Washing drying towels and microfibers together?

[kty10]

Was curious whether or not to wash my drying towels with my microfibers (used for wiping polishes, waxes) or keep them separate. I just finished a detail this weekend and need to wash my towels. What do you guys do?

[RaskyR1]

Re: Washing drying towels and microfibers together?

I keep them seperate. It could just be me, but I find they become less absorbant when washed with wax/polish towels.

[Carfire]

Re: Washing drying towels and microfibers together?

I have not really noticed that, but just like you say Rasky it could just be me. I use it to save water and loads in the washer.(I put all microfibers in one load and all terry towels in another.)

[Mike Phillips]

Re: Washing drying towels and microfibers together?

At Meguiar's we always separate cotton from microfiber for both washing and drying.

Here's a thread that discusses this topic at length in our Hot Topics forum.


Washing Microfiber Polishing Cloths - Laundry

[Markus Kleis]

Re: Washing drying towels and microfibers together?

The key is to NEVER EVER wash towels that have any wax on them with your drying towels. It will instantly turn them into something as effective as saran wrap. No joke.

Polish and compound residue towels should be ok, though. Just make sure you do what Mike said and do like material, with like material.

[akimel]

Re: Washing drying towels and microfibers together?

The key is to NEVER EVER wash towels that have any wax on them with your drying towels. It will instantly turn them into something as effective as saran wrap. No joke.

Thanks.

[CharlesW]

Re: Washing drying towels and microfibers together?

Interesting comments.
While I do wash my MF separate from anything else, I have never been concerned about what the MF was used for previously other than my glass towels.
Actually the few times I have had glass towels mixed in with the other MF towels, I can't say that I noticed any ill effects.

My drying towels are not the same towels I use for waxing or polishing, but they do all get washed together, and I haven't noticed any problems with the drying towels performance.

At this time, I use Micro-Restore to wash my MF towels and also use a 2nd rinse with some vinegar added. When I was using regular laundry detergent and the vinegar rinse, I didn't have any problems with my drying towels not drying, either.

Just lucky, I guess.

[Tuck91]

Re: Washing drying towels and microfibers together?

i wash m microfibers seperate from terry cloths and old tattyrags i use to wipe down tires, wheelwells, etc.

[Markus Kleis]

Re: Washing drying towels and microfibers together?

My drying towels are not the same towels I use for waxing or polishing, but they do all get washed together, and I haven't noticed any problems with the drying towels performance.

At this time, I use Micro-Restore to wash my MF towels and also use a 2nd rinse with some vinegar added. When I was using regular laundry detergent and the vinegar rinse, I didn't have any problems with my drying towels not drying, either.

Just lucky, I guess.

Well, I learned this out the hard way. I did the damage after detailing an airplane and having a LOT of laundry to do. I probably had a lot more wax residue on the towels than usual, and maybe that is why it was so bad. But I noticed that every last waffle weave I had stopped working hardly at all from that day forward.

I too use Micro Restore AND distilled vinegar in the rinse cycle.

I changed my method of mixing towels for my new ones, and they work fine.

I would suggest playing it on the safe side and NOT mixing drying and waxing towels. But that's just me

[J. A. Michaels]

Re: Washing drying towels and microfibers together?

I also tend to wash like towels only. terry with terry. Microfiber glass with just Microfiber glass, Wax with wax, etc. Just makes sense to me to do it that way. Maybe it,s just me.

[Tuck91]

Re: Washing drying towels and microfibers together?

I also tend to wash like towels only. terry with terry. Microfiber glass with just Microfiber glass, Wax with wax, etc. Just makes sense to me to do it that way. Maybe it,s just me.

either way, its good thinking

[davey g-force]

Re: Washing drying towels and microfibers together?

So if I understand correctly, there are two schools of thought here:

1. Separate drying and waxing towels;
2. Separate microfiber and cotton towels.

Or are we supposed to do both? That would mean possibly 4 loads of washing per detail.

[CharlesW]

Re: Washing drying towels and microfibers together?

So if I understand correctly, there are two schools of thought here:

1. Separate drying and waxing towels;
2. Separate microfiber and cotton towels.

Or are we supposed to do both? That would mean possibly 4 loads of washing per detail.

It would seem that doing both, plus doing your glass towels in a separate load would be recommended.

Considering that a typical wash and wax for me would require two large MF towels for drying, one or two small MF towels to remove wax/sealant, and one or two glass MF towels, I'm going to be doing some awfully small loads of laundry. Possibly as few as 4 towels total. (Not likely to happen)

I don't wash my terry grunge towels at all. I throw them away after I have used them on a few dirty jobs. I think my wife would make the washing machine off limits if I washed them.

[gjohn28]

Re: Washing drying towels and microfibers together?

I too use Micro Restore AND distilled vinegar in the rinse cycle.

At this time, I use Micro-Restore to wash my MF towels and also use a 2nd rinse with some vinegar added.

Where do you buy Micro Restore?

[CharlesW]

Re: Washing drying towels and microfibers together?

Where do you buy Micro Restore?

Most of the on-line detail supply vendors sell it.