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Great White Drying Towel life span?

Rains

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Rains

Rains

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I know this conversation has been touched before but I was wondering if any of you were getting good life out of your Great Whites after three years. I have a couple that I have had for 3 years and seems to me there loosing there life. I also feel maybe there contributing some minor scratches. Anyone heard of older Great Whites leaving scratches? They have never been dropped on the ground and Im pretty picking about care for them.

 

Thanks ahead of time!

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scociny

scociny

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I have had several for 2 years now...I think they work as well as the day I got them.  I don't plan to get rid of them until they tear or are NOTICEABLY rougher than new.  They are really good towels.  I used an absorber since the 80s and never thought I would be able to dry with a "towel."  But, this is one thirsty towel! 

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KBsToy

KBsToy

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Ryan I wash with the MFR&B equivalent detergent (1 oz for normal loads, hot wash cycle, 2 oz for filled to the brim loads), and add about a half to full cup of white vinegar in there to make them extra clean.  Works well for me!

 

:patriot:

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Junior

Junior

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I'd like to ask a question here. Has anyone just air dried their GWDT after drying the car versus machine washing it? Mine was fairly clean and I think probably not in need of a machine wash. Just thinking that might extend the life of the towel. I would wash it if I saw any real dark spots on it, but my car was pretty clean to begin with so I dont think there is any risk to the paint from a dirt in the towel perspective. Opinions?

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Junior

Junior

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Yeah I mean I've seen in the past where the GWDT picked up a lot of dirt, and I definitely wash it when I see that. But this time there was no noticeable evidence. Maybe I am going blind? My understanding is it traps dirt in the pockets, which makes me believe it won't be an issue as long as there isn't an abundance of dirt.

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Junior

Junior

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So that's two for washing. Thanks guys for the input. Any others? I really liken this to the conversation about when to go two bucket versus rinseless. I really think it is a judgement call where sometimes you need to do one thing and other times you do the other. Most of the time I will probably wash it. But when the car was only slightly dirty to begin with, I think it is safe to do this.

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Team Adam's

Team Adam's

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I'll jump in on this and offer some insight - There are 2 things that kill GWDT (or any waffle towel for that matter)

 

  1. FABRIC SOFTENER - if a dryer sheet mistakenly gets into a load of microfiber laundry or if your dryer has excessive amounts of softener residue in the drum the towel will pick this up. Serious enough buildup in the towel will actually make it seem like it repels water more than it absorbs it.
  2. CHEMICAL BUILDUP - using DS, WW, or RW as a drying agent when you dry helps a ton, but over time the chemicals can buildup in the towel. There is a finite amount of absorbancy in a towel both in the fiber structure and the woven pockets. Once those become completely clogged with chemical residues it loses its ability to hold water. This is why the use of detergents like woolite are not recommended. They can't break loose the waxes, polymers, and other contamination from deep within the fibers. This can also be compounded by really poor water quality (ie. well water)

If you go to use a GWDT and it doesnt' do the best job of holding liquid anymore try doing a wash with a heavy amount of MFR&B or go to the boiling method. Releasing the fabric softener and/or whatever contamination has been trapped in the fibers/weave will restore the towel to like new.

 

That being said - the lifespan of a towel is going to be entirely dependent on how often its used, how its cared for, what products its used with, water quality, where its stored, etc...  theres no way to say for sure. Towels do eventually go bad, but its typically only after LOTS AND LOTS of use. I have some GWDT's that are 5+ years old. They look terrible, but they still work. I have others that got contaminated and haven't been boiled that are less than 12 months old (I suspect a rogue dryer sheet). Just depends.

Edited by The Shine Doc
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goheels

goheels

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I have two GWDTs going on over 3 years... wash on warm cycle and always air-dried (no fabric softener, etc. as recommended).  While there is some staining, they've held up well.  I've noticed some minor linting with one of them over the past week, so I assume they are at the end-stage of their life cycle.

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JLKoupe

JLKoupe

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If you go to use a GWDT and it doesnt' do the best job of holding liquid anymore try doing a wash with a heavy amount of MFR&B or go to the boiling method. Releasing the fabric softener and/or whatever contamination has been trapped in the fibers/weave will restore the towel to like new.

 

I adore the Great Whites and have 4 or 5 of them. I wash them regularly with MF wash, hot water, double rinse with plain water, and dry them in the dryer on medium heat (I don't use fabric softener or dryer sheets on our clothes so no potential for cross-contamination). I also throw in a vinegar rinse every 4 or 5 washes. 

 

With all of that, I've noticed that a couple of the towels don't absorb initially. It takes a pass or two for them to really begin picking up water.  From what I've read here, they may still have chemicals trapped in the fibers so I'm thinking I should try boiling them and see if that helps. Is there any particular trick to boiling towels or another thread somewhere that I can read?

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LFairbanks

LFairbanks

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I adore the Great Whites and have 4 or 5 of them. I wash them regularly with MF wash, hot water, double rinse with plain water, and dry them in the dryer on medium heat (I don't use fabric softener or dryer sheets on our clothes so no potential for cross-contamination). I also throw in a vinegar rinse every 4 or 5 washes. 

 

With all of that, I've noticed that a couple of the towels don't absorb initially. It takes a pass or two for them to really begin picking up water.  From what I've read here, they may still have chemicals trapped in the fibers so I'm thinking I should try boiling them and see if that helps. Is there any particular trick to boiling towels or another thread somewhere that I can read?

 

http://www.adamsforums.com/topic/17414-how-to-wash-the-microfiber-towels/?hl=%2Bmicrofiber+%2Bcare&do=findComment&comment=273153

 

See Post #2.

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JLKoupe

JLKoupe

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Thanks - this is exactly what I was looking for.

 

 

^^^ JLK, you are aware that a damp microfiber absorbs better than a dry one right?

 

Always with a dry towel it takes some absorption and a few passes to really get it "drinkin"

Indeed, I know that to be generally true but after reading that towels can scratch in some circumstances, I thought it was better to ask and remain scratchless than assume and be in a Catch-22.  Or would that be a Scratch-22...??  Anyway, I appreciate the confirmation.

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