Catfish4818

I have 9 or 10 old microfiber towels that were laundered with other cotton towels and dried with fabric softener sheets. Is there a process to use that will undo the effects of the co-mingled washing and unfortunate drying practices?

TIA,
Larry

Gixxerman

I would say nay on the dryer sheets, your better off drying without them. I have washed them, but those usually get relegated down the line..

Rob Petyo

Turn them into wheel cleaning cloths and discard.

NextOne

Want to know how some of the pros handle this? They never wash them. Use 'em once and throw them away. They buy them in bulk and save the cost of laundering, folding, etc. Eliminates the risk of cross contamination or residual debris in the fibers that might scratch a freshly corrected surface.

FYRARMS

I own a lot of microfiber towels. Probably 70-80 total, and about 7-8 different types for different tasks. I have washed and reused them all many times, and they are all still in great shape. The only towels I have thrown out were the ones used for leveling ceramic coatings. The cheaper short-nap terry microfiber towels I use for removing compounds and polishes are the ones I end up using for leveling coatings, as I have gotten a lot of use out of them prior to using them for coatings and pitching them out.

My cleaning regiment is to wash them with 3D Towel Kleen on warm wash and cold rinse. Then I tumble dry them on "no heat" for an hour, then on "low heat" for 30 minutes. Done. Never any fabric softener. The towels always come out clean and like new.

charley95

I just bought 60 new 500 gsm edgeless towels the other day, it says to wash them prior to use. Is that necessary?

NextOne

@charley95 I had the same question some time ago, so I asked my detailer. He said he never washes them. But I think the answer depends on the quality of the MF cloths, and if I were using new, unwashed cloths where dye transfer could be a concern (i.e., on leather interiors).

I've washed quality 400 gsm blue towels as many as three times and still had a blue ring in the washing machine tub. Had some blue dye in the dryer (lowest heat setting), too. I buy in bulk. Got 400 gsm 16 x 16 in. edgeless towels at about $1.09 each.

QuickSilver20

I know the rag company as well as other companies that sell quality microfiber towels recommend to wash them before using them to ensure nothing stuck to them during manufacturing that could harm the paint.

with that said if u accidentally washed them with cotton towels once I would soak them and rewash correctly and would not have any issue using them. From my understanding the cotton could clog the fibers to where it it was that bad they’re lurk absorb less. But aside from that I wouldn’t think it would hurt anything.

FYRARMS

I always wash my new towels. I have no idea what chemicals or other contaminants have managed to get into the towels since they found their way to my place from Korea or China.

PHILLIE PHANATIC

I have read that you should not put your MF in the dryer because if you use dryer sheets with other loads it will still get on your MF. I have always air dried mine and they come out fine. I also saw that you should use detergent with no dyes or fragrances.

Catfish4818

I wondered what was meant by 'gsm'. Found this -

• Unlike cotton, high thread count does not apply to microfiber. Instead, you will want to look at GSM (grams per square meter) the higher the GSM (100 GSM and above) the stronger and more durable your bed sheets will be.
• Buying low-quality GSM (90 and below) microfiber increases the chances of your sheets ripping and falling apart after just a few washes. The difference in cost between a high-quality microfiber sheet set and one of poorer quality can be less than $10.00.

Gixxerman

A little off topic, but something I learned a long time ago. If your using newer FE type washer and dryers, eliminate Dryer sheets altogether and use fabric softener in the washer. Dryer sheets are the reason the lint becomes a sticky mess and coats exhaust pipes creating a fire hazard with all the stuck lint. Also gums up dryer interior.. also coating sensors and reduces their sensitivity. I have also read that dryer sheets can contain harmful chemicals that adhere to clothes, vent into the air, and rub off on your skin. These chemicals can cause health problems because they can mimic estrogen and trigger asthma. When we got newer units we ditched dryer sheets and dryer still like new, and no more lint built up in exhaust tubes.

Catfish4818

FE type washer and dryers

FE? Not iron, I know...

NextOne

Air drying is fine if you have space. I wash 30-40 16 x 16 MF towels at a time, so I use thw lowest heat setting on the dryer without negative effects on the towels. Buy a specialty MF detergent, or just get some Free and Clear detergent at the grocery store.

HAMBO

Another fun trick when washing MF towels is to throw in a bit of vinegar in the wash cycle along with the MF detergent. Believe it helps keep them fluffy. I tumble dry on air only / no heat, seems to work great.

ztheusa

I send mine to the dry cleaners