In an attempt to start up a really nice home detailing kit I went out and bought the all important micro-fibre towel. It has seen some use over the last while and is in need of a wash of its own. Is it safe to just toss this into the regular laundry, or should I use something special to clean it?

Regular wash + Fabric Softener.

my aunt and uncle own a re-con. they just throw them into the washer. be sure though not to throw them in the dryer with somthing that has lots of lint to it. the lint will stick to the mircos and make a real mess.

Regular wash + Fabric Softener.

exactly.....thats what i do.

Regular wash + Fabric Softener.
exactly.....thats what i do.No!

DO NOT use fabric softener. That is bad, bad, bad for MF towels.

Taken from Autopia:
Do not use fabric softener (most contain silicone that the towel will adsorb and it will weaken the towels static charge thereby reducing their effectiveness) towel will also treat the fabric softener as if it was dirt by trying to store the tiny particles of the softener in the towel fibres. This will clog up the micro fibres and render the towel ineffective.

^I was just about to post that.

As was I, Fabric Softener and any dyes are a bad idea...

I either use Pinnacle micro-rejuvinator or Tide makes something called Tide "Free" which has no softeners or dyes.

Always let them air dry too, as the dryer is not good for them

I just use plain water and a tiny dab of detergent, and then use the "extra rinse" on the towels when i clean mine.

As was I, Fabric Softener and any dyes are a bad idea...

I either use Pinnacle micro-rejuvinator or Tide makes something called Tide "Free" which has no softeners or dyes.

Always let them air dry too, as the dryer is not good for them


Second that..........

liquid detergent FTW

Wash them separately to avoid lint.

If you care about them, you will follow all the advice given and let me repeat the good stuff:

Wash microfiber seperate
No fabric softener
Hang dry or air tumble with no other articles

NOTHING will screw up a microfiber better than washing or drying with an another non-microfiber article. :(

I take greater care washing my microfiber chamois, towels, and cotton rags than I do with my clothes! I usually put them through the wash at least twice, then air dry, NO fabric softener. The fabric softener can leave a residue on your car as well as affecting the microfibers overall performance. Sure, fabric softeners makes your household towels soft and fluffy, but, it also makes them less absorbent... the compromises of modern life! Ha ha.

I typically use a dedicated cleaner as some others have mentioned (currently it's Der Wunder Wasche from Sonus). ....although I am guilty of drying some of my towels on "low" at times.

I put them in the regular wash with no softener, and they air dry. Just google it, this the recomended way.

i hand wash mine.
need to take care of your tools for your tools to take care of u

I work for Clean Uniform company and as far as i know the microfiber towels we supply get washed like regular garment. Not sure if they are dries or not but probably. I have a bunch of them at the house and have washed and dried to no problems.

it says right on the package of any microfiber towel, "do not use fabric softner" companies don't put this there just for the heck of it

Thanks all. I felt a bit silly asking it, but I am really glad I did now since there is some pretty good advice on this thread.

Also, do not use a drier to dry them. The heat will cause the micro fiber to shrink resulting in less absorbency.

Some people (myself included) put in a 1/4-1 cup of vinegar during the rinse cycle.
Supposedly it helps clean out any excess detergent and other chemical build-up.

I haven't had any issues so far.
Be sure not to add too much vinegar, the acidity may damage the towels.

^^Ding ding, I love vinegar with the wash. It helps breakdown the waxes/cleaners/oils that may be in there if you use your MF for that final buffing. It also softens it as well.

Definitely no fabric softener as it stays within the fibers and can cause streaking or mix with whatever you're wiping.

Yo mag...I'd say we surprise somebody with a visit and get some detailing done tomorrow + some alarm goodies. :lol: u down? :banana:

haha... i dun think so! :P

thanks!
netZ

Rofl...

:)

Regular wash + Fabric Softener.

goijasdflkasdfjaldksfjlawjfjw2lk2j, no advice is better than bad advice!

Original Woolite in the washer is kosher with a little bit of white vinegar during the rinse cycle

air dry

p.s. microfiber isn't microfiber, make sure youre using quality stuff.

woolite also works great for handwashing sheepskin mitts, the dirt just melts away!

I've gotten my mf towels from pakshak.com, but I'm cheap and I wait for their sales...lol

So a while back I kinda had to use my Mf towel to clean up an accidental oil spill as I had no other option (would have used the shirt off my back, but of course it was the only day I wore my fancy clothes.) Will the vinegar method bring it back to life, or should I just re-invest in a new one?

dont you dare touch that MF to your car paint

So a while back I kinda had to use my Mf towel to clean up an accidental oil spill as I had no other option (would have used the shirt off my back, but of course it was the only day I wore my fancy clothes.) Will the vinegar method bring it back to life, or should I just re-invest in a new one?

Don't risk it and buy a new one. Use the old towel for wheels/tires or less delicate surfaces.

Thanks, that's what I thought, although I was hopeful. Good call on the wheel tire usage though.

I hand wash mine with a bit of liquid hand soap and rinse, rinse, rinse. Then I rinse again. After that I wring it out as much as possible and then I it air dry. Is the liquid hand soap a bad idea?

For most purposes the jumbo packs they sell at Costco/BJs/SamsClub are fine.

Unless you're anal like me or have a black car. :)

I use those for interior wipedowns but not on the plastic bezel on the gauges. I also use em for my volks.

On that note here's a thread about my usage of aio/sg/wheel sealant

http://forums.nasioc.com/forums/showthread.php?p=16577008#post16577008

:)

Thanks for all the advice guys. I ended up just hand washing the towel with a bit of laundry soap and hanging it inside to dry. I am sure it could have gotten cleaner if I put it in the machine, but for the price I paid for it I dont want to take a chance at ruining it.

You can put it in the machine on the gentle cycle so it can soak for a bit as well...

I usually put some vinegar in the downy ball... :)

Why vinager ?

it strips left over soap out of the MF

^^Yes, or wax/polish residue and it also softens the towel. :)