Washing Machine

[compudiva]

So, do you wash your towels in the washing machine or by hand?  I had been doing mine in the washing machine and then followed it with a clean cycle in the machine.  But I am wondering if the wax residue and stuff is reducing the life of my machine.  The machine is far to expensive for that.  Perhaps I need a dedicated washing machine or laundry mat? Or, should a good pre-soak in a bucket do the job get out most of the residue and then toss in the machine?   Thoughts?

 

 

[JHL88]

You can actually buy a washing machine cleaner at your local retailer.  http://www.soap.com/p/tide-washing-machine-cleaner-98702?site=CA&utm_source=Google&utm_medium=cpc_S&utm_term=PG-3847&utm_campaign=GoogleAW&CAWELAID=1323166666&utm_content=pla&adtype=pla&cagpspn=pla There's an example.  

 

I don't have any so i put about 6-8oz of white vinegar in my washing machine and let it run through a whole cycle with water.  

 

If you're worried about your machine pre-soaking would help I would think.  I know people here do wash their towels by hand but im not that patient.  I've washed all my detailing towels in the washer for 3-4 years now without any problems when i figured out how to do it the right way.  I do not put them in the dryer though, I hang dry ALL my towels. 

[WHTEVO]

I wash all of my towels in my HE washing machine, and the pads by hand, and air dry all of them.

[GerryC]

I wash all of my towels by hand, in warm-hot water with a capful of Adam's Microfiber Revitalizer & Brightener. I like to separate my towels based on how dirty they are, and really, how dirty they should be - plush towels that remove wax and polish should never pick up any dirt since they are only used on an already clean car. Waffle weave towels will have light to moderate dirt while utility, metal, etc. will be filthy.

 

I fill up a clean bucket with water, add the Revitalizer and use the hose sprayer on my sink to create some suds. Add the towels and agitate with my hand for a few minutes. I dump out the dirty water, fill it up with clean water and let them soak for a while. Dump again, rinse thoroughly (often twice more, all the suds must be gone), lightly wring out the excess water, and hang dry. Once completely dry I give them a good shake to fluff them back up and they are as good as new.

 

I prefer washing by hand to not only avoid cross-contamination from my washing machine and dryer - mixing with other materials such as cotton, and using fabric softener, are huge NO-NO's when it comes to cleaning microfiber - but also because I wash the towels I've used pretty soon after I use them. I don't wait until I have a pile of dirty towels to the point where I need the capacity of a washer and dryer. I use a $3, 10-quart, made-in-usa Sterilite bucket. No pre-rinse cycles to clean out the washer, no worrying about fabric softener residue, no gallons upon gallons of water ran through the machine.

 

If you are detailing on a larger scale and have dozens of towels to clean at once, then by all means the washing machine will be much more efficient. For the weekend warrior, in my opinion, it is overkill.

[Chris@Adams]

I always wash mine in the machine.

 

Adam's Microfiber Revitalizer & Brightener

[BRZN]

I've had this happen to towels in the past, both Adam's and other high quality brands. Like you, Joe, I tried all kinds of different types of laundry detergents, plain water and boiling with no change to the linting problem.

 

However, since switching to Adam's Microfiber Revitalizer and Brightner it's stopped. This detergent is specifically designed for cleaning out the chemicals we use these towels for, the others just weren't strong enough I'm guessing.

 

Here's how I clean my towels, it may be a bit of overkill, but it works for me:

1.) I pre-treat any spots or heavily soiled areas with a solution of the Microfiber Revitalizer and Brightner cut 70% with distilled water and leave them sit in a bucket, pre-treated, for 30 minutes. On rare occations where the towels are filthy, I'll let the soak in a bucket with 1oz of the detergent overnight prior to washing, but this doesn't happen often. In this carse I'll just wring them out prior to placing them in the washer.

2.) 1oz of the detergent goes into my front load HE washer along with the towels and they are run on the soak cycle. They sit in there for another 30 minutes after the soak cycle has finished.

3.) Another 1oz of detergent goes in the washer and they are washed with hot water.

4.) I run the washer one more time on the hot water normal wash cycle with no detergent, add 1/8 of a cup of distilled white vinegar to the fabric softener dispenser and set the machine to run an extra rinse cycle.

5.) I dry the towels in the dryer on medium heat.

 

A couple other things I do:

1.) I only wash full loads of towels.

2.)The load washed and dried prior to my towels will be a load that no fabric softener has been added to to minimize the chance of any fabric softener residue being left in either machine.

3.) I remove the soap/bleach/fabric softener dispenser and thoroughly wash any residues out of it.

 

Overkill? Perhaps.

Do my Microfiber Towels lint anymore? Nope.

[compudiva]

Well, I pre-soaked my towels in dawn and then after ringing them out put them in the wash.  Felt a little better knowing that perhaps a lot of the polish residue may have been removed first.  I think the utility towels though I will only hand wash.  I put them in the wash once and  was not pleased with the seemingly black break dust that was left as a ring.

[Doug123]

I think, like anything, if they towels are dirty, segregate the dirty ones and presoak them, then rinse them out, and then wash separately.  I don't hand wash, only hand spot treat with APC or Revitalizer.  I also air dry them in the dryer.  No fabric softener is used anywhere in any machine, ever.

[ss2haul]

Lol. I guess I'm more concerned about the towels than the washer! I wash all my microfiber's separate from normal towels to eliminate lint, and hand wash all wax pads.

[EPHIOS]

I used to wash my MF towels by hand with Tide Clear & Free, and air dry them. However, it became too time consuming for me, so I let my washer and dryer do the work for me.

[AllanM]

For those that use a washing machine, any residue left in your machines?  I would like to use my washing machine, but the boss (wife) would kill me if the washing machine were left dirty or any residue is left.

 

Thanks,

Allan

[BKazzle]

For those that use a washing machine, any residue left in your machines?  I would like to use my washing machine, but the boss (wife) would kill me if the washing machine were left dirty or any residue is left.

 

Thanks,

Allan

Never had an issue and I have used 5 different kinds of detergents. (Specific MF detergents and 'free and clear' ones)

 

I use vinegar as well with no problems.

[-CM-]

I wash mine in my HE machine on the "whitest whites" setting, and no residue at all is left in it. I use the revitalizer along with my normal detergent and oxy powder.

[crowvet]

http://www.adamsforums.com/topic/24673-poor-mans-micro-fiber-washer/?do=findComment&comment=391747  I use this, My wife does the wash and said it helps a lot.

[Ricky Bobby]

If you use the proper ratio of detergent and a long enough cycle you shouldn't have residue.

 

If anything, my washing machine is CLEANER after doing a load of microfibers.

 

I wash all my microfibers together in one load, some are sprayed with pre-treatment (APC), and I use 2 oz. of Micro Restore detergent (I bought it last year, will be buying MFR&B when it runs out) in a full load.  Normal cycle, HOT wash, and cool rinse.

 

Wash them with nothing else but microfibers obviously.  Nothing else but 2 oz of the detergent, and sometimes I toss a half cup of white vinegar for extra cleaning if I have some rather soiled towels.

 

No fabric sheets in the dryer, normal cycle on low heat.  Come out looking new every time.

[mc2hill]

You could use a washing machine cleaner when you are done.  

[Z06Seal]

Is there any detergent I can buy locally for washing the MFs without dyes etc?

[Ricky Bobby]

Where do you live?  I'd get a bottle of MFR&B from an Adam's distributor if I were you.

 

One 36oz bottle is enough for like 36 loads of MF towels (1 ounce per normal sized load)