What is the proper way to clean your micro fiber cloths

[BlueZero]

Re: What is the proper way to clean your micro fiber cloths

Thanks everyone for the great information. I'm am excited to wash mine in hot water, I'm sure it will get them a lot cleaner than the cold water I had been using. Somewhere along the line I picked up misinformation about melting them and have been worried about that since.

[DFTowel]

Re: What is the proper way to clean your micro fiber cloths

This thread is getting off topic here, the question pertained to cleaning and instead you are making yourself out to be an expert in textile technology. Your original quote from Ohip State took some license, compare what you originally said with the quote above and you can see the difference. And yes, to be called a microfiber filament generally weighs less than 1 gram per 9000 meters, however, this is not always a reliable measure as there are different systems in play so there is no true standardization. A more reliable standard is called "dtex" of which I have no intention of going into here. There is way too much misinformation bandied about on the internet and all of a sudden, everyone is an expert. You specifically quoted, with a change, information from a web site without giving them credit so you made it appear this information came from personal knowledge and experience, you made yourself out to be an expert. You may want to know about the products you use but to do so by questioning a company's products and calling them into doubt is not the way to do it, especially on a subject or industry you know nothing about. It's fine to want to know about a product but I wonder why you don't ask the Chinese or Koreans to go into such detail or ask Meguiar's exactly the formulas used in their products. Like I said, use what you like and if it works, keep using it! If you want to know specific info contact the manufacturer directly but don't expect a detailed answer or expect someone to give you their trade secrets.

[jfelbab]

Re: What is the proper way to clean your micro fiber cloths

Thanks for the polite enlightenment, Leo. It was not my intent to "question your veracity."

Here is what OSU has to say about it and why I'm asking the questions.

Performance with beauty describes the potential of microfibers. They are very fine fibers compared to more conventional forms which gives them unique and desirable properties. To provide a measure for comparison, microfibers are half the diameter of a fine silk fiber, one-third the diameter of cotton, one-quarter the diameter of fine wool, and one hundred times finer than human hair.

"Denier" is the term used to define the diameter or fineness of a continuous or filament fiber such as silk or man-made fibers. Denier is the weight in grams of a 9000-meter length of fiber or yarn. The higher the number, the thicker the fiber.

In order to be called a "microfiber," the fiber must be less than one denier. Fine silk, for example, is approximately 1.25 denier. A microfiber would need to be 0.9 denier or finer. Many microfibers are 0.5 to 0.6 denier. For another comparison, very fine nylon stockings are knit from 10 to 15 denier yarns consisting of 3 to 4 filaments. A 15 denier yarn made of microfiber would have as many as 30 filaments.

Link: http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/5000/5546.html

So is Ohio State University wrong?

So to clear things up...

Is it true that to be called a microfiber, the fiber used in the fabric must be less than 1 denier? Seems that is what I read at every site on the web.

And are you stating that your towels are made from 100% cotton and that the cotton fiber used is less than 1 denier?

I just want to hear this officially from you.

Please understand that I'm not asking these questions to disparage you or your integrity. I just want to get the answers. The same way that many might ask what the difference is between say #20 and #21 for example or #80 and #82. Sure you can say use what works but we are questioning beings and we want to know as much about the products we use as possible.

I''d also like to know what makes cotton a better choice then say the synthetic manufactured fibers that are typical in microfiber towels.

Thank you for your sharing your knowledge with the forum.

[DFTowel]

Re: What is the proper way to clean your micro fiber cloths

FWIW, In order to be truly called a "microfiber" the fiber must be less than one denier. Fine silk, is approximately 1.25 denier. Polyester and polyamide fibers are 0.2 to 0.6 denier. Cotton is typically always over 1.

I don't dispute that DF is making some nice 100% cotton towels but I doubt their claim of them being a "microfiber." Since I know of no microfiber police I think the term microfiber is being used very loosely by many manufacturers.

Back on topic. Woolite is a great cleaner and seems to lengthen the useful life of my microfibers....

