings
• Interior Cleaning

The towels on this list are all from The Rag Company. Having tried many different brands I have personally found their towels to be the best quality. They use premium microfiber blends, feel ultra soft, have great edges, and hold up really well after many wash cycles so last a really long time.

Although they have sent a lot of towels for me to test out, this is NOT a sponsored post and they’re on this list simply because they’re the best I’ve tried.

I also have some discount codes which you can use on all these towels:

• The Rag Company US Website: AUTOCAREHQ10
• Clean and Shiny UK Website: AUTOCAREHQ10

Both these codes get you 10% off. These are non-affiliated codes so I do not earn a commission from them.

Best Microfiber Drying Towel

The Rag Company Gauntlet

This is a really unique drying towel in that it has a hybrid blend. It has an alternating pattern of twist loop and super soft plush microfiber. This means it feels significantly softer and safer on delicate paint compared to conventional drying towels which have a fully twisted-loop weave, but also remains very absorbent.

It comes in several sizes with my two favourites being the 12″x12″ (for drying wheels), and the 20″x30″ size which is easily capable of drying a large SUV. If you have a massive vehicle or want to use it to dry multiple cars, you can also go for the 30″x36″ option.

Key Facts:

• 900 gsm
• 70/30 blend
• No tags
• Suede edges
• Hybrid weave
• Ice grey & charcoal grey colour

Honourable Mentions

There are two other towels I also wanted to highlight as for some people, they may be the better option:

• The Rag Company Platinum Pluffle
• The Rag Company 1500

The Pluffle is perfect for delicate paintwork which needs the most gentle approach. It has a very plush weave so feels very soft, but isn’t super absorbent as a result. Still, if you go for the 20″x40″ option, you should be able to dry most vehicles comfortably.

The “1500” towel is a huge twisted loop drying towel. It’s not as soft as the Pluffle or Gauntlet, but it suits people looking for maximum absorbency.

The reason I selected the Gauntlet as my favourite, is because I think it is best for most vehicles due to that hybrid weave which makes it feel nice and soft but still very absorbent.

Best Glass Cleaning Towel

The Rag Company FTW Towel

I have personally found the towel selection to be more important than the chemical selection when cleaning glass. It took me a while to settle on a favourite glass towel, but having used this one for the past year it has easily emerged as my go-to choice.

It ticks the main two boxes for me:

• It doesn’t leave any streaks
• It doesn’t leave any lint

It sounds basic, but most towels don’t offer this on glass.

It has a twist loop weave which makes it absorbent and prevents it from leaving streaks and smears, and also stops it from shedding any fibres onto the glass (which most plusher towels do).

Key Facts:

• 550 gsm
• 70/30 blend
• No tags
• Suede edges
• Twist loop weave
• 3 colour options: pink, blue and orange

Best Microfiber Towel for Wax, Sealant & Polish Removal

The Rag Company Edgeless 365

Removing waxes, sealants and polishes can be a tricky business. You need something nice and soft to avoid inflicting swirl marks since there isn’t any lubrication being used at this stage, but you also need it to have enough bite to deal with more stubborn residue.

My go-to towel for this is the Edgeless 365. The 70/30 blend ensures that the towel is soft and safe on even very delicate clear coats, but it isn’t too fluffy and plush that it can’t grab onto stickier residue effectively.

This towel actually has two different sides to it: a plusher weave and and tighter, short nap weave. For less stubborn residue, I go for the plush side and for those sticky residues that don’t want to budge, the short nap side offers more bite.

Key Facts:

• 365 gsm
• 70/30 blend
• No tags
• Edgeless border
• Terry weave
• 3 colour options: gold, blue and grey

Best Microfiber Towel for Quick Detailer Sprays

The Rag Company Eagle Edgeless 500

When I’m using a quick detailer spray, I want something nice and plush to minimise the risk of inflicting any marring or swirls. Undoubtably, the best towel I’ve used for this is the Eagle Edgeless 500.

The circular weave knit and 70/30 blend feels ridiculously soft and feels super gentle so I can confidently use it on even the most delicate clear coats. I also like this towel for removing waxes, however I only select it over the Edgeless 365 if the wax is super easy to remove, otherwise I find it doesn’t have quite enough grab to it.

Key Facts:

• 500 gsm
• 70/30 blend
• No tags
• Edgeless border
• Circular knit weave
• 5 colour options: blue, grey, orange, red and yellow

Best Microfiber Towel for Levelling Ceramic Coatings

The Rag Company Edgeless Pearl

When levelling a ceramic coating, you need quite a specific kind of towel. It of course needs to be soft, as the last thing you want is to inflict swirls after spending hours polishing the finish. But it also needs enough bite to remove the residue, and can’t be too absorbent.

The best option I’ve found for this task is the Edgeless Pearl. It has a premium 70/30 blend, edgeless borders and a tight weave which makes it perfect for coating removal. It also is relatively inexpensive which is great because coating towels should be thrown away after use (or at least downgraded to dirty jobs (engine bays, tyres, etc.).

Key Facts:

• 320 gsm
• 70/30 blend
• No tags
• Edgeless border
• Pearl weave
• Purple colour

Best Microfiber Towel for Interior Cleaning

The Rag Company Edgeless 300

This an excellent all-purpose towel which can be used on both the interior and exterior of the car. The reason I like it so much on the interior is that it has plenty of bite to be able to clean dirtier areas, but also still feels nice and soft so I don’t worry about it on those notorious piano black plastics.

