Frustrated after my last wash...

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Brunkel

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I am a weekend warrior and only detail a few cars for business a month. Every car but one that I've done over the last 2 years has had a polishing step, so any water spots or poor drying techniques would be easily corrected when I work with the polisher.

The last few washes that I've done however have really left me frustrated. I don't know if my drying towels are going bad or what not but for some reason drying has been awful lately. I use a Wooly Mammoth drying towel that has been my go to for a year. Now it doesn't really soak up water but just pushes it around. Even my Waffle Weave ones aren't working as well. Could it be that after you wash them so many times they loose their "microfiber clinging power?" I was left with pretty bad water spots after the last wash on my own car. Here was my process:

In the driveway (sun or shade depending on weather...)
- Wheels: cleaner, brushes, tires, rinse, yadda yadda...
- Foam gun whole car
- 2 bucket wash
- Rinse w/ fire nozle
- Sheet water with hose
- Immediately drive car into garage

Garage
- Mist down whole car with detail spray (I used Hybrid V7 this time)
- Side kick blaster for typical water build up areas
- Towel dry
- Detail spray on wheels to remove left over water spots

I usually find myself having to go back again for some final quick detail spray to remove water spots or dirt and grime that the side kick blaster blew out of no where on a panel that I had already cleaned.

I know offer an affordable "Express" wash as maintenance for my customers so really want to improve this. Any tips? Thanks,
Ben
 
Have you tried doing sections of the car instead of doing the whole vehicle?

Did you change you car wash?

Ed
 
If your towels are not working, you make not be washing them properly. Your drying towels could have residue detail spray like V7. You should wash them separately from other towels.

I would start with soaking them in some diluted APC in hot water then wash separately from other towels in HOT water, then dry on the lowest heat. I also select the second rinse options.

Some resort to boiling or soaking in very hot water but never really tried that approach.

Blackfire Microfiber soap has worked for me.

For water spotting, you may have hard water so this can work against you. I would immediately start wiping down quickly and get the majority of the water off, then come back with the side kick, detail spray, and finish the drying.

What car wash are you using? Some rinse better than others such as Ultima Paint Guard Wash is a quick rinser.
 
Bunky said:
If your towels are not working, you make not be washing them properly. Your drying towels could have residue detail spray like V7. You should wash them separately from other towels.

I would start with soaking them in some diluted APC in hot water then wash separately from other towels in HOT water, then dry on the lowest heat. I also select the second rinse options.

Some resort to boiling or soaking in very hot water but never really tried that approach.

Blackfire Microfiber soap has worked for me.

For water spotting, you may have hard water so this can work against you. I would immediately start wiping down quickly and get the majority of the water off, then come back with the side kick, detail spray, and finish the drying.

What car wash are you using? Some rinse better than others such as Ultima Paint Guard Wash is a quick rinser.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the suggestions. I've been using CG Maxi Suds II. Other washes I've used are Adam's Shampoo and CG Mr. Pink.

I was actually just talking to my neighbor and he says our water has lots of calcium in it. I just moved into a new house so the water change is part of the issue I'm having.

I've always washed my towels with CG Microfiber wash. I basically wash my black ones separate and the rest I divide into whites/lights and darks. I was on hot, no fabric softener, then dry on the lowest setting. My wooly mammoth towel has definitely been mixed in with all the ones I use for detail sprays, wax buffing, and waterless washes.

I'll have to practice timing things differently in the wash like you're suggesting too. Now that I think of it, I recall even seeing water spots from the foam gun and not a lot of dirt being removed from it. Maybe that step really isn't necessary? And I probably let the foam dwell too long on the paint and glass.

So you dry a bit, side kick, THEN apply some detail spray?
 
I would suggest trying a different soap that may rinse easier. If I recall, Maxi-Suds does not rinse as well as Ultima. Meg's Hyperwash should work well too.

Are foaming then rinsing then two bucket wash? You can skip this just to reduce time water is on the paint.
 
Maybe they are starting to wear out. It's my understanding that you shouldn't dry them at all. I know instructions say low heat but I bet it wears the material down faster than air drying.

Everyone has a different wash method. I personally think that's all crap. No bleach, no softener. That's it just wash them. And don't mix with cotton
 
I have experienced this phenomena. Its a function of the towel. Some towels just don't suck up water as well as others.

There could also be residue in the towel. Use a PBMG branded MF cleaner to clean your towels. Also, I'd get some Cobra Guzzlers or some WW towels from MF Tech.

That's what I use. I can dry my car almost completely with a single 16x24" WW from MFT.

MF Madness WW towels are quite good as well. I use them too.
 
Ways to keep towels from getting hydrophobic:

Use a GOOD microfiber detergent like micro restore
Air dry or machine dry low heat
Don't wash drying towels with towels that have other chemical residue on them
Replace them. Towels don't last forever even with great care.


Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using AG Online
 
My guess would be that right around the time you noticed the drop off in performance, they were washed with fabric softener. It could very easily be accidental like leaving a dryer sheet in the dryer from a previous load, or the liquid fabric softener not draining out of the machine correctly from the previous wash cycle.

Wash again with hot water, detergent, and a quarter cup vinegar. If you don't use a dedicated microfiber detergent, make sure the detergent you use is not one that contains a fabric softener.
 
swanicyouth said:
I have experienced this phenomena. Its a function of the towel. Some towels just don't suck up water as well as others.

There could also be residue in the towel. Use a PBMG branded MF cleaner to clean your towels. Also, I'd get some Cobra Guzzlers or some WW towels from MF Tech.

That's what I use. I can dry my car almost completely with a single 16x24" WW from MFT.

MF Madness WW towels are quite good as well. I use them too.
Click to expand...


I sense a MFtech order coming soon anyway :) love that site. I'll check out that towel.

So are there bad reviews for the CG micro fiber wash? I havnt seemed to have any problems with it.
 
VP Mark said:
Ways to keep towels from getting hydrophobic:

Use a GOOD microfiber detergent like micro restore
Air dry or machine dry low heat
Don't wash drying towels with towels that have other chemical residue on them
Replace them. Towels don't last forever even with great care.


Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using AG Online
Click to expand...


My towels are all just a bit over a year old. I maybe do a 5 cars a month during the warmer months. Seems a little premature to be wearing out?
 
Detergent and hard water don't play well in a washing machine.

Add more detergent than you normally do and add vinegar to the rinse cycle.
 
It sounds like cross contamination caused by washing towels with wax/sealant/polish residue along with your drying towels. I am not nearly as particular with my microfiber; however, I never mix towels used to remove wax/sealant with those used to dry.
 
Helltopay said:
It sounds like cross contamination caused by washing towels with wax/sealant/polish residue along with your drying towels. I am not nearly as particular with my microfiber; however, I never mix towels used to remove wax/sealant with those used to dry.
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Yeah it definitely sounds like that is what it is. I'll have to do a better job of washing my towels then! So a wash with APC and some vinegar might fix the issue with my current drying towels?
 
And is it true to say that it's worse to mix towels (when washing) that are used for different purposes rather than according to colors / darks and lights?
 
Brunkel said:
And is it true to say that it's worse to mix towels (when washing) that are used for different purposes rather than according to colors / darks and lights?
Click to expand...

Yes, dark and lights is not the way to go with microfiber towels. I generally separate my towels into four categories: wax/sealant removal; interior; drying; and really dirty (wheels, wheel wells, engine).
 
Brunkel said:
Yeah it definitely sounds like that is what it is. I'll have to do a better job of washing my towels then! So a wash with APC and some vinegar might fix the issue with my current drying towels?
Click to expand...

The other thing is V7 is a hybrid sealant/ quick detailer. Therefore, it appears that the V7 may also be causing some of your issues because your are coated your drying towels with a sealant (which repels water) when your are drying. I have had success with using ONR mixed to a quick detailer ratio as a drying aid.
 
Helltopay said:
The other thing is V7 is a hybrid sealant/ quick detailer. Therefore, it appears that the V7 may also be causing some of your issues because your are coated your drying towels with a sealant (which repels water) when your are drying. I have had success with using ONR mixed to a quick detailer ratio as a drying aid.
Click to expand...


This is all great info. My drying towels are probably coated in v7 among other things. I have onr so maybe I'll try that as a drying aid. Do you just just the whole car down after your rinse right before drying? Or just most the spot you are drying then move on?

And suggestions on best way to deep clean my current drying towels to remove any sealant/wax left from mixing with other towels?
 
Helltopay said:
Yes, dark and lights is not the way to go with microfiber towels. I generally separate my towels into four categories: wax/sealant removal; interior; drying; and really dirty (wheels, wheel wells, engine).
Click to expand...


Awesome!
 
So I just had a realization today...and a possible answer to why all of my microfiber towels have been working horribly lately...in cleaning out my washer and dryer I found this glued to the inside of the dryer:
27cc160ab789cd449954f1f595a593e2.jpg


It went here:
465a3279c16bc9cb14b51aa2ada7fd6e.jpg


Looks like some type of permanent fabric softener thing. I noticed it before but never looked close enough...just thought it was some kind of vent.

So, I guess I've been contaminating my towels with fabric softener the last 3 months. I'm ready to just dump my inventory of towels and start fresh now knowing much better microfiber care...but is there any way to restore microfiber once it's been exposed to fabric softener? I have a bucket of towels soaking in APC tonight and will wash with microfiber detergent and white vinegar tomorrow to see...


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
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