The right towel makes all the difference when it comes to washing the car. Choosing the best drying towel for cars can prevent paint scratches and detail your car efficiently.
When you wash your car, you need to inspect every inch of the car, and that’s a good thing. But don’t stop there. After you wash your car, take the time to dry it off. Not following this step can lead to water stains, puddles, and even rust or pitting on some surfaces.
Now that you’re on the right track, you need some good towels to dry the car. No, don’t just go to the rag bag in the hall closet for old t-shirts and discarded bath towels.
The wrong wipes can scratch paint and chrome, create swirl marks, or embed contaminants in the car’s painted surface.
The microfiber car towel is the right choice for car drying. The material is known for its exceptional ability to trap dirt and leave shiny surfaces intact.
This article lists the best microfiber towels for drying cars that are suitable for car detailing. Keep scrolling to learn more about the best products and read buying advice.
Top Picks For Best Microfiber Towels For Drying Car With Buying Guide
Choosing the best microfiber car drying towels can be complicated due to the number of options available. However, you should be careful as some are much better than others.
If you buy a good towel to start with, you may not need to buy another one for a long time as a good microfiber towel will last you for years. You need to have a product that won’t leave lint or residue when drying or waxing your car.
Below I have outlined some proven 7 products that are perfect for helping you dry your car safely and effectively.
Chemical Guys MIC_781_01 Microfiber Drying Towel
The Rag Company All-Purpose Microfiber Cleaning Towels
Meguiar’s X2000 Water Magnet Microfiber Drying Towel
7 Top Rated Best Drying Towel For Cars Without Scratching In 2023
After washing your car, you should use a drying towel to wipe off excess soap and water. They can also eliminate the need for extra muscle to achieve the perfect glow, and who says no to that?
The construction gives the microfiber drying towel its extreme durability and prevents it from shrinking, wrinkling, or stretching after repeated use. In this in-depth review, we’ll cover the pros and cons of the best towel to dry cars without scratching and exactly why they’re a must-have.
We’ll also look at the different types of microfiber towels available and what exactly to look for in these products.
1. Chemical Guys MIC_781_01 Microfiber Drying Towel
- Towel form type: Bath Towel
- Size: 36 Inch x 25 Inch
- Colour: Gray
- Material: Microfiber
- Fabric Type: Microfiber
- Brand: Chemical Guys
- Premium drying-towel
- Perfect for larger cars
- Made with 70/30 microfiber
- Lint-free & scratch-free
- Exclusive Silk Edge
The Chemical Guys microfiber drying towel’s waffle-like ridges help trap dirt much more efficiently than other microfiber towels. This makes it the perfect choice for some of the more advanced tasks, such as setting up a car show.
The Chemical Guys Microfiber Towel is made from a durable 70/30 blend with silk edges. It is designed for professional detailing, this towel is 100% machine washable. It is one of the largest microfiber consumer towels on the market.
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Its size makes it ideal for car drying and dusting, as well as an important detail, work indoors and out. And with lint-free material, it won’t leave a mess on dark surfaces. It’s so big and absorbent that it can be used as a camping towel.
While regular microfiber towels use shorter strands, waffle microfiber towels are unique in that they use square ridges to trap dirt and absorb liquids. Overall, this premium microfiber towel offers excellent value for money.
2. Zwipes 879-2 Professional Auto Microfiber Drying Towel
- Towel form type: Washcloth
- Size: 25 inches X 36 inches
- Color: Waffle
- Material: Cotton
- Fabric Type: Microfiber
- Brand: Zwipes
- Super Absorbent Waffle Weave
- Rounded, Soft-Edge Lining
- Perfect for Large Vehicles
- Super soft & durable
- Offers regular drying time in half
The Zwipes 879-2 Microfiber Drying Towel absorbs moisture excellently and works great as a car towel for large areas. Zwipe microfiber towels can hold eight times their weight in water and still maintain the quick-drying quality that microfiber towels are well known for.
These cleaning towels come in packs 2 and there are three different colours in each pack of towels so you can code each colour for a specific use.
Soft fibres won’t harm delicate paint or other vehicle surfaces. Cloths are great for detailing vehicles without worrying about abrasions. The clothes do not leave streaks or lint residue after use. These are great at trapping dirt and dust, leaving car surfaces looking shiny and new.
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To maintain the high quality of this microfiber towel, it is recommended to wash it regularly with cold or lukewarm water. And only air dries on the lowest setting possible. You should also make sure to empty the dryer’s lint filter before you start washing.
