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Aidan Pounder is a Motor1 product tester who has written reviews spanning from tonneau covers to rooftop cargo boxes. If he’s not burning through the clutch on his 2003 Ford Focus Zx3, you’ll find him keeping up with the latest happenings in the world of European football. Car Wash Microfiber Towels
An extremely absorbent and durable microfiber towel.
A well-sized microfiber towel with impressive absorbency.
A versatile microfiber towel that’s extremely lightweight.
An enormous microfiber towel with tremendous absorbency.
A conveniently sized microfiber towel with good absorbency.
There’s nothing worse than finding streaks, scratches, or water spots on your vehicle after a car wash or detailing. To avoid this, it’s smart to have one of the best microfiber towels available.
The best car drying towels are typically made from microfiber due to its absorbent properties and gentleness on car paint. We tested towels with soft microfiber by conducting a car wash and then drying various panels of the car with each of our top picks for microfiber towels. See what we found and our recommendations below.
The microfiber towels in this article went through two rounds of reviews. We started by searching Amazon for top products, looking at factors like Prime shipping eligibility, customer ratings, Amazon superlatives, and prices. Our product testing team ordered the five microfiber towels that best met these standards.
We named Mr. Siga , Chemical Guys , Amazon Basics, and CarCovers.com as the best-rated microfiber towels on the market in 2024.
*Because cost data fluctuates, the prices in the table above are approximate values that our team regularly updates.
A team member tested each product on a car, taking note of how well the microfiber towel absorbed water, if it left any scratches, and its durability after being machine washed. Each microfiber towel was given a rating out of 5.0 stars based on this criteria.
Learn more about how we tested microfiber towels here .
The Mr. Siga Microfiber Cleaning Cloth is a microfiber towel consisting of 85 percent polyester and 15 percent nylon, making it non-abrasive and extremely absorbent. Featuring high-quality stitching with reinforced edges, these microfiber towels won’t unravel and should last through hundreds of washings.
You can see how the Mr. Siga Microfiber Cleaning Cloth performed in each of our testing categories below:
These microfiber towels are lightweight, which means they dry quickly. The soft microfiber won’t scrape paint off of your car’s paint job and won’t leave streaks behind. In terms of use and care, the manufacturer recommends hand or machine washing the towels separately with water colder than 104.0 degrees Fahrenheit. Below are the pros and cons of the Mr. Siga Microfiber Cleaning Cloth:
Not only is this towel extremely absorbent, but it also doesn’t leave a trace behind after use and came out of the washing machine looking brand new.
Absorbency: Compared to the other microfiber towels we tested, the Mr. Siga towel offers remarkable absorptive abilities. Without needing to wipe over and over again, this car drying towel easily absorbed all of the water and moisture left on a car’s body after a car wash.
Undetectability: After careful examination by multiple members of our product testing team, we could not find a single piece of lint or any scratches left behind. Additionally, there were no streak marks left on the car’s exterior.
Durability: Upon removing this microfiber towel from the washing machine, it looked new. There were no loose bits of lint left behind in the washing machine or on the towel, and there weren’t any unraveling strands of fiber.
Reviews speak to the microfiber towel’s ability to clean up grime and its functionality on delicate surfaces. Many reviewers also mention how lint-free it is when wiping down surfaces. A number of reviewers warn that although you can reuse these towels, you shouldn’t use dryer sheets or fabric softener when you throw them in the washing machine, as the cloth may become less absorbent.
The Chemical Guys Professional-Grade Microfiber Towels feature a 70/30 blend, the first number representing the ratio of polyester and the second noting the ratio of polyamide.
You can see how the Chemical Guys Professional-Grade Microfiber Towels performed in each of our testing categories below:
The product description notes that this towel is great for buffing sealants or dried car wax and wiping away moisture. This car drying towel also features silk edges to further reduce scratches. The towel’s density, measured in grams per square meter (GSM), is 380.0. This microfiber towel is dual-sided, allowing you the ability to choose how much pile you need. Below are the pros and cons of the Chemical Guys Professional-Grade Microfiber Towels:
There’s a lot to appreciate about the Chemical Guys towel, especially its size. This towel was perfectly sized to allow for wiping while still being large enough to make the task of drying a car easier.
