I wish my microfiber towels didn't do this...

[Setec Astronomy]

I have experienced it with certain towels from new, while others have said that when the towels get old they start to shed fibers. I guess it would have something to do with the quality of the towel or other characteristics in the manufacture whether they shed all the time or only when they get worn (or perhaps never).

 

[Bunky]

I am wondering if some are drying in a dryer that has previously dried loads with a fabric softener (especially the Bounce sheets) that some MF towels could be picking up softener residue residue from the dryer surfaces itself. The softener is not particular to what surface it attaches and with all that tumbling you would think some would transfer to the dryer.



Maybe trying air drying would work. If boiling works ( no idea if it really does but...), I have to believe you are just breaking down whatever product is embedded in the fibers so something it coating the fibers. Water boils at 212 F (it does not get hotter than that) so you should just boil the water, remove from the stove and it should stay hot long enough to break down whatever needs to be broken down fairly quicker without the risk of burning towel, etc.

 

[onelazydawg]

It was offered on AG that WAUD contains beeswax and is a water repellant. Using it could saturate towels with this and make them less likely to hold water. Boiling and a good MF specific cleaner is all that is usually needed to clean these towels properly.

 

[Accumulator]

Yeah, besides boiling the MFs I'd try decontaminating the washer and dryer. Softener/etc. residue could easily be the culprit.



I've been getting good results with our new washer's "sanitize" cycle, so you might try that if your washer has such a thing.



Can somebody explain how vinegar is a "fabric softener" in the sense of fabric softeners that leave a coating that compromises ad/absobrency? It's an acid..I don't understand why it would cause this problem as I'd expect it to rinse cleanly away :think:



And I've sure experienced the micro-lint that setec astronomy mentioned! My WWMFs for glass are good for about 6-8 months max before they start to lint and that stuff drives me nuts.

 

[PhillipM]

I tend to use citrus-based all-surface-cleaners on MF towels - works far better than anything else in revitalising them.

 

[RitcheyRch]

How do you guys recommend boiling them? Big pot on the stove? Anything need to be in there other than water and MF towels?

 

[jshillin]

How do you guys recommend boiling them? Big pot on the stove? Anything need to be in there other than water and MF towels?

Big pot, just add water and towels...

 

[Rainman]

Posted by Setec Astronomy That's only true if it's non-microfiber lint. Many of us have experienced actual microfiber lint (which is tiny..er..micro fibers) that are especially noticeable on glass and tend to stick and be difficult to remove.

AND

Posted by Accumulator And I've sure experienced the micro-lint that setec astronomy mentioned! My WWMFs for glass are good for about 6-8 months max before they start to lint and that stuff drives me nuts.

This is what I have. I wash my microfibers only with other microfibers. It's not necessarily my old ones that do this (although some are), I had a couple of new ones that were for glass and they stink. As Setec Astronomy said it sticks and is hard to remove.



I'm going to start marking the troublemakers with a sharpie so that I don't use them for glass again.



Later,

Ray

 

[Accumulator]

..This [MF linting] is what I have. I wash my microfibers only with other microfibers. It's not necessarily my old ones that do this (although some are), I had a couple of new ones that were for glass and they stink. As Setec Astronomy said it sticks and is hard to remove.



I'm going to start marking the troublemakers with a sharpie so that I don't use them for glass again..

I too have had brand new "glass MFs" that left lint. Very irritating.



FWIW, I wash/dry my WWMFs separate from my plush ones, and I always wash/dry my glass MFs separately.



As I type this a pair of WWMFs are undergoing their third "Sanitary cycle" with no detergent and extra rinses. They're *still* sudsing a little bit, even though I hardly use any detergent at all and always do an extra detergentless wash. Water was beading on them when I started this, we'll see what happens after they get washed enough to quit sudsing (assuming I keep at it that long; got other laundry to do soon).

 

[RitcheyRch]

Kind of what I figured but wanted to make sure.

Big pot, just add water and towels...

