Can a product hailed as the ‘TikTok Towel’ live up to the internet hype? In this article, we put the now legendary twisted loop microfibre drying towel through its paces. Is the Sam’s Detailing Drying Towel the King of all drying towels or just social media buzz? We pitch it against the best alternative - The Gloss Fuel Ultimate Car Drying Towel to see if we have a new king!
Sam's Detailing Drying Towel 'vs' Gloss Fuel Ultimate Car Drying Towel
About Sam’s Detailing - Premium Car Detailing Products from the UK
Established in 2013 by founder Sam, Sam’s Detailing is a UK-based brand specialising in high-quality car detailing products designed for both beginners and professional detailers. Based in Sheffield, Sam’s Detailing offers a wide selection of affordable, easy-to-use automotive detailing solutions and accessories that deliver professional results.
Sam’s passion for cars and automotive care is the driving force behind the brand. As he puts it: "Every day, I strive to bring my vision of inclusive, user-friendly car care to life. By offering premium car detailing products at competitive prices with clear, simple instructions. I aim to build a community that welcomes both novice and expert detailers."
With a strong and growing presence on social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok, Sam’s Detailing has earned a loyal global following of car enthusiasts and detailing professionals.
Today, the Sam’s Detailing product range is available in over 20 countries worldwide, including major markets such as the USA and Canada, making it a trusted name in the global car care industry.
Gloss Fuel: Born from a Passion for Rally and a Commitment to Sustainable Car Detailing
Gloss Fuel was created by two lifelong friends united not only by their love of rally racing - where speed, skill, and dirt go hand in hand - but also by a shared dedication to car cleaning and detailing. What began with maintaining their own vehicles and the occasional rally car evolved into something much bigger: a mission to raise the standard of car care.
With a solid foundation in Automotive Engineering, Bertie brings technical depth and product insight to the team. Quentin adds over two decades of experience in automotive branding and motorsport marketing, having collaborated with a Formula 1 team and numerous rally organisations throughout his career.
While they both love detailing, they noticed a clear issue: the car care industry was falling behind when it came to sustainability. As other industries pivot toward greener alternatives, Gloss Fuel was launched to provide eco-friendly car detailing products that cut down on plastic and environmental impact - starting with our Refuel Packs, a smart, sustainable way to replenish your detailing supplies.
In contrast to the sea of generic, private-label car care products on the market - most made by the same few chemical manufacturers - Gloss Fuel has taken a bespoke approach. We’ve teamed up with a trusted, family-owned chemical company with decades of experience in premium cleaning formulations. Working closely with their lead chemist (a fellow detailing fanatic), we developed a high-performance line tailored to real enthusiasts.
Whether you’re detailing on the weekends, working on your daily driver, or running a professional detailing business, Gloss Fuel’s premium range delivers top-tier results with a lower environmental footprint. Experience a car care system that combines professional quality with eco-conscious design - and don’t forget to refill and reuse with our environmentally responsible Refuel Packs.
Gloss Fuel Ultimate Car Drying Towel Overview
Ease of use of the Gloss Fuel Ultimate Car Drying Towel
This might seem like an odd topic – How to use a Drying Towel – but there are a number of different methods to drying a vehicle with a towel. All of them are simple, easy to try and effective at drying your vehicle.
The Pat Dry Technique
The pat dry technique is possible the least damaging way to use a drying towel to contact dry your paintwork. Carefully lay the towel on the wet panel and pat the back of the towel to aid absorbency. For doors and vertical panels, fold the towel in half or quarters, then hold it on a section of wet paintwork and allow the twisted loop fibres to absorb the water. Slightly re-position the towel and repeat until the panel is dry.
The Drag Dry Technique
The drag dry technique is a faster way of soaking up your rinse water. Lay the towel on the panel, grab the two nearest corners and gently drag the towel toward you. You leave behind a dry section where the towel has done its job. Move the towel to an adjacent wet section and repeat. For vertical panels fold the towel in half, place it in contact with the bottom of the panel and drag it upwards.
The Quarter Fold Technique
Another popular method of contact drying your vehicle with a towel is the quarter fold technique. Fold the drying towel into quarters, then dry one panel or one section at a time. Flip the towel to a dry quarter for the next panel or section. For double sided drying towels, like the Gloss Fuel Ultimate Car Drying Towel, this method gives you eight dry sections of towel.
Benefits of the Gloss Fuel Ultimate Car Drying Towel
This twisted loop microfibre drying towel is super soft and edgeless - meaning there is no nasty, hard edging fabric which could inflict micro-marring to your paint when in use. Despite its large size (60cm x 90cm) and 1300gsm weight, it's not too heavy, even when saturated with water.
