how to wash micro fiber mitts & towels

as the post says, how should I correctly wash my mitts & towels after using them. sounds like a trivial question but I been learning so much on this site & just got a new 2016 limited taco, want to Try & do things right. thanx

 

I wash mine in the washing machine. Either air dry or throw them in the dryer. Do NOT use dryer sheets.

 

You're gonna get 1000 opinions on this. A thread turned into multiple pages over on Autogeek about this exact subject. But a distilled recommendation is as follows:

Use any free and clear liquid laundry detergent (no colorants, deodorants, softeners, etc). Machine wash warm, tumble dry low (or tumble dry on the "air fluff" setting and then hang to finish drying).

Some additional notes... there are lots of microfiber specific detergents available. I use 3D HD Towel Kleen. Its good stuff and cheap. It's available on Amazon and at Autogeek.com. Any microfiber detergent that Autogeek sells is fine. Everyone has their favorites. But you can also use things like Tide-free or All-free.

A hot wash (<140°F) is probably fine once in awhile, but some will say anything above that is bad. Others say boiling them is good for deep cleaning. I personally pay no attention to that advice. Just do as I suggested above and you'll be fine-- wash warm, tumble dry low.

For super dirty towels (or after removing wax/sealants), you can dilute some all purpose cleaner in a pail and let your towels soak for awhile. I agitate them by hand a couple times over the course of an hour or two. Then wring out, rinse in the bucket a couple times, then proceed to wash as I said above.

 

And I agree with above poster- NO fabric softener or dryer sheets.

 

A 20 min video on how to wash microfiber towels
https://youtu.be/X9W-mMJicSM

 

http://adamspolishes.com/how-to-wash-microfiber-towels

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/microfiber-laws.461008/

 

I wash them in the washing machine with car wash soap ( same soap you use to wash your truck with). Nothing else.

If they've become overly dirty or stained, they get set aside and I use em for interior or in the house. The newest and best towels are used on the outside.

 

This x10000000000000001

 

Not a good idea in modern day washing machines. Car soap is intended to generate more suds, this is not good for high efficiency washers. HE washers sense the level of suds to determine how much water they should use.

Same reason why you don't use Dawn in the dishwasher.

 

The KEY is limiting the amount of soap you use. For high efficiency washers - you are not required to use HE detergent. YOu just have to be mindful of how much you use. The car soap I use hardly makes enough suds even while I'm washing the truck....I'm not worried. Been doing it this way since microfibers came out.

 

I normally follow Larry's instructions from AMMO NYC but in this instance, since I don't have a dedicated washer for my microfiber towels and I don't want to ruin my every day clothing washer I do things a little different and have had great results.

1) Bet a Bucket of warm water and add 2 oz of (Griot's Garage Microfiber and Foam Pad Cleaner) + 2 oz of a laundry detergent (no Fabric Softener )
2) Place Microfiber towels in bucket agitate and let sit over night.
3) Following morning, rinse out towel in wash tub then put into Washer Machine (Heavy duty cycle with proper amount of laundry detergent (No Fabric Softener)
4) Dry on low heat in the dryer (No Fabric Softener)

I know this procedure is a extra step but it keep from having any type of buildup in the washer that could effect your clothes.

 

Question regarding this. What kind of all-purpose cleaner would you use for the soak? Would Simple Green be safe? This will be for my waxing towels as I know they get full of wax and I'd like to find a way of cleaning them up a bit before they go in the washing machine.

Also, I've read a few people say to separate the microfibers for washing based on their use. As I will only have a couple of dedicated for wax (3), a couple for polishing (3) and so on... could I combine wax, polish and compounding rags together to have enough for a load?

Planning on putting the rags for glass and detailing spray together in the wash. I guess the drying towels would be safe there as well. Maybe I'm over thinking this.. Just made the investment to place a large order on TRC and want these to last as long as possible..

 

I separate my towels. If that means 6 towels in a load its 6 towels in a load.
Mixing sealant towels in with my polish and drying towels is how I ruined an expensive set of polish and drying towels.

I seaparate towels based on hydrophobic vs water soluable products.

I don’t have much experience using wax but I bet a soak in hot water with dish soap would help clean them up before throwing them in the wash.
You can also only use 1 towel per panel so the towels aren’t saturated with wax. Then you’ll have 10-13 towels per load instead of 3.

You can also buy cheap towels and toss em. I do this any time I have to clean up anything greasy or grimey. I never worry about washing thos.

 

Yeah I thought about picking up a bundle of cheap ones from Walmart to rub tire shine on my tires. Then throw it away.

 

Thanks man. Yep, for now I'm still using Carnauba Wax but looking to make the switch to sealant soon. Been looking at Optimum Opti-Seal for ease of use but seems almost too good to be true. Nothing can be that easy that's worth anything. Still researching sealants...maybe come springtime.

 

They are a lot easier to apply and last 6-12 months.

I use Jet-Seal and love it. It lasts me a year.

 

You ought to give this a try. Awesome stuff. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rWtiRQDUUxc

 

There are all sorts of easy application sealants and waxes out there. I have used Opti-seal with good results and Optimum is know for making quality products. There are a lot spray on wash off products that are out there like Larson recommended. All good stuff.

 

I can confirm Opti-Seal is the real deal. I apply it every 6 months on paint, plastics & trim. To maintain it I use Optimum Spray Car Wax after every wash on all my paint, plastics & trim (also renews the UV protection). The wife & I get compliments all the time on our vehicles. I've only been using Opti-Seal for a year now (I used a different brand paint sealant before). I've been using Optimum Car Wax after every wash for 10 years.

 

Thanks guys...it's just amazing to me. I've only ever used traditional wax on my vehicles. Can't believe that I can use a product that takes 10 minutes to apply versus over an hour and get the same or better results.

Just ordered Opti-Seal. Thanks for all the input.