Washing Microfiber towels and terry cloth?

N

Nickshades

New member
Can anyone recommend the most beneficial way to clean microfiber towels. (water temp., cleaning agent, utlize dryer, etc.)



I just feel like the softness is lacking with my microfibers unless they are a little damp and i'm not looking to cause more damage to a fresh detailed surface.



thanks for any suggestions.



Nick
 
Very simple. Hot water, liquid detergent. Dry on low or air. To help get fluff back run a second or third rinse with a 1/2 vingar.
 
There have been many posts about this, and a lot of different answers.



If you add all of them up, it seems like a liquid detergent is the choice. Some use a detergent made for microfiber (I've tried Sonus' Der Wunder Wasche, others have used Charliesoap), some don't. Nowadays, I use a liquid detergent that doesn't have any scents or dyes. Hot water seems to be the norm.



Everyone seems to agree (and so do the manufacturers) that one should NOT use fabric softener.



I dry mine on low heat, and they seem to be ready to go. I've heard about the vinegar rinse, but have never needed it, though I don't detail as often as some people here.
 
that's usually my method. I've even used this cleaner that pinnacle makes (a detergent) and it doesn't make much of a difference to the plushness.



Also, any recommendations for removing stains from these microfibers that I don't think have come out thus far.



Thanks
 
I also wash my microfibers separately from the terry cloth towels and glass.....any thoughts on this.



thanks again,

Nick
 
hmmm..

I washed with the Pinnalce REjuvenator for MF's except I washed on Cold thinking hot would be too rough.

I stuck them in the dryer on normal and got a boat load of static cling.

Why does this happen. I'm new to the washing machine, I usually drop it off at the laundry service (they even fold it for you..)
 
racingbeat said:
hmmm..

I washed with the Pinnalce REjuvenator for MF's except I washed on Cold thinking hot would be too rough.

I stuck them in the dryer on normal and got a boat load of static cling.

Why does this happen. I'm new to the washing machine, I usually drop it off at the laundry service (they even fold it for you..)
Click to expand...



The tumbling action of the dryer combined with the low humidity/high temp. environment causes friction to produce a charge on the polyester mf. Wala--static cling.



I wish I could afford a laundry service--for my detailing towels. :woohoo:
 
Static is good, it is what sucks up the dirt particles into the weave.



Make sure you do not use fabric softener. I prefer Charlies Soap Liquid Laundry.



I actually run an empty load through the machine on hot with 2ozs CSLL and then do my MF's. The wife insists on using fabric softener so I want to make sure that it is all out of the machine.



And before you ask -----> Charlies Liquid Laundry
 
You rarely ever need hot water assuming you're using a good deteregent. Warm water is fine. As far as getting your MF's (or any other laundry) soft, use vingar in the final rinse.



Your MF's get stiff and less soft because of the minerals in the water. The minerals get depositied on the fibers and make them stiffer and less able to absorb liquids. The vinegar, which is a mild acid, dissolves the minerals therefore restoring the fibers to their original state.
 
It doesn't. I was concerned about that too at first but my wife just laughed at me and told me to use it. There won't be any smell when you're done.
 
I use woolite, coldwater, seems to work for the drying towels.



for stained/oily MFs I'd wash on warm



nice tip on the vinegar, do you just put that in the little fabric softener tray so it will add during the rinse?
 
maecrispy said:
You rarely ever need hot water assuming you're using a good deteregent. Warm water is fine. As far as getting your MF's (or any other laundry) soft, use vingar in the final rinse.



Your MF's get stiff and less soft because of the minerals in the water. The minerals get depositied on the fibers and make them stiffer and less able to absorb liquids. The vinegar, which is a mild acid, dissolves the minerals therefore restoring the fibers to their original state.
Click to expand...

I disagree, I think that hot water is needed to assist in getting the chemicals out that get embeded in the MF.
 
lets see if i can help.



Detergents actually are making chemical reactions, they are bonding with both water and dirt. To illustrate this think of a dog bone. One end is attracted to the dirt, the other to many times it's size in water. The water give the molecule mass. THe mass allows it to be pulled from the fabric.



For 18 degrees of heat you effectively double the chemical reactions taken place in a given time. That's a lab number it is probably far less in the real world. That being said the cleaning efficency is far greater in hot water than in cold.



Simple test, coat your hands in oil, flour, dirt what ever. apply some soap. wash with both as cold and hot a tap water as you can stand. tell me which works faster. This being said some fabrics can not be exposed to heat. If this is the case of MF towels then you SHOULD wash in cold. Now from the carpet industry the nylon i am used to can handle 250 degrees and the polyester about 230. I am not entirely sure how much heat MF towels fiber can take.



Now onto the vinager. there are a few reasons why one would use vinager.



first is on a new fabric. The acidity of vinager will set the dyes, keeping them from crocking and running.



Second and thrid (they are combined) is as Rinsing agent and PH conditioner. It's not an super effective one but it speeds the rinsing of detergents out of fabrics. The other effect is to reset the PH of the material asclose to 7 as possible. If you use a 9 ph detergent and use a 5 ph rinse agent you can be sure it will fabric to 7. This will give the fabric better loft, softness generally feel cleaner.



what does that soundlike? you guessed it a cheap form of a fabric softner. In principal that is all they do. If vinager effects the mf fibers the same way as fabric softner i am not sure, that is a good question to ask of the MF manufactures.



anywho I hope it helps.
 
Wow, that's informative! Thanks! :2thumbs:



I would think MF should be able to withstand heat... i always place a few MF towels in my car and sometimes it's parked under the hot sun. If it can withstand the heat of the blazing sun, it should be able to take hot water bath! :spot :chuckle:
 
For me I use Woolite to wash my MF towels, most of the time it works well with the MF towels but not the WW drying towels. The WW drying towels tend to get rough after 5 or more washes and it really worry me about scratching the paint. Anyone has the same experience or some solution to it ?
 
Anyone have issue with washer longevity etc washing dirty (with cleaning chemicals , sealants etc) MF towel in washing machines? I only ask since I bought a Whirlpool Duet 9400 Front loader ($1200) about 6 months ago and do not want to destroy it. I currently use the laundry mat for my towels.



Also I do not even know (have to look) to see if you can even use Charlies in a front loader.
 
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