togwt
07-26-2011, 06:12 AM
Three types of energy are required;
1. Chemical energy- provided by the synthetic cleaner
2. Mechanical energy - (agitation) provide by machine or hand
3. Thermal energy -provided by warm or hot water; heated water breaks down water-soluble soiling faster as it reduces overall chemical usage because it reduces the surface tension.
Before using any towels for the first time;
• Remove labels / tags
• Check for towel colour fastness before washing
• Wash towels before using to remove chemical sizing (used to plump up fibres)
• Use a liquid detergent (or a speciality product like Micro-Restore high efficiency (HE) washer safe) without softener, bleach, whiteners.
Before using Washing Machine
To ensure that the washing machine has no residual detergent or fabric softener; rise the machine drum with a 1:3 solution of washing liquid (with no bleach) / distilled white vinegar, clean about every 2-3 months
Car care products can get left behind in the drum; so run a cleaning cycle before and another once you’ve finished washing your micro fibre towels, using hot water, some liquid detergent and distilled white vinegar.
Washing Machine Maintenance
Modern high-efficiency (HE) washer’s use less water and seal more tightly than older, less-efficient machines, these washers are more prone to residue build-up.
To address this issue, Whirlpool pioneered the development of Affresh tablets, a simple, powerful and universal solution. All brands of HE washing machines have the potential for mould and mildew stains if not properly cleaned on a regular basis.
To ensure maximum performance, appliance manufacturers recommend a monthly maintenance and cleaning routine. Many cleaning products currently on the market with ingredients such as bleach adequately maintain the washer, but results may vary and are not always consistent.
Used every 4-8 weeks (dependent upon machine usage) it will prevents odour-causing residues from accumulating, although heavily soiled washers may require repeated treatments to remove traces of odour and residue. In this case, Whirlpool recommends running three successive washer cleaning cycles with an Affresh tablet in each.
Wash Towels after use
Always wash towels as soon as possible after use, the longer they sit the more the contaminants will set. The chemicals used in car care products will negatively affect the fibres structural integrity and weaken them, shortening their useful life. Residual chemicals will cause streaking, whereas dried chemicals will cause scratches.
Do not use bleach or high alkaline cleaning products as they will shorten the life of your micro fibre. Read the label on the detergent bottle and use half of what they recommend and use hot water (120.oF)
Do not wash different types of towels together. And always wash each colour separately; never wash white towels with colours.
Nothing removes lint out of the towel (new or used) better than a few spin dryer cycles. Washing also makes your new towels softer and more absorbent.
A good first wash formula is 1 cup of distilled white vinegar with a half cup of detergent. This will help release lint, break towels in, and keep them fresh. It is also useful to soak new towels in a cup of ammonia and several gallons of warm water. This will dissolve any oils or treatments in the fabric that inhibit absorbency. Another good wash formula is 1 cup of ammonia with a half cup of detergent.
Washing / Care Directions
Heat acts as a catalyst promoting quicker reactions between chemicals and the soil thereby minimizing dwell time. Warm or hot water helps dissolve grease and oil in soil, agitation or hand rubbing helps pull the soil free. This concentrated aqueous formula is a special blend of surfactants, emulsifiers, chelating agents and water softeners.
Pre-Soak Towels
Micro fibre towels can "load-up" with residues reducing their effectiveness. Don`t let polish residues dry in the fibres as dried hardened product can cause scratches and product chemicals can negatively affect the fibres
Once you have finished detailing with the towel, allow it to soak in a bucket with approx 0.5 oz per gallon water and a d-limonene (citrus) based cleaner P21S®® Total Auto Wash. Or use Optimum Power Cleanâ„¢ diluted 2:1 (or stronger) with distilled water) or a micro fibre detergent (Micro-Restore). This will make it easier to clean and prolong the life of the towel as any chemicals that could potentially harm the fibres are removed sooner, keep in mind that excessive use of powerful degreasers may eventually damage the fabric. When you are ready to clean them, rinse well, re-wash and leave to air-dry
Machine Wash
• Wash / Rinse after using and before you use a different product (i.e. don’t use to remove polish and then apply wax) to avoid cross contamination
• Always wash towels separately from other fabrics using hot water, the primary consideration is detergent residue so always use a detergent that is clean-rinsing
• Wash drying towels separate from wax/polish towels
• Washing your towels on a regular basis without allowing them get too soiled, they will last much longer
• Some detergents contain enzymes, which don`t work well in cold water.
