Can I restore MF towels or are they toast?

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sparkism13

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I have a lot of $$ invested in microfiber towels. I have Shamrocks, Supreme 530s, Cobras, and a bunch of mother's and meguiar's basic towels. Anyhow, I'm not sure where I went wrong but I washed them only with Woolite (dye and perfume free) and never dried them on high heat.

But ever since I washed them they are not be very absorbent at first. I mean, you really have to soak or dampen them for them to become absorbent. They actually repel water when completely dry, as if there is some kind of film on them. Is that normal? I get a lot of streaking when I first start using the towel.

Whether I'm drying my car or washing windows, there is a lot of streaking until the towel gets dampened. The towels are not new but they have barely been used. I store them in an airtight container. Any way to restore them? I heard boiling them might help, but wouldn't that melt the polyester fibers? So any recommendation? I really hate to spend $100+ on towels again. Thanks!
 
I would take and wash them again only this time use microfiber detergent of choice with a few ounces of vinger to see what happens
 
sparkism13 said:
But ever since I washed them they are not be very absorbent at first. I mean, you really have to soak or dampen them for them to become absorbent. They actually repel water when completely dry, as if there is some kind of film on them. Is that normal? I get a lot of streaking when I first start using the towel.
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Which towels are you using for drying, cleaning, wiping of wax, etc.?

Are you washing all the towels together, or are you separating them?
 
trekkeruss said:
Which towels are you using for drying, cleaning, wiping of wax, etc.?

Are you washing all the towels together, or are you separating them?
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I am using the plush ones for wax removal, and the medium ones for quick detailing, spray wax. The thinner ones are usually for interior and wheels, glass, etc. I wash them all together, unless one has really bad brake dust or grease.
 
jamesboyy said:
I would take and wash them again only this time use microfiber detergent of choice with a few ounces of vinger to see what happens
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I have to imagine Woolite is just as effective, but I've never tried vinegar. I even washed them repeatedly with no detergent to make sure no residue remained. Rinse only. Still the same.
 
Vinegar is a cheap alternative to microfiber detergent when one is low on cash though its still benifical to use microfiber detergent as much as possible, however it's not your detergent it's most likely caused by washing all your towels together as a result clogs all your towels....though when I did used woolite I had no problems but a suggestion will be to wash your towels in dicated groups with tide clear or mf detergent
 
sparkism13 said:
I am using the plush ones for wax removal, and the medium ones for quick detailing, spray wax. The thinner ones are usually for interior and wheels, glass, etc. I wash them all together, unless one has really bad brake dust or grease.
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Plush towels are better for use with instant detailer/spray products, whereas the shorter nap (what you're referring to as medium) are better for removing waxes, polishes, etc.; they have more "bite" at breaking the hazed product loose.
 
Are fabric softener sheets used in your dryer for loads other than MF towels?
 
forrest@mothers said:
Plush towels are better for use with instant detailer/spray products, whereas the shorter nap (what you're referring to as medium) are better for removing waxes, polishes, etc.; they have more "bite" at breaking the hazed product loose.
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Makes more sense. Thanks for the tip!
 
sparkism13 said:
I have a lot of $$ invested in microfiber towels. I have Shamrocks, Supreme 530s, Cobras, and a bunch of mother's and meguiar's basic towels. Anyhow, I'm not sure where I went wrong but I washed them only with Woolite (dye and perfume free) and never dried them on high heat.

But ever since I washed them they are not be very absorbent at first. I mean, you really have to soak or dampen them for them to become absorbent. They actually repel water when completely dry, as if there is some kind of film on them. Is that normal? I get a lot of streaking when I first start using the towel.

Whether I'm drying my car or washing windows, there is a lot of streaking until the towel gets dampened. The towels are not new but they have barely been used. I store them in an airtight container. Any way to restore them? I heard boiling them might help, but wouldn't that melt the polyester fibers? So any recommendation? I really hate to spend $100+ on towels again. Thanks!
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Been down that road before if your going to spend alot on quality micro towels dont skimp out on the product to keep them clean or working properly my guess as to whats going on is lets face it we use the washing machine so does the wife and who ever else is in the house hold and we all pour fabric softener in our wash loads for our clothes there can be traces of that inside the washer and in the dryer if there using the fabric softener sheets i would buy some micro restore or whatever micro fiber detergent pour and oz or so in a 5 gallon bucket with water and soak the towels over night then throw them in the washer with more micro fiber detergent let them wash i normally do a double rinse after that take them out and let them air dry in the house of course i never put them in the dryer because any fabric softener that usually has oil in it can create the streaking you see and the water resistance you see in the towel i also seperate my towels interior exterior wheels and so forth if that doesnt work i would save the towels as interior door jams wheels and exhaust or dirty jobs only good luck
 
Try soaking them in a degreaser or an apc undilluted. You may want to toss in a bottle of alcohol and some dish soap as well. Maybe there is a build-up of wax or sealant on the towels. I know my towels smell like the chemicals I use to detail with even after washing them in all free and clear.
 
Flex3k said:
Been down that road before if your going to spend alot on quality micro towels dont skimp out on the product to keep them clean or working properly my guess as to whats going on is lets face it we use the washing machine so does the wife and who ever else is in the house hold and we all pour fabric softener in our wash loads for our clothes there can be traces of that inside the washer and in the dryer if there using the fabric softener sheets i would buy some micro restore or whatever micro fiber detergent pour and oz or so in a 5 gallon bucket with water and soak the towels over night then throw them in the washer with more micro fiber detergent let them wash i normally do a double rinse after that take them out and let them air dry in the house of course i never put them in the dryer because any fabric softener that usually has oil in it can create the streaking you see and the water resistance you see in the towel i also seperate my towels interior exterior wheels and so forth if that doesnt work i would save the towels as interior door jams wheels and exhaust or dirty jobs only good luck
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Wow, man. Mix in a period once in a while. It's good advice you've given, but a very tough read.
 
I wash with All free and clear and add vinegar. I use hot water to wash. A second rinse is great if your washer has that option.

MF detergents are a waste IMO. I have been doing my towels this way for a long time and they all are like new.

Now to remedy your towels.....soak in hot water with a good APC or borax then wash as above.
 
I agree with separating towels, dedicated soap and vinegar, but I happened to run across by mistake another problem. The washing machine has three built in cups for soap, bleach, and fabric softner. There was a build up in fabric softner cup side that water would still flow across when not called up. Make it a habit now to remove, clean and wipe drum down before washing my towels. Towels improved after a couple of washes. Improved towels. Seems like an old washer were you pour the mix in still works better for our towels.
 
Well, I tried the vinegar thing. I tried the really hot water thing. I tried the really hot water and vinegar thing. :) Rinsed them about 10 times and nothing :( They will be relegated to wheel cleaning and other dirty jobs.

On another note, I tried some Chemical Guys El Gordo towels and I really like them. At less than $2 each, I think they are a good value.
 
sparkism13 said:
Well, I tried the vinegar thing. I tried the really hot water thing. I tried the really hot water and vinegar thing. :) Rinsed them about 10 times and nothing :( They will be relegated to wheel cleaning and other dirty jobs.

On another note, I tried some Chemical Guys El Gordo towels and I really like them. At less than $2 each, I think they are a good value.
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At least you tried to revive them though at least they will be present someplace in your detailing world
 
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