Cleaning microfiber rags

[Top Gear]

Re: Cleaning microfiber rags

See, I'm not the only one I've always wondered, who is washing a sand-covered car without a rinse to need two buckets and two grit guards? For me, the closest I get to needing to be that careful is when I have bugs all over the front end. Often, during my pre-rinse I'll just use the water and my bare hand to gently wipe and spray the bugs off, and I'm not afraid of using a fingernail for a perfectly placed charge instead of wiping a much larger area. The sudsy mitt won't really get all the dried and bonded bugs off without scrubbing, and without getting bug bits in the mitt fibers. UWWA/QD works well for that during WW, but I'm careful not to wipe too much, and replace with QW after.

[Eldorado2k]

Re: Cleaning microfiber rags

Not horrified at all as I've never subscribed to the 2 bucket method. As long as I've got my nozzle nearby to spray my mitt clean after every section why bother.. My grit guard stays in a bucket reserved for being my towel hamper. Lol

[Top Gear]

Re: Cleaning microfiber rags

Bold move, lol Nope, I don't wash my duster and I don't wash my mitts. Sue me After all, the mitts, especially the new big and fluffy one I use for the paint, are literally full of GC or UWW, and only touch the surfaces after a thorough pre-rinse. I just wring, inspect, rinse, etc, and repeat two or three times over, then keep them inside. Never had a problem. When I wash that next time, the newer paint-only one in particular looks and feels new

The new SS "towels" and my other "rags" are different, as they are catching dirt, grime, even sand that has not been pre-rinsed, and they are not used wet or being rinsed out immediately. That's the difference. They are being used to specifically trap dirt without water (or very little spray product), while a mitt is dissolving dirt residues left after a rinse using copious amounts of water and "soap" (GC/UWW). So, why waste more water and time where it isn't needed? I'll also horrify you by revealing that I stopped bothering with the two-bucket method. It was just a lot more bending over for no change whatsoever, slowed down the washing greatly, and kept the mitt too watery and not sudsy enough. I've even inspected the mitt after every pass and have seen no reason to overthink washing. Heresy, I know! I think this is all so much work, we have to keep it simple where we can, while other areas are worth all the trouble you can spare.

The results? Since I switched to DAMF and UWWA/D115 with fresh SS towels, I can now get much better wax results with a quick DA re-waxing or an SS-QW re-waxing, and bucket wash even less by WW'ing. You were absolutely right, the SS towels really are vastly superior, softly touching the paint, picking up dirt and holding it deeper into the fibers away from the brushing surface. So, now, I'm not building up the deeper swirls like I was before, using cheapo MFs from Advance Auto and so much QD/QW, which required way more wiping, and a non-cleaner wax on foam, which was ineffective on my diamond-hard paint and required more correction work with polish or compound.

[Eldorado2k]

Re: Cleaning microfiber rags

[Eldorado2k]

Re: Cleaning microfiber rags

@Top Gear. You don't ever wash your mitt? That's a bold move for someone who owns a black car.. What If I said I never wash my rinseless towels, I just rinse & hang them to dry? You'd think I was insane right? Lol.

I hope your wash mitt doesn't look like Scotty Kilmers wash mitt. *cringe*

[sx4]

Re: Cleaning microfiber rags

I just finished detailing the car and have put the cloths and applicator pads that I used to wash, dry, waterless wash, and wax the car as well as inside detail with in the wash.

[Top Gear]

Re: Cleaning microfiber rags

Growing up, we always used "towels" for the bath/shower/beach, and "rags" for everything else, particularly anything having to do with cleaning. Calling the Meg's SS a "towel" was odd to get used to, and a bit pretentious for a cleaning rag

Anyway, I just put them in the washer together on hot, as I do separately with the MF/foam pads. This makes them like new again, as the spin cycle in particular draws out dirt you can't soak out, but if they're really dirty, I might pre-soak/rinse as needed. I don't wash my washing mitts, but just wring them out.

[sx4]

Re: Cleaning microfiber rags

I get cheap pack of microfiber towels that last me a few months of cleaning bird **** etc off. To wash and wax I previous used meguiars gear

[Blueline]

Re: Cleaning microfiber rags

But why is everyone callling them rags?

Maybe they are using old bed sheets? My "rags" are used to clean up grease, etc. and I don't bother to wash them at all. I do have some very nice MF "towels" for detailing which I wash in the washer with laundry detergent (no softener) and let hang dry. My "rags" are just thrown away when dirty.

[davey g-force]

Re: Cleaning microfiber rags

So you don't want to be wasteful by doing a load of washing for only a few items (fair enough), yet you throw MF towels away after use?

[The Guz]

Re: Cleaning microfiber rags

The other microfiber towels/ rags for everyday waterless cleaning I throw away after.

Huh? Why are you tossing towels away?

This topic came up earlier on Autogeek.

http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/auto-detailing-101/92824-throw-away-microfibers-polish-wax-removal.html

[sx4]

Re: Cleaning microfiber rags

Thanks to all the responses. I can't warrant putting a load of washing for just washing mit, shammy, applicator pad and towel. The other microfiber towels/ rags for everyday waterless cleaning I throw away after.

[davey g-force]

Re: Cleaning microfiber rags

But why is everyone callling them rags?

[Firehouse Mike]

Re: Cleaning microfiber rags

See this recent thread....http://www.meguiarsonline.com/forums...t-rag-cleaning.
Lots of good info here

Mike

[davey g-force]

Re: Cleaning microfiber rags

Hmm... maybe they're picking up some lint from the washing machine?

Also, cheaper quality MF towels can tend to lint.