 

[itb76]

Can somebody explain how vinegar is a "fabric softener" in the sense of fabric softeners that leave a coating that compromises ad/absobrency? It's an acid..I don't understand why it would cause this problem as I'd expect it to rinse cleanly away :think:

My impression is that vinegar acts as a fabric softener, not in the traditional sense by leaving a coating, but by rinsing what's left of the detergent away. It probably helps rinse the calcium away if you have hard water like I do. Besides laundry I find it works wonders in the rinse cycle of my dishwasher. Without it I get a thin white film on my dishes; with vinegar they come out slick and clean. I can't imagine it leaves a coating. However if you use too much in the laundry it does leave a smell.

And I've sure experienced the micro-lint that setec astronomy mentioned! My WWMFs for glass are good for about 6-8 months max before they start to lint and that stuff drives me nuts.

I have a lot of towels that leave micro-lint on glass. It drives me crazy. A couple years back I bought a 12 pack of orange Vroom towels at Target. They weren't very old at all when they started leaving lint, so I demoted them to wheel and jamb use. All except one at the bottom of the stack, which I never used. So I tried it today on the windows in both cars. No lint at all. I have to conclude it's either repeated use or my washing regimen that causes the lint. I wash in hot water, MF only, using Micro Restore or Danase MF wash, vinegar in the (cold) rinse cycle, then tumbe dry on low heat. Incidentally my old (probably 4 years old) WW drying towels don't seem to leave lint on the outside of my windows.



My solution to this will be to order some MFs specially designed for cleaning glass, and hope they don't lint.

 

[itb76]

...I had a couple of new ones that were for glass and they stink.

That sucks, I was hoping the special glass towels didn't do this. :nono

I'm going to start marking the troublemakers with a sharpie so that I don't use them for glass again.

That's a great idea, I may resort to that.

 

[howareb]

Ok, I have been thinking about this linting issue and I think that I may have a solution. I am only giving my input based on the fact that I have not had this happen too me. Maybe I am lucky I don't know, but maybe I can post my process in hopes that it helps.



First off I am using an HE washer, that I have to clean about every 2-3 months with a solution of 1/3 vinegar and 2/3 cups Cascade without bleach. This wash gets rid of old detergents and fabric softener that may collect in the washer. For you Guys who share washers, take some old rags and wash with this solution. If you can run only the rinse cycle then that would be the cheapest way of doing this before a microfiber wash.



I personally wash all my MF Fabrics together only (WW, GLASS, Mitts, Bones Sponges, Etc.) in Hot water (132 degrees F) with 1/4oz Microfiber Restore and 1/2oz Charlie's Soap (or the 1 mark on the Tide Free HE cup) (these measurements will of course change for a standard washer) with an extra rinse cycle. Also I do not use vinegar in the final wash. (I am too lazy to stop the machine to add). After the wash cycle the HE washer I have is pretty good at extracting most of the water out so that when the microfiber comes out, they are just damp to the touch.



I put the Microfiber towels and Mitts into the Dryer. The sponge I let air dry. I set the dryer to air fluff, and I add four blue DryMax Balls ($10 for two at CVS) to the dryer for about an hour. When done the towels come out nice, dry and fluffed. I also notice that there is usually some lint on the dryer lint filter when done (better to have the lint on the filter than on the towels). That is pretty much it and I have had some of towels for 3-4 years without issue.



Of course this is not the only process, but it seems to work for me. I hope that this helps.

 

[BigAl3]

I have to conclude it's either repeated use or my washing regimen that causes the lint. I wash in hot water, MF only, using Micro Restore or Danase MF wash, vinegar in the (cold) rinse cycle, then tumbe dry on low heat. Incidentally my old (probably 4 years old) WW drying towels don't seem to leave lint on the outside of my windows.



My solution to this will be to order some MFs specially designed for cleaning glass, and hope they don't lint.

lint can also be caused by washing with other mf towels that aren't very good quality...

 

[imported_Surfer]

Be very careful with boiling them!! One guy on here fell asleep and almost burnt his freaken house down!