The long twisted loop microfibres effortlessly soak up water leaving behind a clean, dry surface, ready for the next stage of your detailing process. Should you encounter any stray dirt particles left behind from the contact wash stage, then those long fibres safely draw the dirt deep into the pile. The towel is machine washable and fast drying.
This plush twisted loop drying towel folds nicely and can be used with any of the aforementioned techniques. It's easily capable of drying two cars, more when used in conjunction with our Gloss Fuel Gloss Enhancing Drying Aid.
Value for Money of the Gloss Fuel Ultimate Car Drying Towel
This premium twisted loop microfibre drying towel costs £20.00. Essentially it's two Sam's Detailing Drying Towels in one, for just £4.00 extra! This represents incredible value for money compared to Sam's drying towel.
Cons of Gloss Fuel Ultimate Car Drying Towel
If you're all about 'contact-less' detailing wherever possible and prefer using a hot air car dryer or leave blower instead of a traditional drying towel, then this isn't the product for you. The only other 'con' of using this towel, or any twisted loop drying towel, is that occasionally the fibres can get snagged on badges.
Sam's Detailing Drying Towel Overview
Ease of use of Sam’s Detailing Drying Towel
Providing you follow a safe car washing routine, like our recommended two bucket safe car washing method, using this towel is super simple. Following the safe wash directions, rinse the car thoroughly, then dry completely using the Sam’s Detailing Twisted Loop Drying Towel.
Once you’ve washed and dried your car, always remember clean your car washing equipment. Microfibre wash mitts, chenille noodle mitts, microfibre cloths and vehicle drying towels can be laundered. Use a dedicated, specialist microfibre laundry liquid to clean these items before using them another vehicle.
Benefits of Using Sam's Detailing Drying Towel
The main benefit of using Sam’s Drying Towel is its ability to absorb a truly staggering volume of water. You can towel dry an average sized vehicle, without the need to wring out the towel or the need to use a fresh one!
The towel’s twisted loop microfibre construction is soft, plush and absorbent. This helps to minimise any micro-marring when the towel is in contact with the paintwork.
Sam’s Detailing Drying Towels are available in the following sizes:
- Mini Drying Towel – 8” x 12”
- Regular Drying Towel – 28” x 36”
- XXL Drying Towel – 78” x 43”
The mini towel is intended for use on wheels and awkward, intricate areas. The regular size drying towel is for drying small to large vehicles. The XXL Sam’s Detailing Drying Towel is a MONSTER! This beast is capable of drying campers, RVs and trucks! But it can be a bit of a handful due to its enormous size.
Value for Money of Sam’s Detailing
The regular sized (70cm x 90cm) Sam's Detailing Drying Towel costs £16.00. There are alternative drying towels on the market which are less expensive and some which are more expensive. Other Sam’s Detailing reviews have been critical of the price. We can’t test every single twisted loop microfibre drying towel on the market. What we can say is that this is a good-quality drying towel. Like many other Sam’s Detailing products, it’s pitched as a premium product so it has a premium price.
Cons of Sam's Detailing Drying Towel
This towel is only 600gsm and single sided. It does a good job of soaking up the left over rinse water but at its standard size, it's only really capable of drying one average size car/SUV. Some detailing obsessives may be cautious of the towel edging marring their paint but this isn't a huge concern as the fabric is quite soft.
Sam's Detailing Drying Towel or Gloss Fuel Ultimate Car Drying Towel: Which should you choose?
Both of these towels are easy to use, offer easy aftercare and both of these twisted loop microfibre drying towels are highly effective at drying your vehicle. However an additional £4.00 essentially buys you twice the towel and double the drying capacity with the Gloss Fuel Ultimate Car Drying Towel. The few pence extra per square cm also eliminates the edging and doubles the gsm.
Consider that Gloss Fuel also offer a deal on their Ultimate Microfibre Kit which includes both their Ultimate Car Drying Towel and Ultimate Car Wash Mitt for an extra 20% OFF - it's no contest!
The TikTok Towel has been well and truly knocked off it's pedestal by the newcomer - The Gloss Fuel Ultimate Car Drying Towel takes the title with a convincing knock-out!
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Disclaimer: Both products tested were purchased and tested back-to-back by the reviewer. The review published here is the honest opinion of the product reviewer. All information and prices quoted were deemed to be correct at the time of publication. To notify us of any updates and/or corrections, please contact Gloss Fuel.