• Woolite® is intended for delicate fabrics and fine washables such as lingerie and cashmere sweaters, so it won’t remove polish or car care products
• Soak towels in Sodium carbonate (also known as washing soda or soda crystals) or Optimum Power Clean™ as it effectively removes oil and grease
• As a pre-spotter: dilute 1 part concentrates with 3 parts hot water, apply to stain and launder as usual.
• Do not overload washer or dryer; it causes your towels’ fibres to weaken and lint
• Waxes and polymer sealants are not water soluble; they dry and adhere to the towels fibres. Cold water will simply allow them to remain in a solid state and not completely wash off.
• Hot water, however, allows them to soften and loosen from the threads and allows the detergent to act as it should and lift the contaminants from the fabric. Use medium heat, 104 .oF (40.o C) and add 1-2 ounces to a standard size (8 gallon) load, for larger loads or heavily soiled laundry
• Use a liquid detergent (or a speciality product like Micro-Restore high efficiency (HE) washer safe) without softener, bleach, whiteners.
• If possible buy the versions that are perfume and additive free as all these do is chemically coat the fabric and reduce its efficiency.
• Using half the washing detergents manufacturers suggested amount is usually sufficient
• During the rinse cycle add 1-tsb per towel white distilled vinegar (acetic acid that once diluted with water, the acid content is approximately 3-4% of the total solutions) this will help dissolve detergent and hard water minerals. Vinegar (Acetic acid, pH=2) works well in the rinse cycle to make your towels softer. Detergent is an alkaline (pH=12, the opposite of acidic on the pH scale).
When you wash your towels (or anything for that matter) there are small amounts of detergent left behind, when your add Vinegar it balances the pH of the solution and helps removes the excess detergent from the wash.
• Do not use fabric softeners (includes both liquid and dryer sheet type fabric softeners) as they deposit chemicals (silicone, etc) on the fabric and render them ineffective. These chemicals will also transfer to whatever you are cleaning or polishing with the towel.
• Clean the lint screen before and after every wash session
Over time you may find your micro fibre’s effectiveness decreases, despite following all of the above guidelines, this may be due to wax / polish build-up. To remedy try one of the following -
1. Wash the microfiber for one full wash cycle normally. Then wash again, except this time open the lid and let it soak overnight. In the morning, close the lid and let the cycle finish.
2. Wash the microfiber for one full wash cycle normally. Then wash again, but instead of laundry detergent, add 1/2 cup of white vinegar to the load (assuming a medium to full size load). Run the cycle normally
Lint or Fibre Shedding
Quality Microfiber towels are split to produce millions of tiny fibre “hooks" on the surface of the towel. If the weave is too broad or the pile is too high, some of these fibres break off when the towel is used. Fibre shedding can be caused by a myriad of factors and it’s not an uncommon to experience, if a towel starts to shed fibres excessively then there is a problem that should be resolved
This can be excessive if the manufacturer is trying to produce an inexpensive, split towel and is using a wide weave to reduce the amount of Polyester / Polyamide in the towel (the most common ration 70 /30%) Washing the towels before being used will help alleviate problem lint, also clean the lint screen before and after every wash session (See “Washing / Care Directions)
Nothing will remove lint out of the towel better than a few good spin cycles in the dryer. Washing also makes your towels softer and more absorbent. Remember to clean the lint trap before and after each drying cycle. A good wash formula is 1 cup of white vinegar with ½ cup of detergent. This will help release lint, break the towels in, and keep them fresh.
It is also useful to soak new towels in a cup of ammonia and several gallons of warm water. This will dissolve any oils or treatments in the fabric that inhibit absorbency. Another good wash formula is 1 cup of ammonia with ½ of detergent. Keep in mind that colour dyed towels, because of chemical penetration into the fibre, are less absorbent than non-dyed towels.
