Textures and Tips for Towels

Detroit Sponge wants to help window cleaners find the right towel for their cleaning needs.

Detail and Finish a Window:

Window cleaners with the most perfect squeegee technique need of a towel for taking care of some drips left behind and details. The window cleaning world have many types of towels, two most common are the blue and green hock towels. Having the right towel will help you to detail and finish a window.

Blue Huck Towels

When it comes to wiping up drips or detailing frames around or on the actual glass, the best-selling, most commonly used towel is the Blue “Huck” towel. This is a cotton towel made of a pretty flat, low profile, non-looped weave. These towels are available new, but most often are sold and preferred in the reclaimed/re-used form. With used huck towels, the cloth has already been broken in by the repeated washing and usage. Towels being broken in allow fibers to soften up and become much more absorbent than when they are in new condition.

The huck towels come in different varieties of slightly different textures, weaves, and sizes. Due to this variable, the towels are sold by bulk weight, usually running 6-7 towels per pound. Over the years, the most popular choice by window cleaners has been the blue used huck towels. Heavier weight, slightly thicker towels are available as well, here.

2. Green Huck Towels

As mentioned, there are different weaves and varieties to the huck towels as well. The Green hucks are growing in popularity. Every batch of towels vary slightly stiffer texture than the blue. While these are still a cotton towel considered to have the huck weave, they feel different than the blue.

3. Microfiber Towels

Finally, for detailing there are a growing variety of microfiber, flat finish towels to choose from. Think about the texture of the cloth style that comes with new eye glasses or high-end sunglasses. These tend to be microfiber cloths. We have cloths similar (great for sconce cleaning too) as well as matte finish cloths which are thicker and textured. These cloths use microfiber technology to provide excellent wiping, without smearing.

With any of these choices, the most important consideration is your personal preference. When it comes to detailing the edges of a window, these low profile, flat finish towels seem to be the most popular and effective window cleaning tool for detailing.

Bulk Water Clean-Up and Work area Solutions:

At the bottom of the window, commonly there are places with drips and drops of water that need to be wiped up. Towels most commonly used by window cleaners in this spot are thicker, more plush style towels and are referred to as looped or plush textures. The thicker nature of the towels allows for more water to be absorbed. If these towels are used for window detailing, smearing tends to appear on the glass. However, for wiping ledges or the general work area, these thick towels do just the trick.

There are two basic categories of towels we offer to help with this type of challenge. Both types are available in a variety of thickness and colors. Bonus tip- many window cleaners find it helpful to use color to help separate purpose of the towels (inside/outside) or crews.

Microfiber Towels

Microfiber is a great option for thick, absorbing towels. The ultra-fine nature of the fiber will penetrate water and allow it to quickly be absorbed. The thickness of the towel allows it to absorb a good amount of water as well. These towels are available in a variety of sizes and colors and can be seen here.

2. Terry Cloth Towel

The traditional, terry cloth style towel is a great choice for this application as well. With the looped fabric, the cotton towels absorb well, launder easily and hold up well. The variety available here is based on the weight or thickness of the towels. Think of a hand towel compared to a bath towel. While both are made of the same material, a thicker towel or thinner towel might be preferred for certain window cleaning challenges.

There are many other ways that towels can be used for cleaning windows. Experiment with different towels, find what is best for you! We even offer a towel package for window cleaners who want to experiment with different types of towels. With the textures, colors and sizes available to choose from, you can decide which are the best window cleaning supplies for your tool box. Shop all our towels and window cleaning equipment. Call us at (800) 535-6394 or email us with any questions about the equipment we sell.