Buy enough towels to make a DEDICATED small wash load

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Buy enough towels to make a DEDICATED small wash load



The Clean Dirty Towels Bucket

The Clean Dirty Towels Bucket is a CLEAN bucket you keep your dirty towels in as you work around a car and then take IMMEDIATELY to the washing machine when ready to wash them.

BF_Micro_Detergent_012.JPG


BF_Micro_Detergent_013.JPG





I'm back in the office today after the February 3-day detailing bootcamp class, this one,

Pictures and Comments: 2021 February 3-Day Detailing Bootcamp Class


And here are JUST 2 of the 14 cars this class detailed. The class actually wetsanded these two cars and then polished them out swirl-free.

2021_Feb_Class_020.JPG



And for what it's worth - there simply are no other classes where complete strangers get to wetsand some other guy's streetrod or muscle car.



And now I'm playing catch-up with paperwork and communications.

I always say,

One day off - one day behind.

Two days off - Two days behind.

A week off - a week behind.

Etc.

I'm sure you all experience this with your job and life also. :work:


So I get an e-mail asking me a series of questions and while I MUCH prefer to answer questions on the forum where it maximizes my typing time and helps the most people out over time, I went ahead and typed out the answers for the person in the reply to the e-mail.

Here's my article on this topic from 2009 - that's 11 years ago as I type today in February of 2021

Please post your questions to our discussion forum - Don't send them to me in a PM or E-mail...


One of the questions was about which towels to buy? I show the towels I use all the time on this forum in my write-ups. I would guess any regular members know what they are. I don't know that they are "the best" but they get the job done and are for the most part inexpensive.


In my reply I included links to 12 packs.

Why?

Because if you're in it to win it - then you don't buy one or two towels for any specific type of detailing process. For examples, towels to wipe of compound or towels to use with a panel wipe etc.

Don't think like that. Thinking like that will not serve you well.

Instead, think like this,

How many towels at a minimum do I need/want to make a small wash load?:

The answer is a dozen.

You don't want to mix and match your towels with other types of towels used for other chemicals and you certainly don't wash your car microfiber towels with your cloths, bath towels or the wife's dainty's.

So wen INVESTING in towels, buy enough of any given type of towel to do a dedicated wash load. Then wash them, dry them inspect them, fold them and store them where they will stay clean and uncontaminated until the next use.


Here's the towels I shared with this person, I care not the color as they are the same towels.


Nice_Towels_02.JPG


Nice_Towels.jpg




Links to each color in the order I show them in this picture

Nice_Towels_01.JPG



Carbon Black Edgeless Microfiber Polishing Cloth

Forrest Green Edgeless Polishing Cloth

Sky Blue Edgeless Polishing Cloth

Crimson Red Edgeless Polishing Cloth

Edgeless Microfiber Polishing Cloth

Storm Gray Edgeless Microfiber Polishing Cloth

Arctic White Edgeless Microfiber Polishing Cloth



And the above is taken from this article that as I type is now about a year and a half old.

Must Have Microfiber! At least my opinion



Do what you will but in my opinion and experience, one of the factors that should determine how many towels you buy is not the towel or the cost but how many towels do you need to make a small wash load. And for the average washing machine, a dozen works for a small or medium load. This takes into consideration the volume of water for GREAT SWISHING of the towels to actually get them clean for the next use.


Think.


Hope this helps someone...



:)
 
And....

I've been back into the office for less than one hour after the 3-day class and I've already created one new piece of original content.

In case you missed it - it's a a recommendation to buy your towels in groups of at least a dozen for washing common sense washing purposes.


Off to a good start! :dblthumb2:


:buffing:
 
More...


I need to update this thread - and I will as soon as I get a chance.

There's a couple of new towels, one for drying cars that I would update and add to this list and also an ORANGE version of the Rag Company's blue glass towel I would add. Mostly because I like the color orange.


Must Have Microfiber! At least my opinion



We used the orange towels a LOT in this last class and besides working great for wiping off compounds, polishes, AIOs, and coatings, the best part is - (at least so far),

NO LINTING


The Rag Company FTW Premium Orange Microfiber Towel


Like I've said about the blue versions - I don't know why the people at the Rag Company would only promote these for wiping glass.

The are STOUT and still soft. This makes them excel at wiping off sticky things like compounds and polishes. And even better for AIOs as well as products like the 303 Graphene Nano Coating.


:dunno:
 
I’m a firm believer in you can’t have too many MF’s. Also in my experience, if it’s possible to buy in bulk/case, the price per towel drops significantly.
 
fly07sti said:
I’m a firm believer in you can’t have too many MF’s. Also in my experience, if it’s possible to buy in bulk/case, the price per towel drops significantly.
Click to expand...


Yeah, that's a HUGE understatement!! :laughing::laughing:
 
I have some of the Rag Company FTW blue microfiber towels and I use a couple for wiping off the BLACKFIRE Glass Waterspot Remover. I also use them for cleaning glass and they work great!

Do they still sell the blue ones or are they switching over to orange all together?

Mike, I know your an advocate of the top loading agitator style machines, and if I could get one in my shop I would for sure. As your completing each detailing process are you then taking a load of towels to the machine, and "cleaning as you cook" so to speak?

For example, when you get the washing and drying process complete and iron decon if you desire, then you'd take your wash mitts and drying towels over to the machine and chuck them in? This way a load is processing for each previous process you complete?

