Dedicated towel cleaners - worth it?

Glad you like the price! Hopefully you are as impressed with the product as I am. I mean I am exited to wash the towels now. :D



Accumulator said:
$16/gallon?!? Gee, that *is* very inexpensive for something like this :eek: You can guess what my next MF detergent is gonna be.
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Accumulator said:
Thomas Dekany- Plus, I can order the stuff from Barry :D



Not that I'm in any hurry, still have a *LOT* of my current stuff.
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That's right!!! Barry is my "local" retailer. I'll have to keep that in mind as I begin making my list.
 
Thomas was nice enough to send me a sample of towel kleen.



It worked well and is very comparable to the CG MF wash I an using now. I will most likely be switching to towel kleen when I finish up my current stock. For the price I don't know if it can be beat...
 
Man I'm glad I saw this. I was considering this but ADD kicked in and forgot to write it down on my shopping list! Headed to a 3D distributor in a few minutes to get some things. I've been using Tide Free/Clear and my towels still feel like they have fabric softener in them and don't have that "clingy" feel to them.
 
Well, I drove 30 miles each way to get some and for now, I'm disappointed for sure. I decided to use it first on my old towels I clean wheels, tires and engines with. Here are the results:



So here's the bottle I picked up. Old labels still?



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I used as per the directions:



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On warm/cold and heavy cycle as always



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The victims:



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And disappointingly the outcomes:



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I re-washed them with my Tide Free & Gentle and a shot of Simple Green (the blue stuff, added 1/4 cup per their directions). This is how I've always cleaned them:



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And the outcome of my usual method. I usually get this in just 1 wash, so the theory that Towel Kleen some how aided the results, I believe is void. Honestly, my mitts usually come out better looking than this, so Towel Kleen may have even hindered the cleaning ability. If they were my dedicated paint mitts, I would be very upset. But, they clean crap, so I'm not gonna flip.



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So, I'm not happy with the results. These are older towels/mitts (again used for wheels, tires, engines), and Towel Kleen did almost nothing to them. In fact, it's the worst cleaner I've ever used for these things. Now, this is my first time using it, but see above. There was no scientific approach to this and no one ever said they would clean the dirtiest of towels. I have no affiliation with 3D, I paid for this myself and I drove 30 miles each way to get it! I usually like 3D products, but it's such a far drive to get the stuff. I could order online, but I like supporting local detail supply shops. There's actually a shop less than 1/4 mile from my apartment that sells different stuff...it's actually a straight shot down the road, and I still drive 30 miles to get 3D stuff. This, however, gave me enough reason to head to the shop down the road to try some of their stuff.



I'm waiting for the to dry to see if it brought back any of the "clingy" feeling, but I'm doubtful. I am going to try it on some of my polishing towels and do a few more "tests".
 
I would go back to get a fresh gallon to replace that jug and give it another try. The store should exchange it for you. This is a really great cleaner.
 
I'm not driving 60 miles to replace this stuff. I would waste just as much gas and time and it wouldn't be worth it. All they had were these old bottles...actually, a LOT of their 3D/HD products are in the old bottles. You can still get HD Touch/Free and a few other things in the white jugs.
 
reeeko99 said:
Can you use dedicated MF Cleaners in a High Eff Washers ?
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(HE) Washing Machine Maintenance



Wash towels on hottest setting (sanitary cycle, max time, extra rinse) Modern high-efficiency 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.
 
A Microfiber towel is made from polyester nylon (a scrubbing fibre) and /polyamide (an absorbing fibre), these microscopic loops, which form a network of tiny hooks, scrubbing away dirt and grime while trapping it within the weave, the reason polyester appears to absorb liquids is the many thousands of micro fibres that collectively encapsulate liquids



Be cognizant that although most of us consider Microfiber to be almost indestructible it needs proper care to ensure it keeps working the way it should and to maintain its durability. The nature of this yarn is that it is an absorbent; the reason polyester appears to absorb liquids is the many thousands of micro fibres that collectively encapsulate liquids and chemicals (solvents, wax, polymers, and etc).



The detergent used to clean them must be strong enough to remove the chemicals without harming the fibres. The methods used for towel drying are equally important, high heat plus the agitation of an automatic dryer can round the edges of the microscopic hooks, rendering them ineffective.



Use a liquid detergent (or a speciality product like Micro-Restore) , without softener, bleach or whiteners.
 
PM me your address please.



badquenga said:
I'm not driving 60 miles to replace this stuff. I would waste just as much gas and time and it wouldn't be worth it. All they had were these old bottles...actually, a LOT of their 3D/HD products are in the old bottles. You can still get HD Touch/Free and a few other things in the white jugs.
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reeeko99 said:
Can you use dedicated MF Cleaners in a High Eff Washers ?
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IME HE washers can be "too gentle" to clean stuff that's really dirty. And by "stuff", I don't mean only detailing textiles ;) Sometimes you simply need the mechanical agitation of an old-fashioned agitator-type washing machine. I'm sure YMMV applies here though...
 
TOGWT said:




Use a liquid detergent (or a speciality product like Micro-Restore) , without softener, bleach or whiteners.
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So Tide Free and Gentle would count right?



Thomas Dekany said:
PM me your address please.
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Thanks for the offer, but I'm not one to take freebies. If it was on the shelf, it should be good to use. If it sits for too long and loses effectiveness, that also says something about the product. BUT, I'm not one to judge based on 1 trial. I'm testing other scenarios and methods to see if I can make this stuff work for what I have left.



However, since I already use Tide Free for my regular washing, since this stuff doesn't do an OUTSTANDING job, it's not really convenient for me to continue usage.





Accumulator said:
IME HE washers can be "too gentle" to clean stuff that's really dirty. And by "stuff", I don't mean only detailing textiles ;) Sometimes you simply need the mechanical agitation of an old-fashioned agitator-type washing machine. I'm sure YMMV applies here though...
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Not too many people like HE washers for this exact reason. I used to deliver and install appliances, and we picked up and exchanged a lot of HE washers for this reason.
 
Thomas Dekany said:
I still love the way my towls come out after washing them with Towel Kleen. Soft, clean and fluffy
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Do you sell the Towel Kleen? If so, can you pm me a cost with shipping to 98230? I appreciate it.
 
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