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Microfiber washing to avoid cross-contamination


oski83

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Hey guys,

While I do my best to wash my microfiber towels in dedicated loads to avoid cross-contaminations, I would like some feedback on how and what you guys keep seperated when washing them.

I use a washing machine that's clean and free of fabric softeners. I typically do 2 load using warm to hot water to wash and cool to rinse. I also use dryer on low heat to dry them afterwards.

Load #1- I load with mf towels used for window cleaning, quick detailer, interior wipe downs and lightly damp for dusting all with no heavy products on them.

Load #2- I load with mf towels used for buffing off quick waxes, paste waxes, maybe glazes, and polishes used on cleaned wheels, etc.

I'm now looking to try out some Adams products using NEW towels and would like to avoid cross contaminating them. Looking at trying Adams HGG, Sealent, Brilliant Glaze and possibly a wax. Which loads would you throw each of the MF towels and application pads into? Load #1 or #2?

By the way, heavy soiled towels and pads I sometimes presoak in bucket with APC overnight prior to washing in machine with MF Detergent.

Thanks in advance for any advice and suggestions!

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I seperate by towel type and soil level or use. For example, I don't wash utility towels or any towel used on wheels or jambs with any towel used on paint.

 

I typically do:

 

Load #1 - Plush polishing towels.

 

Load #2 - Waffle weave drying towels.

 

Load #3 - Utility, glass, interior, and wheel towels.

 

I always use MFR&B, and pre-treat and rinse soiled areas before machine washing.

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I use the Microfiber Revitalizer to wash with.  I wash my waffle weaves and drying towels together, my microfibers and glass cloths together.  Wash them all in HOT water, and since the loads are small, I usually wash them twice.  Toss them in the dryer on low heat, fold and put away. 

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I wash all my microfiber towels together with Adam's Microfiber Revitalizer & Brightener.

 

If I've got a towel used with H2O Guard & Gloss, that one gets soaked and hand washed in a bucket with 1/4-1/2 ounce Microfiber Revitalizer & Brightener then thrown in the washing machine with the other towels.

 

The Microfiber Revitalizer & Brightener is formulated to specifically clean automotive chemicals, it's powerful, and  I don't find any need to separate my towels. Yes, over time my white Single Soft and Double Soft microfibers turn slightly grey, but that doesn't bother me as long as the're clean.

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Dave and Jason...Are you saying mixing ALL microfiber towels a HE washer with Microfiber Revitalizer & Brightener (and maybe some HE detergent) is A-OK? (Perhaps with some pre-cleaning of seriously grungy towels.) Some towels may have somewhat heavy grime, others polish/sealant/wax residue, while some towels have been/will be dedicated to glass cleaning.

 

I was doing ALL towels together. Last time I separated cleaning towels, sealant-detailing towels, and window cleaning towels thinking it was a "good thing" to do. It took 3x the time, and I'm not at all convinced the final results were any better than doing all the towels together.

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^if you are following mine and Dave's methods yes. Put all the towels in together. If using a dedicated detergent like MFR, pre treating heavily soiled towels, and using a heavy cycle on the wash with hot water and/or a double rinse they should all come out fine.

 

If a towel is so soiled I question washing it, then I toss it. This is why the cheapo towels from the big box stores always have a place. But I'm talking heavy heavy amounts of grease and grime like from a never cleaned engine bay etc

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Joel, no reason to add any HE detergent to the MR&B.

Heavily soiled towels will either sit overnight in the sink in the garage soaking in one ounce of MR&B and tap water, or pre-treated by spraying the spots directly with a mix of 25% MR&B and 75% distilled water and left for 30 minutes prior to hitting the washer.

 

Washing more towels together cleans better than doing several smaller loads too.

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^if you are following mine and Dave's methods yes. Put all the towels in together. If using a dedicated detergent like MFR, pre treating heavily soiled towels, and using a heavy cycle on the wash with hot water and/or a double rinse they should all come out fine.

Yes, I always use MFR and I wash on warm but I guess I should on hot, especially if it's okay to boil microfiber. I don't usually pretreat but I often rinse out the dirtiest towels in the sink first. My white towels usually come out looking pretty much brand new. The only thing that has stained some of my towels is quick sealant which I talked about in another thread awhile back.

 

Do you pretreat with APC or MFR? I now have gallons of both so I should probably make up a spray bottle to use for that.

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pre-treat by spraying the spots directly with a mix of 25% MR&B and 75% distilled water and let sit for 30 minutes prior to hitting the washer

 

No reason to mix the two chemical detergents, just use the MR&B

As I'd stated earlier, it's made specifically for cleaning automotive chemicals.