Drying
Air dry or use low / medium heat in a tumble dryer, adding two ‘Dryer Ball’ will help plump up the fibres, when they are ‘almost’ dry remove and allow to air dry, shake and then fold them for storage’ Some towels with bound edges are not suitable to be high heat dried, typically those with satin or stitched edges as they tend to shrink, pulling the towelling fabric
Notes:
1. Lint or fibre shedding – a dryer ball (Life Miracle® Dryer Systemâ„¢) seem to help as they fluff up the fibres and lessen the static that is the main cause of Microfibers trapping lint. Lint may also be trapped in the machine’s lint screen and its being transferred o the towel.
2. For problematic wax only towels - try using very cold water to make the solidified wax brittle, then wash with hot again.
3. Mixing Fabrics - Do not wash micro fibre cloths / towels with other non- micro fibre fabrics, as they will pick up lint from other fabrics. Air dry or you can dry micro fibre cloths / towels in any dryer on low heat, remove them before they are still damp (cuts down on static charge) Colours may bleed during first washing
4. Static – to avoid static build-up remove towels from machine while they are still a little damp and air-dry
5. Melting point - Microfiber towels -the melting point of nylon 493.oF (256 °C) so hot drying will not harm its fibres
Micro-Restore - because most detergents and laundry soaps have some form of optical fabric brighteners (Z)-Stilbene or fabric softener included in their formulas. Over time bleach breaks down the micro-fibres, and fabric softeners clog the microscopic pours that make microfiber so effective, rendering the microfiber product less effective with each washing. Not only will Micro-Restore extend the life of your microfiber, but it`s special blend of chelating agents, surfactants, and builders will more effectively remove the heavy residue (wax, oil, grease, break dust, and other chemicals) that becomes implanted in microfiber products. This product doesn’t contain any harsh chemicals that could be detrimental to HE washing machines
Directions: Add 2 ounces to standard size (8 gallon) loads. For larger loads or heavily soiled laundry, add 3-6 ounces. As a pre-spotter; us a 1:3 distilled water solution.
Towel Storage
I would recommend storing clean / dry towels into a sealed dust-free environment whilst not in use. Lidded plastic storage boxes are ideal in this respect like those rubber/plastic ones with the snap on lids. Worth repeating store DRY towels only, otherwise they will attract mould fungus
http://www.autopia.org/forum/welcome-greeting-center/] ( [url) Authors Profile [/url]
1. Chemical energy- provided by the synthetic cleaner
2. Mechanical energy - (agitation) provide by machine or hand
3. Thermal energy -provided by warm or hot water; heated water breaks down water-soluble soiling faster as it reduces overall chemical usage because it reduces the surface tension.
Before using any towels for the first time;
• Remove labels / tags
• Check for towel colour fastness before washing
• Wash towels before using to remove chemical sizing (used to plump up fibres)
• Use a liquid detergent (or a speciality product like Micro-Restore high efficiency (HE) washer safe) without softener, bleach, whiteners.
Before using Washing Machine
To ensure that the washing machine has no residual detergent or fabric softener; rise the machine drum with a 1:3 solution of washing liquid (with no bleach) / distilled white vinegar, clean about every 2-3 months
Car care products can get left behind in the drum; so run a cleaning cycle before and another once you’ve finished washing your micro fibre towels, using hot water, some liquid detergent and distilled white vinegar.
Washing Machine Maintenance
Modern high-efficiency (HE) washer’s use less water and seal more tightly than older, less-efficient machines, these washers are more prone to residue build-up.
To address this issue, Whirlpool pioneered the development of Affresh tablets, a simple, powerful and universal solution. All brands of HE washing machines have the potential for mould and mildew stains if not properly cleaned on a regular basis.
To ensure maximum performance, appliance manufacturers recommend a monthly maintenance and cleaning routine. Many cleaning products currently on the market with ingredients such as bleach adequately maintain the washer, but results may vary and are not always consistent.
Used every 4-8 weeks (dependent upon machine usage) it will prevents odour-causing residues from accumulating, although heavily soiled washers may require repeated treatments to remove traces of odour and residue. In this case, Whirlpool recommends running three successive washer cleaning cycles with an Affresh tablet in each.
Wash Towels after use
Always wash towels as soon as possible after use, the longer they sit the more the contaminants will set. The chemicals used in car care products will negatively affect the fibres structural integrity and weaken them, shortening their useful life. Residual chemicals will cause streaking, whereas dried chemicals will cause scratches.
