Can't Seem to Get my MF's Clean

G

globe9

New member
Hi Ya'll,



Newbie here. :) Washed and waxed the new car yesterday and had read some threads on here about cleaning microfibers. I went and picked up some plain Dawn blue soap and ran the Mf's through the washing machine with hot water and warm rinse. When I pulled them out, I saw that some of them still have little flecks of dirt in them....some of it is lint, but some of it is like a miniscule piece of a brown leaf, dirt etc.....I don't know what I'm doing wrong, but I know I can't use these on the car next week when I wash it again...I also can't afford to go out and buy new mf's every week.



Right now I've got 4 regular mf's, the red mf that came with my AG HD wax, and the mf wash mitt soaking in a 5 gallon bucket of hot water with Dawn hoping that will help release some of the dirt.....what else can I do?



I know there is specific MF wash products out there, but would that make these MF's release the dirt? Some of these MF's were bought at Pep Boys and the brand is Peak, while others were picked up at Wal-Mart.



Sometimes it feels like the more I try to NOT mar my paint, the more the universe is conspiring against me to make me do it LOL



Anyway, look forward to hearing your suggestions. Thanks!
 
microfibers are made to cling to those small particles. pick out what you can... this is why once one touches the ground, it's now a wheel or garage rag.



Just washed all mine today after 4 steps of PC polishing my roof, trunk, and hood plus a coat of souveran wax. I use a natrual detergent anyway for all my laundry (no perfumes or dies). I also do a second short "wash" without soap.



I got even more anal today. I hand washed my cobra towels used only for removing wax. then I threw them in for the second rinse cycle with the rest lol.
 
I get the same thing. My wife finds it weird that I take a lint roller to them and them picking at the stuff under bright lights that was not caught by the lint roller.



For those that are just real dirty(or when I get really tired), they've demoted to dirtier tasks.



This is becoming too obsessive :)



P.S. Oh and those leaves are brutal.
 
Some sorta-random thoughts follow:



-Unless you're using them for washing, MFs shouldn't really *get* very dirty in the first place

-MFs that *are* used for "gonna get dirty" jobs can be pretty stained and still not cause problems like marring, just depends on what the "stains" really are

-Keep some already-nasty MFs for those really dirty jobs

-I use BHBs for the initial cleaning steps in part because of the way boar's hair rinses so clean no matter *what* you get on it

-Make sure the washing machine is nice and clean so it doesn't contaminate your MFs
 
Accumulator said:
-Make sure the washing machine is nice and clean so it doesn't contaminate your MFs
Click to expand...



I wipe down the inside of the dryer with some APC just in case some residue fabric softener from those dryer sheets is still present.
 
Bunky said:
I wipe down the inside of the dryer with some APC just in case some residue fabric softener from those dryer sheets is still present.
Click to expand...



Same here, but don't forget to mention that you need to damp-wipe/rinse it too, after using the APC ;)



My one dryer is dedicated to detailing/garage stuff, so this isn't a big problem for me any more, but I'm still wiping it out now and then as I use some fabric softener on my cotton towels (yeah, I know...more of my Autopian Heresy) and I figure it leaves a little residue behind.



If using a washing machine for both MFs and softner applications, I'd take some measures to clean it out too.



When I mentioned "cleaning [the washer] out, I was also thinking about *rust*. I've found some nasty corrosion in washers before, often in places that normal folks never see. From rust stains on clothes to rust particles trapped in MF, that can be big trouble.
 
on my really dirty MF's I've sprayed them down with a 10:1 ratio of my laundry detergent (ALL free and clear) and let that sit while I'm getting washer ready. I also run the washer with nothing in it but water in anything that holds bleach or softner to get it all rinsed out. then I run an extra rinse cycle and they tumble dry (no air) in the dryer. I've had some pretty nasty MF's that have come just as clean as new. they come out of the dryer and straight into ziplock bags until use.
 
I'll take the Permatex gel hand cleaner and scrub any stains in my MFs before they go in the washer- easier if there's a sink next to the washer (like my old house). If you scrub in the cleaner with your fingernails aggressively and rinse well, it works like a charm.
 
Boiling MF really helps too on some really stubborn stains. My process is to fill up my five gallon water with hot tap water, a splash of APC and a splash of Dawn Advanced. Drop in the microfibers until they soak up enough water that the towels are fully submersed in water. Let that soak about 10 min while you have a pot of water coming to a boil on the stove. Drain hot tap water out and ring out the towels the best you can within the bucket, now pour the boiling water into your empty 5 gallon bucket. I think I use a two quart bucket and since the towels are already saturated the two quarts usually covers most in the five gallon bucket. Let that sit for about another ten minutes, drain and then throw in the washer.
 
Now I see why when I came here I was so confused about everything. Even the newbie is using his dish washer to clean towels.



I just throw mine in the washing machine, then the dryer and don't worry about it.
 
Washing Machine - Try some Tide powder along with couple oz of APC and Dawn. After washing give them another quick wash with couple oz of vinegar.l
 
@dekeman:



I do the same thing with my MF' cloths and pollishing pads. With the pads, I will use hot water and gel soap to pre clean them before machine washing.
 
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