how to wash microfiber waxing towel?

[ftlmatt]

how should i wash my microfiber waxing towels when they get dirty?

i usually machine wash them in cold water with no laundry detergent, on delicate cycle and do not maching dry them..

is this correct?

i would appreciate any suggestions. thanks

[imported_smprince1]

There are many threads and opinions on this, but here are my basics:



machine wash gentle cycle

warm water

liquid detergent of choice (not powder)

no bleach or fabric softener

wash separate from other fabric so they don`t pick up lint

double rinse cycle



machine dry on gentle cycle



For more info, try these too:





http://www.autopia.org/forum/car-detailing/107027-washing-mf-towels.html?highlight=wash+machine



http://www.autopia.org/forum/car-detailing/105629-cleaning-mf-towel.html?highlight=wash+machine



http://www.autopia.org/forum/car-detailing/102643-washing-mfs.html?highlight=wash+machine



http://www.autopia.org/forum/car-detailing-product-discussion/103354-washin-your-microfiber-stuff.html?highlight=wash+machine



http://www.autopia.org/forum/car-detailing/114207-micro-fiber-wash-temperature.html?highlight=wash+machine



http://www.autopia.org/forum/professional-detailer-general-discussion/111365-how-restore-microfiber-towels.html?highlight=wash+machine



http://www.autopia.org/forum/car-detailing/109880-dirty-cloths-wash-together.html?highlight=wash+machine



http://www.autopia.org/forum/car-detailing/109265-what-do-you-wash-your-mf.html?highlight=wash+machine



http://www.autopia.org/forum/car-detailing/107842-how-dry-mf-towels.html?highlight=wash+machine



Happy reading :woot2:

[Joel_MD]

I have a MF washing regimen that is very effective:

Wash in hot water (small to medium load size) with a big scoop of laundry detergent powder (usually Arm & Hammer).

At the end of the wash cycle, after the machine pumps out all the water, start another wash cycle with hot water. This time use about 1/3 scoop of detergent and about three ounces of Griot`s Garage MF cleaner.

After the rinse cycle, do another rinse cycle.

Dry in the dryer set to low heat.

[Patek14]

I use liquid detergent...arm and hammer or tide usually. I fill on warm about 1/4 the way and cold the rest and wash for a full "heavy" cycle. I may do one last extra rinse. Dry on delicate



My MFs have held up well and always get nice and clean

[Accumulator]

ftlmatt- Welcome to Autopia!



As noted, there are some good threads where we go into great detail on this, might be worth the dreaded search if you don`t find an answer in smprince1`s links.



It sounds like you`re treating your MFs *VERY* gently, which isn`t necessary IME.



You don`t need to avoid hot water (plenty of people *boil* their MFs with great results) or detergents (some get great results with regular detergent, others do better with the MF-centric ones). I don`t use the delicate wash cycle either, my MFs just aren`t all that fragile and I want to make sure they get *clean*.



I`m pretty extreme about the extra rinsing...I always do at least one extra wash/rinse cycle *without* detergent and then one final rinse with a little distilled white vinegar.



I dry on either low or medium heat, never found the medium to be hot enough to cause problems.

[Alfisti]

As mentioned above, detergent is important to release wax/product from the very *magnetic* fibres.



I find the most difficult, and important aspect is the rinsing. Since MF is designed to hold and trap product, getting it to release detergent is the most difficult thing. The more detergent you use, the more it will trap. Using too little will result in the MF not releasing all the rubbish. Using too much will result in the MF trapping all the detergent residue. It`s a balancing act.



I tend to use less detergent than regular washing, always liquid, and use hotter water than normal. Not hot, hot, but hotter than normal. This helps improve the detergent action (requiring less, thus less residue) helps dissolve wax/products which responds better too hotter water.



Then, the most important part (to me). Rinsing. I rinse at least twice with the same temp hot water as before. Again, the warmer water helps release stuff from the fibres. In the last cycle, I add some white vinegar to help with the rinsing. Whether I do one more rinse depends on how much foam I see on top off the water during the rinsing cycles.



I find that if I don`t rinse sufficiently, not only do the MF not perform to their best, but can lead to streaking when used to remove LSPs, as the trapped detergent interferes with the product I`m removing.



I don`t machine dry...I just air dry inside somewhere (much to my wife`s amusment...she`s use to it now. :D ) I find letting it air dry allows me to see how clean and residue-free they are based on how well they cling. I find when I machine dry, the static-cling the machine creates masks the true state of my MF and the success of my process.



I know it sounds quite anal, but...hey! you`re on Autopia! :D

[MobileAutoWorks]

Double wash cycle IS the key!!!

[reparebrise]

We run a number of commercial detailing shops, and our MF towels are not babied, and are lasting quite long, and offering good results. We wash in cold water with normal soap, at the manufactuers recomended dosage. We add a cup of vinegar to break down wax residue. Drying is in a regular cloths dryer, nothing special.



People feel a need to over do such little things, and in the process waste enormous amounts of water and power, with the same end results, a microfibre towel that does what it is meant to do. Our towels last around 10 months(they get washed atleast every 3 days) and are not babied, and they do not scratch the paint.

[wfedwar]

Hot water, dawn, dry at lowest heat setting (but not air dry, that takes forever). Wash and dry only with other MF towels. Never had any problems.

[itb76]

Without detergent you won`t get the wax off your wax application towels. I pre-wash the wheel & jamb towels in hot water + detergent, wash all the microfibers in Pinnacle MF wash with a little liquid Cascade (maybe a teaspoon) as I have hard water, add a cup of white vinegar to the first or second rinse cycle, and dry in the dryer on low heat. If too much suds in the final rinse I`ll rinse again, but my wife has a front loading HE washer with the fast spin cycle, so extra rinses are usually not necessary.