HOw to Care for MIcrofiber Towels

[goldenlight]

Ok I am going to invest in some really good polishing towels and I want them to last a long time.


Here is what I have learned so far

1) No fabric softner
2) NO Bleach
3) Dry on low heat or no heat.


The only question I have is what detergent to use? Should I use a dedicated wash detergent for cleaning my microfiber towels

Would it be ok to use detergents similar to these no dye or perfume detergents "Tide Free & Gentle" or "Wisk Free & Pure"

[russelldetailing]

From my experience so far, with all of my microfibers, I will use a dedicated microfiber cleaner. I just picked up a bottle of the Pinnacle microfiber detergent from Auto Geek. I had used regular bleach free detergent in the past and it never seemed to really be "bleach free", as the towels would lose some color and that static cling feel. Just my experience though.

As for the fabric softener, definitely stay away from that. I had a batch of towels get mixed with someomes laundry and afterwards they were only good for the garbage can.

I also don't like to put my towels in the dryer, even on low heat. But lots of people say it's fine. I guess my dryer just runs a little warm for my taste. I let them air dry before I fold and put away.

[STRIFE]

Re: HOw to Care for MIcrofiber Towels

I use Micro-Restore exclusively on all of my MF towels, worked great with warm water in my washing machine. On particularly soiled towels, I let them soak overnight before washing.
I know a lotta guys here also use a cup of vinegar on the final rinse....

http://www.autogeek.net/mideco128oz.html

[Christopher.Brown]

Re: HOw to Care for MIcrofiber Towels

USe All free and clear.. no dyes or perfumes...

use HOT water and allow soap to mix and then soak for at least 60 min.....[periodically i soak oer night in BOILING water to remove all embedded filth and grime]

i also add a 1/2 cup of APC to the mixture

on final rinse add 1/2 cup vinegar...

dry on medium to low heat

___________________________

also an important point not often made clear is to wash like towels with one another

ww MF towels with other lightly soiled.. medium with medium.. heavily soiled with heavy

or compouning and polishingg towels with one another...

dont mix wax mf with polishing MF with greasy MF

[Stephan]

Re: HOw to Care for MIcrofiber Towels

To add to the diversity of opinion, I do the following:

- Splash pads with a little MF cleaner and wash in hot water with towels and Tide Free (sometimes I add a little MF cleaner to the wash cycle);
- Finish wash rinse spin cycles;
- +/-1/2 cup vinegar in wash cycle, complete full wash rinse spin;
- Toss in dryer with 2 blue balls (helps eliminate static

I don't worry about mixing products (wax, polish, express wash, QD, etc.) BUT WHEN I use full synthetic wax, I usually soak those pads and towels in MF cleaner and water overnight, then rinse and squeeze very well. I have M21 and it's tough to get out of pads. Don't use it often though.

[dwg51357]

Re: HOw to Care for MIcrofiber Towels

Just to add to the confusion ... I sort my MF: Wash and drying ones go in one load; polish and wax ones go in another. Wash in warm water and Purex. Rinse in warm water. Final rinse in cold water and a bit of white vinegar. I do it all by hand (wife does NOT want wax in her washer and dryer!).

[wifpd4]

Re: HOw to Care for MIcrofiber Towels

I'm with STRIFE on this one, except I spray oxy-clean on troublesome spots before machine washing with MicroRestore and rinse with white vinegar. Those used for glass are done separately. Pads get soaked and hand cleaned in Snappy before getting machine washed in MicroRestore.

[Christopher.Brown]

Re: HOw to Care for MIcrofiber Towels

I also hand wash all pads

[rusty bumper]

Re: HOw to Care for MIcrofiber Towels

My towels get machine washed in hot water and a good quality laundry detergent. I dry them on medium heat - sometimes with a dryer sheet, and sometimes without. I think it's best for the towels *not* to be dried with a dryer sheet because it seems to me that dryer sheet residue can clog up the towels to a certain extent.

