10 Best Microfiber Car Cloths of 2023

If you’re new to detailing your vehicle or car care in general, one investment you’ll want to make is in microfiber cloths. They offer a wide range of advantages over traditional cloths and rags, saving you a ton of time and giving you a better-looking final product.

But there are tons of microfiber cloth options out there, and they don’t all deliver the way they should. We don’t want you to waste a ton of time and money trying to track down one that works the way it should, so we came up with this guide highlighting ten of the best options on the market today.

Not only that, but we developed a comprehensive buyer’s and care guide to help you figure out exactly what you need and how to keep them in tip-top shape after you get them!

10 Best Microfiber Car Cloths

We get that you’re busy and we don’t want to waste your time. If you already know what to look for in a microfiber cloth just check out our recommendations right here! Of course, if you don’t know what you’re looking for our reviews of each option should help walk you through everything you need to know about each option.

1. CarCarez Microfiber Towels – Best Microfiber Car Cloth Overall

If you’re looking for the best combination of price and value, then the CarCarez microfiber towels are the way to go. You don’t have to spend a ton per towel to get them, but they still do an outstanding job for both cleaning and drying.

Each towel comes in a convenient 16” x 16” size, which is perfect for most automotive applications. It’s also a great size for easy storage inside your vehicle. Each purchase of CarCarez microfiber towels comes with six towels, giving you more than enough for most jobs.

You also get to pick from a wide variety of colors. While this doesn’t affect performance at all, it does let you put your own flair on the towels. However, while there’s a lot to love about CarCarez microfiber towels, they’re not perfect.

Our main issue with them is that they’re not the most durable. With proper care they should last a while, but don’t expect these to last forever. But at this price there’s it’s easy to see how it climbed to the top of our list.

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2. Meguiar’s X2020

If you’re looking to save a little money but still want some great microfiber towels, then Meguiar’s X2020 might be the perfect way to go. They either come in a 3 or 6-pack, and their 6-pack option is one of the lowest-cost options out there.

Even better, they’re durable microfiber towels, so you don’t have to worry about replacing them anytime soon. This means you’re saving money both now and later, which is a big deal when you’re on a tight budget.

The towels themselves are also a bit larger at 16” x 24”, giving you plenty of space to use both sides for tons of different jobs. Still, even though they’re affordable and durable they are the budget choice for a reason.

The main reason for this is a lack of options. There’s only one size and color option to pick from. It works great, but you either like what they offer or you don’t. 

The other issue with these microfiber towels is that while they’re available for an affordable price, a big reason for this is that you’re not getting as many towels. It’s an affordable option, but it’s actually slightly more expensive per towel.

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3. Chemical Guy’s MIC_506-12

Chemical Guy’s is one of the largest names in the car care industry, and there’s a good reason for this. They produce a ton of great car care products, and their microfiber towels are no exception. They’re the best microfiber towels money can buy.

But while you’re going to spend a little more from them up front, they’re one of the most durable options. If you care for them properly, there’s no reason these Chemical Guy’s MIC 506-12 microfiber towels can’t last for years to come.

They also present tons of versatility when it comes to how many towels you get, giving you the option to purchase a 3, 12, 24, 36, or 60-pack of towels with each purchase. This gives you the versatility to purchase enough towels for you or an entire shop depending on your needs.

Every microfiber towel comes in a convenient 16” x 16” size, and there are two color options for you to pick from. These Chemical Guy’s microfiber towels come with everything you could want, but you’re also spending a little more initially to get them.

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4. Mighty Cleaner Microfiber Towels

While the Mighty Cleaner microfiber towels just missed our top three, it was a near miss and they’re an outstanding option you should still consider. They’re another pack of microfiber towels that present an outstanding mix of price and quality.

They come in a 6-pack and feature an edgeless design, giving you the most possible working space with these towels. But that’s a pretty big deal because compared to most of the other microfiber towels on our list these Might Cleaner microfiber towels are on the smaller side of things at just 12” x 12”.

Each pack comes with both black and yellow microfiber towels, giving you two different color options to help you tell things apart during different jobs.

However, two things kept these Mighty Cleaner microfiber towels from cracking our top three. First, there’s the issue of the smaller size. Second, they’re simply not the most durable. While the edgeless design lets you make use of every inch of the towels, it also makes it more likely for them to start fraying.

You can help mitigate this risk by caring for them properly, but with enough use and washes, it’s only a matter of time before these microfiber cloths start to fray and fall apart.

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5. Amazon Basics Microfiber Towels

Amazon Basics is a company that’s all about producing the same style of products as other companies but providing them at a lower cost. That’s exactly what they do with these Amazon Basics microfiber towels.

