MicroRestore not working?

2wheelsx2

2wheelsx2

New member
So, I took the plunge and ordered some MicroRestore last month. Just got to try it this past weekend. Did a half load with one ounce of MS with my WW and plain MF's. Hang dry everything. When the towels were dried, they felt softer. I thought, "wow, great, it restored my towels".



Anyway, I detailed a Frontier this weekend, and the terry MF's were as "grabby" as when they were new, which really impressed me. However, the WW's were as "dead" as ever, not absorbing much better than before the wash. Should I have rinsed the towels with no soap for a cycle before applying the MicroRestore? Should I try the MicroRestore a second time?



Anyway, what I did was this:



- throw in all towels in the washers (MF's only, of course)

- start the machine using warm wash/cold rinse

- once tub was half full of water, add 1 ounce of MS



Should I have pre-soaked? Any other suggestions? Or are my WW's dead?
 
All I can tell you is that Wunder Wasche and MicroRejuvenator work a lot better for me than regular laundry detergent.



I won't use Tide anymore for washing MFs.



"However, the WW's were as "dead" as ever, not absorbing much better than before the wash. Should I have rinsed the towels with no soap for a cycle before applying the MicroRestore? Should I try the MicroRestore a second time?"



Never had this problem. I have not pre-rinsed before. I would try another wash and put in the MicroRestore at the beginning-maybe it missed part of the wash cycle-it depends on your machine. I have a Maytag Neptune in which the detergent goes in first.
 
Yeah, I'll give in another go. If nothing else, it's a decent detergent. I guess I was just disappointed that it was not the silver bullet I thought it would be.
 
2wheelsx2 said:
......Should I have pre-soaked? Any other suggestions? Or are my WW's dead?
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Many times the problem with MF's are a build-up of detergent residue that may take several rinses to remedy. I believe one member reported doing 14 rinses before the water was clear of detergent. While that may be an extreme example, once you run them through enough rinses to observe clear water, then normal washing with a MF detergent and a couple of rinses should keep them in good shape.



Initially you may also want to try some Distilled Vinegar in the rinse to help break down the old detergents. Here is a fairly recent thread about this:



http://autopia.org/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=44414
 
Thanks. I've tried the vinegar wash twice already, and the MicroRestore rinse cycle looked pretty clear already. But I am going to give it another go with an extra rinse or two before I retire those cloths.



I have had them for almost 2 years now, and maybe used them 200 times, so am not sure if they are truly dead.
 
I put my mf's in the same way you did but I let them soak for a hour and have it on a 2 rinse setting. Then I use vinager with a 2 rinse setting, I have never looked to c if the water is clear but so far the towels are good as new and work well.
 
2wheelsx2 - Not sure what's going on with the WWs or what I can add...I guess it's just a "when in doubt, wash them more" situation. With our crappy water I'm always amazed at how the MicroRestore works so well for me, even on the WWs.



I'm probably the guy who recommended washing over a dozen times; sometimes it takes an incredible amount of washing (with only vinegar and then the Micro Restore) before things get noticeably better.
 
2wheelsx2 said:


I have had them for almost 2 years now, and maybe used them 200 times, so am not sure if they are truly dead.
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I'm wondering if improper cleaning for that long a period may have rendered them irrepairable.



Unless you're a scientist or a chemist, I don't think there's anyway to know everything that will harm a MF towel. What I'm getting at is that what do we know about laundry detergents that say "no bleach?" I'll bet they use a substitute that does the same thing by another name. Does that substitute cause the same damage to the MF? I don't know, but I'm skeptical of everything I read on a lable. Especially the term "whiteners."



I don't have any WW. I use Micro-Restore as well as Der Wunder Wasche by hand in a bucket. After which I wring them out and put them in the washer with Woolite and vinegar rinse. Woolite is currently the only detergent I trust, but who knows -- I might be all wrong there too.:) I know the MF towels I washed in regular laundry detergent before I got smarter don't come out as well as the ones I started out treating right.
 
I am beginning to think that too. I rarely used regular detergent or put the MF's in the washing machine even prior to the MicroRestore. I normally handwash them with a mild soap (a kelp based enzyme formula made locally here called Pink Solution - a natural degreasing type enzyme based soap). Anyway, I only used Tide when I had a large load and just a small amount, about half of what I use in regular laundry loads.



I am going to experiment with it some more, but I have some WW's I bought from DavidB a while back I am going to use nothing but MicroRestore on, and we'll see how it goes.
 
