What do you do with your MFs

I

imported_Lawdog

New member
I have 24. Bought two of the 12 packs at Sams. I don't want to wash them with anything else, and when I washed, dried, polished and waxed the truck I used most of them and washed them. But like today, I rinsed the truck and QD'd it. Used 4. SO what should I do with them until I get another load to wash?
 
Lawdog. :nixweiss



I wouln't let them sit around or "store them" in a box or anything like that. I wash whatever I have used be it one or twenty the day I use them. That's just me.

When I have many to wash (6? 7? 20?) then I machine wash...unless some need special attention. When I have only two or three or several really high dollar ones I hand wash using an old red plastic Folgers coffee "can" and some "Tide". Rinse really well and fill the "can" with clean water, add some white vinegar and let them soak awhile. Rinse, ring out and hang on plastic hangers to air dry. Pretty un-special.



By the way, wash all your MF's before you ever use them. The 67 cent ones as well as the $12.00 Pakshak Ultra-Fines.

You pay for what you get; I have a bunch (24)of the yellow Sam's and they lint too much IMO and I won't buy anymore. Some people think they are fine. And that's......OK. The cheaper blue and white ones at Sam's/Wal-Mart are "better" IMO but "thin".



If you don't go online for better ones, the Turtle Wax green ($3.00?) are good enough and I still really like/use the $5.00 edgeless orange Viking towels you can usually find at Autozone and Checkers. The large blue "drying towel" for $6.?? at Wal-Mart is pretty good too, IMO. Cheap doesn't always equal "bad" but I'm really not the expert on MF. Just thought I'd try and answer your question and then some. Maybe an expert can set us both straight.;)
 
I keep a smallish garbage can with a locking lid in the carport.



Right now I have it half full of water with some laundry detergent. When I'm done with a job I throw the towel in there right away. I've been throwing my applicators in there too.



I know for a fact (now :o ) that it's bad to let product sit and dry out on a MF or sponge, so just putting them in a plastic bag like I used to isn't an option anymore. I'm trying this method instead and hopefully that will make cleaning easier when I get around to it, and won't have any adverse long-term effects....
 
After I wash, I'll put about a gallon of water in my bucket and spray a couple squirts of Orange Blast in there. As I go, I'll drop the dirty MF's and applicators in the bucket. When I'm done, I'll kinda scrub everything a little and then wring out the water and let stuff dry over the edge of my bucket. Once dry, I throw everything in to a red plastic milk crate. Red means "STOP! DON'T USE THESE!" Heh :)



Works ok for me, but don't know if it's the "right" thing to do :nixweiss
 
~ One man’s opinion / observations ~



I was talking to a ‘mobile’ detailer and he uses a painters bucket (with an o-ring seal and lid, similar to the Grit Guard bucket lid)half filled with water / liquid soap, once he gets home he wrings them out and then washes them.





~Hope this helps ~



Knowledge unshared is experience wasted

justadumbarchitect / so I question everything/ Jon
 
I use the 5 gallon joint compound can with a lid/seat top purchased from Home Depot. I soak them a day before I wash them and clean MF are placed into ZipLoc bags.
 
Lawdog said:
...SO what should I do with them until I get another load to wash?
Click to expand...



Doesn't your washer have settings for small loads? In any case, just fold them and pile them up until you are ready to wash, they won't get any dirtier.
 
I just toss my foam applicators, MF's, and cotton diapers in a bucket until there are enough of them to do a small load in the washer. I then separate them out, washing the MF's separately. Sometimes they sit for a few hours until washed, sometimes a few days, sometimes a few weeks. Never had a probelm with doing it this way.



-Keith
 
4DSC said:
...I know for a fact (now :o ) that it's bad to let product sit and dry out on a MF or sponge, so just putting them in a plastic bag like I used to isn't an option anymore.....
Click to expand...



Brian, you've piqued my curiosity. What bad thing happened? Did it have to do with the MF covering or the sponge?



I keep old applicators (foam, terry covered foam, MF covered foam, and MF towels in a topless 5 gallon bucket. I throw them in there no rinsing, not treatment of any kind. When the bucket is filled, I start thinking about doing a washer load. :o . Sometimes it is a day, sometimes it is longer. I have plenty of towels so I'm not pressed to wash immediately. I haven't noticed any ill effects.
 
So far what I do is just put them in the washing machine with no type of soap on high soil and then put them in my dryer on air dry, seems to work good so far.
 
Mr. Clean said:
Brian, you've piqued my curiosity. What bad thing happened? Did it have to do with the MF covering or the sponge?



I keep old applicators (foam, terry covered foam, MF covered foam, and MF towels in a topless 5 gallon bucket. I throw them in there no rinsing, not treatment of any kind. When the bucket is filled, I start thinking about doing a washer load. :o . Sometimes it is a day, sometimes it is longer. I have plenty of towels so I'm not pressed to wash immediately. I haven't noticed any ill effects.
Click to expand...

Likewise, I chuck all mine in my wash bucket after a job, it may be a week or two until i get to them.....But ive come across a canvass bag that has peaked my interest for use.........
 
As I use my towels I put them in a CLEAN 5 gal drywall mud bucket until I have a load, typically once a week. You can't have too many of these buckets around. VERY useful!
 
Mr. Clean said:
Brian, you've piqued my curiosity. What bad thing happened? Did it have to do with the MF covering or the sponge?



I keep old applicators (foam, terry covered foam, MF covered foam, and MF towels in a topless 5 gallon bucket. I throw them in there no rinsing, not treatment of any kind. When the bucket is filled, I start thinking about doing a washer load. :o . Sometimes it is a day, sometimes it is longer. I have plenty of towels so I'm not pressed to wash immediately. I haven't noticed any ill effects.
Click to expand...
I can't remember when this was discussed, but another thread a while ago convinced me that not washing some of my MFs promptly has caused them to be "waterproofed" somewhat, making them less absorbent than when they were brand new. In the past, I'd just throw them into an unsealed plastic bag and wait until I had a number large enough to be a "load". By that time, they were all dried out even though they were loaded with QD or wax residue... not to mention the ever-durable Klasse....



I really should try out that special wash that Autofiber.com sells.....
 
MicroRestore may restore the fiber, but definitly will not clean stains by itself.



I wonder how this works



http://www.fabriclink.com/Woolite/fabricwash.html



WOOLITE® Fabric Wash is Designed for the Washing Machine



"..It is an ideal way to care for many of the newest, most popular washable fabrics and fibers. These include Spandex, **Microfiber**, and Coolmax®. ."
 
L33 said:
MicroRestore may restore the fiber, but definitly will not clean stains by itself.
Click to expand...
Well, that'd be good then, because I do not have any stains... just clean-looking MFs that aren't as ultra-absorbent as they once were.
 
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