Getting tough stains out of microfiber?

M

Mindflux

New member
Ive got a stack of microfiber that in spite of washing them they all have dark stains. I think most of these come from rubber seals or a gasket I ran the towel over wiping down the car or windows.



While I know these are just stains I can't help but want to relinquish these to duties other than paint care. Obiously that could get spendy to keep new paint towels around as used ones get stained so I'd like to keep the towels as pristine as possible



I always wash my towels in wam/hot water with a "free" detergent and some vinegar in the rinse but this does not always get out those tougher marks.



What do you folks do to keep your towels looking good and appropriate for paint?
 
The only thing that's been successful for me is to pretreat those spots with a heavy dose of your detergent. I guess it works best if you pretreat it right away. It really gets to be a drag going through a whole load of MF's looking for spots to treat, whether it's all together before you wash them or at the time you are throwing them into the laundry basket.



I imagine SuperBee will tell you that you need to get one of those fancy front-loaders with the "sanitize" cycle that takes all weekend or something to get those spots out.
 
You are spot on as far as pre treating stains and having to go through a pile of them. But if that is what has to happen so be it.



How far do you folks let your towels "go" before they are no longer paint worthy?
 
Setec Astronomy said:
The only thing that's been successful for me is to pretreat those spots with a heavy dose of your detergent. I guess it works best if you pretreat it right away. It really gets to be a drag going through a whole load of MF's looking for spots to treat, whether it's all together before you wash them or at the time you are throwing them into the laundry basket.



I imagine SuperBee will tell you that you need to get one of those fancy front-loaders with the "sanitize" cycle that takes all weekend or something to get those spots out.
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Setec can read me like a book, I tell ya. ;)



I'm sure that the really hot cycle on the new washer does do alot to keep my MF's so clean, but honestly, the new washer really does just seem to do a better job of cleaning whatever it is you're washing. The new front loaders just do a much better job at cleaning clothes regardless of what setting they're on. Which is kind of a surprise, really. All they do is tumble the clothes versus beating the snot out of them with an agitator. Seems like an agitator would clean better, but anyway...



I can tell ya that the MF's I use to ONR wash my wheels (which always end up being *black* with brake dust everytime) look darn near as good as my new Eurows.



Regular Tide HE detergent, 1/3 cup of white vinegar, an extra rinse, very fast spin, and the extra hot wash.
 
Mindflux said:
You are spot on as far as pre treating stains and having to go through a pile of them. But if that is what has to happen so be it.



How far do you folks let your towels "go" before they are no longer paint worthy?
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I've got a "white" MF that is now a very dark gray because of repeated uses with ONR. I know that stains on towels are a real pet-peeve since we're all detailers, but they pose no actual threat to paint if the stain is purely cosmetic due to pigments.



The only time I chuck a towel to the 'wheel-bin' is if they are no longer absorbent. I had 2 of the Meguiar's Supreme Shine MFs that eventually would NOT pick up water AT ALL. You could leave a puddle of water in the middle of one of the towels and come back the next day and the water would still be there. Experience has shown that these towels are no good for anything paint-related.
 
My wife will say I use too much soap regardless what I'm washing, but my routine for all detailing cloths is to presoak in hot water with a scoop of oxiclean and some powdered laundry detergent. Agitate the heck out of them, spread the stained ones on top of a cooler and hit with high pressure from hose to blast loose as much dirt as possible and toss back in the soak bucket for a day or so before rinsing and going in the wash.



The rubber window weatherstrips is the big culprit for me. Do they never get clean enough to NOT leave black streaks on a cloth? I thought I did a really good job cleaning them, then when applying the Ultima trim guard....black came off on the applicator pad. Perhaps I need to use a soft toothbrush to clean the weatherstrip with the ONR solution before hitting with the cloths?