Do not use bleach or high alkaline cleaning products as they will shorten the life of your micro fibre. Read the label on the detergent bottle and use half of what they recommend and use hot water (120.oF)
Do not wash different types of towels together. And always wash each colour separately; never wash white towels with colours.
Nothing removes lint out of the towel (new or used) better than a few spin dryer cycles. Washing also makes your new towels softer and more absorbent.
A good first wash formula is 1 cup of distilled white vinegar with a half cup of detergent. This will help release lint, break towels in, and keep them fresh. It is also useful to soak new towels in a cup of ammonia and several gallons of warm water. This will dissolve any oils or treatments in the fabric that inhibit absorbency. Another good wash formula is 1 cup of ammonia with a half cup of detergent.
Washing / Care Directions
Heat acts as a catalyst promoting quicker reactions between chemicals and the soil thereby minimizing dwell time. Warm or hot water helps dissolve grease and oil in soil, agitation or hand rubbing helps pull the soil free. This concentrated aqueous formula is a special blend of surfactants, emulsifiers, chelating agents and water softeners.
Pre-Soak Towels
Micro fibre towels can "load-up" with residues reducing their effectiveness. Don`t let polish residues dry in the fibres as dried hardened product can cause scratches and product chemicals can negatively affect the fibres
Once you have finished detailing with the towel, allow it to soak in a bucket with approx 0.5 oz per gallon water and a d-limonene (citrus) based cleaner P21S®® Total Auto Wash. Or use Optimum Power Cleanâ„¢ diluted 2:1 (or stronger) with distilled water) or a micro fibre detergent (Micro-Restore). This will make it easier to clean and prolong the life of the towel as any chemicals that could potentially harm the fibres are removed sooner, keep in mind that excessive use of powerful degreasers may eventually damage the fabric. When you are ready to clean them, rinse well, re-wash and leave to air-dry
Machine Wash
• Wash / Rinse after using and before you use a different product (i.e. don’t use to remove polish and then apply wax) to avoid cross contamination
• Always wash towels separately from other fabrics using hot water, the primary consideration is detergent residue so always use a detergent that is clean-rinsing
• Wash drying towels separate from wax/polish towels
• Washing your towels on a regular basis without allowing them get too soiled, they will last much longer
• Some detergents contain enzymes, which don`t work well in cold water.
• Woolite® is intended for delicate fabrics and fine washables such as lingerie and cashmere sweaters, so it won’t remove polish or car care products
• Soak towels in Sodium carbonate (also known as washing soda or soda crystals) or Optimum Power Clean™ as it effectively removes oil and grease
• As a pre-spotter: dilute 1 part concentrates with 3 parts hot water, apply to stain and launder as usual.
• Do not overload washer or dryer; it causes your towels’ fibres to weaken and lint
• Waxes and polymer sealants are not water soluble; they dry and adhere to the towels fibres. Cold water will simply allow them to remain in a solid state and not completely wash off.
• Hot water, however, allows them to soften and loosen from the threads and allows the detergent to act as it should and lift the contaminants from the fabric. Use medium heat, 104 .oF (40.o C) and add 1-2 ounces to a standard size (8 gallon) load, for larger loads or heavily soiled laundry
• Use a liquid detergent (or a speciality product like Micro-Restore high efficiency (HE) washer safe) without softener, bleach, whiteners.
• If possible buy the versions that are perfume and additive free as all these do is chemically coat the fabric and reduce its efficiency.
• Using half the washing detergents manufacturers suggested amount is usually sufficient
• During the rinse cycle add 1-tsb per towel white distilled vinegar (acetic acid that once diluted with water, the acid content is approximately 3-4% of the total solutions) this will help dissolve detergent and hard water minerals. Vinegar (Acetic acid, pH=2) works well in the rinse cycle to make your towels softer. Detergent is an alkaline (pH=12, the opposite of acidic on the pH scale).
When you wash your towels (or anything for that matter) there are small amounts of detergent left behind, when your add Vinegar it balances the pH of the solution and helps removes the excess detergent from the wash.
• Do not use fabric softeners (includes both liquid and dryer sheet type fabric softeners) as they deposit chemicals (silicone, etc) on the fabric and render them ineffective. These chemicals will also transfer to whatever you are cleaning or polishing with the towel.