3. The Rag Company All-Purpose Microfiber Cleaning Towels
- Towel form type: Bath Towel
- Size: 16″L x 16″W
- Colour: Grey
- Material: 80% Polyester / 20% Polyamide
- Fabric Type: Microfiber
- Brand: The Rag Company
- Excellent Quality
- High Durable
- Used for all-purpose cleaning
- Lint-free & scratch-free
Rag Company’s all-purpose towels are rated at 400gsm and offer the smoothest, streak-free application available. These microfiber towels are not just any microfiber towel you can get cheaply at a mechanic’s store.
The products promise high absorbency and great detail work. These towels are best for washing with water or without rinsing. Compared to other high-end products like Chemical Guys, Rag Company towels are much thicker.
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According to the manufacturer, it should be washed beforehand because the new product may contain lint. Note that towels can create lint when used to polish unwaxed or unsealed glass or paint.
Rather than being ultra-luxe, these microfiber towels are super-luxe. If you consider that the towels are made of very high-quality material, the price is quite justified.
The towels are reusable many times. All in all, if you want chemical-free or water-free details for your car, these are the towels to use.
4. Kirkland Signature High Pil Microfiber Towels
- Towel form type: Bath Towel
- Size: 16″L x 16″W
- Colour: Yellow
- Material: Microfiber
- Fabric Type: Microfiber
- Brand: Kirkland Signature
- Cleans Without Chemicals
- Ultra Plush Microfiber Towels
- Streak-free & scratch-free
- Removes wax dust
If you are a bulk buyer, you should check these out. These Kirkland Signature Ultra Plush towels come in a pack of 36 and are machine washable so you don’t have to worry about replenishing them regularly.
These towels also boast of being ultra-luxurious and premium microfiber. They’re made from high-pile microfiber, so they’re good to use on just about any car surface you want to work on, as they won’t scratch or mar your pride and joy.
Due to their high density, they are also great at soaking up virtually any liquid, including oils. You can use the wipes to clean chrome surfaces or even rims. Also great for removing sealants without leaving streaks or swirls.
Using towels on windows and mirrors can cause minor lint problems. However, when towels are reused and washed, lint problems slowly go away. To remove lint further, be sure to only use soap when washing towels and do not use fabric softener of any kind.
5. CARCAREZ Microfiber Drying Towels for Cars
- Towel form type: Cleaning Cloth
- Size: 16″L x 16″W
- Colour: Grey
- Material: Microfiber
- Fabric Type: Microfiber
- Brand: CARCAREZ
- Ultra Soft
- Plush-Long Pile
- Non-Abrasive Microfiber Cloths
- Smooth car drying
- Multipurpose 6 packs
CARCAREZ microfiber drying towels are one of the thickest and most absorbent car towels on our list. Carcarez manufactures these microfiber towels specially formulated to offer the best absorption and cleaning properties for cars.
These 16″ x 16″ towels are ideal for outdoor use. In other words, they are the best microfiber car drying towels we could find. They are many times thicker than conventional microfiber towels. Each towel is double-sided and luxurious on both sides.
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Therefore, each car towel absorbs twice as much moisture as an average microfiber cleaning cloth. Towels are available without labels or stitching. Each piece of fabric has a sonic cut edge that is safe for all surfaces.
Because of their super luxurious design, these car wipes are perfect for drying windows and painted surfaces. The microfiber is really fine and will not damage the car’s enamel or paintwork.
These wipes are great for leaving streak-free surfaces on cars and even windows. You can also easily use them indoors without any major problems.
6. HERKKA Microfiber Cleaning Cloths
- Size: 16 x 16 inch
- Colour: Yellow
- Material: Microfiber
- Fabric Type: Microfiber
- Brand: HERKKA
- Machine Washable
- Premium Quality Microfiber Towel
- Reusable & Durable
- Highly Absorbent
- Perfect Design
HERKKA Microfiber Cleaning Cloths are available in 14″ x 14″ and are sold in packs of 15. They are high-quality, plush microfiber towels that make great car towels at a reasonable price.
They come in five-colour packs of three wipes each, which is great if you want to assign specific wipes to specific tasks to prevent cross-contamination of cleaning solutions.
These garments are machine washable and durable and can be reused hundreds of times without losing absorbency. High-quality material greatly extends its durability and service life.
Because towels are highly absorbent, they are great for drying the exterior of the car after washing. The clothing can also be used on tires if necessary.
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Car towels are reusable but don’t expect them to last as long as they claim. Thin clothes won’t hold up to rough use for long. Each towel has lined edges, so don’t worry about scratching or fraying.
