How long can you wait to wash microfiber?

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randomevent

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As a long time lurker, I finally have a question that I could not find an answer to via the search function or Google specialized searches.

Is there a recommended time before you MUST wash microfiber? The reason I'm asking is because I'm simply an enthusiast who details my own cars. After every week's wash session, I have only 3 - 6 MF towels that are either dirty or wet from drying my car. My wife does wash them in their own separate load after we're done, but I just feel like it's wasteful to wash such a small amount of laundry.

Is there anyway that I can "stock up" on dirty MF towels until I have enough to do a full load of laundry? Or is it best to just keep up with my current practices?

Sorry if this question has been answered before, but as I said, I truly wasn't able to find an answer. Thanks in advance, everyone. I'm happy to finally have posted.
 
My take,

The sooner the better.

I just bought a dozen gold plush juniors over the holiday sales. Needed one to lightly remove some excess applied product. I let I sit for a week and it had stains that took extra washes and treatments to remove.

The most important thing though, don't dry them until they are thoroughly inspected.
 
As far as I know waiting till the next day to wash your microfiber won't hurt but not any longer than a day cause mold might start if the towels are bundle/wet if you have such small amount of towels wash them by hand, and let them air dry as for the towels you dry the car with if not dirty just wash them after two or three uses
 
I accumulate dirty towels in 5gal bucket with mf towel cleaner solution till I get a full load. It fully presoaks the towels, very effective for me.
 
Thanks for the quick replies, everyone!

I guess I could wash them by hand instead. I figure I'll let them soak in water and the Griot's Microfiber Cleaner. Unless anyone else wants to suggest a different method?

Also twobucket, how long does it take before you accumulate the 5 gallon load?
 
:welcome: to AGO randomevent

Is that all the use you get out off using your micro fiber towels is just using them for drying?

What about cleaners/polishes/waxes & sealants not to mention your glass inside & out, interior and head liner? That alone could be upwards of 20+ micro fibers.

I keep my misc. micro fiber in seperate containers and my good micro fibers that I use to remove cleaners/waxes in another containers. And when there dirty I keep seperate again and I wash them seperately.

But if that's all that you have dirty is 4 I would at least do my inside and outside glass with some glass micro fiber towels and wash them together, I break my drying & glass up like that and wash them seperately.

As for waiting I won't let my good micro fiber towels for cleaners/polishes and waxes go no more the one day before I wash them.
 
stang_krazy said:
to AGO randomevent

Is that all the use you get out off using your micro fiber towels is just using them for drying?

What about cleaners/polishes/waxes & sealants not to mention your glass inside & out, interior and head liner? That alone could be upwards of 20+ micro fibers.

I keep my misc. micro fiber in seperate containers and my good micro fibers that I use to remove cleaners/waxes in another containers. And when there dirty I keep seperate again and I wash them seperately.

But if that's all that you have dirty is 4 I would at least do my inside and outside glass with some glass micro fiber towels and wash them together, I break my drying & glass up like that and wash them seperately.

As for waiting I won't let my good micro fiber towels for cleaners/polishes and waxes go no more the one day before I wash them.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the welcome!

Generally, I use the only 1 towel to dry my car, which is a large Griot's Waffle Weave. I use Aquawax when I'm drying as well, so the one towel is all I end up needing.

I end up using 1 or 2 cloths for my glass per car, because I have small cars. Both of my cars are new as well, so I haven't done any interior cleaning yet. I don't really use any other QDs or spray waxes because I wash my car every Sunday. I do end up washing everything together though.

Now I'll probably wash them separate, but do a handwash. I really don't like the idea of wasting even more water/electricity for such a small amount of MF towels. Hopefully I can clean everything well enough via handwashing.

When I do detail, that's when I have a bigger load of MF towels, but I don't do that very often.
 
Here is a place where you can calculate your cost per load. You can determine if it is worth your time and effort to wash your towels by hand to save a few cents.

