MF Towel Linting

[TheStandardDetailing]

I have been noticing my MF towels have been linting. They feel rough on the paint when I'm doing a QD. I have noticed it with my Blue Edgeless  towels and the Orange ones and also on my white 800gsm from Rag. I wash all my MF towels with MF detergent and separate.

 

I clayed my car about 6 months ago and sealed with Acrylic Paint Sealant.

 

Any ideas on why the towels feel rough on the paint and linting?  

 

Thank you in advance for any input on this. 

[2Fords]

I have had the exact same issues. The quality of the last border less towels from overseas is in my opinion not on par with what I have seen in the past. They also do not hold up to washing either.

[Rich]

Really no clue.  Maybe try using gentle cycle when you wash them, and put them in the dryer rather than line drying.  I hate to say it, but anything hung on a line to dry will not be as soft as when put into the dryer. 

 

That's all I can figure.

[Ricky Bobby]

I always am sure to wipe down the dryer drum with APC and a cheapo MF towel and vaccuum my lint trap out (in addition to taking the lint out that gets caught by hand), before I run the washed MF's through the dryer.  I've noticed the plusher the towel is the more sensitive it is to fabric softener residues from normal cycles.

 

Also be sure to clean your washer out with vinegar every month or two

[Team Adam's]

This was just discussed in another thread - approach this from a scientific angle and try to identify the source of the problem, b/c linting is a symptom of something else most likely. The chances that spontaneously all of your towels started to give you the same problem is thin and none. If that did happen I'd go buy a lottery ticket right now! So it leaves us with a few potential sources of the issue. Think about what all the towels would have in common when the issue occurs:

 

THE SURFACE THEY'RE USED ON. I've encountered plenty of cars that were clean, but for whatever reason the towel would drag on the surface. A towel that never previously linted would drag fibers out. Has the car picked up something like overspray making the surface rough since the last detail? You mention the issue happens when you use DS - how about when the surface is dry? A buildup of wax, sealant, or DS could potentially be making the surface grabby - meaning you're due to strip and start over the LSP application maybe.

THE CARE OF THE TOWELS. Again, for all the towels in your collection to all go this way would be extremely likely - especially if you consider you probably got them all at different times so they're not the same age. It only takes one towel to go bad or wear out in a batch being washed for them all to be full of lint, so I'd try to figure out what towel is oldest and eliminate it. As far as feeling rough - that would be a symptom of care - could be water quality, fabric softener residues, or buildup of something else in towel fibers. I'd try a quick boiling of one towel and see what happens - if that remedies the 'rough' feel then the soap, your water, or residues in the dryer stage could all be to blame.

 

[Kingsford]

I'm also going with a care issue. These are some tips for MF that I follow.

 

Microfiber loves hot water which enables the fibers to swell and release trapped dirt and other matter.  However, do not exceed 140⁰F at the risk of damaging the fibers leaving them much less effective.

 

• Machine Wash in Warm or Hot Water with a Mild, Clean-Rinsing Liquid Detergent that is as Free of Dyes and Perfumes as Possible
• Do NOT Iron
• Do NOT Use Any Fabric Softener - This Clogs the Microfibers and Reduces Performance
• Do NOT Use Chlorine Bleach - This Prematurely Breaks Down the Fibers and Reduces/Eliminates the Valuable Dust & Dirt Collecting 
• ONLY Wash with other Non-Linting Materials (NO Cotton) to Maintain Proper Water and Dirt-Gripping Properties and Lint-Free Characteristics
• SORT Microfiber Towels Similar To Your Regular Laundry Process: DON'T Wash Brightly Colored (Red, Orange) or Black Towels with Lightly Colored (Light Blue, Yellow) or White Towels as Bleeding May Occur with Newer Towels

 

ADVICE: Keep used/dirty microfiber towels in a separate bin from your regular laundry to reduce the risk of accidentally damaging your valuable microfiber by washing them together

 

Edited January 5, 2015 by Kingsford

[2Fords]

Has anyone seen any effects of the new high efficiency washing machines taking there toll on towels? There is a lot less water used so the towels are constantly being rubbed together with not much water as a cushion between them.

