When To Retire Microfiber Towels.....???

Through the years I've collected quite a few microfiber towels. Many are cheapies but some of my more recent acquisitions are quality microfiber towels. I always use a microfiber detergent and wash them separately. Some are stained but not badly. When do you guys put your old microfibers out to pasture?

 

I've got microfiber towels that nearing 10 yrs old and still work very well

 

When I start to notice the fibers feeling less soft I usually dedicate those towels for rims and interior cleaning only, I'm pretty paranoid about scratching/leaving swirls on the paint though... I like to wash the microfiber towels separate and dry them on low heat

 

I have quite a few of all different types and quality. The only ones I really keep separate from the others are the ones I use for detailing, waxing, sealing of the painted areas. They all get washed separately. The others are used for interior, door jams etc. Once I think their life is just about up they become a shop rag. I just buy in bulk packs when I see a sale.

 

Micro fiber wash Chemicalguys.com

 

Depends on the towel and how it's used. I use a few different towels for paint (different ones for protection, polish removal, etc.), and I will keep those towels separate from everything else, even when washing. After a few uses on paint, I'll downgrade to interior. I'll use them until the fibers start to fall out. As a general rule of thumb, I'll never use a paint towel that showed dirt on paint again. Also won't use it on paint again if I drop it on the ground, either. I keep a lot of the Costco towels on hand for things like tires, polishing exhaust tips, engine bay, etc.

 

I'll add one more reason to retire a microfiber towel - drying them at too high of a heat setting. Heat is the enemy of microfibers and even one drying session at too high of a temperature can ruin them. Ask me how I know that.

 

For me it's not a matter of when to throw them out, it's more about when to downgrade what they are used for. Even really old/dirty/stained ones can be used for things like engine bays, door jambs, etc. You just need to find some kind of system (marking with a sharpie, color coding, etc.) so you know which ones are which and don't get them mixed up.

 

I bought my first microfiber towels somewhere around 2005 at a motorcycle swap meet. First I'd ever heard of 'em. I think I paid around $20 for seven of 'em. FF 15yrs and there are still a few of those original 7 around. Wash separate, dry on low heat, NO dryer sheets!

 

I have drying towels. Wax/detail towels. Glass towels. Door jam towels. Wheel/engine bay towels. Interior towels. Etc. no one towel does another’s job. Use microfiber wash only. Dry on the no heat setting. If buy quality towels and take care of them they’ll take care of you.

 

Lot of good answers here and systems in place. Buying a good quality towel is the 1st step. I've had good luck with The Rag Company. US based company and friendly staff. Dedicated use is another system that makes it easier. Like others have said, downgrade the towels as they age and soil. Eventually they become engine bay and wheel, under the vehicle towels, where staines and grime live.

 

Not to muddy the waters, but being "US based" has little to do with the product in this case. The equipment required to manufacture microfiber products does not even exist in the North America.

 

My understanding of The Rag Company is they are the largest importer of microfiber from overseas.

Being US based is this instance for me is about buying from a company that employs people in the United States. More specifically Idaho. The quality of their material is excellent in my experience.

 

My microfiber towels never fully retire. They are downgraded based on their condition so new towels only touch paint. The really old ones are used for dirtier parts of the vehicle or converted to household rags.

 

I have towels up to 15 years old- cheapest laundry detergent and vingaer, wash cold, dry low heat no dryer sheet.

 

Whenever they get visibly worn (or when my gf accidently throws them in with other clothes in the wash/dries them in the dryer).

 

I'll throw my $0.02 in here.

Once the microfiber towels loose their "fluffyness" and be overly matted, then they transition to workshop rags.

I typically have colors for different purposes. Blue=glass, red=drying, yellow=wax removal, black/grey=interior plastic, and a red bucket with generic workshop rags.

Washing microfiber towels is detergent only with a bit of oxyclean. No softener. Dryer on low with no other lint contributing items (cotton, lycra, etc).

 

Try using a dog brush. I have one just for my towels. Works wonders on getting the fluffyness back.

 

Who makes a good quality microfiber towel these days? I literally have some high quality towels I bought in 1999 that I still use. I have bought some cheaper ones along the way, but probably time to invest back into some higher end towels for paint use.