They’re a lower-cost option per towel, but since you have to purchase 48 at a time it’s still a bit more expensive compared to many other options out there. But if you need or want a larger quantity of microfiber towels, these Amazon Basics towels are a great option at a low-cost per towel.

Every pack of Amazon Basics towels comes with three different color towels, making it easy to tell things apart when you’re using different chemicals at the same time.

But while Amazon Basics microfiber cloths are a low-cost per towel option that still does a great job, they have a few drawbacks. First, they’re slightly smaller towels at 12” x 16”. Second, like many lower-budget options, they’re not the most durable even if you care for them properly.

Finally, unlike many other budget microfiber cloths, you must purchase these in bulk. If you only want or need a few microfiber cloths you can get better quality options without spending as much simply because you’re getting fewer towels with your purchase.

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6. Solid Multipurpose Plush Cleaning Cloth

Solid might not be the largest name in the car care industry, but that doesn’t stop them from making an excellent microfiber cloth. They’re an outstanding combination of price and quality, and since they come in a 6-pack, it’s even more affordable when you look at the cost per cloth.

And while some microfiber cloths keep the cost low by skimping on quality or durability, that’s not the case with these. They’re extremely durable as long as you properly care for them, and since they’re super absorbent, they work great as drying towels.

But unlike many other plush microfiber drying towels, these still work well enough with polishes and other cleaning chemicals. It’s not the best with those applications, but it still works.

Finally, when you pair the versatility of these cloths with their larger 16” x 24” size it’s easy to see why these Solid multipurpose plush cleaning cloths made our list.

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7. Adam’s Ultra Plush Drying Towel

While this is the seventh microfiber towel on our list, the Adam’s Ultra Plush Drying Towel is the most expensive single towel on our list. It’s also the largest, with a massive 29” x 36” size that’s more than twice the size of many of the other towels.

And while there’s no denying the higher price tag, it’s also the most durable option. If you care for this microfiber towel properly there’s no reason it can’t last for years.

However, while this is undoubtedly the best drying towel on our list, its plush design makes it tough to use for many other automotive applications. Instead, this is a great option to keep in your vehicle to dry your vehicle off after a trip to the car wash.

But if you’re looking for microfiber towels to wax, clean, or detail your vehicle, you’ll likely want to get another option. But even if you get one of those, you still might want this one to dry everything off at the end.

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8. Mr. Siga Microfiber Cleaning Cloth

The Mr. Siga microfiber cleaning cloths are yet another affordable microfiber cloth option. These microfiber cloths are extremely affordable overall, and that’s especially true when you consider you get 12 towels with each purchase which helps drive down the cost per towel.

Each pack comes with towels of multiple colors too, which makes it easier to keep things separate when you’re completing multiple jobs with different chemicals. But even with an affordable price tag and multiple colors, the Mr. Siga microfiber cloths fell close to the bottom of our list.

The first issue with these cloths is that they don’t use an edgeless design. While that might not seem like a huge deal, it does make it harder for you to get a consistent finish. Adding to the problem is the fact that they’re smaller cloths, giving you even less room to work with.

Each cloth is just 12.6” x 12.6”, making it one of the smallest cloths on our list. Finally, while you’re certainly getting these microfiber cloths for a great price, there’s no denying that they’re not the most durable option.

Caring for them properly will help with this some, but if you’re consistently using and washing them, it’s only a matter of time until they start to fall apart on you.

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9. Maxshine 380GSM

These Maxshine 380GSM microfiber cloths are another affordably priced option you have. Not only are they affordable, but with a 16” x 24” size they’re large enough for any automotive job. Moreover, since they feature an edgeless design, you can use every inch of the towel.

Furthermore, you get five towels with each purchase, significantly lowering the cost per towel. Still, while there’s a lot to love about these microfiber cloths they did fall near the bottom of our list for a few different reasons.

First, there are really no customization options with the Maxshine 380GSM microfiber towels. They have one color option and size to pick from. Not only that, but they’re not the most durable option.

While you can get them to last a bit longer if you properly care for them, with heavy use it’s only a matter of time until they start to fray and fall apart.

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10. Zwipes Professional Microfiber Waffle Drying Towel

This Zwipes Professional Microfiber Waffle Drying Towel might be the last option on our list, but if you only plan on using your microfiber towel to dry off your vehicle, then this is an option you’ll want to consider.

The waffle design gives it more surface area to absorb more liquid, allowing you to quickly dry your entire vehicle with just one or two towels. Aiding with that is the fact that you can purchase this drying towel in either a one or two-pack.

