Should I throw away the chamois?

[PHILLIE PHANATIC]

I just got my Porter Cable in yesterday, I can't wait to use it :pc:My question is do chamois clothes scratch the vehicle? I do pre-wet it first, but aren't they old school? I don't want to go through all the steps and scratch it up the next wash.

[Chuckkilo3]

Just buy some microfiber towels from Adam's and retire that sucker. I never had much luck drying with a chamois. Adam's great white and WW towels do a great job drying.

[JBlack151]

Don't waste any more time and pick up a variety of Adam's towels now!

 

And if you have a dog, then congratulations......you just got yourself a new way to dry him/her with that chamois!

[DenaliDan]

Unlike a good microfiber towel, particles picked up by the chamois have nowhere to go so they get attached to the surface of the chamois and get scraped across the paint surface. These particles get picked up into the fibers of a MF so there is less of a chance they'll cause micro scratches. Also, you'll be amazed at how efficient Adam's MF towels soak up the water.

[Chewy]

The problem with something like a chamois is it doesn't have any channels for the dirt that may be on the paint, to go. Buy a couple of great whites and you'll wonder why you EVER used a chamois. I'd also recommend using WW or DS as a drying agent. I prefer WW since it encapsulates any dust particles and insulates the paint when drying.

[Chris@Adams]

Yes please throw it away & buy you a couple Great Whites!

In the pic of the Great White you can see the pockets that collect any dirt or dust particles ,so you are not rubbing them into your paint.

 

[toddimac]

I just wanted to thank you for not spelling it "shammy".

 

cheers:bow:

[ssooch]

I was a chamois user for decades. One try of the great white and bye-bye chamois!!

[bjoeaull]

I sometimes use my old absorbers for areas such as windows, wheels, or jams and what nots. Keeps my great white towel from getting so saturated too quickly.

[Chewy]

My absorber gets used on the dog. Between that and my Sidekick blaster, nothing gets a dog dry faster IMO.

[Chuckkilo3]

I just wanted to thank you for not spelling it "shammy".

 

cheers:bow:

 

Or ShamWow.

[crowvet]

Yes Shammies are bad,,, I Mean baaaad, baaad

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xNEYfIUDkh8]Sam the Sham & the Pharaohs- Lil' red riding hood - YouTube[/ame]

[Bootstrap]

I just wanted to thank you for not spelling it "shammy".

 

cheers:bow:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Or ShamWow.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yes Shammies are bad,,, I Mean baaaad, baaad

 

 

Sent from my DROID RAZR MAXX HD

[Truckie]

I just wanted to thank you for not spelling it "shammy".

 

cheers:bow:

 

Wasn't Shammy part of the "Rat Pack" with Frank and Dean? back in the day?

[Antv20]

@#$@! You guys are killing me. I am trying to get an order together and everytime I log in I find something else I NEED!

[Team Adam's]

Synthetic "shammies" are not paint safe, but genuine real leather chamois are. Problem is that they are treated with fish oil (usually cod liver oil) when new. You presoak to get the excess out, but that oil is what keeps it soft.

 

Over time, and with repeated use they do lose that oil and become less and less safe for your finish.

 

Also, keep in mind a chamois cannot be used with a drying agent. The chemicals don't play nice with it, so to do the detail spray as you dry technique you can pretty much ONLY use microfiber for that process.

[Brandon Lutz]

As other mentioned invest in some GWD towels and a few waterless wash towels for smaller areas.

 

Or, do like me and save up and get the master blaster and use towels for those small areas that don't come dry with the blaster

[Guest Gone & Forgotten]

http://www.adamspolishes.com/p-599-adams-air-force-master-blaster-car-dryer-by-metrovac.aspx

 

Stop avoiding the inevitable.

 

Be sure to inquire about the warranty Adams includes on items like this one....

[GerryC]

GWD towels are chamois on steroids and 100x safer.

 

Last time I was cleaning my towels after a wash, I did a little experiment:

 

I soaked the GWDT with enough water that it was fully saturated but NOT dripping. Then I wrang it out into a bucket and poured that water into a measuring cup. 600ml of water that thing holds without dripping a single drop! That's almost an entire bottle of scotch

[Ricky]

I Used Them For Years, Got Rid Of Them, Ordered Three Great White Towels,Love Them!! Much Safer

[THE Mook]

Someone say Scotch?

[doombert]

I almost threw away my old chamois, but I'm glad I kept it.  If I BBQ in the rain, I use the old chamois to dry it off before putting the cover on. 

[harrigrant91]

Ha!!!  Oh Ron Burgundy. “You ate the whole wheel of cheese…I’m not even mad, that’s amazing”

 

Anyway, I found natural chamois are actually better than MF.  I've been very particular with what I use to dry my cars and have used a chamois for years.  I continue to experiment with MF as new tech hit the market (cobra guzzler, A's great white, other highly touted MF, etc...) and found that with regular use, particulate gets trapped in the MF weave and becomes abrasive.

 

I have had issues with MF leaving swirl marks on the clear coat of my dark vehicles.  I have followed the instructions, broken them in, used MF specific detergents, etc... and have not gotten the desired results compared to a genuine leather chamois. 

 

I believe it’s due to the highly absorbent nap of the chamois fibers to pull in residual particulate off the vehicle and then release it when rinsing that makes it so effective.   I also, think that there is a bit too much emphasis on scratching the vehicle during the drying process as opposed to the wash process, when the wash medium is in contact with the car at its highest vulnerability.

[THE Mook]

Have you tried a Great White Drying Towel?  It's like night and day between using a Chamois, and something safe to dry your car with.