Absorbency: The microfiber towel was more absorbent than the vast majority of towels that our team tested. Its size made drying a car very easy.
Undetectability: This towel was almost completely undetectable after use. It left behind no lint, and most importantly, it didn’t leave behind any scratches on the car’s paint. There was one nearly unnoticeable swirl mark.
Durability: This towel emerged from the washing machine almost looking brand new. There weren’t any loose strands of material, and there wasn’t any loss of absorbency. However, its color did appear to fade in the washing machine.
Reviews note the excellent absorbency of the microfiber towel on its long pile side, as well as its car cleaning and buffing functionality. Many reviewers believe this product is a professional-grade premium microfiber towel.
Negative reviews forewarn that you need to shake and wring out these towels before using them to get rid of any loose lint in the packaging.
The Amazon Basics Microfiber Cleaning Cloths come in a pack of 24 for the same price that most competitors charge for 1 to 3 cloths. This microfiber towel is a 90/10 blend consisting of 90 percent polyester and 10 percent polyamide.
You can see how the Amazon Basics performed in each of our testing categories below:
These towels are extremely soft and durable, with the manufacturer claiming the towels can be washed “hundreds of times.” This is not the only claim made by the manufacturer in the product description, as this car drying towel should be able to absorb eight times its own weight. Additionally, the product is lint-free and streak-free with 186.0 GSM. Below are the pros and cons of the Amazon Basics Microfiber Cleaning Cloths:
The first thing our team noticed about the Amazon Basics Microfiber Cleaning Cloth is its value. Although value and cost aren’t criteria categories for our testing, it’s hard to ignore the sheer number of towels you receive for such an affordable price.
Absorbency: Though the Amazon Basics microfiber towels are lightweight and relatively small in size, they’re surprisingly absorbent. Our team found that even if you’ve used up all of the absorbent properties of one towel, it’s nice to know you have 23 more to go through.
Undetectability: After rinsing off a car following a car wash and drying it with the Amazon Basics Microfiber Cleaning Cloth, there were no signs anyone used a car drying towel at all. These towels were 100 percent lint-free and didn’t scratch the paint. Additionally, there were no swirl marks or streak marks left on the vehicle’s exterior.
Durability: We pulled this towel out of the washing machine and were surprised at how well it held up. Despite being thin and lightweight, there were only a few loose strands of material that unraveled in the wash.
Reviews speak to the cleaning cloth being excellent for car detailing and its durability even after being put through a washing machine several times over. Many reviewers mention the incredible value of the Amazon Basics Microfiber Cleaning Cloth.
The Chemical Guys Gray Woolly Mammoth is enormous, just like the extinct animal it’s named after. This dual-sided microfiber towel has a 1.0-inch thick microfiber pile and is 36.0 by 25.0 inches. To avoid leaving any scratches behind, this towel has silk-banded edges so 100 percent of your towel is used in the car drying process.
You can see how the Chemical Guys Gray Woolly Mammoth performed in each of our testing categories below:
The edges of this towel are not only silk-banded but also microfiber-stitched. The product description asserts that this car drying towel can hold over a gallon of water and dry an entire car in just one pass. This microfiber towel consists of a 70/30 polyester to polyamide ratio. Below are the pros and cons of the Chemical Guys Gray Woolly Mammoth:
The Chemical Guys Gray Woolly Mammoth is a massive microfiber towel. While size wasn’t considered a testing criterion, the size of this towel is its biggest plus and largest takeaway. Its size means it easily absorbs moisture but makes actually using the towel a bit overwhelming.
Absorbency: This towel is unequivocally the most absorptive microfiber towel that we researched or tested. The sheer size alone makes drying a car much easier and its material makeup only further improves the absorbency of this towel.
