Washing Your MFT and MF Pads?

**Beemerboy** · 10-30-2007, 04:59 PM

Once I am done with my weekend details, I always put my MF towels in the washer to clean them up....I also have about...10 or so MF pads that I use to apply various products....I have been throwing the pads in with the towels, but now I am wondering if I should be pre-soaking them and washing the separate....My thinking is that they have a pretty heavy buildup of product and is that not getting real clean and transferring onto the MF towels?

Any thoughts on this?

**CharlesW** · 10-30-2007, 05:08 PM

Originally Posted by Beemerboy

My thinking is that they have a pretty heavy buildup of product and is that not getting real clean and transferring onto the MF towels?

Any thoughts on this?

I tend to agree with that.
I wash my applicators and my PC pads in a Dawn & water solution after letting them soak in a Dawn & water solution overnight. The soaking solution is hot water, the washing solution is warm water.

MY MF towels get the same overnight soak in Dawn & hot water and are then washed in the washing machine with hot water and whatever laundry detergent my wife is using at that time.
I do use a vinegar second rinse for the towels.

Charles

**Stephan** · 10-30-2007, 05:57 PM

Also soak my applicators along with my pads...overnight. Seems to get the heavy build up off.

**CharlesW** · 10-30-2007, 06:14 PM

Since I have;
1. Started soaking them overnight
2. Washing them in hot water
my MF towels seem to be much cleaner when I am through washing them.
I don`t know which/what made the difference, but I like it.

The vinegar rinse seems to help with the softness and fluffiness of them as well.

Charles

**Stephan** · 10-30-2007, 06:18 PM

How much vineagr do you use?

**Troy@Protekt** · 10-30-2007, 06:21 PM

I have stopped washing my applicators. One trick I have used that makes them good for multiple uses is to store them in a ziplock bag. This usually keeps them from drying out. After I`ve used them enough they go in the garbage.

When I used to wash my microfiber or terry cloth applicators, I found they didn`t keep their shape very well after going through the washer.

**CharlesW** · 10-30-2007, 06:30 PM

Originally Posted by Stephan

How much vineagr do you use?

I remember reading that 1 tablespoon per towel was a good ratio.
I`m not that precise and just pour in 4 or 5 oz. and hope for the best.

I think a tablespoon is 1/2 oz. or thereabouts.
(Level tablespoon, not heaping.)
Seems to work.

Charles

**CharlesW** · 10-30-2007, 06:32 PM

Originally Posted by Troy@DetailCity

One trick I have used that makes them good for multiple uses is to store them in a ziplock bag. This usually keeps them from drying out.

I do the same with both applicators and PC pads.
It also keeps them clean.

Charles

**Stephan** · 10-30-2007, 06:54 PM

Originally Posted by CharlesW

I remember reading that 1 tablespoon per towel was a good ratio.
I`m not that precise and just pour in 4 or 5 oz. and hope for the best.

I think a tablespoon is 1/2 oz. or thereabouts.
(Level tablespoon, not heaping.)
Seems to work.

Charles

excellent I will give it a whirl...and if it all goes bad I can just send them to you

Also it maybe hard to get a heaping tablespoon since it`s a liquid.

**black bart** · 10-30-2007, 07:39 PM

Originally Posted by CharlesW

I remember reading that 1 tablespoon per towel was a good ratio.
I`m not that precise and just pour in 4 or 5 oz. and hope for the best.

I think a tablespoon is 1/2 oz. or thereabouts.
(Level tablespoon, not heaping.)
Seems to work.

Charles

When I have about 30 MF towels in the washer it is a little over half full of water probably 10 gallons and I add a pint or more of vinegar to the second rinse..

I soak my towels over night in about 2 gallons of water with a quart of APC mixed into it.

Maybe I could get by with less but I get good results so I just keep doing it like that.

**CharlesW** · 10-30-2007, 07:45 PM

Originally Posted by Stephan

Also it maybe hard to get a heaping tablespoon since it`s a liquid.

Sure was for me.

Charles

**black bart** · 10-31-2007, 04:04 AM

Originally Posted by Stephan

excellent I will give it a whirl...and if it all goes bad I can just send them to you

Also it maybe hard to get a heaping tablespoon since it`s a liquid.

I use a measuring cup has ounces marked on the side.
$0.87 @ Wal-Mart

**CharlesW** · 10-31-2007, 08:51 AM

Originally Posted by black bart

I use a measuring cup has ounces marked on the side.
$0.87 @ Wal-Mart

That would probably be a better method than mine.
I figure 3 glugs from the vinegar jug looks like about 4 oz. and that ought to be good to go for my 8 to 10 towels.
Hey, I said I wasn`t real precise on the measuring thing.

Actually, I don`t worry too much about it since all the recommended amounts are just guesses anyway.

Slightly off-topic, but still concerning washing/drying MF towels. I quit using the dryer balls and would have to say that I can`t tell the difference with or without them. I do still sometimes use my Micro-Restore, but it`s just to use it up. I didn`t notice any benefit from it. That doesn`t mean there wasn`t any, just that I didn`t see any.

As I have said previously, the things that have made a difference in my MF towels would be:
The pre-soak.
Using hot water.
A vinegar second rinse.
I do feel that they are now cleaner, fluffier, and softer.

Charles

**Eliot Ness** · 10-31-2007, 09:59 AM

Originally Posted by CharlesW

..........As I have said previously, the things that have made a difference in my MF towels would be:
The pre-soak.
Using hot water.
A vinegar second rinse.............

Not sure that it makes too much difference, but I add the vinegar (~ 1/2 cup) in the first of my two rinses. I figure that way it will help remove any traces of detergent in the first rinse and the second rinse should come out free of any residues.

I find a pre-soak is a big help too. Any MF`s/applicators that are fairly dirty or have a lot of product get a pre-soak.

**CharlesW** · 10-31-2007, 10:42 AM

Originally Posted by Eliot Ness

Not sure that it makes too much difference, but I add the vinegar (~ 1/2 cup) in the first of my two rinses. I figure that way it will help remove any traces of detergent in the first rinse and the second rinse should come out free of any residues.

I find a pre-soak is a big help too. Any MF`s/applicators that are fairly dirty or have a lot of product get a pre-soak.

Adding the vinegar in the first rinse would require my being there to add the vinegar.
By adding it in a second rinse, I can do that second rinse anytime after the load has finished.
I usually throw in a load of wash and then just leave it, sometimes for hours. I`m not really patient enough to keep track of when I would need to be there to add it to the first rinse.
It`s not important, but maybe I should mention that only my towels are machine washed after the pre-soak.
Applicators and PC pads are hand washed in Dawn & as hot of water as I can stand after the pre-soak.

Charles