You don’t have to spend a lot on this microfiber drying towel either, and since it’s one of the most durable options on the market you don’t have to worry about replacing it any time soon either. But despite its low cost and durability, it fell to the bottom of our list for a reason.

First, while it’s an outstanding microfiber towel for drying things, that’s about all it’s good for. Second, it’s the smallest option on our list. At just 13” x 5” it’s much smaller than any other microfiber towel on our list.

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Microfiber Cloth Buyer’s Guide

With so many great microfiber rags out there, it can be challenging to narrow things down. That’s why we came up with this buyer’s guide that will walk you through everything you need to know about microfiber rags.

From what you need to look for before purchasing one to why you need one in the first place and how to care for them, we’ll break it all down for you here.

That way you can get the best possible microfiber cloths the first go around and do everything you should to keep them in like-new condition for years to come!

The Importance of Microfiber Rags

When you’re completing different jobs on your vehicle microfiber rags aren’t just a nice addition, they’re an absolute necessity. That’s because if you decide to use a regular rag on the paint or exterior of your vehicle, you’re going to end up scratching it.

But while microfiber cloths are a great choice for your vehicle because they’ll help protect the paint, they do more than that. Microfiber cloths do a better job of collecting dirt and grease compared to other rag options.

That’s because microfiber cloths carry a positive charge and with a positive charge, it naturally attracts things like dirt and grease that carry a negative charge. Next, microfiber cloths are more absorbent than regular cloths.

This makes them a great choice for soaking up water and preventing water spots. Another advantage of microfiber rags is that compared to other rags, microfiber rags tend to last a bit longer when you care for them properly.

Finally, microfiber rags give you a pristine and consistent finish for your vehicle. Whether it’s the first spot you dry or the last, a microfiber rag leaves everything looking the same from start to finish.

Different Types of Microfiber Rags

When you’re picking out a microfiber rag you might think that since it’s microfiber, they’re all the same. That’s simply not the case. While there are a lot of different types of microfiber cloths, we’re going to highlight a few of them for you here.

First, we’re going to highlight the ultra-plush options on our list. These options thrive in two different areas – drying and polishing. However, if you’re looking to use a plush microfiber cloth to wash your vehicle, it’s not going to work as well as you’d like.

Next, we have the “waffle” weave microfiber cloths. These microfiber cloths excel in one area – drying. They do an even better job at drying than plush microfiber cloths, and they already do a better job than multipurpose ones.

The waffle pattern gives the microfiber cloth more surface area for absorbing water, giving you the maximum amount of drying power out of a single cloth. But while this is a big advantage for drying things, if you’re trying to apply a product it works the same way.

In order to get enough product to cover the entire cloth you’ll need to use more of the product, and you’ll need more water to thoroughly soak the cloth.

Finally, there are multipurpose or all-purpose microfiber cloths. While this category technically covers a wide range of microfiber cloths, they’re what you want when you’re looking for microfiber cloths for all-around cleaning or detailing.

They work on leather, plastic, the exterior of your vehicle, and just about everything else. They’ll work for drying and polishing too, just not quite as well as the waffle or plush microfiber cloths. Multipurpose microfiber cloths work for everything, they just don’t excel at anything.

Using Your Microfiber Rags

Using a microfiber cloth is pretty easy, but since there are so many questions surrounding how and when you should use one, we decided to give you a quick rundown here. First, you can either use a microfiber cloth when it’s wet or dry.

There’s no right or wrong answer here, it all comes down to the job you’re trying to complete. Next, you want to use a small section of microfiber cloth at a time. Fold it over itself to use only the small section, and once you dirty that section, move on to another section of the rag.

If you’re simply cleaning or dusting a surface, you shouldn’t add any additional chemicals to the microfiber cloth. Wet the cloth with water before using it and you’re good to go!

Finally, if you’re using microfiber cloths for different jobs while cleaning your vehicle, keep them separate from each other. Use one microfiber cloth for drying, another for cleaning just with water, and another for cleaning with whatever chemical you use.

Taking the time to separate the cloths might be a little frustrating at first, but it will go a long way in preserving the cloths and giving you a consistent finish for your job.

Caring For Your Microfiber Cloths

The last thing you want is to purchase the perfect microfiber cloth only to have it fall apart on you after a few uses. While microfiber cloths will wear out with enough use, they should last for at least a few years if you care for them properly.

But while caring for a regular cloth or rag is pretty easy, keeping a microfiber cloth in great shape takes a bit more work. We’ve highlighted how to wash, dry, and care for them after each use for you here.

Hand Washing Microfiber Cloths

If you don’t want to use the washing machine or the microfiber cloth isn’t all that dirty, you can handwash it in a relatively short amount of time. Start by shaking out the fabric to get any excess dirt and debris off.