White vinegar (in the rinse cycle) removes detergent residue from the towels.

[Detailing by M]

Re: HOw to Care for MIcrofiber Towels

Do not wash in hot water.
You'll melt the MFs. wash in warm only. (read the lable)
Use any detergent.
Vintager removes "grease" and opens the MFs
No "softeners", it leaves a residue on the MFs

[rusty bumper]

Re: HOw to Care for MIcrofiber Towels

Do not wash in hot water.
You'll melt the MFs. wash in warm only. (read the lable)
Use any detergent.
Vintager removes "grease" and opens the MFs
No "softeners", it leaves a residue on the MFs

Seems to me that it would take boiling hot water to melt synthetic fibers, but I have not read any labels of late (I tore them off).

Did the label mention a specific water temperature (in degrees) to avoid?

[Stephan]

Re: HOw to Care for MIcrofiber Towels

Typical hot water heater setting is 120-130 F. Typical laundry dryer high temps max out at 250 F.

I think my black on black vehicle gets somewhere in between the two on a sunny summer day.

The 428 F (220 C) melting point of (polyamide) nylon 6 (BASF) is lower than the 509 F (265 C) melting point of (polyamide) nylon 6,6 (DuPont).
Polyester melting point is about 490 F.

[rusty bumper]

Re: HOw to Care for MIcrofiber Towels

Typical hot water heater setting is 120-130 F. Typical laundry dryer high temps max out at 250 F.

I think my black on black vehicle gets somewhere in between the two on a sunny summer day.

The 428 F (220 C) melting point of (polyamide) nylon 6 (BASF) is lower than the 509 F (265 C) melting point of (polyamide) nylon 6,6 (DuPont).
Polyester melting point is about 490 F.

Thanks.

[Detailing by M]

Re: HOw to Care for MIcrofiber Towels

Seems to me that it would take boiling hot water to melt synthetic fibers, but I have not read any labels of late (I tore them off).

Did the label mention a specific water temperature (in degrees) to avoid?

my bag had a cut in it and I wanted to get close ups of the instructions for you so 2 pics

[Stephan]

Re: HOw to Care for MIcrofiber Towels

Found this from an MF wholesaler:
Machine Washing Microfiber:Wash in warm or hot water with mild detergent. Do not use fabric softener, it will clog the open spaces in the microfiber that do the cleaning rendering the towel or mop useless. Microfiber tends to grab a hold of lint in the wash just like it grabs dirt and dust when you’re using it to clean. With this in mind be careful of what you wash microfiber with. Avoid washing it with anything made of cotton especially terry cloth towels, socks etc. Ideally you should wash microfiber only with other microfiber, but if you need to mix loads wash it with other non-linting synthetic materials.

Hand Washing Microfiber:Wash in hot water with mild detergent, use a soft bristled brush if necessary. Rinse thoroughly.

Drying Microfiber:Air drying microfiber will make it last the longest. Microfiber dries relatively quickly. If you choose to dry your microfiber in a dryer do so on low heat or no heat and only dry with other microfiber products to prevent the mops or towels from picking up lint. Microfiber will grab a hold of any lint given off by other items in your dryer if they are dried with anything else that lints.

Commercial Laundering Instructions for Microfiber:The following are the instructions and wash formula that will assure maximum performance and longevity.
Detergent: High solvent for heavy soil. No Alkaline. Dose determined by product specifications for poundage.
No bleach, no fabric softener.

Operation Time Water Temp Water Level
Flush 2 Min 120 F High
Flush 2 Min 140 F High
Suds 25 Min 160 F Low
Rinse/Extract 3 Min 140 F High
Rinse/Extract 2 Min 80 F High
Rinse 2 Min 80 F High
Extract 6 Min

Commercial Drying Options:
Option One: Tumble dry: Maximum temperature 140f NOTE: Air Dry is preferred to double life.