"I use Micro-Restore as well as Der Wunder Wasche by hand in a bucket. After which I wring them out and put them in the washer with Woolite and vinegar rinse. "



You should not have to use vinegar or woolite if you wash with an MF wash product like Wunder Wasche. I think this is overkill.
 
SilverLexus said:
"I use Micro-Restore as well as Der Wunder Wasche by hand in a bucket. After which I wring them out and put them in the washer with Woolite and vinegar rinse. "



You should not have to use vinegar or woolite if you wash with an MF wash product like Wunder Wasche. I think this is overkill.
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I wouldn't argue with that. I could just put them in the washer with Micro-Restore and be done with it. I'm just scared to put an unknown chemical in a brand new $1000 washer. :doh
 
SteveOst said:
I wouldn't argue with that. I could just put them in the washer with Micro-Restore and be done with it. I'm just scared to put an unknown chemical in a brand new $1000 washer. :doh
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Yeah I would be too. Any way maybe try to get a MSDS on this stuff, not that's a full or even partial answer to concerns but at least it says something about the nature of this product.
 
SteveOst said:
.....I could just put them in the washer with Micro-Restore and be done with it. I'm just scared to put an unknown chemical in a brand new $1000 washer.....
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I don't really see how it could hurt a washer, it's just a detergent. Guy's are soaking their hands in it while washing their MF's in a bucket. I'd say bleach would cause a lot more damage than this stuff.



About the only thing it could damage would be rubber seals, o-rings or hoses. Put one o-ring in a diluted solution of Micro-Restore and another one in a diluted solution of bleach for a week and look at the results.
 
SteveOst said:
I wouldn't argue with that. I could just put them in the washer with Micro-Restore and be done with it. I'm just scared to put an unknown chemical in a brand new $1000 washer. :doh
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No problem there. That's what I do.



The only problem I've had with Micro Restore is that sometimes it doesn't get the MF towels clean when they have a greasy spot on them. I've overcome that by dumping them in the washer with MicroRestore, let it fill with water, temporarily stopping the washer, and then simply scrubbing the bad spots with a small bristle brush. A few swipes with the brush doesn't harm the MF's and it's enough agitation to get out most stains.



Washer + MicroRestore = GOODNESS!



Regards,



Dan.
 
Bill D said:
Yeah I would be too. Any way maybe try to get a MSDS on this stuff, not that's a full or even partial answer to concerns but at least it says something about the nature of this product.
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Here are some excerpts from theMicro-Restore website.



"Used by commercial janitorial laundry companies, available to the public for the first time"



This would lead you to believe it might be safe in a washer.



"Micro-Restore is an optimized blend of chelating agents, surfactants, and builders in an aqueous system."



This doesn't sound like anything harmful.



"Micro-Restore is better than your common household detergent because most detergents and laundry soaps have some form of bleach and fabric softener included in their formulas (even when they say they don't there are small traces). Over time bleach breaks down the micro-fibers, and fabric softeners clog the microscopic pours that make microfiber so effective, rendering the microfiber product less effective with each washing."



This is what leads me to the conclusion that after a period of improper care, those towels aren't coming back



My concern is what are the parts in my washer that might be affected and what is the chemical that might affect them? Who knows. Then there's always the septic tank. I'm not on sewers yet. But since I'm not dealing with a lot of towels on a daily basis, it is not a big deal to do them the way I am. Now if the quantity and frequency was much larger, I'd be more inclined to take a chance on the washer.

Sorry for the ramble....
 
That description sounds close to that of my Mela Power detergent.So I assume both that and Micro Restore are close in function. I'm surprised they don't include the pitch about typical detergents contains phosphates which can break down fibers, to check your lint filter, etc.
 
Bill D said:
That description sounds close to that of my Mela Power detergent.So I assume both that and Micro Restore are close in function. I'm surprised they don't include the pitch about typical detergents contains phosphates which can break down fibers, to check your lint filter, etc.
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I'm convinced it's probably a commonly available product repackaged under all these different names. (I'll probably get bombarded for that);) If we only knew.
 
Dunno if Charlies Soap is better at cleaning than any other washing product, but it rinses out REAL good! :D

Check some of the past threads.



And they have an interesting warranty:

WARRANTY: "If you're not completely satisfied, Sutherland Products will, but not gladly, refund the buyer's purchase price." Also, they caution against spraying it on cockroaches as it WILL harm them!



Usual disclaimers...
 
Wow! I am learning more about detergents on this thread than I have ever known....thanks for all the input, guys.:xyxthumbs
 
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