Microfiber and Hot Water

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Lamented

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I know you are not supposed to use high heat when drying your microfiber. I have read conflicting threads on weather to use hot or cold water to wash. A video from Griots says to use hot water. Others have said cold.Which is correct?
 
Use what you want - hot water from the washer is not going to get hot enough to damage the MF.


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I normally use cold wash, cold double rinse on my MF's. When they are especially dirty I use hot wash and double cold rinse. I have seen no negative performance from the hot water use. I feel the hot water does clean the towel better. I also use very little Purex free and clear detergent. I would guess 1/2 an ounce or less.
 
I wash all my MF towels with warm water. The packaging of my Griot's Garage PFM drying towel said to wash with it with hot water, but I don't. Mainly to save energy, not because I'm worried about damaging the MF towel. My towels all seem to come out clean and soft enough anyways.
 
As everyone has stated authoritatively here, MF can handle hot water. Unless your water heater is set to approach boiling water temps (some industrial boilers might dispense very hot, scalding water) the hot water from a residential water heater is not going to be any threat to MF. Most residential water heaters are dispensing 120F-140F which is well within the safe range.
 
•Nowadays...
Detergents (surfactants; enzymes; etc.)
are formulated to excel in colder water
temperatures; 65º—75ºF seems to be
the general accepted industry standard.
(That’s the water temperature range in
which I wash Microfiber towels, no matter
their amount of dirtiness/staining.)

•About the only time I would use hot
water to wash, is when something needs
to be sanitized. And the water has to be
at least boiling hot (210ºF for my location’s
elevation) in order to accomplish that task.
(Not my idea of an ideal Microfiber towels’
washing temperature.)



Bob
 
I’ve been washing with hot water for years. It definitely helps get them cleaner. Never had negative effects. But you can always check with the manufacturer of your specific towels. I know the few I have contacted In The past have suggested hot water claiming it will release polish oils, waxes and grime better.
 
kb2ehj said:
Use what you want - hot water from the washer is not going to get hot enough to damage the MF.


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Click to expand...

I use hot water all the time. When they are new towels I use cold water 1st. If it is a dark colored MF towel I will use cold or warm water. But Mark is right, they should not be damaged from washing in hot water.
 
If we are talking about optimization, the goal is to optimize the removal contaminants (dirt, foreign molecules, etc.) from the fibers. Higher temperatures facilitate better separation of those contaminants if you believe the chemistry. In general, the move towards cold water detergents and cleaners is driven by energy savings and not optimizing the cleaning strength of the detergent. For most modern detergents, soaps and cleaners, hot is generally better than cold.

Sample article: everyday chemistry - Why hot water is more effective than cold water in cleaning - Chemistry Stack Exchange
 
I use hot with the steam cycle. Never had a single issue and my towels come out perfectly. I wouldn't trust cold water to release the dirt well enough.

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Dr Oldz said:
I know the few I have contacted In The past have suggested hot water claiming it will release polish oils, waxes and grime better.
Click to expand...

I agree with this. Especially when it comes to stubborn waxing pads and towels. I just had some waxing pads today that I had to soak and then wash in hot water. I went ahead and threw my wax removal towels on hot as well. I typically try to wash on warm but I may start washing all of my waxing pads and towels on hot to really get them clean again.

I have some brand new towels to compare to so if I see them getting worn or damaged I'll designate them for chrome and aluminum polish removal towels.
 
Hot water will always, always, always provide better cleaning than cold for any laundry... Period.

Unless fading or stain-setting is a concern, hot will always outperform cold, regardless of what the detergent instructions says. At least that is my experience, opinion, and recommendation.
 
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