What is this?

[mathews31]

A few days ago I Washed all my towels in hot/warm water, now they are leaving what seems like residue all over my car. I don't remember which detergent I used, I didn't use anything other than liquid detergent. Anyone know what this is? I can wipe these streaks with my fingers and they go away. The towels I use are DS and SS

[Nathan]

Not sure what it is...maybe left over sealant or wax?

 

I always wash mine with microfiber revitalizer, the towels may look clean but they might still have stuff inside, and the microfiber revitalizer takes that out!

[mathews31]

Not sure what it is...maybe left over sealant or wax?

 

I always wash mine with microfiber revitalizer, the towels may look clean but they might still have stuff inside, and the microfiber revitalizer takes that out!

Yeah I was afraid someone would say that, I've been trying to avoid purchasing the MF revitalizer...I feel like it's not worth it...Unless you have problems with MF but I guess that's me

[Nickfire20]

I feel There is a lot more info we need before we can help. We need specific detergent. I use another companies microfiber wash along with "ALL's FREE AND CLEAR DETERGENT" a couple ounces of both. Water shouldnt be over 130 degrees, the fibers melt at 140. How did you dry them?

 

My dirtiest towels always come out looking brand new. I use warm water, both detergents and super low dryer heat, or just air only.

 

Also you cannot use dryer sheets or softners, it is recommended that you use free and clear, because detergents with scents all have some sort of softners in them.

[Nathan]

Yeah I was afraid someone would say that, I've been trying to avoid purchasing the MF revitalizer...I feel like it's not worth it...Unless you have problems with MF but I guess that's me

Why? It's only $30 for a gallon and you only need one ounce per load. The stuff works great, you could even just spray it on the towel and not use it as s detergent.

[SumBeach35]

Nick covered all the info.

 

Here is my .02... I have had good results with and without Microfiber revitalizer and brightener. Woolite works well and so does All free and clear. Some will argue they don't thoroughly remove chemical related to detailing as deeply. Vinegar in the fabric softener cup can also aid in removal. APC presoak would also work. I try to use MFRB sparingly due to the cost. It is a strong product. Burning sensation on the back of a dry hand starts pretty quickly.

[mathews31]

I totally didn't realize that these fibers could melt, they didn't feel that way, so I don't think that's what happened. Is there actually any difference between the detergents.

[SumBeach35]

I would recommend only using Microfiber Revitalizer & Brightener without any other detergents. MFR&B is a strong detergent designed specifically for removing waxes, polymers, polishes, and oils commonly associated with detailing. Regular laundry detergent is not strong enough to remove many of the detailing products from towels, especially the sealants. Delicate or baby detergents are even weaker than regular detergent, so they are not going to clean out all the detailing products. While the towels may "look" clean after using regular or delicate detergent, this incomplete cleaning can lead to build-up deep in the fibers of the towel, making them less effective and eventually ruining them.

 

While some might use other detergents to save a little money, if you buy the MFR&B in the gallon, with a sale discount, the amount of product used for one load is less than a buck, not much compared to the cost of these premium towels.

 

While I do not use any vinegar, some people use it for the rinse cycle. To do this, it would be placed in the fabric softener dispenser. Putting vinegar directly into the wash load with the detergent would be counter-productive, as the vinegar would work against the detergent.

 

It is also a good idea to run a cleaning cycle on your machine before running your detailing towels, to remove any laundry soap build-up in the machine. Before washing my Microfiber towels, I run a clean-cycle on the washer with some distilled white vinegar to break down the build-up of detergents and fabric softeners inside the machine, as this build-up is bad for the detailing towels and can also be full of contaminates (like glitter). Since MFR&B is a stronger detergent than regular laundry soap, it will break down the build-up in the washer and mix it into your load of Microfiber towels, unless you clean the washer first. The dryer can also have contaminants from other loads, such as rags, rugs or shoes. A thorough vacuuming of the dryer along with a wipe-down is good practice to prevent the clean Microfiber towels from being contaminated with stuff that can cause damage when used on your paint. If this seems extreme, take a closer look at what gets collected in the lint screen of the dryer.

 

This is from another thread in this subforum.

[falcaineer]

Don't forget an extra rinse cycle, if your washer is so equipped. Helps get out any last bit of residue.

 

Mat, if you have the funds, get the MRB, and preferably the gallon. It really is worth it.

[Rich]

You can boil your current towels with a liquid detergent  if you don't have MR (if your wife lets you have a pot).  That should take it out. But I agree.......it's left over product that the water wasn't hot enough to dissolve. 

[RacerX]

I've been trying to avoid purchasing the MF revitalizer...I feel like it's not worth it...

 

Lesson learned.  It is worth it.  And compared to buying towels, it is inexpensive - 2 ounces goes a long way.

Edited May 5, 2017 by RacerX

[TheWolf]

The key point from my quoted post above:

 

" While the towels may "look" clean after using regular or delicate detergent, this incomplete cleaning can lead to build-up deep in the fibers of the towel, making them less effective and eventually ruining them."

[mathews31]

What's interesting is I don't think I used my towels on the windows and yet they same streaks appear on the windows. What are the chances that it's the Wash & Wax (which I don't normally use). I'll still be purchasing some MFR but IDK

[Nathan]

What's interesting is I don't think I used my towels on the windows and yet they same streaks appear on the windows. What are the chances that it's the Wash & Wax (which I don't normally use). I'll still be purchasing some MFR but IDK

The MR will fix all your problems, trust me, it's awesome!

[chops1sc]

I know people have boiled towels before but I would be wary. Heat is heat no matter how it is applied.