APC is a strong degreaser.

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pre-treat by spraying the spots directly with a mix of 25% MR&B and 75% distilled water and let sit for 30 minutes prior to hitting the washer

 

No reason to mix the two chemical detergents, just use the MR&B

As I'd stated earlier, it's made specifically for cleaning automotive chemicals.

APC is a strong degreaser.

Sorry. I think I kind of overlooked your post as I was replying to the other one. Thanks for the advice. I just got more towels too so that I can wait longer and do larger loads.

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I know this topic is well over a year old.  But is this still the same?  Only use the 2oz of MFRB and no other detergent with the towels?  Also why wash the towels with sealer or H2O G&G separately?  I have washed mine with my towels a couple of times already :-(

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I always pre-soak in a bucket with APC. I will also pre-treat heavy soiled spots with MFR before putting into the pre-soak bucket.

 

Then, I wash all my towels together.

 

This method seems to be working for the last 12 months.

 

I do this as well and similarly, it's worked for over a year now.

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I know this topic is well over a year old.  But is this still the same?  Only use the 2oz of MFRB and no other detergent with the towels?  Also why wash the towels with sealer or H2O G&G separately?  I have washed mine with my towels a couple of times already :-(

Yup, the MFRB hasn't changed. The only thing different is to throw away any towels used with the Paint and/or Trim Coatings, this product dries hard and won't wash out

I wash, and recommend, washing any towels used in the application of HGG because of this product's activation with water. They don't clean the same. The HGG can coat the inside of your washing machine and easily contaminate any other towels in the washer with them.

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Yup, the MFRB hasn't changed. The only thing different is to throw away any towels used with the Paint and/or Trim Coatings, this product dries hard and won't wash out

I wash, and recommend, washing any towels used in the application of HGG because of this product's activation with water. They don't clean the same. The HGG can coat the inside of your washing machine and easily contaminate any other towels in the washer with them.

Yes Yes Yes... I made the mistake of washing a bunch of my drying towels with a H2O G&G saturated towel and now my drying towels are effectively "sealed" and will not dry anymore. Now I pre-wash the H2O towels separately with All Purpose Cleaner and Microfiber Wash. Currently trying to restore my drying towels by washing them in hot water. I also put vinegar in the water softener cup to help get the H2O out of my drying towels. Hopefully I can save them but they're still not drying right.

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I usually wash them all together. The exception being if any of the towels have never been washed, new wash pads.

 

H2O towels usually get pre-soaked.

 

A mix I've considered using is 1/4 ounce of vinegar, 1/4 ounce Rinseless, and 1/2 ounce MFRB. Thought process is that vinegar will acidify the solution, Rinseless will emulsify and encapsulate the dirt. MFRB will clean the towels.

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I usually wash them all together. The exception being if any of the towels have never been washed, new wash pads.

 

H2O towels usually get pre-soaked.

 

A mix I've considered using is 1/4 ounce of vinegar, 1/4 ounce Rinseless, and 1/2 ounce MFRB. Thought process is that vinegar will acidify the solution, Rinseless will emulsify and encapsulate the dirt. MFRB will clean the towels.

 

Negative Ghost Rider...  :D

 

That witch's brew of products is not going to do your towels much good at all.  The MRB is an alkaline to help break down the detailing products in your towels, and the vinegar is an acid.  Mix them together and they effectively cancel each other out.  The only time to use vinegar is AFTER the MRB has broken down and removed the products in the towels, and this is done by using it in the rinse by putting the vinegar into the fabric softener tray.

 

Adding RW to any wash is counter-productive, since you are just adding lots of polymers, which is a lot of what you are trying to clean out of your towels in the first place.

 

Stick with straight MRB and use the second rinse option on the washer.  Only use vinegar if you seem to be getting build-up in the towels from incomplete rinsing during the wash.

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Negative Ghost Rider... :D

 

That witch's brew of products is not going to do your towels much good at all. The MRB is an alkaline to help break down the detailing products in your towels, and the vinegar is an acid. Mix them together and they effectively cancel each other out. The only time to use vinegar is AFTER the MRB has broken down and removed the products in the towels, and this is done by using it in the rinse by putting the vinegar into the fabric softener tray.

 

Adding RW to any wash is counter-productive, since you are just adding lots of polymers, which is a lot of what you are trying to clean out of your towels in the first place.

 

Stick with straight MRB and use the second rinse option on the washer. Only use vinegar if you seem to be getting build-up in the towels from incomplete rinsing during the wash.

Thanks Captain.

 

I'd use the vinegar if my washing machine had a fabric softener cup. I'll just stick with straight MFRB.

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