Next, fill a basin with warm water and add the microfiber cloths. Scrub the cloths in the water and then let them soak for 15 to 20 minutes. After letting them soak, scrub them again. Repeat this process until the microfiber cloths are clean.

Finish up by rinsing out the cloths under running water and wringing out the excess water. While you can use a mild soap during this process, you usually don’t need to.

You cannot use harsh soaps, fabric softeners, or any soaps with fragrances. These things can end up destroying the microfiber properties of the cloth.

Machine Washing Microfiber Cloths

If you have extremely dirty microfiber cloths or you don’t want to hand wash them, you can use a washing machine. When washing microfiber cloths in a washing machine don’t wash them with any other fabrics or materials.

Start by shaking out any excess dirt or debris before putting them in the washing machine. Use a cold or warm water setting – do not use hot water. You don’t need to add detergent, but if you want to use a mild detergent with no fragrance or fabric softener additives. Additionally, don’t use more than a teaspoon or two.

You can also add a teaspoon or two of white vinegar if the microfiber rags have an unpleasant odor. Run the load, and if you can stop it about halfway through for about 15 to 20 minutes to allow the microfiber cloths to soak.

From there, restart the cycle and allow it to finish. Stopping the load will create a more thorough cleaning of the cloths, but it’s not completely necessary.

Drying Microfiber Cloths

After you wash your microfiber cloths you need to dry them out. You can either air dry or machine dry the cloths, but the process varies a bit depending on which method you choose.

Air drying is the easier method, but you need to have the right area or weather conditions. Simply hang them up in an area with access to direct sunlight and plenty of air circulation.

If you choose to machine dry your microfiber cloths start by cleaning out the lint trap completely. It’s not just a fire risk with microfiber cloths, the lint can travel to the cloth and damage the fibers.

Use a low heat setting for the dryer and do not add any dryer balls or dryer sheets. Just like laundry additives can damage the cloths, so can dryer balls or dryer sheets.

Daily Upkeep of Microfiber Cloths

Now that you know how to wash and dry your microfiber cloths, all that’s left is figuring out how to care for them between washes. This is a pretty straightforward and simple process, but it goes a long way in keeping them in great shape.

Start by shaking them out after use to dislodge any larger dirt, dust, or debris particles. After this, rinse them thoroughly and allow them to air dry. Don’t add any chemicals during this process.

Additionally, don’t use an iron or any other types of excessive heat when using a microfiber cloth, otherwise you can damage them.

Finally, often cleaning chemicals will damage microfiber cloths. While this can create quite a dilemma while detailing your vehicle, the chemicals shouldn’t damage the microfiber cloths right away. Just keep the rags you put the chemicals on separate from the other microfiber cloths so you don’t end up damaging all of your microfiber cloths.

Are some microfiber cloths better than others?

Yes, high-quality microfiber cloths make a big difference. They are better at removing water, are kinder to the paint, and last longer. They also won’t leave a lot of fibers on the paint if they are made of low quality.

Are all microfiber cloths the same?

No, there are many types of microfiber cloths with varying qualities. Cheap microfiber cloths may not be effective at removing dirt and can damage surfaces if used too aggressively. You’ll also want to choose a microfiber cloth with at least a 70/30 ratio of polyester to polyamide.

What type of microfiber cloth is best?

Finding the best type of microfiber cloth depends on what you’re looking for. But to clean a car’s paint, you want to choose a microfiber cloth with 80% to 70% polyester at least.

How can you tell if a microfiber cloth is good?

One way you can tell the quality of a microfiber cloth is by holding it up to the sun. If you can see through it very well, there’s a good chance it’s a low-quality microfiber cloth. High-quality microfiber cloths usually have a more tightly woven texture

Do microfiber cloths work better wet or dry?

Microfiber cloths work better dry, or at least not completely wet. You should not wet the microfiber cloth before doing the job for the best possible performance. You also want to squeeze the water out of the microfiber cloth as you do the job.

If you’re detailing your vehicle you don’t want to put off getting microfiber cloths. Not only will you end up putting in more work by using regular cloths, but you won’t get the same quality results! Even worse, it’s possible you can end up scratching the clearcoat or paint on your vehicle.

This is a lesson you don’t want to learn the hard way, and you don’t want to get a product that doesn’t work the way it should the first time around. Any of the microfiber cloths on our list will make your next detailing job that much easier, so go ahead and get one order today!

Learn more:

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• 10 Best Car Waxes
• 10 Best Car Vacuums

Categories: Cleaning & Detailing, Reviews