I try not to respond to posts like this but when my veracity is questioned... well... I'll try to be polite. First of all those denier numbers are entirely wrong and appear to be taken out of context from any number of sites. Are they referring to yarn or thread? Do these numbers refer to the English, Chinese, Japanese, or Indian forms of measurement? And why should anyone really care anyway? If a product works and you're happy with it then that's all that really matters. You're obviously not a textile technician so please leave the technical stuff to the experts, and my nearly 40 years of experience in the textile industry (started when I was 16) as a weaver, printer, dyer, and designer should be enough to put me in that category. I recently discovered I was considered a mentor, along with Christian Dior, to a well known menswear designer http://www.suityourself.com/company-details.asp. Your statement of doubt is equivalent to doubting Barry Meguiar's word as to the chemical content of his fine products when you know nothing about the subject.

Just to clear things up though, there certainly is such a thing as cotton microfiber yarn and it's been around for a number of years now. It's especially popular in knitted fabrics used for high end bras and lingerie by such designers as Donna Karen and Calvin Klein.

Now... back on topic...

As to Woolite... it is really too mild for detailing towels, eventually they will loose their effectiveness due to insufficient cleaning. Woolite is best for lingerie, cashmere, and fine knits washed in cold water, not fabrics meant for abuse like detailing towels are. The best way to clean is simply liquid detergent in hot water. Don't waste your money on dedicated microfiber detergents, all they are are repackaged degreasers and solvents with some foaming agents added. Dry your towels in a warm to hot dryer.

By the way, contrary to popular belief it's unlikely that polyester/nylon towels will melt in a dryer, in fact, I've never heard of it happening. The melting point of polyester is 500F, of Nylon is 505F and household clothes dryers reach a maximum temp of about 200F. Manufacturers prefer you stay away from high heat because hot spots may occur in a grossly malfunctioning dryer but in truth, I've never seen it happen. If a dryer malfunctions and reaches such high temperatures I would be more worried about my house burning down than melting some towels. Just in case thought, stick to low/mid dryer heat... better safe than sorry.

[F-150]

Re: What is the proper way to clean your micro fiber cloths

From what I've heard DFtowel makes the best towel out.
And for the mf cleaning, look up micropak microfiber cleaner revitalizer (I use it for foam pads, mf (as long as they're not exptremely dirty cuz this detergent won't remove stains as easily as regular Tide), and terry towels, it does what it claims, and really does keep my towels coming back like new. (follow the washing instructions on the site or the package and you'll get good results)

[ryoga]

Re: What is the proper way to clean your micro fiber cloths

Hi everyone, thanks for the feedbacks. Really appreciate everyone's inputs.

[FONT=Trebuchet MS]The cloth detergent I use are in liquid form. I normally immerse the micro fiber clothes (cold water) in a pail with a capful of that detergent for abt a day, and then hand wash the clothes again before immersing them in clean water for a few hours. Wifey won

[N.E.W.car]

Re: What is the proper way to clean your micro fiber cloths

ROFL

Nice. If you are going to say something like that - back it up.

I might have stated some incorrect things, which I am not above admitting - but my comments about washing procedures are correct.

[everglo]

Re: What is the proper way to clean your micro fiber cloths

Sorry bud - this is wrong.

You NEED to wash your microfiber towels in hot water, otherwise the wash cycle will not properly break down and remove the product trapped in the fibers.
Also, there is no way a dryer will "melt" the fibers of a COTTON microfiber. Cotton will not melt. If your microfibers are melting, they aren't cotton.

NEVER wash any other type of towel with your microfibers, the lint from a terry or other type of towel will adhere to the microfiber - and basically ruin it. ALWAYS wash micrfibers by themselves. Sometimes I'll throw a couple Hi-Tech applicator pads in there - but only because they usually have the same products the microfibers have on them, and they produce no lint.

ROFL

[Mikeyc]

Re: What is the proper way to clean your micro fiber cloths

FWIW, In order to be truly called a "microfiber" the fiber must be less than one denier. Fine silk, is approximately 1.25 denier. Polyester and polyamide fibers are 0.2 to 0.6 denier. Cotton is typically always over 1.

