Microfibre cloths are the standard tool for car care, whether you run a valeting business or wash your own car on a Sunday morning. They pick up dust and grime well, hold a good amount of water and work with or without products. This guide covers which cloth to use where, how many you need and how to look after them.
Why use microfibre on a car?
Microfibre is made from very fine synthetic fibres. The fine fibres give each cloth a large surface area, so it traps dirt in the cloth instead of pushing it around the panel. That is why most valeters have moved away from old cotton rags and chamois leathers for everyday work.
A cloth is only as good as its condition, though. A clean cloth used on the right surface does the job well. A gritty cloth dragged across paintwork can leave marks, whatever it is made of.
Which cloth for which job
Most people split their car care into four areas. Keeping a separate set of cloths for each one stops dirt from the wheels ending up on the bonnet.
Paintwork
Use your cleanest, softest cloths here, for drying after a wash and for buffing off spray detailer or wax. Larger cloths make drying quicker because you cover more of the panel in one pass. Our 40 × 40 cm, 350 GSM microfibre cloths are a good all-round size for bodywork, and the 550 GSM coral fleece cloths give you a heavier, plusher option.
Glass
Windows and mirrors show every smear, so give glass its own cloths. Use one cloth to clean and a second, dry cloth to buff. Never use a cloth that has touched wax or tyre dressing on glass, as it will smear.
Interior
Dashboards, door cards, screens and plastics only need a light wipe with a slightly damp cloth. Dust comes off easily, and you avoid soaking electronics or fabric.
Wheels, sills and engine bay
These are the dirtiest parts of the car. Use older cloths here and keep them out of the paintwork set for good. Once a cloth has been on the wheels, it stays on the wheels.
Use colour to keep the sets apart
The easiest way to stop cloths getting mixed up is to give each area its own colour. For example:
- Blue: paintwork and drying
- Yellow: glass
- Pink: wheels, sills and engine bay
Our 24-packs come in blue, yellow and pink, so you can buy one pack per area. It works the same way as colour-coding in commercial cleaning.
A simple wash-and-dry routine
- Rinse the car to remove loose grit before anything touches the paint.
- Wash from the top down with a mitt or sponge, rinsing it often.
- Rinse again and dry straight away, before water spots form. Lay a large cloth flat on the panel and draw it towards you, rather than scrubbing in circles.
- Turn and refold the cloth as each side gets wet. A 40 × 40 cm cloth folded into quarters gives you eight clean faces.
- Finish the glass last, with its own dry cloths.
If you drop a cloth on the ground, take it out of the paintwork set. Grit picked up from the floor is hard to see and easy to drag across a panel.
How many cloths do you need?
For a single car at home, a pack of 24 covers drying, glass, interior and wheels with spares left over for the wash basket. For a valeting business, count how many cloths you use on one car, multiply by the cars you do in a day, then allow for cloths in the wash and cloths drying. Our guide on how many microfibre cloths a team needs walks through the sums.
Valeting and detailing businesses can buy the 24-packs by the trade box of 12 packs. See microfibre cloths for car care or ask us for trade prices.
Looking after your car cloths
Good cloths stay useful for longer if you look after them. The general advice for microfibre is:
- Wash car cloths separately from household laundry, and keep the wheel cloths apart from the paintwork cloths.
- Do not use fabric softener. It coats the fibres and stops them picking up dirt and water properly.
- Avoid washing microfibre with cotton towels, which shed lint that the microfibre then picks up.
- Air-dry, or tumble dry on a low heat. High heat can damage synthetic fibres.
- Follow any care instructions supplied with the cloths.
When a paintwork cloth starts to feel stiff or rough, move it down to wheels or interior duty.
Frequently asked questions
What size microfibre cloth is best for drying a car?
Larger cloths dry a car faster because they cover more of each panel in one pass. A 40 × 40 cm cloth is a practical size: big enough for doors and the bonnet, small enough to fold and handle easily.
Can I use the same microfibre cloth on paint and wheels?
No. Wheels carry brake dust and road grit that can stay in a cloth even after washing. Keep separate cloths for wheels and paintwork, and use different colours so they don't get mixed up.
Should I use fabric softener on microfibre car cloths?
No. Fabric softener coats the fibres and reduces how well the cloth picks up dirt and water. Wash microfibre on its own, without softener.
Do you sell microfibre cloths to valeting businesses?
Yes. Our 40 × 40 cm, 350 GSM cloths come in packs of 24, with 12 packs to a trade box. Request a quote or apply for a trade account through our trade and wholesale page.