• Clean the lint screen before and after every wash session
Over time you may find your micro fibre’s effectiveness decreases, despite following all of the above guidelines, this may be due to wax / polish build-up. To remedy try one of the following -
1. Wash the microfiber for one full wash cycle normally. Then wash again, except this time open the lid and let it soak overnight. In the morning, close the lid and let the cycle finish.
2. Wash the microfiber for one full wash cycle normally. Then wash again, but instead of laundry detergent, add 1/2 cup of white vinegar to the load (assuming a medium to full size load). Run the cycle normally
Lint or Fibre Shedding
Quality Microfiber towels are split to produce millions of tiny fibre “hooks" on the surface of the towel. If the weave is too broad or the pile is too high, some of these fibres break off when the towel is used. Fibre shedding can be caused by a myriad of factors and it’s not an uncommon to experience, if a towel starts to shed fibres excessively then there is a problem that should be resolved
This can be excessive if the manufacturer is trying to produce an inexpensive, split towel and is using a wide weave to reduce the amount of Polyester / Polyamide in the towel (the most common ration 70 /30%) Washing the towels before being used will help alleviate problem lint, also clean the lint screen before and after every wash session (See “Washing / Care Directions)
Nothing will remove lint out of the towel better than a few good spin cycles in the dryer. Washing also makes your towels softer and more absorbent. Remember to clean the lint trap before and after each drying cycle. A good wash formula is 1 cup of white vinegar with ½ cup of detergent. This will help release lint, break the towels in, and keep them fresh.
It is also useful to soak new towels in a cup of ammonia and several gallons of warm water. This will dissolve any oils or treatments in the fabric that inhibit absorbency. Another good wash formula is 1 cup of ammonia with ½ of detergent. Keep in mind that colour dyed towels, because of chemical penetration into the fibre, are less absorbent than non-dyed towels.
Drying
Air dry or use low / medium heat in a tumble dryer, adding two ‘Dryer Ball’ will help plump up the fibres, when they are ‘almost’ dry remove and allow to air dry, shake and then fold them for storage’ Some towels with bound edges are not suitable to be high heat dried, typically those with satin or stitched edges as they tend to shrink, pulling the towelling fabric
Notes:
1. Lint or fibre shedding – a dryer ball (Life Miracle® Dryer Systemâ„¢) seem to help as they fluff up the fibres and lessen the static that is the main cause of Microfibers trapping lint. Lint may also be trapped in the machine’s lint screen and its being transferred o the towel.
2. For problematic wax only towels - try using very cold water to make the solidified wax brittle, then wash with hot again.
3. Mixing Fabrics - Do not wash micro fibre cloths / towels with other non- micro fibre fabrics, as they will pick up lint from other fabrics. Air dry or you can dry micro fibre cloths / towels in any dryer on low heat, remove them before they are still damp (cuts down on static charge) Colours may bleed during first washing
4. Static – to avoid static build-up remove towels from machine while they are still a little damp and air-dry
5. Melting point - Microfiber towels -the melting point of nylon 493.oF (256 °C) so hot drying will not harm its fibres
Micro-Restore - because most detergents and laundry soaps have some form of optical fabric brighteners (Z)-Stilbene or fabric softener included in their formulas. Over time bleach breaks down the micro-fibres, and fabric softeners clog the microscopic pours that make microfiber so effective, rendering the microfiber product less effective with each washing. Not only will Micro-Restore extend the life of your microfiber, but it`s special blend of chelating agents, surfactants, and builders will more effectively remove the heavy residue (wax, oil, grease, break dust, and other chemicals) that becomes implanted in microfiber products. This product doesn’t contain any harsh chemicals that could be detrimental to HE washing machines
Directions: Add 2 ounces to standard size (8 gallon) loads. For larger loads or heavily soiled laundry, add 3-6 ounces. As a pre-spotter; us a 1:3 distilled water solution.
Towel Storage
I would recommend storing clean / dry towels into a sealed dust-free environment whilst not in use. Lidded plastic storage boxes are ideal in this respect like those rubber/plastic ones with the snap on lids. Worth repeating store DRY towels only, otherwise they will attract mould fungus
http://www.autopia.org/forum/welcome-greeting-center/] ( [url) Authors Profile [/url]