The problem with a Chamois is that if there is any dirt on a car, you’re going to drag it across the surface like a squeegee. If the surface is perfectly clean and your chamois is too then there’s no issue. But any little bit of unknown or unwanted dirt and you’re introducing micro scratches all over.

It’s difficult to hear you with that foreground music. I think you should’ve pointed out what newer synthetic chamois are made of and how they differ from older leather chamois. I also would never wipe or drag with a chamois. I’d lay it flat, pat it dry and wring it out. I wouldn’t use a chamois now since twist loop MF offer better “protection” against dirt particles. Plus the constant wringing out a chamois is annoying and waste of time. I bought one not too long ago for nostalgia and see how it would perform. With a coated car that has a ton of water beads (without having a blower) the chamois is actually a good first step to remove the bulk of the standing water. But still requires a follow up with MF and drying aid. So I guess if you have a coated car and don’t have a blower the synthetic chamois can be useful. But again, I wouldn’t wipe or drag it across the paint.

Good video. I'm 66 and have always used a chamois from back in my teens. I've tried these new chamois towels that you put away damp. They work fine for my needs, dry, wring out & dry again. I usually use a drying towel to finish off what the chamois left behind. If I had a classic car, I would probably use the microfiber drying towel. Quite a money saver as well.

In that situation, it makes sense. But the caveat: chamois towels, if they get any kind of abrasive debris stuck to them (and that is more likely with them because of how the surface tension reacts to debris) are far more likely to leave scratches than with a twisted loop towel that could “hide” a small piece of debris in the loop structure. I’ve seen them to be much more dangerous. Loved them “back in the day” when they were the only option besides a bath towel - but modern towel tech has far surpassed them now. Thanks for the one tip that might make them useful.

I have 5 or 6 drying towels and a couple chamois . I only use towels for coated cars . Chamois for everything else . If vehicle is washed and rinsed properly there shouldn't be any worry about dirt being dragged around . Towel touches the ground you are setting it aside and grabbing another. You can toss a Chamois in the dirt , hose it out , wring it out and keep going. I remember back in the 80s i was using the real Chamois with a specific cleaning liquid to soak them in over night. Old school .

I've used shammys for over 20 years and come back with quick detailer spray. Drying them is simple. It's very versatile

Great video. Keep it going, Jimbo. 👍

You're really going for the controversy lately haha! I'd rather use a rinse wax product and an electric blower for fleets, but I can totally see where you're coming from. My work (a landscaping company) still uses blue scrub brushes that are shared between UTVs, heavy equipment, and work trucks and they don't care about swirls or scratches. As long as the paint is clean and chrome is shining that's good enough for them. People watching this are heavily into detailing and wouldn't touch their car with a shammy (myself included), but they need to realize that 99% of the general public will happily drive through a tunnel wash and are blind to swirls and marring caused by them. They won't notice a bit of marring from a shammy either. So for bulk work on fleets it is not hurting anyone to use something like this. Most fleet managers would wonder why we'd even bother with drying the paint lol.

Great 👍video buddy the shammy all I use tfs

I tried working at a dealership and only lasted a week. Was the only one not using drying blades and shammies it hurt my soul the way all the cars especially new ones were getting treated

what kind of strip soap or APC do you recommend?

Can you use a drying aid to help lubricate the surface so there’s less drag. Or would that clog the shammy?

I’m gonna stick to my microfiber towels. I only dry one car, mine lol.

First!!!!!

This video is almost as great as ONR Detailing News' last video. Keep it up, you'll get there.