There are more then just polish residue and oils left in a MF towel when you are polishing. You have spent abrasives , clear coat/paint residue, and dozens of other materials that were stuck on or in the paint that was just polished and wiped with a MF towel. All that stuff on a very small scale is going to start tearing away at the fibers. You can add up a list of things. Poor quality MF, use, exposure to chemicals and abrasives, poor care will end up killing MF down the line. Now if you are buying MF and it`s covered in lint from manufacturing after the first wash and dry and you still have lint get your money back. If you have been having lint issues with the same brand and towel type don`t buy them anymore. Eventually all MF towels will loose the characteristics and need to be retired. In the end lint MF issues is a combination of many things. The one you are most in control of is care. Washing, drying and storage.