how to wash MFs and towels

chris0626

New member
Several times a week, it seems we get questions about how to wash MFs or microfibers, cotton towels, and foam applicators. I'm hoping you all will agree it would be good to have a thread where we could all post our recommendations, in order to create a thread to which we could direct all newbies.



I know there are many techniques, and surely you all will shoot down some of my recommendations ... so I embark upon this enterprise with some trepidation. Nonetheless, here goes:



General Washing Tips

Use only liquid detergents. Powders can leave undissoved particles that will embed themselves in the detailing clothes.



Cleaning Microfibers or MFs

Most Autopians wash in warm water (though some wash in hot). The key is to avoid any bleach -- and especially avoid using any fabric softener. (This also includes avoiding fabric-softener sheets!) To dry them, some dry on low in the dryer, and others line-dry; both report excellent results, so it seems to be a matter of personal taste and preference. If you opt for machine-drying, some folks remove from the dryer before the cycle ends, to avoid over-drying. In general, the goal is to get a MF that is still soft and absorbent. My own experience suggests that if you run the cloth through the entire drying cycle, the MF is a bit stiff; removing it while still damp, then line-drying, seems to produce softer MF.



Washing Cotton Towels

As with MFs, some wash in warm, and some wash in hot. Avoid bleaches and fabric softeners. As for drying: Some people report a good result from partially drying in an automatic dryer, then hanging on a line to finish drying. My own experience suggests that if you run the cloth through the entire drying cycle, the towel is a bit stiff; removing it while still damp, then line-drying, seems to produce softer results.



Washing Foam Applicators

I wash my foam applicators in with my cotton towels. Others on Autopia may be more fastidious and segregate them. If so, please post your comments and suggestions.



Pre-Washing

Autopians have various methods for soaking or pre-washing. Some pre-soak their clothes for up to 24 hours in water, many expressing a preference in a Dawn solution, in order to cut the detergents, solvents, etc. that may be in the clothes. I have not needed any of these methods, but hope that other Autopians will chime in.



OK, fellow Autopians, please chime in with your pre-washing, washing, and drying tips and tricks. I hope this will prove useful to somebody.
 
Since most everything I use, other than drying towels, has been in wax or polish or sealant or something along those lines, I soak, briefly hand wash them in Dawn and rinse prior to washing in the machine. Use only liquid soap in the machine just in case dry detergents might not dissolve (or did you mention that....can't remember :) )



Nice job Lynn! and a good idea.
 
Thanks for the reminder, JimS. I've added a "General Washing Tips" paragraph to remind folks to use only liquid wash.
 
Lynn, I agree with almost everything you say except I'm curious how cotton towels are coming out stiff from the dryer. If they are truly clean and truly all cotton they should not be stiff, after all, do cotton T-Shirts come out stiff? If anything, the dryer should puff them up a bit.
 
I'm as puzzled as you, DFTowel. :nixweiss I've never experienced that problem myself, but some Autopians do seem to talk about the problem. I'm hoping folks will speak up here if they've had that problem, or will talk about how to avoid it.
 
I'm confused too...



Washing Cotton Towels

...My own experience suggests that if you run the cloth through the entire drying cycle, the towel is a bit stiff; removing it while still damp, then line-drying, seems to produce softer results.



...



...I've never experienced that problem myself,...
 
I usually experience almost opposite results; where cotton towels & any other fabrics I wash will be stiff when line dried. However, if I use the dryer for at least partial drying, they are usually less stiff.



From my knowledge of cotton, I do not believe pure water could have long lasting effects on the texture of the material. Therefore, I assume that there is either something in the water, or something on the towel. In the case of fabric which stiffens upon line drying; I think this could be due to the mineral content of the water. In the case of fabric which stiffens upon machine drying; perhaps there is still laundry detergent on the material.



In any case, I believe its some form of foreign matter. I think the fact that this occurs with non cotton fabrics increases the probability.
 
I usually run everything I wash through the rinse cycle a 2nd time to ensure that all foreign material, including any detergent, is properly rinsed.
 
I wonder if exceptionally hard water may contribute to the stiffness in the mf towels after drying? I air dry mine. Right before they are completley dry I hold the towel like I am going to scrub my face with it and then fold it in on itself and then rub the towel briskley against itself to fluff up the fibers. Works good for me....
 
Great thread Lynn !!!!



I usually pre-soak my MF towels in some Dawn if they are really dirty prior to washing. I then wash them with warm water and Tide on the delicate cycle.



I have had no issues with the towels softness by letting them air dry.



My cotton towels and foam apps I was with Tide in warm water and dry the towels in the dryer.
 
I use the Autopia foam applicators wth the handle on them. Wouldn't the washer destroy them after a period of time? I assume you don't put the foam in the dryer? What about foam PC pads?
 
I've been putting a small amount of liquid dawn in the wash with my towels lately and they've come out cleaner than ever!



I remove my MF and cotton towels just before the cycle has ended, but they are completely dry. . .
 
Nice work Lynn! Never thought of washing foam applicators in the machine. I do 'em by hand in my rinse bucket with some dawn. I dry my MF towels until slightly damp, then air dry.
 
Like WRXemALL, I put some Dawn in the washing machine. So far it hasn't turned into a sitcom-type disaster but I wouldn't add too much.



I run at least one additional wash cycle without soap to help REALLY rinse them out. Especially if I've used OxyClean..this gives me some peace of mind regarding undissolved granules.



With cotton towels, I use a LITTLE fabric softener. Yeah, I know, that's supposed to be a BIG :nono . I too find that cotton towels start to get a bit stiff, but this seems to help. Yes, I'm using soft water and drying at a low temp. I know all the supposed pitfalls of using fabric softener, but I DO NOT get any smeary residue or any other problems at all.
 
Nice thread, Lynn! :xyxthumbs



I hand wash all my MF's and applicators, and machine wash my cotton towels, because they do all the really dirty work, like the engine compartment, wheels and wheel wells and such.



Once in a while, if I have a big batch of MF's because I have done two cars in a row, I'll wash the MF's in the washer, but I'll run a damp cloth in the tub to clean out any lint first.
 
Great thred, Lynn! :bigups



One thing I have noticed about my MF towels is static. Those things get all staticy and then stick to themselves like glue. (No stiffness, just static!) I've been drying them by machine, but experimented with line-drying some of them. Whaddya know? Less static. Now if I could only find a way to line-dry my bigger batches of towels... I'm running out of shower rod. :D
 
RegalGS,



I've noticed the same thing. The Pak Shaks are especially bad with static. They are like velcro the way they stick together. Oddly enough the Autopia towels are fine.



Anyone try any type of anti-static stuff in the dryer? I know it's a :nono to use any fabric softener but no one has said anything about anti-static stuff.
 
Just remembered a couple of pearls BradB offered at the Jag club's detailing event last weekend regarding washing cotton wash mitts:



1. You don't have to run them thru the washer every time you wash the car. Rinse them out and let them dry; wash when they actually get dirty.

Somehow, I thought I had to wash them every time. So this was a great tip for me.



2. When you wash them, put them in a lingerie bag so the little cotton bits don't get all over your other towels.

It had never occurred to me that there was any way to avoid having all those loose cotton strands in the wash tub.
 
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