Vinegar is bad ju ju

R

RAG

New member
Somewhere I read that washing your microfiber drying towels in vinegar can help restore absorbancy and you have to use a lot for it to work. So I soaked all my old (and a few new) drying microfiber (WWs) towels in a strong vinegar solution and then washed them. Afterward, they weren't nearly as absorbant as they were before, and even after a few washes with degreaser as the soap, they still aren't performing properly. So don't try it. Distilled Vinegar does not restore absorbancy.
 
RAG said:
Somewhere I read that washing your microfiber drying towels in vinegar can help restore absorbancy and you have to use a lot for it to work. So I soaked all my old (and a few new) drying microfiber (WWs) towels in a strong vinegar solution and then washed them. Afterward, they weren't nearly as absorbant as they were before, and even after a few washes with degreaser as the soap, they still aren't performing properly. So don't try it. Distilled Vinegar does not restore absorbancy.
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I've read a few posts about members adding a SMALL AMOUNT of Vinegar to the wash to help break down the chemicals that MF towels tend to absorb during the detailing process. I can't recall reading about anybody soaking in a "strong vinegar solution." That is basically like soaking your MFs in an acid solution!
 
RAG said:
Somewhere I read that washing your microfiber drying towels in vinegar can help restore absorbancy...
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This is a perfect example of too much information being totally distorted and misunderstood. You need to do more reading or re-read what you saw.



First of all you don't wash or soak themn in distilled white vinegar, you use it only in the final rinse cycle of the washing machine. You also use very little, perhaps a tabvlespoon or two per towel.



The vinegar helps the fibers shed excess detergent from the wash, if you use it while washing you negate the detergent and not much happens.



You should always wash in hot water using a small amount of liquid detergent. A good rule is to use half what the manufacturer recommends.
 
DFTowel said:
This is a perfect example of too much information being totally distorted and misunderstood. You need to do more reading or re-read what you saw.



First of all you don't wash or soak themn in distilled white vinegar, you use it only in the final rinse cycle of the washing machine. You also use very little, perhaps a tabvlespoon or two per towel.



The vinegar helps the fibers shed excess detergent from the wash, if you use it while washing you negate the detergent and not much happens.



You should always wash in hot water using a small amount of liquid detergent. A good rule is to use half what the manufacturer recommends.
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And, your post is a perfect example of somebody being kind enough to share detailed information with others. Thanks! I kept reading about people putting in a few tablespoons of vinegar and had really understood the point. But, this clarifies it for me fully. :up
 
I believe I read that tip in Autopia - to use vinegar to soften up MF towels. It's here:

Towel & Applicator Care



The paragraph is quoted:

"If you want your microfiber towels to feel soft and fluffy, as if you had used a fabric softener, use distilled white vinegar in the final rinse water. Vinegar, being a mild acid, counteracts and neutralizes any remaining detergent. Your microfiber will feel softer and fluffier, and they will retain their like-new properties much longer. You can use up to a full cup (8 oz.) in the final rinse."



A regular wash is about 8 gallons.



I have used the tip and received good results. My suspicion is that the tip of using vinegar was incorrectly applied. In fact I probably used 1/2 cup of vinegar in my wash with good results. I don't do it every time. I only do it when the towels start to get stiff. But to be honest, I get better results with Microrestore.
 
I used a huge pot on the side burner of our gas grill. I filled it up with water and put around 1/4cup of vinegar and heated the water up for around 30min. Youve got to remember that the vinegar raises the boiling point of water, so you most likey will not be able to get the water to a boil. I did all of my Megs water magnets, megs ultra plush towels, megs MF towels, and my towels from the housewares section in walmart.



After I washed them in the vinegar solution, I put them in the washer on rinse.



I can tell a huge difference in the water magnets and the MF towels when drying..
 
Someone said to wash in hot water, and someone else said to boil them. I though you weren't supposed to use hot water. Isn't it better to use cold or warm water?
 
i've had good luck with simplegreen in the washer as well. it definitely gets them cleaner than my usual detergent.
 
sounds like you may have over done it with the amount of vinegar you used. On a medium load in a washer i toss in not much more than a 1/4 cup in the final rinse - soft, fluffy but most of all absorbent.



I'm not a micro fiber fan, all my stuff is 100% cotton so I can tell you it works well with cotton. Vinegar in the wash has been around for years as a little trick to help fluff up laundry, it's nothing new. To my understanding micro fiber is a synthetic material so I don't know if it would react the same with microfiber as it does with cotton.



Good luck
 
FYI. Microrestore is on sale at autogeek for $24 for a gallon. That is still pricey compared to TIDE, but for a few more dollars you can put an end to all these fun and games.
 
Asonyexec said:
sounds like you may have over done it with the amount of vinegar you used. On a medium load in a washer i toss in not much more than a 1/4 cup in the final rinse - soft, fluffy but most of all absorbent.



I'm not a micro fiber fan, all my stuff is 100% cotton so I can tell you it works well with cotton. Vinegar in the wash has been around for years as a little trick to help fluff up laundry, it's nothing new. To my understanding micro fiber is a synthetic material so I don't know if it would react the same with microfiber as it does with cotton.



Good luck
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Which cotton cloths do you use?
 
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