Microfiber washing

this has been covered many times... i use cold/warm water with liquid detergent (tide) and on the last rinse cycle add 3-5 oz's of vinegar to help aid/remove any leftover detergent. then into the dryer with no fabric softener on the lowest heat setting. haven't had any problems...
 
Is there any point in getting a dedicated detergent for microfiber towels? Seems kind of silly to me, especially since they're usually pretty expensive. I've been using Tide on my towels with no perceivable negative effects.



I did however just buy some nicer towels to replace the old ones that my mom has been using around the house. If a dedicated detergent is the way to go, I'll probably pick some up the next time I place an order online. I've only put my new towels through one wash so far, so they still look and feel new. My older towels however have definitely worn down quite a bit. Not sure if that's just wear and tear from several years of use or if the detergent / wash process had anything to do with it.
 
BigAl3 said:
this has been covered many times... i use cold/warm water with liquid detergent (tide) and on the last rinse cycle add 3-5 oz's of vinegar to help aid/remove any leftover detergent. then into the dryer with no fabric softener on the lowest heat setting. haven't had any problems...
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I knew BigAl would be the first to respond :grinno: I use warm water with liquid detergent (era/all free clear), micro restore, or simple green. Which ever’s handy. In the bleach cycle, I add vinegar. Then into the dryer on lowest heat. Works every time.
 
I use hot water too and then I do an entire cycle w/o any detergent. I then air dry them and after dry, throw them in the dryer for 10 minutes to pluff.
 
I've been machine washing mine with Tide in warm water. I have a bunch of older microfibers (80/20) that I think I got in a huge package at Costco. I bought them several years ago when I first became interested in detailing. My mom has since appropriated them for use around the house and has been machine washing them the same way. After several years of use some of the towels are very noticeably worn although some of them have held up quite well. I can't really tell if it's the wash process or just normal wear and tear that has caused them to wear down.



I recently just picked up some nicer microfiber towels as I just got a new GTI and have gotten back into detailing. I ran them through their first machine cycle the other day and they came out like new. I'm not sure if I buy into those dedicated detergents, since Tide seems to be working well. I'd like to hear more about them, as well as the effects of adding a bit of vinegar.
 
So microfiber wash is pretty much hype? I've been unimpressed with how clean my MF's come out using the CG microfiber wash. They still have stains from polish...
 
ABQDetailer said:
So microfiber wash is pretty much hype? I've been unimpressed with how clean my MF's come out using the CG microfiber wash. They still have stains from polish...
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I duuno that I'd call all MF washes hype. I get good results with Microfiber Restore so that is the only MF wash I've bothered to try. I wash on warm or hot with Microfiber Restore, run them through two rinse cycles with ~ 1/2 cup vinegar added to the first rinse. Dry on low heat and remove while slightly damp to reduce static when folding.



The vinegar in the first rinse cycle helps them to release any detergents, it might not be needed when using a MF specific detergent, but vinegar is cheap.



For MF's that are heavily stained or caked with polish I soak separately in a bucket with some pad cleaner or APC and then rinse well before washing.



Never use fabric softener when you wash your MF's or softener sheets in the dryer with them. The fabric softener will actually make them less absorbent.
 
[QUOTE-ABQDetailer]So microfiber wash is pretty much hype? [/QUOTE]



We've discussed the MF detergent issue in great detail a few times. While I like the argument that the "MF detergent" is nothing special and that it's not necessary, I get such *DRAMATICALLY* better results with it that I have to go by my first-hand observations instead of the (seemingly) oh-so-logical theories.



I'd expected the MD detergents to all perform the same, but I seem to get better results with MicroRestore and MicroPak than I do with the CG's version :think: The loads in question didn't strike me as being especially different, so I have no explanation for why one detergent seemed better/worse than another. Just as I have no explanation for why these detergents work so much better for me than my regular ones :nixweiss



David Fermani said:
I use hot water too and then I do an entire cycle w/o any detergent.
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Yeah, I'll sometimes do a *LOT* of detergent-free extra cycles to make sure I have all the suds out. Sometimes the suds *seem* gone during a cold (or even warm) rinse, but a hot-water wash cycle shows that they were still there after all.



I find this can be worth doing with household textiles too.
 
I now use Micro Restore. I used to use Pinnacle but was unimpressed. Just bought a gallon of DP's Microfiber Cleaner for $30 from Detail City. I put 1-2 ounces per load.



I pour 1 ounce of the microfiber cleaner in a bucket with hot water and throw towels in as they get used. After I'm done detailing I stir the towels, leave for an hour or 3, then dump them into the wash with more microfiber cleaner. They come out nice and fluffy. I leave the clothes detergents for my clothes.



Even when using 3 ounces per routine, I'll get over 40 washes this way. Works out to 75 cents per soak'n'wash.



I also throw my pads in the bucket as well, but naturally not in the wash.
 
My process is to use two wash cycles; one with hot water and a large scoop of detergent, usually Arm & Hammer (I don't think it matters whether you use powder or liquid). For the second wash cycle I use about 1/4 scoop of detergent and about three ounces of Griot's MF cleaner. Then I rinse with two rinse cycles and dry with no fabric softener. My MF towels get amazingly clean and seem to last a long time.
 
I follow the two wash routine too. I do NOT use powder detergents. They've shown time and time again that they don't 100% dissolve in very cold water. I use Tide, in the first wash, hot water and always with an extra rinse. The second wash is hot water with 'distilled vinegar' instead of any detergent.

Since my babe insists on fabric softener sheets, I'll wipe out the dryer 2 times with distilled vinegar (this tip comes from the almighty "ACCUMULATOR") before I dry them. I use a low heat dry and fold 'em while they're still hot.

Here's a tip ... seal them up once you're done. There are so many people who leave them exposed to the environment for weeks on end before use. If you have to dust in your house every week, imagine how dusty and contaminated your garage is during the same amount of time. I have several of the gigantic Zip-Lok Bags (3 ft X 3 ft) bags that I keep them in.

Hope this helps!
 
Saintlysins said:
...the almighty "ACCUMULATOR"..
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Heh heh :o :chuckle:



...[and]... seal them up once you're done...I have several of the gigantic Zip-Lok Bags (3 ft X 3 ft) bags that I keep them in.
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That's different, the big Zip-Loks. I use a bunch of RubberMaid trash cans (different sizes and colors help me keep 'em straight) but the (presumably) clear bag idea makes a lot of sense.
 
Sometimes I can find the bags clear and sometimes they come in a 'see-thru-blue' - Bed-Bath & Beyond have them - pick them up with the 20% coupon and the price can't be beat. If color coding is your 'bag' :rofl, then check on line, maybe they have them in every color?

Hope this helps.
 
I use tide powder with a degreaser on hot water for my towels and pads. Cold rinse and a extra rinse with vinegar. Dry normal heat No problems here.
 
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