Getting lint out of Microfiber towels already washed with reg laundry...

[mystickid]

Hi all,

Is there a way of getting lint out of Microfiber towels that ahve already been washed with regular laundry clothes? Now everytime I wipe screens or glass, I can see the lint from the other clothes. In the future I will only wash MF`s by themselves but is there any way to save these MF towels after lint has gotten on em`?

 

[Accumulator]

mystikkid- Are you absolutely sure that the lint is cotton from the other textiles and not MF lint? Just wondering since the vast majority (like...99.999%) of my MFs lint in ways that might only be noticeable on glass. Even ones that didn`t do that for ages eventually do, at least IME.

Otherwise I dunno...whenever this has happened to me, a few more launderings got it out, but I *can* imagine situations where it`s simply "gotta demote these, I`ll never get that [crap] out.."

 

[Lonnie]

Live and learn about cleaning microfibers.

I suppose you could re-wash them by themselves and try them out again on glass.
My machine washing process:
1) I use a Hot wash wash cycle. I tend to set the water level a little higher than if I was doing clothes, just to have more water for the microfibers to move through.
2) I use Persil for a detergent. Some use Tide Ultra Stain. Most prefer a microfiber-specific detergent for best results.
DO NOT USE liquid fabric softeners.
3) Double rinse cycle. I do a cold water for both cycles. Add vinegar in FIRST cycle for softening microfiber. The amount to add is dependent on quantity of microfiber being washed. One cup (8 ounces) is for larger quantities of 12-20 microfibers, 4 ounces for 8-12 microfibers.
4) I dry mine on medium heat cycle in dryer with a timed amount, again dependent on the amount microfibers you are drying. Most times it`s about 40-45 minutes for an "average" load. Just do not use dryer fabric softener sheets or watch for them that they have not been left over in the drum from the last drying cycle. Those dryer sheets will ruin microfibers in a hurry.

Keep us informed.

There is one other caveat to watch out for is washing microfibers AFTER wash a load of dirty, oily clothes, like oil-change mechanics or road tarring crews wear. Sometimes oily residue remains in the wash drum and it may be best wash a load of older cotton towels to absorb the residue rather than your microfiber towels.

 

[Accumulator]

Ah, Lonnie mentioned both Persil and Tide Ultra Stain Release....the former *vastly* outperforms the latter IME, and rinses out *infinitely* better.

That`s just IME/situational and YMMV! in a huge way. Something about my (soft) water makes the Tide simply *NOT* want to rinse out...of anything. Didn`t realize how much better other detergents are until I tried a few (Cheer`s "Studio"..IIRC that`s the name, for Darks...rinses well too).

Heh heh, we sure can`t get by with just two..or three..rinses when we use that Tide, and we use such a *TINY* amount it`s amazing things come clean (and they get cleaner​ in the Persil).

 

[Bill D]

I’ve been using Tide Heavy Duty on all my laundry and MFs with success. I don’t have any issue with it not rinsing out and that’s using generous amount often. Just a case of YMMV I would buy the Tide again

 

[Accumulator]

It wouldn`t surprise me if the different formulations of the different versions of detergents (so many these days!) could explain a lot of the different experiences with `em.

 

[Astouffer512]

Could the OP use a pot of boiling water to help remove the lint? I know my wife biols her norwex microfibers and I can`t believe all the crap that comes out of thise with that trick

Sent from my SM-T580 using Tapatalk

 

[quebert]

Someone on AGO said to use a lint roller like they use to get pet hair out of fabric. I can`t comment on if this actually works well for MF`s, or if there are any side effects. But it seems like it should work well.

 

[Lonnie]

Could the OP use a pot of boiling water to help remove the lint? I know my wife boils her Norwex microfibers and I can`t believe all the crap that comes out of thise with that trick

I think boiling or very hot water is what Norwex suggests using to clean their microfibers along with their (very expensive) dish-washing soap. I "make" my boiling water by pouring distilled water into a quart-size Pyrex measuring cup (about 3-1/2 cups) and placing it in a microwave for about 4 to 5 minutes. Then I pour that over the Norwex glass-cleaning clothes (the blue coarse microfiber for initial glass cleaning and the purple fine microfiber for final wipe) in an empty kitchen sink with a drain stopper and swishing around the clothes in a kitchen sink with a salad or food tong to avoid getting burned for a minute. Yes, I do use their dish-washing detergent, as my wife got "roped" into buying the glass-cleaning clothes and soap at a friend`s Norwex party (think of it as a Tupperware party for women, except for high-priced, silver thread-infused microfibers).

Now, for the Original Poster`s question about cleaning lint from his microfibers, I am not sure that hot water in a wash cycle will do that, depending on the nap and "clingy-ness" of the microfiber itself. Most Autopians know that there are "certain" microfibers that have a nap that just holds on to everything. I can tell because when my hands get chapped from washing bare-handed with an All-Purpose Cleaner or degreaser soap (like Optimum`s Power Clean), handling that "certain" dry microfiber it just pulls, grabs, and clings to your chapped hands.

AND because I have gone kinda off topic (here we go again, Captain Obvious!), how many of you have has to pull out lawn or leaf debris from drying microfiber clothes during a slighty windy and dry fall day or when everyone in the neighborhood is cutting their lawn while you are trying to wash and dry your vehicle? It is one of the reasons I prefer to wash in the early mornings when the winds are somewhat calmer and most homeowners are not cutting their lawn. But using a leaf blower at 7:00 AM on a soon-to-be-hot summer Sunday morning to dry my vehicle does NOT endear me to my residential city neighbors, and some have let me know that.

 

[dschribs]

Even if you wash them by themselves I think you`re bound to get lint on certain MF`s eventually. I`ve never been able to bring MF`s back when they start linting. I tried using the delicate cycle, two rinses, three rinses, cold water, warm water - my experience has been once they start to lint - they`re done for paint. I basically hold on to them for wheels or door jams. For my lint test - I sort of "beat them" across the glass screen of my tablet. They either pass or they don`t. FYI - I always use Micro-Restore Detergent.

The best one`s I have tried so far - meaning the one`s that have yet to lint on me - are Poor Boy`s Deluxe Mega Towel (love these) and Rag Company`s Wizards. Those are pretty much the only two I use for paint now just because of the no linting factor.

For what it`s worth - my Griots PFM`s have never linted on me either but I only use them for drying and they only get washed half as much as my other MF`s so that might have something to do with it.

 

[Accumulator]

The best one`s I have tried so far - meaning the one`s that have yet to lint on me - are Poor Boy`s Deluxe Mega Towel (love these) and Rag Company`s Wizards. Those are pretty much the only two I use for paint now just because of the no linting factor.

For what it`s worth - my Griots PFM`s have never linted on me either...

Ah, good to know. With the way MF Lint can bug me I appreciate hearing which MFs aren`t prone to it (at least for others, never know how my mileage may vary ).