What about wheel towels? Do you save them for last?

Can we get your SOP or standard operating procedure for an exterior detail including laundering towels? So this way we can better improve our own process. I know you've made time stamped videos of your process in the past but it would be cool to get everything including set up, re set for different process, and little details like cleaning towels. I can see it now. A day in the life of Mike Phillips.

I have to take my towels to the laundry mat at the end of the day. So this means I need to hustle and get as much of the vehicle done as possible by 7:30 pm before the laundry mat closes. I have a different bucket for each type of towel I use, and I take a roll of trash bags with me. After the loads are complete I put the towels in the clean bags and put the bags in their respective buckets. Then I take them home and hang them to air dry before air fluffing and then taking them to the shop inspecting, and folding.

The laundry mat I've selected is very close to my shops location and is actually the most professional and clean laundry mat in the area. I've built up a great rapport with the laundry mat and they respect me because I only bring in "clean dirty towels"

An unknown side effect you probably didn't know that your books and training have taught me is that my towels stay pretty clean thus improving their life, which in turn saves me money and allows me to provide much higher quality results.

:xyxthumbs:
 
Jacob Harrod AUTOCLEAN said:
Mike, I know your an advocate of the top loading agitator style machines, and if I could get one in my shop I would for sure. As your completing each detailing process are you then taking a load of towels to the machine, and "cleaning as you cook" so to speak?
:xyxthumbs:
Click to expand...

If you can find an AWS432 (I think that's the model #) Speed Queen, that would be the machine. I think they are the only company left that makes a true top-load with an agitator. There might be an Amana out there, but the rest are a generic impeller/agitator machine. Probably not a bad machine, but not a true agitator style top-loader.
 
Me Time said:
If you can find an AWS432 (I think that's the model #) Speed Queen, that would be the machine. I think they are the only company left that makes a true top-load with an agitator. There might be an Amana out there, but the rest are a generic impeller/agitator machine. Probably not a bad machine, but not a true agitator style top-loader.
Click to expand...


I'm far from a washing machine expert but in my research there are still multiple options for top loader washing machines with agitators.


A quick search via Skynet and filtering down to Lowe's, then filtering down to top loaders with agitators I found these,

https://www.lowes.com/pl/Agitator--...s-Appliances/4294857976?refinement=3537863254



One thing for sure,

If it ain't broke... don't fix it...

Or like my wife says about me,

If it ain't broke - fix it until it is...


:D
 
Jacob Harrod AUTOCLEAN said:
I have some of the Rag Company FTW blue microfiber towels and I use a couple for wiping off the BLACKFIRE Glass Waterspot Remover. I also use them for cleaning glass and they work great!

Do they still sell the blue ones or are they switching over to orange all together?
Click to expand...

I have not checked the Rag Company website but on the Autogeek.com store they show both the blue and the orange.


I'll have to circle back to your other comments and questions, I have a LOT on my plate today.


:)
 
Me Time said:
If you can find an AWS432 (I think that's the model #) Speed Queen, that would be the machine. I think they are the only company left that makes a true top-load with an agitator. There might be an Amana out there, but the rest are a generic impeller/agitator machine. Probably not a bad machine, but not a true agitator style top-loader.
Click to expand...
Thank you so much! I'll definitely check that machine out!!!

Sent from my SM-G975U using Autogeekonline mobile app
 
Mike Phillips said:
I have not checked the Rag Company website but on the Autogeek.com store they show both the blue and the orange.


I'll have to circle back to your other comments and questions, I have a LOT on my plate today.


:)
Click to expand...
Sounds good Mike. I know I asked a lot of questions so please take your time. Have an awesome day!



Sent from my SM-G975U using Autogeekonline mobile app
 
Buy yourself a cheap, used, old-school top loading washer, then maintain it (they're very simple to work on).
 
Mike Phillips said:
I'm far from a washing machine expert but in my research there are still multiple options for top loader washing machines with agitators.


A quick search via Skynet and filtering down to Lowe's, then filtering down to top loaders with agitators I found these,

https://www.lowes.com/pl/Agitator--...s-Appliances/4294857976?refinement=3537863254



One thing for sure,

If it ain't broke... don't fix it...

Or like my wife says about me,

If it ain't broke - fix it until it is...


:D
Click to expand...
I see more of them do have a true agitator, but a lot of them have the impeller with an agitator on top of it. I'm no washer expert either, but looked around a lot before settling on the Speed Queen. That was 5 years ago, it seems that more manufacturer's are bringing a true agitator top loader back.

And I definitely understand your fix it quote... :dblthumb2:
 
Me Time said:
Check out a mom and pop repairman to see if they have good used one.
Click to expand...

That’s an excellent suggestion. A lot of people “upgrade” their washer/dryer after purchasing a home and there’s nothing wrong with the ones they took out. It’s only later on that they find out they messed up and should’ve kept the old machines. Unless of course you need one you can control with your cellphone and tells you when you need to buy more soap. :laughing::laughing::laughing:
 
Me Time said:
Check out a mom and pop repairman to see if they have good used one.
Click to expand...


Exactly.

But if buying new, then Speed Queen (as you suggested) is definitely the way to go. If the wife objects, consider a different one ... wife, that is. :laughing:
 
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