I use my washer/dryer to wash my microfiber towels, regardless of how few I have to wash. I wash my microfiber towels separately.
 
what might work is to get a bucket and fill it with pad cleaner with water and use that as like a pre wash soak. should have an almost unlimited time to wait. I let some foam pads soak for two weeks with no problems.
 
I too am most concerned by this, "After every week's wash session, I have only 3 - 6 MF towels that are either dirty or wet from drying my car."

When I wash using 2 Bucket method I end up using:

1- Chenille Wash Mitt for the lower panels, then the wheels and then the wheel wells

3- Cobra Waffle Weave Drying Towels

2- Black microfibers for the door jambs

2- Microfibers with pockets for drying the wheels

1- FastGlass Towel & 1- glass specific microfiber for glass

2- Sam's Microfibers to wipe down the interior

2- High nap, high GSM towels for final wipe down w/ quick detailer


When I don't have time to wash them immediately; I put them in a 5 gallon bucket with water and microfiber cleaner. I put a Gamma lid on it. When ready to wash, I just dump the whole thing in the washing machine.
 
hamlyn said:
Here is a place where you can calculate your cost per load. You can determine if it is worth your time and effort to wash your towels by hand to save a few cents.

I use my washer/dryer to wash my microfiber towels, regardless of how few I have to wash. I wash my microfiber towels separately.
Click to expand...

I know it might sound dumb, but it's not the cost that I'm worried about. I just can never shake the feeling that I'm wasting resources in general. I try my best to not use anything in excess.

Right now, I think I'll handwash the towels since they aren't too dirty. I won't actually do any correction work until probably May or June of this year. That should give me enough time to put a new system in place.

Thanks for the information though.
 
Generally we wash the towels within a day or two usually once a week. I am starting to consider tossing towels after use with a coating. They seem to bead water almost as much as the painted surface it was applied to. Anyone else find the same issue ??
 
allenk4 said:
I too am most concerned by this, "After every week's wash session, I have only 3 - 6 MF towels that are either dirty or wet from drying my car."

When I wash using 2 Bucket method I end up using:

1- Chenille Wash Mitt for the lower panels, then the wheels and then the wheel wells

3- Cobra Waffle Weave Drying Towels

2- Black microfibers for the door jambs

2- Microfibers with pockets for drying the wheels

1- FastGlass Towel & 1- glass specific microfiber for glass

2- Sam's Microfibers to wipe down the interior

2- High nap, high GSM towels for final wipe down w/ quick detailer


When I don't have time to wash them immediately; I put them in a 5 gallon bucket with water and microfiber cleaner. I put a Gamma lid on it. When ready to wash, I just dump the whole thing in the washing machine.
Click to expand...

I have a mitt also. I forgot to mention that. Here is how my general process goes:

3 bucket method

1 bucket specifically for wheels

I clean the wheels with car shampoo, wheel cleaner, and various brushes. I don't use any MF towels for cleaning the wheels.

Rinse the car, then wash the car via 2 bucket method and Chenille wash mitt.

Final rinse, then dry the car with a Griot's Waffle Weave. It measures 25 x 35, so it's a very big towel. And my car is a Ford Fiesta ST, so it's a pretty small car. As stated, I dry and use Aquawax simultaneously. The towel is so big, so I can fold it a lot of times and soak in enough water.

One MF towel is used to dry the wheels. Then I dress the tires with tire-gel, and finally clean the glass with one glass specific MF towel.

I don't do a final wipedown or anything like that. I'm not one to use QD either. I personally feel like Aquawax is enough for what I want.

Finally, I don't do any interior cleaning as my car is new. I will eventually, however.

So, I could probably be using more MF towels to clean better, but for my daily driver, I feel like it gets clean enough. Sometimes I'll use two MF towels for wheels or glass if it's really dirty, but I average about 3 to 6 MF products that I feel need washing per car wash.

I like your idea of soaking them until you have enough to wash. How long do you do that for, if you don't mind my asking?
 
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