Undetectability: The Gray Woolly Mammoth, true to its name, does include an immense number of fibers and is very shaggy. While this worked well in our absorbency test category, it meant that bits of lint and strands of fiber were left all over the car’s exterior.
Durability: Upon pulling this towel out of the washing machine, it looked fairly good. Following further inspection, however, there was a lot of lint and numerous balls of microfiber left on the inside of the washing machine.
Reviews mention the microfiber cleaning towel’s thickness and softness, alongside its moisture absorption properties. Many reviewers speak to the sheer size of the Chemical Guys Gray Woolly Mammoth compared to paper towels or other microfiber towels for cars. Negative reviews mention this product’s tendency to leave lint behind.
Designed to help you keep your vehicle clean, the CarCovers.com Microfiber Car Towels are a quality option. Conveniently sized, this microfiber towel felt good in the hand, yet still offered ample space to apply wax or dry the exterior of your car. Additionally, this microfiber towel can be used for interior detailing and auto glass cleaning.
You can see how the CarCovers.com performed in each of our testing categories below:
These microfiber towels come in a pack of 36, so you’ll have plenty to use before you’ll need to wash them. However, these microfiber towels are machine-washable, which makes reusing them a breeze. Below are the pros and cons of the CarCovers.com Microfiber Car Towels:
The CarCovers.com Microfiber Car Towels came across as quite capable through our testing process.
Absorbency: Our product testing team noted that it felt like the towel moved the water around more than it dried up the moisture. This towel was dripping wet nearly immediately after placing it on a recently hosed-down car exterior.
Undetectability: Following rigorous testing and thorough inspection, our team found that this microfiber towel isn’t entirely lint-free. However, we did notice a few streaks and swirl marks on the car’s paint – though they were nearly undetectable.
Durability: The towel bled color in the washing machine and therefore faded in color. Additionally, the edges of this microfiber towel were already unraveling when first used out of the box.
There are many customer reviews online for the CarCovers.com Microfiber Car Towels. Many reviewers point to the quality of this microfiber towel. Several reviewers also mentioned previously purchasing a car cover from this company, so they knew that they could trust this microfiber towel.
Microfiber towels are simple by design, as they are only meant to dry things off and clean up messes. However, that doesn’t mean that all microfiber towels are created equal. Generally, you’ll want to consider the following before you buy:
The size of the microfiber towel you purchase is a personal choice, but it should line up with your intended use. If you’re looking for a towel that can get into all the nooks and crannies, then you might want a smaller towel. If you want a towel that can dry your car as quickly as possible, then you may opt for a larger or extra-large towel. However, it should be noted that the larger the towel you buy the more difficult it may become to wield and use.
Microfiber by definition is 100 times finer than a single human hair. That doesn’t mean that every microfiber towel features the same fibers or even the same blend of materials. It should be noted that not all microfiber towels are meant to be used on your car. Below, is a list of common types of microfiber towels you may encounter:
It may seem nitpicky, but after the edges of a microfiber towel blemish your car’s paint, you’ll be kicking yourself for not considering your towel edge. Towel edges are often the most overlooked part of a towel, but they can oftentimes cause the most damage. While the towel itself may be made from soft microfiber, the edges of these towels may not.
We recommend that you find an edgeless towel or one with a rolled edge. The soft edges of these towels will ensure that you don’t damage your car’s exterior. If you feel like you must have a towel with edges, we recommend those that are silk-banded, made from silk, or those that are microfiber stitched as the soft material won’t leave scratches behind.
We asked Mike Pennington, the Director of Global Training, Event Marketing, and Consumer Relations at Meguiar’s, about selecting the best car drying towel. Pennington recommended that detailers seek out premium brands with high fiber counts, but also stressed the importance of good towel management.
