Washing MF Towels

[93mr2]

Just a little survey to gain some info for my own use.



How often do you wash your MF towels? I realize that this may vary a bit depending on how they are used, so a breakdown would be helpful.



I just finished my first wash/dry/detailer (FI) with MF towels and I love them!! Initially, I didn`t think I would need to wash them after each use, but all of them have at least some light dirt on them, so I guess off to the washer they go.



Does washing effect the quality/softness? BTW I know not to dry them on high heat.



Thanks,



Chris

[vettefan67]

Hey Big D,



I wash my towels after every usage. If I drop one, it`s off to be double cleaned -- I pick all the stuff out of it that I can see and then wash it separately, twice. I then inspect it again and repeat if necessary.



Interior dusting towels I wash every once in a while. These are just for dusting at red lights and stuff so they don`t get dirty really.



I usually dry my car with a couple of MF`s and then use the second, less damp towel to buff off SG if I put it on afterwards.



Here`s something that everyone but me has been doing forever that I just started doing-- Keep your MF in ziplock bags! This way if you drop them on the way to the sink or washer it`s okay! This also keeps dust off of them. I have bags for dirty and clean MFs.



Wash right after usage! It`s much easier this way; the stuff comes right off. Washing will affect the towels differently based on how you wash and dry them. I don`t wring my towels anymore because I think it stretches their backing. I just squeeze them and hang dry them indoors.



Justin



Okay, I think I`m oficially obsessed...

[Josiah]

I wash mine (sometimes with dawn if I used them for waxes), and then dry them in the dryer. I`d like to let them hang dry, but I don`t see that happening every night. :D



Josiah

[offcenter]

I wash my MF immediately after using them on the car. I put them all together in a washing machine(no non MF`s at all) on gentle cycle with warm water. I use All Free (no fragrance) and do the rinse cycle 2 times. I put them in the dryer and tumble for 40 minutes with NO heat. Then I use low heat (silk and delicates) for about 10 minutes. They come out great. When I let them air dry, they aren`t as soft and plushy as the ones that were in the dryer on low/no heat.

[texaggie1]

I wash with charlies soap available at Charliesoap.com

[Cybercowboy]

I have at least 5 or 6 towels. Otherwise I let them sit in the dirty towel pile on top of the freezer. I use about 3/4 cap full of liquid Era, wash on the color stain cycle, and do a double rinse. Because I have a front-load washer the towels come out almost dry after the spin cycle. This is the single best thing about front loaders, IMHO.



I then simply shake them briskly, fold them damp and stack them on their shelf on top of my Charisma towel box. They dry out natually in a few hours this way, and are plenty soft and fluffy for my tastes. I put my ultra-suede towels in a ziplock so they stay really clean after they are dry.



When I have put them into the dryer it seems that I had more lint on the MF`s. So I stopped doing that.

[Jngrbrdman]

I Klassed my father-in-law`s truck that was super oxidized and it turned my MF towel red. I washed it with dawn and AIO. :D It worked great. I wouldn`t want them to go into the wash with some of the other rags I use so I just always hand wash my MF towels.

[Langley Interior Car Kare]

i usually let them pile up til i get a nice size bunch,,,then off to the laundromat...tide..and dryer til almost dry then hang them all over my house!!!the only ones i wash right away are the charimas i use to get Z off...i dont use any carnubas or anything so nothing gets caked ir really too dirty...another advantage of Zaino...ooops...there goes that chip again!!!:p ;) :D :eek:

[MarcBickham]

Do you guys ever use your MF towels with abrasives/polishes with abrasives? If so, is the cleaning technique any different to insure that all of the abrasive is washed out? Do you now use them as buffers/final wipes/detail clothes on your cars again?

[Cybercowboy]

Good question. I haven`t done that myself but if I did I would wash those separate and never use them for paint-related duty such as drying, removal, or QD-ing. I sometimes wonder if my original problems with my Viper towels linting wouldn`t have been much less had I not washed and dryed them with several cotton towels. Ever since I have been much more careful. Why not? Otherwise you will always wonder: Did I cause that swirl because I was a lazy towel-washin` sob???

[Langley Interior Car Kare]

but i washed those(neatitems..green) seperately...with some ammonia and then dawn...they came out nice...but they did become doorjammers/chrome wheelers after that...just to be sure....

cyber...i still wonder..well actually i know i cause swirls here and there...like all the rest of us....that little extra wipe you do with some Qding...as your doing it you say...i should`ne flipped the Mf again by now...or with your wash mitts...i should have just rinsed it again...like a gut feeling of guilt!!:eek:

[Cybercowboy]

Yes, I`m absolutely positive that I have caused damage that an astute Autopian could detect. Do I feel guilty? Not really. Why, you ask? Because I now have enough information to be truly dangerous - and a dangerous man does not feel guilty. Actually a man doesn`t "feel" period. That`s for chicks. :D

[Langley Interior Car Kare]

:up thats right...as a malenurse i can truly say screw them darn patients...gimme your arm and take this huge needle like a man...but i always throw in a "please` at the end...just to keep up appearances...:D



BTW...too much knowledge is so dangerous...your definitely right about that...i miss the good`ol days when i took a paper towel...spit on it and practically dry wiped the bird bombs off my paint!!!!!!!!!!!1:eek: :)

[Bluedog]

like many i wash my MF towels right after i finish using them. i have one for touch up drying, QDing, windows (glasses), and plastics. the drying up one and QD one are the ones i use and wash most often.



i will a regular size recangular bucket with warm water and put a bit of tide in it without bleach or softeners and wash them with my hands. if i have time i hang dry, if not i put it in the drier for a tiny bit and let air dry afterwards.



speaking of washing stuff, anyone know what those little washing machines are called? those cheap ones that u just fill up with water and put a fwe items in, close it up and staret tumbleing it and stuff. i saw it on an infomercial long time ago. anyone know if they even work? washing stuff by hands every time is time consuming and just not alot of fun.

[Langley Interior Car Kare]

i remember that steve recently posted a pic of one...i cant recall the thread but i know he put it up...the one that has a little handle and its all by hand......:)