Towel Cleaning / Care

 Micro Fibre Towels

Three types of energy are required;

1.  Chemical energy- provided by the synthetic cleaner

2. Mechanical energy - (agitation) provide by machine or hand

3. Thermal energy -provided by warm or hot water; heated water breaks down water-soluble soiling faster as it reduces overall chemical usage because it reduces the surface tension.

Before using any towels for the first time;

·         Remove labels / tags

·         Check for towel colour fastness before washing

·         Wash towels before using to remove chemical sizing (used to plump up fibres)

·         Use a liquid detergent (or a speciality product like Micro-Restore high efficiency (HE) washer safe) without softener, bleach, whiteners.

A Microfiber towel is made from polyester nylon (a scrubbing fibre) and /polyamide (an absorbing fibre), these microscopic loops, which form a network of tiny hooks, scrubbing away dirt and grime while trapping it within the weave, the reason polyester appears to absorb liquids is the many thousands of micro fibres that collectively encapsulate liquids

Be cognizant that although most of us consider Microfiber to be almost indestructible it needs proper care to ensure it keeps working the way it should and to maintain its durability.  The nature of this yarn is that it is an absorbent; the reason polyester appears to absorb liquids is the many thousands of micro fibres that collectively encapsulate liquids and chemicals (solvents, wax, polymers, and etc).

The detergent used to clean them must be strong enough to remove the chemicals without harming the fibres. The methods used for towel drying are equally important, high heat plus the agitation of an automatic dryer can round the edges of the microscopic hooks, rendering them ineffective

HE Washing Machine

Before using Washing Machine

To ensure that the washing machine has no residual detergent or fabric softener; rise the machine drum with a 1:3 solution of washing liquid (with no bleach) / distilled white vinegar, clean about every 2-3 months

Car care products can get left behind in the drum; so run a cleaning cycle before and another once you’ve finished washing your micro fibre towels, using hot water, some liquid detergent and distilled white vinegar.

(HE) Washing Machine Maintenance

Wash towels on hottest setting (sanitary cycle, max time, extra rinse) Modern high-efficiency washer’s use less water and seal more tightly than older, less-efficient machines, these washers are more prone to residue build-up. To address this issue, Whirlpool pioneered the development of Affresh tablets, a simple, powerful and universal solution. All brands of HE washing machines have the potential for mould and mildew stains if not properly cleaned on a regular basis.

To ensure maximum performance, appliance manufacturers recommend a monthly maintenance and cleaning routine. Many cleaning products currently on the market with ingredients such as bleach adequately maintain the washer, but results may vary and are not always consistent.

Used every 4-8 weeks (dependent upon machine usage) it will prevents odour-causing residues from accumulating, although heavily soiled washers may require repeated treatments to remove traces of odour and residue. In this case, Whirlpool recommends running three successive washer cleaning cycles with an Affresh tablet in each.

Wash Towels after use

Always wash towels as soon as possible after use, the longer they sit the more the contaminants will set. The chemicals used in car care products will negatively affect the fibres structural integrity and weaken them, shortening their useful life. Residual chemicals will cause streaking, whereas dried chemicals will cause scratches.

Do not use bleach or high alkaline cleaning products as they will shorten the life of your micro fibre.  Read the label on the detergent bottle and use half of what they recommend and use hot water (120.^oF)

Do not wash different types of towels together. And always wash each colour separately; never wash white towels with colours.

Glass Drying Towels

Towels used for cleaning glass should always be washed separately to ensure there is no cross contamination of oils, waxes and etc as this is the one of the causes of glass streaking

Washing – use these towels exclusively for glass and wash them with hot water (no detergents) and one cup vinegar (Heinz® All Natural Cleaning Vinegar) the vinegar doesn't coat the fibres but instead works to eliminate detergent residue and the acid counteracts any alkaline minerals in the water supply. Vinegar (Acetic acid, pH 2) works well in the rinse cycle to make your towels softer. Any kind of laundry soap will leave residue that remains in the micro-fibre, which will then leave streaks, smears or haze.

