You've heard that using an old-fashioned terry towel on your car is a great way to scratch the paint, and leave behind "micro-marring," or fine scratches and swirls. To prevent this, you should only use microfiber when washing your new Ford.
But what kind or microfiber towel?
One of the most important features to look for when choosing the right towel for the task is GSM. It stands for grams per square meter, and it measures the density of the towel, which gives you an idea of the thickness, absorptivity, and pile length.
Those thin, low-pile microfiber towels you might see packaged for cleaning glasses are not adequate for touching your vehicle's paint. They typically have low density, below 200 GPM.
A range of 200 to 300 GPM is a good towel for cleaning glass surfaces, like windows.
Any towel that touches your paint should be over 300 GPM, though not much higher than 400 GPM. Excessively dense 500 GPM towels are typically soft and plush, but not very effective for scrubbing and cleaning.