I stick with the whole, get in your truck, half stand and pleat sweep at the same time while sitting down. I sweep until the little rascals are all in good proper order, during which time my keys are always in the ignition, buckle up, and crank the motor. Now, it works great for me, and a towel seems like a bit too much trouble. One thing I have to say though, if you have vinyl or other types of seats prone to cracking, use some sort of seat cover or the cracks will start to get at your pleats and unravel and damage the fabric.