Rinsing – after washing them in vinegar, re-wash with just clean water ... just to be 100% sure there's no soap residue in the micro-fibres use baking soda (Church and Dwight Arm & Hammer™) add 1/2 cup to the rinse cycle to freshen towels

Drying

Air dry or use low heat machine dry

Refresh Towels

Over time, towels build up detergent residue, leaving them unable to absorb as much water. Refresh them by washing them once with hot water and one cup vinegar, then a second time with hot water and half cup sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO₃) or baking soda (Church and Dwight - Arm & Hammer™). This strips the residue and leaves them fresh and restores their absorbency.

Lint

Nothing removes lint out of the towel (new or used) better than a few spin dryer cycles. Washing also makes your new towels softer and more absorbent. A good first wash formula is 1 cup of distilled white vinegar with a half cup of detergent. This will help release lint, break towels in, and keep them fresh. It is also useful to soak new towels in a cup of ammonia and several gallons of warm water. This will dissolve any oils or treatments in the fabric that inhibit absorbency. Another good wash formula is 1 cup of ammonia with a half cup of detergent.

Washer Loading

Do not overload the machine, use just enough for a good medium sized load, and remember that micro fibre towels hole ~ seven times its weight of water, so by using too many they will not be cleaned effectively. A large washing machine can   usually accommodate 35 – 40 medium sized towels

Washing / Care Directions

Heat acts as a catalyst promoting quicker reactions between chemicals and the soil thereby minimizing dwell time. Warm or hot water helps dissolve grease and oil in soil, agitation or hand rubbing helps pull the soil free. This concentrated aqueous formula is a special blend of surfactants, emulsifiers, chelating agents and water softeners.

Pre-Soak Towels

Micro fibre towels can "load-up" with residues reducing their effectiveness. Don't let polish residues dry in the fibres as dried hardened product can cause scratches and product chemicals can negatively affect the fibres

Once you have finished detailing with the towel, allow it to soak in a bucket with approx 0.5 oz per gallon water and a d-limonene (citrus) based cleaner P21S®® Total Auto Wash. Or use Optimum Power Clean™ diluted 2:1 (or stronger) with distilled water) or a micro fibre detergent (Micro-Restore).

This will make it easier to clean and prolong the life of the towel as any chemicals that could potentially harm the fibres are removed sooner, keep in mind that excessive use of powerful degreasers may eventually damage the fabric. When you are ready to clean them, rinse well, machine-wash and leave to air-dry

·         Wash / Rinse after using and before you use a different product (i.e. don’t use to remove polish and then apply wax) to avoid cross contamination

·         Always wash towels separately from other fabrics using hot water, the primary consideration is detergent residue so always use a detergent that is clean-rinsing

·         Wash drying towels separate from wax/polish towels

·         Washing your towels on a regular basis without allowing them get too soiled, they will last much longer

·         Some detergents contain enzymes, which don't work well in cold water.

·         Woolite® is intended for delicate fabrics and fine washables such as lingerie and cashmere sweaters, so it won’t remove polish or car care products

·         Soak towels in Sodium carbonate (also known as washing soda or soda crystals) or Optimum Power Clean™ as it  effectively removes oil and  grease

·         As a pre-spotter: dilute 1 part concentrates with 3 parts hot water, apply to stain and launder as usual.

·         Do not overload washer or dryer; it causes your towels’ fibres to weaken and lint

·         Waxes and polymer sealants are not water soluble; they dry and adhere to the towels fibres. Cold water will simply allow them to remain in a solid state and not completely wash off.

·         Hot water, however, allows them to soften and loosen from the threads and allows the detergent to act as it should and lift the contaminants from the fabric. 

Use medium heat, 104 .^oF (40.^o C)  and add 1-2 ounces to a standard size (8 gallon) load, for larger loads or heavily soiled laundry

·         Use a liquid detergent (or a speciality product like Micro-Restore high efficiency (HE) washer safe) without softener, bleach, whiteners.

·         If possible buy the versions that are perfume and additive free as all these do is chemically coat the fabric and reduce its efficiency. 

·         Using half the washing detergents manufacturers suggested amount is usually sufficient

·         During the rinse cycle add 1-tsb per towel white distilled vinegar (acetic acid that  once diluted with water, the acid content is approximately 3-4% of the total solutions) this will help dissolve detergent and hard water minerals. Vinegar (Acetic acid, pH=2) works well in the rinse cycle to make your towels softer. Detergent is an alkaline (pH=12, the opposite of acidic on the pH scale).