Key Facts:

• 300 gsm
• 70/30 blend
• No tags
• Edgeless border
• Terry weave
• 3 colours: blue, yellow and grey

Microfiber Towel Selection Tips

As you’ll probably have gathered by now, there are loads of different types of microfiber towels and some are more suited to particular jobs than others. In this next section I’ll explain some of the characteristics to look for:

• GSM
• Blend
• Weave
• Edges
• Size
• Colour

GSM

“GSM” stands for grams per square meter and is essentially a way of measuring how dense the towel is. It’s important to note that the GSM of a towel does not give any indication of the quality or softness. It only tells you how dense the towel is.

There is a common misconception that higher GSM = thickness, but this is not always the case. It also depends on the blend and weave of the microfiber towel.

GSM is a more useful metric when comparing towels of the same weave and blend. For example, TRC have two towels, The Eagle Edgeless 500 and 600 (the numbers refer to the GSM). In this case, the Eagle Edgeless 600 feels plusher and fluffier as it has longer fibres which give it a higher GSM.

Blend

Microfiber is compromised of two materials: polyester and polyamide. The two most common blends are:

• 80/20 (80% polyester and 20% polyamide)
• 70/30 (70% polyester and 30% polyamide)

The 70/30 blend is more premium because it has more polyamide which makes it softer and more absorbent. On delicate, soft paint finishes (usually Japanese paints), I opt for a 70/30 blend.

Check out this guide to microfiber blends for more information.

Weave

The weave of a microfiber towel refers to the way the fibres is woven together. Different weaves feel completely different to one another, some feel plush and ultra-soft, and others feel tighter and more grabby. Different weaves are more suitable for different tasks. Here are the most common.

Weave	Description	Common Uses	Example Towel
Twist loop	Twisted, looping strands	Drying Glass Cleaning	The 1500
Circular knit	Ultra-plush and soft	Waxes/ Sealants  Quick Detailers	Eagle 500
Coral-Fleece	Plush and bouncy feel	Drying Waterless Wash Waxes/ Sealants Quick Detailers	Minx Royale
Terry	Low-medium pile	Waxes/ Sealants Polishes Quick Detailers	Edgeless 365
Pearl	Tight weave, short-pile	Ceramic Coating Sealants	Edgeless Pearl
Waffle	Low-pile, waffle pattern	Drying Glass Cleaning	Dry Me a River
Diamond	Low-pile with scales	Glass Cleaning	Black Diamond
Corduroy	Low-pile with lines	Glass Cleaning	Premium Glass

Edges

There are several different options so here’s a quick summary:

• Overlock stitching: usually seen on towels which you’d typically use for interiors or dirtier jobs like engine bays, tyres etc.
• Satin edge: satin edges can be used on any type of towel and feel silky but not very absorbent.
• Suede edges: suede edges feel very soft and are more absorbent than satin edges.
• Ultra-sonic cut edgeless: this is when the edges are cut with a machine. There can be quality issues if the machine cuts too slow/ fast however TRC has great quality control to reduce the chance of problems.
• Knife-cut edgeless: this is the best way to create edgeless towels resulting in the highest quality edges.

It’s very much a personal preference as to which kind of edge you prefer. Some people prefer edgeless designs as they feel soft and are made from the same material as the towel. Other people don’t like that edgeless towels can lint, so will opt for edges instead.

I personally prefer suede edges as opposed to overlock stitched and satin edges as they are softer. However, for delicate finishes when buffing waxes etc. I usually go with an edgeless towel.

Size

A lot of The Rag Company microfiber towels come in different sizes to suit different situations.

For most jobs (exterior and interior) which do not involve drying, I usually go with a 16″x16″ towel. I find this to be manageable but also large enough to be efficient.

For drying wheels I like to go with a 12″x12″ or 16″x16″ towel, and for drying the paintwork, I typically go with around a 20″x36″ towel.

Colour

This is the least important factor to consider, but still worth mentioning.

Some detailers like to colour code their towels for different jobs to ensure there is never any cross-contamination. I’m a bit more relaxed about this as I usually use entirely different weaves for different jobs so mixing them up isn’t too much of a concern.

I do however quite like to choose lighter coloured towels for drying and finishing (wax removal, quick detailer sprays etc.) This is because it makes it easier to spot debris on the towel.

Microfiber Towel Care Tips

If you’re investing in high-quality microfiber towels then you need to make sure that you look after them properly. Here are some tips to keep them in good condition:

• Wash the towels before you use them for the first time.
• Wash the towels after every use on a low temperature (30-40°C)
• Use a dedicated microfiber detergent or non-bio liquid (never use washing powder as this can remain undissolved and turn your cloth into a scouring pad!)
• Do not use fabric softener as this clogs the fibres and hardens them
• Do not use bleach as this damages the fibres
• Only every wash microfiber towels with other microfiber towels (not with your clothes!)
• Separate bright/ dark colours with lighter ones to prevent colour bleed
• Do not wash very soiled towels with cleaner ones, and wash towels which contain any abrasive (polish) separately.
• Hang to air dry. Do not put them on high heat in a dryer or on a radiator.

Check out my complete guide to washing and drying microfiber towels to ensure you keep them in the best condition.