I boiled mine out on our grills side burner. Worked out great.

How do you fall asleep boiling towels?



Before I was my towels, I always fill a couple buckets with hot water from one of the bathrooms with some APC or other cleaner. Let sit a day or two and gets crap out from the towels. Then I wash them, all my old towels are fine.

 

[Junebug]

I separate my towels into:Exterior, Interior and Glass. I wash each group separately. Lately, I've started spraying APC on the towels that got really trashed doing a detail and putting them in a bucket of water, I rinse with the hose and wring out, let air dry and toss in the "used" bin - then I do the wash process. I boil water in a pot on the stove, pour in a bucket with micro restore, add towels, stir, let sit for a couple hours and wash in the machine and dry.

 

[Accumulator]

My impression is that vinegar acts as a fabric softener, not in the traditional sense by leaving a coating, but by rinsing what's left of the detergent away. It probably helps rinse the calcium away if you have hard water like I do.... I can't imagine it leaves a coating. However if you use too much in the laundry it does leave a smell..

Same experience/opinion here. I'd still like to hear some explanations as to how rinsing in a mild acid is gonna compromise ad/absorbency. I don't intend that to sound like some snotty challenge to the people who said it can, it's just that I really don't get that idea :think:

Incidentally my old (probably 4 years old) WW drying towels don't seem to leave lint on the outside of my windows...

Sigh...wish I could say the same

I'm going to start marking the troublemakers with a sharpie so that I don't use them for glass again.

Sigh#2...I have a pile of MFs for glass with "LINT" written on them.

As I type this a pair of WWMFs are undergoing their third "Sanitary cycle" with no detergent and extra rinses... we'll see what happens after they get washed enough to quit sudsing (assuming I keep at it that long; got other laundry to do soon).

Update: I'm *still* washing them! This is turning into hours upon hours of washing with no added detergent (and yeah, I did a "clean washer" cycle to make sure there wasn't any residual detergent contaminating things). The "Sanitary" cycle uses very hot water for the wash and cold water for the rinse. During the wash cycle they are still sudsing just a bit; no sudsing during the rinse any more (it did for the first four or five times). To me, that says that the hot water makes a huge difference. I'm gonna wrap this up so I can do some regular loads, but I think I oughta boil my WWs one of these days, or at least do some more of these Sanitary cycles with no detergent. After I dry them I'll see if water still beads up on 'em.

 

[FD777]

I just experienced the same problem with my microfiber applicator.

I used Collinite 845 and threw everything into the washer - MF towels + MF applicators. Bad idea! Everything smelled like Collinite.



Anyways, I noticed that one side of the applicator became hydrophobic. (Obviously, the side I used to apply the wax.)

1. Hand wash with Tide - no luck.

2. Boiling - no luck.

3. Hand wash with Dawn - absorbs water again.

 

[BlueLibby04]

How do you fall asleep boiling towels?



Before I was my towels, I always fill a couple buckets with hot water from one of the bathrooms with some APC or other cleaner. Let sit a day or two and gets crap out from the towels. Then I wash them, all my old towels are fine.

Heck if I know. He posted a thread on here about it.



It did alot of smoke damage from what I can remember. His wife wasnt happy at all. :bolt

 

[Accumulator]

I used Collinite 845 and threw everything into the washer - MF towels + MF applicators. Bad idea! Everything smelled like Collinite...

Heh heh, yeah, I just did a huge load of cotton towels and one had a *tiny* bit of 845 on it from doing the plastic "D" pillars on the Blazer...everything smelled like 845, even after thesecond wash. Haven't been out to the shop to see how it is now that I've done the third one (that one without detergent).



And it wouldn't surprise me if that spot was now rendered hydorphobic just like your applicator. Not that I'm likely to notice with those towels being used for grunge-duty.



Seems like I'm doing nothing but launder various detailing textiles today!



I've been using Dawn Power Dissolver for my hand washing of such stuff, seems to work a bit better than regular Dawn, but like the Collinite it sure can impart an odor to whatever you use it on.