When you wash your towels (or anything for that matter) there are small amounts of detergent left behind, when your add Vinegar it balances the pH of the solution and helps removes the excess detergent from the wash.

·         Do not use fabric softeners (includes both liquid and dryer sheet type fabric softeners) as they deposit chemicals (silicone, etc) on the fabric and render them ineffective. These chemicals will also transfer to whatever you are cleaning or polishing with the towel.

·         Clean the lint screen before and after every wash session

Over time you may find your micro fibre’s effectiveness decreases, despite following all of the above guidelines, this may be due to wax / polish build-up. To remedy try one of the following -

1.      Wash the microfiber for one full wash cycle normally. Then wash again, except this time open the lid and let it soak overnight. In the morning, close the lid and let the cycle finish.

2.      Wash the microfiber for one full wash cycle normally. Then wash again, but instead of laundry detergent, add 1/2 cup of white vinegar to the load (assuming a medium to full size load). Run the cycle normally

3.      If your towels lose their absorbency, try boiling them to dissolve product and release the fibres. Drain the water before removing the towel(s) otherwise residues will be re-deposited (melting point Polymer / Polyester 490. °F (255. °C).

Stubborn dirt – soak overnight in a solution of hot water and P21S®® Total Auto Wash or Optimum Power Clean ™) Be cognizant that towels do not have a finite  life; at some point the only remedy is replacement

Micro-Restore - because most detergents and laundry soaps have some form of optical fabric brighteners (Z)-Stilbene or fabric softener included in their formulas. Over time bleach breaks down the micro-fibres, and fabric softeners clog the microscopic pours that make microfiber so effective, rendering the microfiber product less effective with each washing.

Micro-Restore is superior for treating, cleaning and preparing microfibers because it is a powerful degreaser strong detergent with the absence of bleach and fabric softeners, it also breaks down heavy wax, oil and grease.

It will extend the life of your microfiber, due to its special blend of chelating agents, surfactants, and builders will more effectively remove the heavy residue (wax, oil, grease, break dust, and other chemicals) that becomes implanted in microfiber products. This product doesn’t contain any harsh chemicals that could be detrimental to HE washing machines

Directions: Add 2 ounces to standard size (8 gallon) loads. For larger loads or heavily soiled laundry, add 3-6 ounces. As a pre-spotter; us a 1:3 distilled water solution.

Towel Storage

I would recommend storing clean / dry towels into a sealed dust-free environment whilst not in use. Lidded plastic storage boxes are ideal in this respect like those rubber/plastic ones with the snap on lids. You can also store clean / dry towels in a Ziploc® Brand Storage Bag. Worth repeating store DRY towels only, otherwise they will attract mould fungus

Debris Caught in Fibres

Micro fibre towels are designed to hold onto various types of contaminants that can scratch a prized car; they need to be inspected after each washing, especially if there is any chance they might have been dropped or picked up some tree particles from the car. You could try using a tack cloth to pick out small particulates from the fibres. Even if your towels have never been dropped, if you wash them with towels that have, debris is potentially inside the washing machine drum

Lint or Fibre Shedding

Quality Microfiber towels are split to produce millions of tiny fibre “hooks" on the surface of the towel. If the weave is too broad or the pile is too high, some of these fibres break off when the towel is used. Fibre shedding can be caused by a myriad of factors and it’s not an uncommon to experience, if a towel starts to shed fibres excessively then there is a problem that should be resolved

This can be excessive if the manufacturer is trying to produce an inexpensive, split towel and is using a wide weave to reduce the amount of Polyester / Polyamide in the towel (the most common ration 70 /30%) Washing the towels before being used will help alleviate problem lint, also clean the lint screen before and after every wash session (See “Washing / Care Directions)

Do not overload washer or dryer; it causes your towels’ fibres to weaken and lint, the mechanical agitation of a tumble dryer may cause the fibres to weaken and cause them to break free or lint. Given the above, over time towels will lint

Nothing will remove lint out of a new towel better than a few spin cycles in the dryer. Washing also makes your towels softer and more absorbent.

