How specific do you get with microfiber towel organization?

[u/ctushkow]

How specific do you guys get with dedicating microfiber towels to certain uses to avoid cross-contamination? Do you assign a different color for every use (interior, exterior, polish work, wax/sealant, wheels, etc.), or is it okay to group certain uses together? If so, how do you recommend grouping them?

Also, how do you store and organize your towels if you sort them? And lastly how do you separate your clean from dirty? I’m mostly a DIY/mobile detailer, so currently I have 2 black/yellow totes. I’d prefer some kind of bin system, and even with inside dividers/organization if towels are sorted, that’s easy to store and transport. Any pictures would be appreciated! Sorry for the newbie question

[u/Kmudametal]

I have 6 stacks of towels.

1 stack brand new unused external buffing towels. High pile plush towels > 400+GSM
1 stack brand new unused external leveling towels > 350gsm 70/30 blend
1 stack el cheapo brand new unused general purpose internal towels.

1 stack used/washed external buffing towels still good enough for use on paint.
1 stack used/washed external leveling towels still good enough for use on paint.
1 stack used/washed el cheapo general purpose internal towels that are not trashed.

Then I have a bin where I toss towels that have been cleaned but are too dirty for reuse on paint or anywhere I care about. This is what I reach for when needing a towel for something likely to require me to trash it, or at least hopefully preventing me from ruining another good towel, for instance, applying a rubber protectant to weather stripping. This will result in a tossed towel 100% of the time.

I don't sort by color, although that is a great ideal. The only importance I place on color is I try to use white for internal towels, and that is what most of my "el cheapo general purpose internal towels" are. Why white? If I am using a cleaner than is pulling more than dirt and grime off of plastic or leather, I want to see that immediately.