“ [You should] have a variety of towels. For example, your glass towels – keep those as glass towels and wash them separately. Have your paint towels, keep those separately and wash them separately. Have your cotton towels for your leather, your interior, your wheels, your engine bay. Manage those separately. ”
Your cleanest towels might be used for exterior paint, and then used for interior cleaning as they age. Once a detailing towel is too grimy for the interior, it might be used as a wheel towel, and finally a floor rag until it needs to be thrown away.
Towel management can be as crucial as towel selection and even the best microfiber towel will at some point become greasy and unusable. As Pennington puts it, “ [Proper towel management] will yield far better results as a consumer – or a pro for that matter. ”
In this article, along with sharing helpful purchasing tips for those interested in purchasing a new set of microfiber towels, we reviewed the top five microfiber towels in 2024:
Below are some common frequently asked questions about microfiber towels:
The best microfiber towels can be worth it due to their large surface area in which to absorb moisture. This doesn’t mean that the towel itself is larger than other types of towels, as it is sheerly the number of fibers that increases a microfiber towel ’s ability to absorb moisture.
GSM stands for grams per square meter . GSM measures the density of a towel, which then gives you an idea of how thick, how absorbent , and the pile length of the towel.
You can tell if microfiber is good quality based on its denier. By definition, microfiber towels must be lower than 1 denier. Good quality microfiber towels typically have below a 0.5 denier.
Depending on the grade of microfiber, microfiber drying towels can be used for a variety of purposes. They range from cleaning tools and polishing cloths, and can also be used as standard bath towels.
Because of their excellent absorption tendencies, they also make great shop towels for auto garages and car washes.
From a durability and absorption standpoint, microfiber towels often outperform cotton textiles. The downside is tiny microfibers are released into the environment every time we use and wash microfiber towels, and they have stricter laundry needs when using a washing machine.
Our pick for the best microfiber towel for cars is the Mr. Siga Microfiber Cleaning Cloth . We like the fabric blend, overall performance, and quality of this towel.
Generally, microfiber towels aren’t harsh enough to scratch a car’s clearcoat, but if the vehicle is older and the coat is worn a rougher towel may scratch car paint.
To determine the best microfiber towels on the market, we considered absorbency, undetectability, and durability throughout our testing process.
Absorbency: Arguably the most important characteristic of a microfiber towel is its ability to absorb moisture. Our product testing team used each microfiber towel to dry a panel of a car after a car wash to test its absorbent properties.
Undetectability: This testing criterion combines three separate testing categories: whether a microfiber towel is lint-free, whether it leaves behind streaks, and whether it is scratch-resistant. Our team carefully examined each panel of the car to check for lint, streaks, and scratches left on the car’s exterior after drying.
Durability: To get the most out of a microfiber towel, it should be reusable. Keeping this in mind, a member of our product testing team took home the used microfiber towels to machine wash them. Following the towels being washed, we checked each towel to see if it lost any absorbency or unraveled in the washing machine.
Star ratings help us differentiate how one product performs in comparison to each product in our review. We calculated an average of 4.2 out of 5.0 stars at the end of our testing process for the best microfiber towels.
Each year, we test over 350 auto products on vehicles and in our testing lab. Our team of product testers thoroughly researches top products, unboxes and puts our hands on each component, and tests the items on real vehicles before making recommendations to readers.
We publish hundreds of product and service reviews to bring car enthusiasts detailed guides on automotive tools, detailing kits, car seats, pet products, and much more. For more information on our testing methodology and how we evaluate every product, check out our methodology page here .
*Data accurate at time of publication. Products subject to availability.
Aidan Pounder is a Motor1 product tester who has written reviews spanning from tonneau covers to rooftop cargo boxes. If he’s not burning through the clutch on his 2003 Ford Focus Zx3, you’ll find him keeping up with the latest happenings in the world of European football.
As a member of both the APA and IMPA, Charles Noyes has devoted himself to creating and refining quality content covering automotive products and accessories, motorcycle products, RV products, and more. As the lead editor serving the product review team, he has personally reviewed, critiqued, and fact-checked over 200 product reviews.
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