7. Meguiar’s X2000 Water Magnet Microfiber Drying Towel
- Towel form type: Bath Towel
- Size: 1 Pack
- Color: Yellow
- Material: Other
- Fabric Type: Microfiber
- Brand: Meguiar’s
- Large Size: 22” X 30
- Reduce drying time
- High-quality absorbent towels
- Offers spot-free finish
The Meguiar X2000 Microfiber Car Detailing Towel is very popular among car owners. As the name suggests, this towel is used for drying and preparing vehicles. The towel is very absorbent; about twice as absorbent as a terry towel.
Therefore, users don’t have to spend so much time wringing it out. It is very convenient when drying a car. You can count on this microfiber towel to be just as absorbent, if not more so, than a leather pad.
Chamois is great at wicking moisture rather than absorbing it, so a microfiber waffle towel like this is excellent value in comparison. These towels are also beautiful and luxurious, making them a great choice for a streak-free clean.
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You can confidently use them on your windows or other delicate surfaces you fear damaging, they almost guarantee a great result. Meguiar’s Supreme Shine wipes are good for removing compounds, polishes, waxes, and sprays.
Things to Consider When Buying The Best Microfiber Car Drying Towels
If you want your luxurious new microfiber towels to last, there are a few steps and precautions you need to take to ensure they last and remain as effective as they were the first day.
Below are some general guidelines for caring for your car towels.
– Pile height
Microfiber drying towels are available in short, medium, and long pile heights. What does that mean? The shorter the pile, the more versatile the towel. You will find that short pile towels are stiffer while long pile towels are soft and fluffy.
Typically, you want to use a short stack on insensitive surfaces like dashboards or plastic trim, a medium stack for applying or removing car wax, and a long stack for buffing and drying your vehicle.
– Texture
Not all drying towels are the same. Some are waffle knit while others are soft suede. Waffle-weave towels are more absorbent and easier to dry, while soft chamois towels are better for buffing.
– Thickness
Coarser, denser fibres result in heavier, softer towels. The thinner and lighter fibres make the fibres thinner. Both types can be very advantageous, since depending on the task, one of the two is superior.
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It is, therefore, worth knowing which and when to choose. This generally depends on the type of surface you want to clean.
– Material
The best type of towel to dry your car is cotton or microfiber. These materials are excellent at absorbing water without leaving lint behind. If you want to prevent tint transfer to lighter-coloured cars, wash the towel separately before you begin to dry your vehicle.
You also want a towel without post-treatments such as shine or shrink resistance, as these can cause problems when cleaning your car.
– Reusability
Look for machine-washable microfiber cleaning towels that you can wear over and over again. This premium towel gives you the best value for money.
FAQs About Best Towels To Wash A Car
What is the best type of towel for drying cars?
The best type of towel to dry your car is cotton or microfiber. Microfiber drying towels are not only absorbent, they won’t leave marks or damage paint. If you want to prevent tint transfer to lighter-coloured cars, wash the towel separately before you begin to dry your vehicle.
You also want a towel without post-treatments such as shine or shrink resistance, as these can cause problems when cleaning your car.
How can I dry my car without scratching it?
The best way to dry a car without causing scratches is to use a clean, soft, fluffy microfiber cloth, or a car dryer or leaf blower. Never use a water-blade bath towel or chamois to dry a car as it is likely to scratch the car.
Microfiber towels are very soft which means they won’t scratch your paint during the drying process. They are the only type of towel you should use to touch the paint, as other types, such as bath towels are too hard.
How many towels does it take to dry a car?
When drying your car, consider investing in 2-3 waffle-weave drying towels. These are super absorbent and minimize the addition of swirls and blemishes due to the waffle-like texture.
They absorb water quickly and just a few wipes are enough for large areas. A convection dryer is significantly faster but can be expensive.
Do microfiber drying towels scratch cars?
Dirty microfiber cloths and those that have been damaged by heat can leave scratches. Microfiber towels are made of polyester and will melt if not dried properly or exposed to high temperatures.
Always check the condition of your microfibers before using them on painted or delicate surfaces.
How do you dry a black car without streaks?
Black cars don’t attract dirt faster than other colours, but the dirt is usually more noticeable. Regular drying with safe methods is the best way to keep your car clean.
Applying wax or sealant will also repel water from the paintwork, keeping it cleaner longer and easier to wash off.
How many times can you use a microfiber drying towel?
With proper care, your microfiber drying towel can be washed and reused up to 500 times or more. This makes microfiber one of the cheapest cleaning materials available today. And they save you from wasting thousands of paper towels in their lifetime.
Final Thought
With the best microfiber towels for drying and waxing your car, you can enjoy the comfort of a highly absorbent product without sacrificing softness. We like these best for their long-lasting wear and absolutely streak-free promise.
Its silk-lined edges do a great job of ensuring the fabric doesn’t inadvertently damage your vehicle during cleaning. Select one of these items today to make your next job easier.