Accumulator
Well-known member
Drying my Glass MFs with my other towels contaminated them with MF lint that took *FOREVER* to get off 'em.
Best MF Towel Strategy: Mike Phillips vs Chemical Guys
- Thread starter SwedishRider
- Start date
SwedishRider
New member
After rereading Mike Phillips' section on microfiber care, and reviewing all your comments, I searched through my unused stuff to see what I could come up with. I ended up creating a system that is pretty close to Mike's (I figured I'd try to establish good habits now rather than later)... but I have a few questions as I get started. I found a few clean, unused Lowe's buckets (with lids) that my Grit Guards will not fit. I made up some labels and made each one a "bin" as Mike describes them. The cool thing is, they cost almost nothing, have a lid to keep from further contamination between use and wash, and can be stacked away when not in use for any length of time to preserve floor space.
Then, I re-purposed a few clear Ziploc stack-able containers to sort through Mike's four basic categories. I labeled them as such, and they also stack out of the way when not in use (and are water and dust resistant, so other activities in the garage will not affect the fabric.
And I already have some CG Microfiber wash, so I'm able to launder my towels with the proper cleaning solution when needed.
The only questions I have are about workflow. My understanding is that I would pull MF and cotton towels from my 4 categories (totes) based on whatever is the most appropriate towel for an application, and then when that towel is dirty enough to stop use, I'd deposit it into the appropriate bin (bucket) for cleaning. I would think window towels and drying towels would go into the water-soluble bin, and interior towels would depend on the chemical used on the towel, correct? And do dirty cotton towels get put into the "everything else bin", and then separated out into a "normal", non-MF load when laundry is being run?
Once laundry is done correctly and dried, I think the method would be to inspect each towel as it comes out of the dryer, and decide which of the four categories it would fall into. So long as the towel was properly laundered, it should be able to be reused for either water-soluble chemicals OR waxes/sealants for its next use, but then need to be put in the appropriate bin after that second use (which may be different than the previous use), correct? Otherwise the towels would have to be further categorized after laundering, and Mike wrote nothing about that. Please feel free to comment on my workflow, as I'm still developing an understanding of the method. If I'm misunderstanding something, please say so. Thanks!
Then, I re-purposed a few clear Ziploc stack-able containers to sort through Mike's four basic categories. I labeled them as such, and they also stack out of the way when not in use (and are water and dust resistant, so other activities in the garage will not affect the fabric.
And I already have some CG Microfiber wash, so I'm able to launder my towels with the proper cleaning solution when needed.
The only questions I have are about workflow. My understanding is that I would pull MF and cotton towels from my 4 categories (totes) based on whatever is the most appropriate towel for an application, and then when that towel is dirty enough to stop use, I'd deposit it into the appropriate bin (bucket) for cleaning. I would think window towels and drying towels would go into the water-soluble bin, and interior towels would depend on the chemical used on the towel, correct? And do dirty cotton towels get put into the "everything else bin", and then separated out into a "normal", non-MF load when laundry is being run?
Once laundry is done correctly and dried, I think the method would be to inspect each towel as it comes out of the dryer, and decide which of the four categories it would fall into. So long as the towel was properly laundered, it should be able to be reused for either water-soluble chemicals OR waxes/sealants for its next use, but then need to be put in the appropriate bin after that second use (which may be different than the previous use), correct? Otherwise the towels would have to be further categorized after laundering, and Mike wrote nothing about that. Please feel free to comment on my workflow, as I'm still developing an understanding of the method. If I'm misunderstanding something, please say so. Thanks!
Accumulator
Well-known member
SwedishRider- I don't worry too much about segregating my used towels other than cotton; nasty-stuff MFs; not-nasty-stuff MFs, though keeping the Glass Towels and maybe also the drying ones might be a good idea.
IMO you'll find out through experience just how careful you (really) have to be about this. It sounds like you're inclinded to err on the side of caution and there's nothing wrong with overkilling this as long as you don't find it a huge hassle.
In my case I've just figured out what I can, uhm...get away with over the years.
The big imponderable IMO is how thoroughly they get laundered; that could be where theory and practice could differ if/when you're not really meticulous. Other than that [repeat lint issue concerns].
IMO you'll find out through experience just how careful you (really) have to be about this. It sounds like you're inclinded to err on the side of caution and there's nothing wrong with overkilling this as long as you don't find it a huge hassle.
In my case I've just figured out what I can, uhm...get away with over the years.
The big imponderable IMO is how thoroughly they get laundered; that could be where theory and practice could differ if/when you're not really meticulous. Other than that [repeat lint issue concerns].
Anthony O.
New member
Way too much work guys....just do like me and get new towels for each car!
Accumulator
Well-known member
Anthony- Hey, good to see you posting!
Heh heh... "just do like me and get new towels for each car!" huh?...we non-Pros can't pass the cost along to our customers the way you can
Heh heh... "just do like me and get new towels for each car!" huh?...we non-Pros can't pass the cost along to our customers the way you can