How to Wash Microfiber Towels PROPERLY - AMMO NYC Video

Angus

Angus

AspiringProductSpecialist
Another super informative video from Larry @ AMMO NYC:


I really enjoy the insight Larry shares in his videos. He's always spot on with advice you can trust.
 
Well, we've been down this road before on this forum, and I have to say I don't agree with too much of what he said, particularly the temperature issues. He has a gas dryer so maybe he can get it hot enough to singe a MF, but as our resident textile expert Leo "I shipped that order last week" used to say, the fabrics used in MF towels have higher heat tolerance than cotton, so if you are melting a MF towel, you'd be setting your cotton ones on fire.
 
I did not watch the video. But Leo from LI, NY I knew very well. Best is to wash MF towels using a dedicated mf detergent. I have a new Whirlpool front loading washer/dryer on pedestals. Warm or hot water no difference, 18min wash and spin, 7min dryer, air dry on hanger indoors 10min and I'm done.
 
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My methods are simpler, 3 separate towel washes
*Good Paint Microfibers
*Lesser Microfibers (Interior/Jambs/Wheels/Ect)
*Cotton Towels

Wash on HOT with +1 rinse
Dry on Low heat
Done

Still have microfibers that are like new after a year or so of daily use.
 
There is so much conflicting information out there about how to care for MF towels, but none of it seems to be backed up by any science. I wish we had someone like Dr G in the MF world state the facts based on science.

Best I can find is the Polyester has a melting point of 482' F and Polyamide (which is actually a form of Nylon) has melting points anywhere from 195' F to 265' F. So it seems like washing in hot water wouldn't hurt MF towels, but that you could damage them at high heat if your dryer temp is at 250'F. But who knows for sure.
 
pwaug said:
There is so much conflicting information out there about how to care for MF towels, but none of it seems to be backed up by any science. I wish we had someone like Dr G in the MF world state the facts based on science.

Best I can find is the Polyester has a melting point of 482' F and Polyamide (which is actually a form of Nylon) has melting points anywhere from 195' F to 265' F. So it seems like washing in hot water wouldn't hurt MF towels, but that you could damage them at high heat if your dryer temp is at 250'F. But who knows for sure.
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DFTowel is that guy you're hoping for, but he turned out ultimately to be a flake in his business but that's another story. Here he is talking about melting towels: http://www.autopia.org/forums/detai...ofiber-cant-2.html?highlight=dryer#post204907

My problem with Larry being reluctant to wash his towels in hot water makes me laugh because we have other members who will recommend boiling towels to restore them. As I have said many times, I always wash my towels in hot water, and I always dry them on high heat (full disclosure, I have my hot water heater set to 120F and my dryer is electric) and I never, ever have any problems.
 
The video is solid advice, but nothing most Autopians would find too amazing. I liked the advice about too much pile not being absorbent. So true. I also noted that he didn't get caught up in Korean vs Chinese, etc. I recently bought some $4 Chinese towels and they are awesome, but from the same vendor, bought some general purpose towels that I know used to be very good, and are now crap. To me, inconsistency is hurting the MFT business.
 
Mf quality is all about dollars and cents. If the end user (us folks) or the vendor we buy from tries to get a deal or cheaps out, you will get crap.

If you pay the right price and deal with a reputable source you should be happy with what your expecting to get.

The poorboys dmts are good solid fairly priced towels. They have lasted my a good ling time and are still going.

Euro shags are also quality and last.

Then I buy a bunch of Korean cheap towels for wheels, jambs dirty work and disposable jobs. Yup they are not as good but they are good enough. I can even remove coating with them without inducing marring. Just watch the edges. They get tossed after that detail (Bc they get hard from the coating) and I don't want to risk the marring of oaint in the future.

WaxAddict said:
The video is solid advice, but nothing most Autopians would find too amazing. I liked the advice about too much pile not being absorbent. So true. I also noted that he didn't get caught up in Korean vs Chinese, etc. I recently bought some $4 Chinese towels and they are awesome, but from the same vendor, bought some general purpose towels that I know used to be very good, and are now crap. To me, inconsistency is hurting the MFT business.
Click to expand...
 
pwaug said:
There is so much conflicting information out there about how to care for MF towels, but none of it seems to be backed up by any science. I wish we had someone like Dr G in the MF world state the facts based on science.

Best I can find is the Polyester has a melting point of 482' F and Polyamide (which is actually a form of Nylon) has melting points anywhere from 195' F to 265' F. So it seems like washing in hot water wouldn't hurt MF towels, but that you could damage them at high heat if your dryer temp is at 250'F. But who knows for sure.
Click to expand...

Agree on conflicting info. Polymers can change their physical characteristics well below their actual melting temperature since anything in stress will often start relaxing at the molecular level. The microfiber strands are complex woven products (likely stressed) so I can see how their shape change due to heat.

But, I am not worried about hot water since my hot water is only 120 to 130 degrees since I have set the water heater. However, I am careful not to overly dry the towels by drying at lowest heat setting and limit drying time.
 
Here is the quote from Leo (DFTowel) that I linked to earlier in the thread:

"Neither hot water nor household dryer heat will do any damage. Obviosuly for cotton there is never a problem. The melting point of Polyester is 500F, Nylon is 505F, a household dryer may reach 200F at most. The reason manufacturers say to use low heat is they are afraid of malfunctioning dryers creating hot spots. If you have a malfunctioning dryer I'd be more worried about the house burning down than a few towels! To date I have never seen polyester melt in a dryer, never heard of anyone else seeing it either."
 
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