[69supersport396]

Has anyone seen any effects of the new high efficiency washing machines taking there toll on towels? There is a lot less water used so the towels are constantly being rubbed together with not much water as a cushion between them.

We have an HE washer and have experienced no negative effects. However, I recently had one double soft begin to lint (extremely badly) on me so I pitched it.  

[Team Adam's]

Has anyone seen any effects of the new high efficiency washing machines taking there toll on towels? There is a lot less water used so the towels are constantly being rubbed together with not much water as a cushion between them.

 

I haven't noticed much issue with ours... towels seem to be holding up about the same.

 

I do notice from time to time they don't seem to rinse clean, so I ALWAYS use the extra rinse cycle.

[redneck08sierra]

Has anyone seen any effects of the new high efficiency washing machines taking there toll on towels? There is a lot less water used so the towels are constantly being rubbed together with not much water as a cushion between them.

no issues here.  I use the extra rinse like Dylan mentioned

[TheStandardDetailing]

Thank you guys for the fast response. For care I make sure to wash the good MF towels together and the dirty ones in there on wash, I use warm setting and 2 rinse cycles and air dry. I wouldn't say the towel itself feels ruff I would say its certain parts of the cars paint when I go over it. I went out during lunch and can actually see the areas where the towel grabbed and left some lint/fibers behind. Here is a picture 

[TheStandardDetailing]

[2Fords]

I have actually started washing all my microfiber towels on the "bulky" setting. It is a little more like a traditional wash. I always use the extra rinse option also.

[GXPaycheck]

One drying technique that the Junkman uses is to put towels in the dryer on high for a couple minutes, then pull them out, give them a shake, and hang them to air dry. Seems to work for me.

[sportruck00]

Not sure I have had microfiber quality issues. I do have a set of towels about 3yrs old in which today I noticed a slight trace of microfiber being left behind. I couldn't get a good picture physically off paint, but was able to duplicate what I am seeing from stainless. Is this the end of this towel? Thanks for your input!

[Kingsford]

Maybe wash everything else really good without that towel(s) in the batch and see if they still do it. Process of elimination.

[sportruck00]

Pretty isolated, just these three towels. No others.. Just toss these??

[Ricky Bobby]

I probably would.  Then again I have about 100 towels in rotation if not more

[Team Adam's]

Not sure I have had microfiber quality issues. I do have a set of towels about 3yrs old in which today I noticed a slight trace of microfiber being left behind. I couldn't get a good picture physically off paint, but was able to duplicate what I am seeing from stainless. Is this the end of this towel? Thanks for your input!

 

 

Its feasible for a 3 year old towel with a good amount of use to start to break down, towels don't last forever. Think of the bath towels in your house... they start to look ratty after a few years of use and washing. Same thing happens to your microfiber over time - the more they're used the faster they go.

 

Pretty isolated, just these three towels. No others.. Just toss these??

 

Toss them, or mark them (a sharpie on the corner) and relegate them to other uses.

[sportruck00]

Its feasible for a 3 year old towel with a good amount of use to start to break down, towels don't last forever. Think of the bath towels in your house... they start to look ratty after a few years of use and washing. Same thing happens to your microfiber over time - the more they're used the faster they go.

 

 

Toss them, or mark them (a sharpie on the corner) and relegate them to other uses.

 

Thanks!! Yes, no worries here whatsoever.. I am grateful! Always wondered how and what issues people were experiencing with their MF. More so I haven't known how to identify issues besides what I just started noticing. Thanks!

[TheStandardDetailing]

My towels are all less then a year old. I'm thinking that it may be the paint since the towels only seem to grab on certain parts of the car.

 

I'm going to strip and start over and see if that changes anything. Trying to hold off till the new coating is done with testing and available