I don't dispute that DF is making some nice 100% cotton towels but I doubt their claim of them being a "microfiber." Since I know of no microfiber police I think the term microfiber is being used very loosely by many manufacturers.

I can't confirm the size of the fiber used in DF Towel products (alternatively I'm sure you can't confirm the size of the fibers in the towels you use ). I think Leo from DF Towel may surf this site sometimes and hopefully will chime in on your comment.

[jfelbab]

Re: What is the proper way to clean your micro fiber cloths

DF Towel makes a microfiber towel made out of 100% cotton. I have some and they're pretty nice towels.

FWIW, In order to be truly called a "microfiber" the fiber must be less than one denier. Fine silk, is approximately 1.25 denier. Polyester and polyamide fibers are 0.2 to 0.6 denier. Cotton is typically always over 1.

I don't dispute that DF is making some nice 100% cotton towels but I doubt their claim of them being a "microfiber." Since I know of no microfiber police I think the term microfiber is being used very loosely by many manufacturers.

Back on topic. Woolite is a great cleaner and seems to lengthen the useful life of my microfibers. I have used Tide HG on occasion with good results as well. I used to hand wash my better mf towels. I found that they cleaned up better in hotter water so I wash them now in the machine with hot water.

I think I recall Mike stating they toss their mf's in the washing machine as well. The only thing I'd recommend is to never wash mf towels with cotton towels. The mf's will pick up a ton of lint if you do.

[Mikeyc]

Re: What is the proper way to clean your micro fiber cloths

DF Towel makes a microfiber towel made out of 100% cotton. I have some and they're pretty nice towels.

[jfelbab]

Re: What is the proper way to clean your micro fiber cloths

Where can you get a Cotton Micro-fiber towel? I haven't been able to find any 100% cotton MF's. The ones I have say they are a blend of polyester and polyamide. (And you will ruin these if you set your dryer on high heat like you do for 100% cotton)

I wash my MF towels in Micro-fiber detergent. I wash in warm water and dry on lowest heat setting. The come out better than when they were new.

You won't find a cotton microfiber as cotton threads are many times larger than a microfiber thread. Cotton can't be a microfiber due to it's natural size. You'd need to call cotton a macrofiber. True microfibers are blends of polyester and polyamide in a 80-20% or 70-30% blend. Here is a good link to info on what microfibers are. http://classic-motoring.stores.yahoo...whatbigde.html

I wash my Microfibers in the washing machine with a small amount of Woolite. I add a little vinegar to the rinse cycle as a natural softener. The towels last quite long and remain soft and absorbent. I dry in the dryer on warm setting.

[BlueZero]

Re: What is the proper way to clean your micro fiber cloths

Sorry bud - this is wrong.

That's what I've read in a few places. But hey, I'll give the hot a try next time. I'm sure it will clean them better. Thanks for the info.

[Dynamicd]

Re: What is the proper way to clean your micro fiber cloths

Does anyone know what is the proper way to clean Micro Fiber cloths (used to wipe away polish and wax)? I have been using ordinary cloth detergent but I was told by a friend that may not be the proper way. Can I also clean the application pads using this detergent or do I need to replace them once they have absorbed too much polish/wax absorbed?

I didn't see anyone post it,,,,,but I ONLY use liquid detergents with anything that touches my paint. An un-disolved granule of soap can scratch too. If you use powder,,,always start the water and throw the powder in and let it disolve before you dump your towels in. Better safe than sorry! Also check the bottom of the washer and dryer for sand/grit that might have been there previously.

Ocassionally, I will also dump some all purpose cleaner or simple green in and then stop the cycle and let everything soak for an hour or so.........(when towels have alot of wax, polish, etc.)

Just my 2

[Ticman]

Re: What is the proper way to clean your micro fiber cloths

Where can you get a Cotton Micro-fiber towel? I haven't been able to find any 100% cotton MF's. The ones I have say they are a blend of polyester and polyamide. (And you will ruin these if you set your dryer on high heat like you do for 100% cotton)

I wash my MF towels in Micro-fiber detergent. I wash in warm water and dry on lowest heat setting. The come out better than when they were new.