DFB5.0
Well-Known Member
- Thread starter
- #1
Caring for your microfiber towels is a topic or question I come across often, so I thought it would be good to have a dedicated thread for this subject.
Taking care of something that touches your car so often is very important for both the car and the overall longevity of the towels themselves. While I see towels as a consumable, cleaning and storing them correctly will play a part in how long they last as well as how they perform.
Before I go any further, there are some towels that are generally considered single use. Towels used to level a ceramic coating are one such example, and while they can be deep cleaned and re-used, I tend to sideline them to limit the potential for cured coating particles causing damage. Small, low quality towels sold in a “tissue box” style packaging are a handy thing to have on hand, but at less than a $1.00 each, I also treat these as single use.
Having said that, what should you do to wash and store your towel inventory properly? The following generally applies to all microfiber towels, no matter their size, shape, weave type or use case. This also applies to microfiber wash mitts, applicators and polishing pads.
-Have a “clean dirty bucket”. This is a separate, clean bucket used to store used towels before washing. In other words, a laundry basket.
-Wash your towels as soon as possible. As in, wash your car, when you are finished, wash your towels.
There is evidence to support the idea that towels used for applying certain products, such as Si02 type ceramic sprays, can cause them to become hydrophobic over time. Washing them straight away mitigates against this.
-Use a specific microfiber detergent. These are generally designed to deep clean your towels, removing product residue more effectively. These can also help revive older towels and prolong their life. These products work can be used to clean used polishing pads as well. At the very least, ensure you are using a liquid laundry detergent WITHOUT fabric softeners and NO bleach. Suitable microfiber specific detergents include –
Micro-Restore
P&S Rags to Riches
Bowden’s Own Microfiber Wash (AUS)
3D Towel Kleen
Poorboys Typhoon
Gyeon Q2M Towel Wash
McKees 37 Microfiber Cleaner/Rejuvenator
Chemical Guys Microfiber Wash
Carpro MFX
-For towels that have been used to clean excessively dirty areas or have been used to apply a dressing of some sort, consider pre-rinsing or soaking them in the sink before running them through the washing machine. Some will even wash these separately to other towels.
-Use cold to warm water. DO NOT use HOT water. Doing so will compromise the fibers.
-I like to air dry towels indoors to prevent contamination. You can also use a dryer on LOW heat.
-Once dry, fold and sort them back into usage categories. I find this is a good time to quickly inspect the towel for any imbedded debris, especially important on towels that touch the paint.
-Storage will come down to your setup and space. I store them in airtight containers that have been separated into usage categories, having them colour coded helps in this regard, ie green for interiors, red for engine bay, black for wheels and so on. Make sure the towels are 100% dry before storing them in sealed containers though. If you have a clean, dust free garage, then storing them in a cabinet or drawer without a container will be fine.
-Even with correct care, towels will still age over time with regular use. Demote and replace these as needed, especially important for towels used on paint.
Trouble Shooting –
-If you are having trouble with linting, there are two causes for this. You have linting towel/s, in which case you will need to track down the culprit and eliminate the offender/s. I have to say, in all the years of using microfiber towels, I have never had to do this.
The other cause can be from using the wrong type of towel for a particular task. This typically relates to using thicker towels on glass, in this case switch to a twist-loop or waffle weave type towel.
-If you have towels that have become less absorbent or have lost their plushness, then I would highly recommend trying Rags to Riches detergent. This has revived some of my older towels in the past, and with continued use, has kept them in rotation for longer. If this fails to revive them, then it’s time to sideline the towel/s for something newer.
-This is not really a trouble shooting point, but just good practice. ALWAYS wash brand new towels before use.
A lot of this will sound like overkill, but most of it is quick, routine steps to ensure you get the best out of your towels and limit the installation “love marks”.
Taking care of something that touches your car so often is very important for both the car and the overall longevity of the towels themselves. While I see towels as a consumable, cleaning and storing them correctly will play a part in how long they last as well as how they perform.
Before I go any further, there are some towels that are generally considered single use. Towels used to level a ceramic coating are one such example, and while they can be deep cleaned and re-used, I tend to sideline them to limit the potential for cured coating particles causing damage. Small, low quality towels sold in a “tissue box” style packaging are a handy thing to have on hand, but at less than a $1.00 each, I also treat these as single use.
Having said that, what should you do to wash and store your towel inventory properly? The following generally applies to all microfiber towels, no matter their size, shape, weave type or use case. This also applies to microfiber wash mitts, applicators and polishing pads.
-Have a “clean dirty bucket”. This is a separate, clean bucket used to store used towels before washing. In other words, a laundry basket.
-Wash your towels as soon as possible. As in, wash your car, when you are finished, wash your towels.
There is evidence to support the idea that towels used for applying certain products, such as Si02 type ceramic sprays, can cause them to become hydrophobic over time. Washing them straight away mitigates against this.
-Use a specific microfiber detergent. These are generally designed to deep clean your towels, removing product residue more effectively. These can also help revive older towels and prolong their life. These products work can be used to clean used polishing pads as well. At the very least, ensure you are using a liquid laundry detergent WITHOUT fabric softeners and NO bleach. Suitable microfiber specific detergents include –
Micro-Restore
P&S Rags to Riches
Bowden’s Own Microfiber Wash (AUS)
3D Towel Kleen
Poorboys Typhoon
Gyeon Q2M Towel Wash
McKees 37 Microfiber Cleaner/Rejuvenator
Chemical Guys Microfiber Wash
Carpro MFX
-For towels that have been used to clean excessively dirty areas or have been used to apply a dressing of some sort, consider pre-rinsing or soaking them in the sink before running them through the washing machine. Some will even wash these separately to other towels.
-Use cold to warm water. DO NOT use HOT water. Doing so will compromise the fibers.
-I like to air dry towels indoors to prevent contamination. You can also use a dryer on LOW heat.
-Once dry, fold and sort them back into usage categories. I find this is a good time to quickly inspect the towel for any imbedded debris, especially important on towels that touch the paint.
-Storage will come down to your setup and space. I store them in airtight containers that have been separated into usage categories, having them colour coded helps in this regard, ie green for interiors, red for engine bay, black for wheels and so on. Make sure the towels are 100% dry before storing them in sealed containers though. If you have a clean, dust free garage, then storing them in a cabinet or drawer without a container will be fine.
-Even with correct care, towels will still age over time with regular use. Demote and replace these as needed, especially important for towels used on paint.
Trouble Shooting –
-If you are having trouble with linting, there are two causes for this. You have linting towel/s, in which case you will need to track down the culprit and eliminate the offender/s. I have to say, in all the years of using microfiber towels, I have never had to do this.
The other cause can be from using the wrong type of towel for a particular task. This typically relates to using thicker towels on glass, in this case switch to a twist-loop or waffle weave type towel.
-If you have towels that have become less absorbent or have lost their plushness, then I would highly recommend trying Rags to Riches detergent. This has revived some of my older towels in the past, and with continued use, has kept them in rotation for longer. If this fails to revive them, then it’s time to sideline the towel/s for something newer.
-This is not really a trouble shooting point, but just good practice. ALWAYS wash brand new towels before use.
A lot of this will sound like overkill, but most of it is quick, routine steps to ensure you get the best out of your towels and limit the installation “love marks”.
Sponsored
