4 Cheap, Yet High-Quality Microfiber Towels For Your Car

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While most tend to focus their time, effort, and money on maintaining a car's mechanical parts, taking care of a car's exterior is important, too. Beyond the aesthetic appeal of a clean vehicle, removing dirt, road salt, and other grime is crucial to stop rust spots from forming. But just like how you need the right tools to work on an engine, you should use appropriate cleaning materials and products to keep a car looking great. The microfiber cloth is an essential product for keeping vehicles clean and pristine, inside and out. You don't have to spend a fortune, though, as several budget-friendly brands have become preferred options among drivers and detailers alike.

Before delving into specific brands, one has to ask, why microfiber? Even though the material has drawbacks, such as microfiber cloths' tendency to pick up dirt if they've touched the ground, they have numerous benefits. They're gentle on paint, good at picking up grease, grime, and water without leaving spots and streaks behind, and will last a long time if they're routinely cleaned and properly taken care of. So long as you're not buying overly-cheap, low-quality towels, microfiber shouldn't give you any trouble at all. To that end, several microfiber cloth brands that balance affordability and quality, with customers agreeing that towels from these brands will help you clean your car right.

One brand that frequently comes up in the microfiber cloth conversation, perhaps more than any other, is The Rag Company. Over on Reddit, the brand received high praise from multiple commenters in a thread by u/BrianLevre. The Rag Company was praised for its quality, different towel types, and fair pricing. Comments under a separate thread from a now-deleted Reddit user also gave The Rag Company a lot of credit. The Rag Company Edgeless 356 16-inch by 16-inch microfiber towels, in particular, were often recommended. Amazon users also approve of these microfiber towels, as evidenced by a 4.7 out of five-star rating based on over 2,800 reviews. Reviews often praise durability and price, at $24.95 per pack of 10.

The Rag Company has numerous towels for sale through retailers like Amazon, with one of its most popular offerings on that marketplace being the Rag Company 20-pack of 10-inch by 10-inch microfiber cleaning towels. With over 15,000 reviews, this pack has an average of 4.7 out of five stars and loads of positive assessments. Amazon customers have lauded their ability to clean quickly with few swipes and no streaking, and their suitability for cleaning up cars without scratching the paint, among other points. The Rag Company charges $21.95 for this pack of 20 towels.

With a reputation for having a little bit of everything within each location, it's no surprise that Costco has something to offer in the microfiber cloth department. The retailer's Kirkland Signature ultra plush microfiber towels have gotten a lot of praise from customers. Redditor u/LegendaryPain- made them the core of a thread, asking others if they recommend them. Commenters explained that they're great for several jobs, from routine cleaning of car interiors and exteriors to getting stubborn dirt and grime off of vehicle parts like door jambs and rims. They also highlight the price, $19.99 at Costco for a pack of 36 16-inch by 16-inch towels, as being a great reason to stock up.

Elsewhere online, YouTuber IMJOSHV – Car Detailing and Reconditioning Tips recommended Kirkland's towels, too. They found that the towels offered great value-for-money, with perfect dimensions for car detailing, and an overall quality that's suitable for professional use. Of course, they do mention some quirks folks should be aware of. The first towel in the stack comes with a sticker that, even when removed, leaves residue behind that could leave scratches. The twoels also come with an attached tag that should be removed to prevent scratching as well. Still, they didn't feel these minor drawbacks were reason enough to consider them one of the many car and truck products one should think twice about buying from Costco.

There are many handy finds at Harbor Freight, including plenty of garage or workshop essentials available for under $25. Some of its most praised offerings, however, are actually microfiber cloths, chiefly the Grant's Ultraplush edgeless cloths. These will run you $9.99 for a pack of 12 16-inch by 16-inch towels. The pack currently has a 4.9 out of five-star rating based on almost 700 reviews on the Harbor Freight website, with numerous customers having positive experiences using the towels for car cleanup. Reviewers commend these towels for their durability, not leaving any lint behind after cleaning or waxing, and their great value at less than $1 per towel.

The love for Grant's microfiber towels goes beyond the review section of the Harbor Freight website. For example, Redditor u/willmayo20 dedicated a whole thread to them, highlighting their low price and high quality. They're not alone, either, with several commenters sharing that they were surprised by how well they worked despite the low price. Some highlighted that their low price made them no-brainers for stocking up, while others noted that they commonly go on sale for those hoping to get even more bang for their buck.

Much like fellow wholesale club Costco, Sam's Club has its share of microfiber towels for sale. Also, similar to Costco, most customers seem to like them for automotive cleaning. The 16-inch by 16-inch microfiber towels from the Member's Mark brand have won many customers over. On the Sam's Club website, where they cost $17.48 for 36 towels that come in blue, green, or orange, they have a 4.8 out of five-star rating based on almost 400 reviews. Their softness, absorption, and reusability stand as some of the most frequent points of praise among reviewers.

These Member's Mark microfiber towels are also well-liked in other corners of the internet. YouTuber Dallas Paint Correction & Auto Detailing believes that Sam's Club towels are a solid, budget-conscious, multi-purpose option — even if they feel that Costco's Kirkland towels are softer. Fellow YouTuber IMJOSHV – Car Detailing and Reconditioning Tips also felt that the Costco towels felt a bit more premium, but that Member's Mark towels do have a place. They feel they're a good budget option worth keeping around that could serve one well for car interior cleaning.

To choose these microfiber towels, we relied on multiple sources, such as forums, product reviews on online retailers, and video overviews. This allowed us to develop the clearest possible picture of what car owners online had to say about these towels and their experience using them. Naturally, the selected sources also had to be honest and not results of paid affiliate marketing, and focus on what these cloths could do specifically in a car cleaning scenario — even if they were recommended for use in other situations.

With our sources selected, it was key to take in what folks were saying. How well did these towels clean? Did they physically hold up and continue to dry effectively even after repeated use? And, perhaps most importantly, did buyers feel that they were worth the price? We then chose the towels that were widely-praised across multiple sources, did a good job at cleaning, and delivered strong performance for their still-cheap price points.