Remember to clean the lint trap before and after each drying cycle. A good wash formula is 1 cup of white vinegar with ½ cup of detergent. This will help release lint, break the towels in, and keep them fresh.

It is also useful to soak new towels in a cup of ammonia and several gallons of warm water. This will dissolve any oils or treatments in the fabric that inhibit absorbency. Another good wash formula is 1 cup of ammonia with ½ of detergent. Keep in mind that colour dyed towels, because of chemical penetration into the fibre, are less absorbent than non-dyed towels.

Drying

Air dry or use low / medium heat in a tumble dryer, adding two ‘Dryer Ball’ will help plump up the fibres, when they are ‘almost’ dry remove and allow to air dry, shake and then fold them for storage’ Some towels with bound edges are not suitable to be high heat dried, typically those with satin or stitched edges as they tend to shrink, pulling the towelling fabric

Notes:

1.      Lint or fibre shedding – a dryer ball (Life Miracle® Dryer System™) seem to help as they fluff up the fibres and lessen the static that is the main cause of Microfibers trapping lint. Lint may also be trapped in the machine’s lint screen and its being transferred o the towel.

2.      For problematic wax only towels - try using very cold water to make the solidified wax brittle, then wash with hot again.

3.      Mixing Fabrics - Do not wash micro fibre cloths / towels with other non- micro fibre fabrics, as they will pick up lint from other fabrics. Air dry or you can dry micro fibre cloths / towels in any dryer on low heat, remove them before they are still damp (cuts down on static charge) Colours may bleed during first washing

4.      Static – to avoid static build-up remove towels from machine while they are still a little damp and air-dry

5.      Melting point - of polyester 480 – 570.^OF (250-300°C) so hot drying will not harm its fibres

Fabric Softeners

Do not use fabric softener (most contain silicone that the towel will adsorb and clog the fibres thereby reducing their effectiveness) fabric softeners work by coating the surface of the cloth fibres with a thin layer of chemicals, a towel will also treat the fabric softener as if it was dirt by trying to store the tiny particles of the softener in the towel fibres. This will clog up the fibres and render the towel ineffective.

Add a teaspoon per towel distilled white vinegar in place of a softener in the final rinse cycle, the vinegar instead works to eliminate detergent residue and the acid counteracts any alkaline minerals in the water supply. Do not use vinegar in every wash as it is a cationic (hydrogen ions bind to the anionic groups on the fibres) the disadvantage of coating fibres by hydrophobic layer is in decreasing the absorption properties of the fabric.

Vinegar (Acetic acid, pH 2) works well in the rinse cycle to make your towels softer. Detergent is an alkaline (pH=12, the opposite of acidic on the pH scale).When you wash your towels (or anything for that matter) there are small amounts of detergent left behind, when you add Vinegar it balances the pH of the solution and helps removes the excess detergent from the wash.

 Streaking or Non-Absorbent

·         This could be due to the polymers used in quick detailers (QD) or drying aid sprays, use vinegar in the final rinse

·         If a micro fibre towel tends to ‘streak’ or is no longer absorbent; boil the towels in water / distilled white vinegar (1/4-cup / gal) solution for at least 20 minute, this will soften the fibres, and release any wax / polish residue. This will also release any lint, which will actually come to the surface of the water.

·         Pre-soak in a liquid detergent / water and then squeeze out wax/polish with your hands and rinse thoroughly.

·         Allow micro fibre towels to boil for twenty (20) minutes (ensure that water does not fully evaporate) you will find that more wax / polish residue comes out even after a towel has been thoroughly washed.

Empty out the water and then remove the towel, don't do it the other way or you'll re-introduce residue to the towel

The melting point of nylon is ~ 493.^oF (256 °C) so boiling will not harm its fibres (however high heat may affect the material used for binding the edges)

Relevant Articles

1.      TOGWT® Autopia Detailing Wiki articles - http://www.autopia.org/forum/autopia-detailing-wiki/136815-togwt%AE-detailing-articles-index-hyperlinks.html

I hope these TOGWT Detailing Wiki articles will become an asset to anyone who is new to detailing and to the professionals; enthusiast detailer’s and industry experts who seek to advance their knowledge of detailing entry level enthusiast, but to professionals and industry experts as well.