After Metal Polishing Wheels, What to do with Towels??

[Stenguyen1]

So this past weekend I worked on a old classic Camaro with aluminum wheels. Well i did what the video says on the two steps to polish them up and wiped with a microfiber towel.

 

So what do you usually do with the towels?

wash them? or Throw them away?

 

I sprayed APC on the towels to dwell for a bit than threw them into the washer thinking the black residue and stuff would come off. But my Adam's Microfiber towel Stayed Gray/Black looking. Do i just keep washing it to try to get the color out? or are they only good for metal polishing now? Can they still be used? 

 

Your input would be greatly appreciated.  

 

Thanks

Steven

[Ricky Bobby]

If you washed them properly there is a 100% chance they will remain stained, but are clean and ok to use, just unsightly.

 

I'd dedicate them to "dirty job use" though if it were me, I wouldn't ever use a towel for metal polishing to buff wax/polish residues off my paint, no matter how well I clean them.

 

This is also why the Costco cheapo 50 cent/towel bulk packs always have a place in my garage, I can polish a ton of metal with a towel worth 50 cents and just toss it in the trash when done, as opposed to getting my good MF towels stained.

[Stenguyen1]

If you washed them properly there is a 100% chance they will remain stained, but are clean and ok to use, just unsightly.

 

I'd dedicate them to "dirty job use" though if it were me, I wouldn't ever use a towel for metal polishing to buff wax/polish residues off my paint, no matter how well I clean them.

 

This is also why the Costco cheapo 50 cent/towel bulk packs always have a place in my garage, I can polish a ton of metal with a towel worth 50 cents and just toss it in the trash when done, as opposed to getting my good MF towels stained.

Thanks for your input. i imagine not using the towels for the paint, but are still good to use for door jambs or engine bay now. 

 

I will invest in some cheapo towels. so you used these towels to metal polish in lieu of a microfiber applicator? you will get the same outcome/results using either items?

[McDuff]

I have some of the very nice gray microfiber towels that I use on my polished aluminum. After I polish wheels and valve covers I soak them in hot water with some tide in a bucket and then wring out the water. Rinse again in water and wash in the machine. They come out looking very nice. You won't get all of the black out like Jason said. I would designate these as your metal polishing towels now.

I won't use any cheap microfiber on my wheels or valve covers because the aluminum scratches so easy. I spent a lot of time using a lot of products before I settled on Adams Metal Polish because it didn't scratch as much as other products. 

Edited August 11, 2014 by McDuff

[Ricky Bobby]

I would invest in some cheapo towels because they are always a use for them and they have a place in my regimen,

 

However Tom is correct above, bare aluminum scratches hella easy.  I would wash any fresh cheapo towels before use to get any stray fibers washed out.

 

You could also get an extra 2-pack of MF applicators and use them for strictly metal polishing, or what Tom says just make sure to keep your metal polishing MF's dedicated to that purpose.

 

I have some microfibers that are 4-5 years old now and they may not look as good now but they are still totally useful.

[Michael@Adams]

As the others have stated, having dedicated metal towels/pads are a good idea. I have raw aluminum lips on my "pie pans" as Nick would say, and always use my older microfibers and pads and then cycle them to the dirtier jobs like door jams and wheels!

[Chris@Adams]

They may be stained but once cleaned they will still be a usable  MF towel.......