Drying towels: What do you do when...

E

ExplorerXLT95

New member
What do you do when they lose (or at least seem to lose) their plushness?



I have had a set of CMA's MF waffle-weave Big and Little Blue Drying towel for about 1 year now and they seem like they may have lost a little plushness. They're still plush, but they seem to have lost a little over the last year or so.



Is there any way to restore it and if so, how? What do you guys do?



Thanks in advance ladies and gents!! :2thumbs:



P.S. For the record, I usually wash them with my MFs and use only liquid Tide and dry them very mildly without fabric softner.
 
I think Adams Polishes recommend placing them in boiling water for 10 mins to bring back the water absorbency. I haven't tried it yet but it might be something to try.
 
I have had some microfiber tech ones for years and luckily they still work really well, they are not as plush as as my newer Pakshak ones though. I will probably treat them the same as I used to treat Chamois etc, when they need replacing update tbh.
 
I tried the boiling thing and it didn't do anything. Mr. Adam doesn't seem to be too educated when it comes to detailing in the first place....have you seen the videos?



Vinegar works, or sometimes I use Pinnacle Micro Rejuvenator.



PS - ExplorerXLT95, your Cobra is f'n awesome.
 
Two things affect the thickness and absorbency of fabric:

1) Cleaning technique

- Water too cold

- Too much detergent

2) Age (wear)



- Wash your towels as soon as possible after each use, don't save them for several uses before cleaning.

- Always wash towels in HOT water on regular cycle using a good liquid detergent (I prefer Era) with no addititves. DON'T USE EXCESSIVE DETERGENT! Use 1/2 of what the bottle recommends for the quantity you wash. Don't add bleach or other cleaners or softeners. Add 1 tablespoon of distilled white vinegar per towel to help shed any excess detergent.

- Dry plastics (polyester, nylon, etc.) in a low heat dryer, dry naturals (cotton) in a high heat dryer. No softener sheets.



Another thing, your towels are not lingerie, they are not as delicate as people think. Using hot water and regular cycle will do no harm. Don't use Woolite or other delicate cleaners, they just aren't up to the job and will leave product such as wax or polish which affects absorbency.



Boiling does nothing to help cleaning unless they are so impregnated with wax buildup that the boiling water helps melt it away.



As far as age is concerned... it's best to replace your towels, bonnets, applicators, etc. once a year, use the older ones for door jams and stuff. The new ones for paint. It's cheap enough insurance against scratches.
 
DFTowel said:
Another thing, your towels are not lingerie, they are not as delicate as people think. Using hot water and regular cycle will do no harm. Don't use Woolite or other delicate cleaners, they just aren't up to the job and will leave product such as wax or polish which affects absorbency.
Click to expand...





This is completely contradictory to the article "Microfiber: Myths, Truth and Technology" posted in the articles section.



It says:



"Wash in cold water only. Warm water can be tolerated, but hot water cannot. Polyester and polyamide both shrink in hot water. If you wash in hot water the fibers will shrink and the towel will not perform as intended."



So which one is right? I am new to Autopia and we noobs get pointed to the articles for information, so it is very confusing when we read one thing in a professional looking article but other people say the opposite.
 
WickedLTZ said:
This is completely contradictory to the article "Microfiber: Myths, Truth and Technology" posted in the articles section...
Click to expand...



My 30+ years in the textile industry tells me to stick with what I said, you want your towels clean, what do you care of they shrink a tiny bit?
 
We really love washing our towels with Sonus Der Wunder Wasche. Does a great job at making the towels feel like new again.
 
MattZ28 said:
Vinegar works, or sometimes I use Pinnacle Micro Rejuvenator.



PS - ExplorerXLT95, your Cobra is f'n awesome.
Click to expand...



I guess I'll have to try the vinegar thing. I wish I would have seen this before my last CMA order.



And thanks for the compliments on my Cobra man :hifive: :2thumbs:
 
i wash my mf's in warm water with liquid tide and dry on the low setting, and they seem to keep up very well. :nixweiss
 
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