Drying towels and a dryer sheet...

[adg44]

I did some reading just now through the search about whether or not to use a dryer sheet or fabric softener when drying your towels.

I had always used a bounce sheet when I washed my towels before and they always came out very very soft.

This time I didn't use the bounce sheet because I wondered how much of a difference it would make. The towels do seem a little stiffer, and not as soft to the touch as before when I used the bounce sheet.

I have not noticed any swirls caused by the towels before when I used the bounce sheet, so maybe it's not as bad?

I am just curious because to me, it seems like now since the towels aren't as soft (Don't get me wrong, they are fairly soft) would cause more problems than with just a bounce sheet?

Just seeing what you all have to say...

- Anthony

[DFTowel]

They are actually just as soft (or stiff) as they were with the dryer sheet. The dryer sheets DO NOT make fabric softer, nor does a fabric sofetner in the wash. Dryer sheets only deposit a chemical coating on the fabric to fool you into thinking they are softer. When you use the towel on the car, this checmical coating transfers to the finish.

The rules are simple:
NEVER use fabric softeners in the wash
NEVER use dryer sheets
Only use liquid detergent, NEVER anything else.

[adg44]

Gotcha. Thanks.

But only liquid detergent? Wyy is that?

I actually just washed my BMW and the towel was plenty soft and worked perfectly - so I'm not worried. It was just mental I guess.

[DFTowel]

Originally posted by adg44
Gotcha. Thanks.

But only liquid detergent? Wyy is that?

Because the granules from powdered detergent may not always fully dissolve so you may scratch your finish if some get lodged in your towels.

[Lost Pup]

I tend to see powder lumps in the soap hopper when we use the energy saver cold water option. The powdered soap will not fully dissolve and the paticles will contaminate your MF cloths and towels. Kind of like lumpy salt.

I use liquid soap (Dawn) and warm wash and rinse for my MF. I dry them in our gas dryer and fold them right into the Zip Loc bags ready for use . I picked up a 5 gallon joint compound can and lid from a construction site cleaned it throughly and use that for used MF storage and then presoaking before I wash the MF.

Cheap and works well.

[kepani]

in addition, the reason to NEVER use dryer sheets and/or fabric softener is that the chemicals remove wax. assuming you will be using these towels to buff off the applied wax, these towels which have been treated with fabric softener and the like wil strip that wax off. all that hard work for not.

like they say above, just use detergent...nothing else.

AND, the fabric softener is actually a water repellent.......

[jeremyp111]

AND most importantly, if 99.9% of the people (who matter) here say it, then it's gospel! hehe

Jeremy

[YoSteve]

perhaps the oil in a bounce dryer sheet adds shine to your car paint when you use it

you just discovered something! New carnauba dryer sheets, it deposits wax onto towels so that you don't need QD