Thought buffing with a shop towel was fine until the paint dried hazy on a Civic last week

Alice Ross · 2026-09-17T00:10:03.419203+00:00

I've been doing body work for about 8 years and always grabbed whatever clean rag was nearby for buffing out small spots. Last week I was finishing a rear quarter panel on a 2016 Civic, just a little scuff repair, and I used a regular shop towel to buff the clear after wet sanding. Looked great while it was wet. Next morning the sun hit it and the whole area was hazy and swirled, way worse than before I started. I grabbed my actual microfiber pads and re-polished it and it came out fine, but I had to burn another hour I didn't plan on. Turns out the shop towels I had were leaving tiny fibers and micro scratches I couldn't see under shop lights. I always thought cheap rags were fine for quick jobs, but this one cost me time and a little pride. Anyone else get burned by grabbing the wrong rag under time pressure, or am I the only one who cut that corner?

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Thought buffing with a shop towel was fine until the paint dried hazy on a Civic last week | Auto Body Repairers - Vivisector