micro fiber won't absorb liquid

[hemi1300]

experiencing a weird issue with my blue borderless micro fiber towels lately.  Have had the towels for a while now and they have always been my favorite next to the single soft.  Seems they won't absorb liquid like they used to.  If i use them for a quick wipe down with detail spray, they just move the product around on the paint rather than absorbing it, and i have to do multiple passes to soak up the product.  Even if i throw one in a bucket of rinselsess solution, the towel will just float on the water, I literally have to dunk the towel by hand and scrunch it multiple times in the water until it gets fully saturated.  Any ideas if i can save them?  Only thing i could think to try is boiling them?  

[Jsf721]

Sounds like some type of polymer is clogging them up. Hopefully it's not that someone used fabric softener on them? Try soaking in a bucket of warm water with a strong mix of all purpose cleaner. I'd let them soak over might adjatate by hand wring out, rinse in a bucket of clean water and wash without any detergent and throw in an extra rinse if your machine has it.

 

Good luck.

[Guest washemup]

Lots of things can cause towels to become non-absorbent. Using fabric softeners, bleach, drying with too hot of a temperature, etc.

 

A couple months ago I did a lot of research on this, tried a lot of things, boiling, vinegar, baking soda, microfiber cleaner, apc, and nothing worked.

After the towel was dry, I could put a quarter sized bead of water on it, and it would just roll around the towel instead of being absorbed.

 

The last thing I tried worked though. A 1/4 oz of Dawn dishwashing soap (The original blue kind), on a regular cycle in my washer with warm water. Once the washer is filled, let it agitate for a minute or so, then soak for 15 minutes. Then just let it run the rest of the normal cycle.

 

I do have a top loading washer, and you have to be careful about the amount of Dawn you use. Too much and you'll have a bubble bath in your washroom!

 

This process was used on a MM Dry Me Crazy towel that had over 100 uses.

Edited September 7, 2015 by washemup

[hemi1300]

No fabric softener has ever touched the towels, and use mfrb majority of the time. May try the soak all night method with apc to see if they get any better

[pirahnah3]

I would try the soak, or the mentioned Dawn method. Dawn detergent is simply the best at emulsifying grease and oil. Great for most things, not so much if you have a septic system but in small amounts is not the end of the world. This should help out your towel situation. I would think that if you cant control the washer as mentioned above or it is a pain in the rear to do, a soak in a bucket using your hands to really agitate the towel(s) in question. 

 

I do realize you said that they wont absorb water but the soap being agitated in to them might help that out a bit. 

[Ricky Bobby]

When a MF towel is dry (especially plusher naps), they do not absorb liquids well at all.  When doing a wipedown with DS or rinseless, what have you, spritz the towel a few times on each side to "prime it" a bit, it should glide over the surface easier.

 

Or, you may be using too much product on the surface (DS is really meant to be a light wipe product, 2-3 sprays per panel max, whereas Waterless or diluted Rinseless you can saturate the surface well), in which case you need to follow up with a towel that doesnt get saturated with dirt and product.

 

And yes, if you toss dry towels into a bucket of water they will just float on top and not sink, you have to dunk the towels to get them to absorb water, thats normal.  Actually when I dry my cars I usually wet a 16x16 plush towel (think double soft) with a hose, squeeze it out so its not wet but damp, then spritz 1-2 sprays on the towel, and my wet cars surface, and go over it real quick to get most of the water off the surface (I get about 80% dry this way) then just follow up with my waffle weave to wipe the rest to a streak free shine, its very quick and efficient.

[Chris@Adams]

Like mentioned MF towel get clogged up (for a lack of a better word) with product.

You need to get a large pot and boil your MF towels. This will clean them and bring them back.

http://www.adamsforums.com/topic/27969-faq-how-do-i-take-care-of-my-microfiber-towels/?hl=%2Bboiling+%2Btowels

[Rich]

Love the microfiber revitalizer for my towels.  I'd boil them and then use the micro revitalizer to wash with. You can throw them in the dryer (no dryer sheets) on low heat and dry them.

[oski83]

I never knew or heard about boiling MF towels before!

 

Learn something new everyday around here! Thanks!