Regards and good luck
 
tarponteaser said:
The rubber window weatherstrips is the big culprit for me. Do they never get clean enough to NOT leave black streaks on a cloth? I thought I did a really good job cleaning them, then when applying the Ultima trim guard....black came off on the applicator pad. Perhaps I need to use a soft toothbrush to clean the weatherstrip with the ONR solution before hitting with the cloths?



Regards and good luck
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It's probably the 'Carbon Black' they add to rubber to resist the elements. Untreated rubber wouldn't last long if left outside. Rubber isn't naturally black in color.. e.g., tires are black because of the carbon black. That's what's coming off on your towel.



I believe the carbon black is the sacrificial ingredient, kinda like a layer of wax or sealant on paint.
 
I do the same as Superbee.



I wash the MFs in a Maytag front loader with TideHE, hot water and a bit of white vinegar for a rinse. Most every stain gets removed. Occasionally, some slight stain may remain but hardly ever. The towels seem to last a long time and remain absorbent and soft.
 
Pre treat with this:



5586839.jpg








And throw some Oxi-clean in with your detergent.
 
I was just talking about using DPD on Microfiber with Eliot Ness last weekend.



Anyone have any input on this? Would this damage the microfiber? I know DPD damages my hands! :(





Gemini13 said:
Pre treat with this:



5586839.jpg








And throw some Oxi-clean in with your detergent.
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EisenHulk said:
I was just talking about using DPD on Microfiber with Eliot Ness last weekend.



Anyone have any input on this? Would this damage the microfiber? I know DPD damages my hands! :(
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I doubt it. DPD hasn't damaged any of the sponges, cotton towels, or the few MF's that I've used with it. It's damaging your hands, cause it's such a brutal degreaser. It's taking all the oils right out of your skin.



The thing to remember about DPD is that it is really effective on *oil and oil-based stains*. If you're using it to clean MF's that don't have oil based stains, you're wasting it. A good example would be the carbon black stains on MF's from doing door seals, or brake dust from doing wheels.
 
I'll give it a shot on my MF's for door jambs.



I used two bottles of DPD last weekend after polishing a 27' pontoon boat with three bottle of aluminum polish...My hands were so dry for three days, it was ridiculous! It's been a week, and they're still dry. I've been loading up on quality lotion.



SuperBee364 said:
I doubt it. DPD hasn't damaged any of the sponges, cotton towels, or the few MF's that I've used with it. It's damaging your hands, cause it's such a brutal degreaser. It's taking all the oils right out of your skin.



The thing to remember about DPD is that it is really effective on *oil and oil-based stains*. If you're using it to clean MF's that don't have oil based stains, you're wasting it. A good example would be the carbon black stains on MF's from doing door seals, or brake dust from doing wheels.
Click to expand...
 
EisenHulk said:
I'll give it a shot on my MF's for door jambs.



I used two bottles of DPD last weekend after polishing a 27' pontoon boat with three bottle of aluminum polish...My hands were so dry for three days, it was ridiculous! It's been a week, and they're still dry. I've been loading up on quality lotion.
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Nitrile gloves are your friend.
 
SuperBee364 said:
Front loaders exceed the carry on bag size and weight limitations.
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I know a guy in Kansas who flies the damn things.....maybe he can sneak it by. :D





As far as stained MF...I just live with it. I threw some Hi Temp Akrya Klean in with my last load of MF and they came out pretty nice. I did the extra hot and extra rinse cycle.
 
i have mostly good luck with the following:

i have a second pail filled with water and about 2 squezzes of the dawn detergent. i've found it a good idea not to load up a towel with to much of any product. as soon as i complete the nose, or one side of the car, the mf goes right into my overall "presoak bucket". after a complete detail , wash, polish, wax, qd, i might have about 8-12 towels in the bucket which then go right into the washer. mostly all come out looking new and the ones that don't are always the ones that are the oldest and as has been mentioned, the older ones will get raggy looking over time. naturally, those will finish there life span performing non-paint duties.

z
 
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