Microfiber care

[Inspector1]

For you folks using microfiber towels, I have found a simple way to keep them from getting to dirty between washing's.. I used to wash every time I used but I found that very time consuming..
I picked up an extra 2 Gallon bucket added some dawn and filled about half full of water. As I us up towels I just throw into the bucket and let them sit, this last batch has been a week, as they soak up the water and I add more towels I add more water.
Now the bucket is full and I will wash a load. It seems to work really well for keeping them clean and soft..

I1:)

[anysia]

cool, thanks for the idea!! i currently have a pile of assorted microfiber cloths and sponges that have taken up residence on top of the dryer in 2 piles, clean and "not so clean"....

[according2me]

The weather was so nice this weekend that I broke down and washed my car for the first time in 3 months. I'm still amazed at how much water those mf towels can wick away.

I broke out the cleaner wax also to attack the bug trails on my front bumper and hood. I had to work at it, but that's the price I had to pay for neglect these past few months.:)

My mf towels are only the Walmart cheapies and even they do a great job. If anyone wants to try mf to get an idea of their usefulness, Wallys has a 3 pack of small towels for a low price.

[Inspector1]

according2me


Did you pick up the big drying towel?? Those are pretty nice also.

I1:)

[according2me]

When I went to Wallys they only had the 3pack of smaller towels a year ago. I'll have to check again next time I go.

I grew up using chamois, but this mf stuff is great.

[anysia]

for some reason, i'm still preferring my real chamois to the mf chamois i bought recently. i generally use both to dry. i use the mf one to get rid of the bulk of the water, then finisht he job with the other.

but i absolutely love the mf for windows, interior cleaning, waxing, and polishing!! :)

[Inspector1]

IMO the Big Blue towel from CMA cannot be compaired to Chamois
I have 3 of the Absorbers and they have not been out of the cabinet since I purchased the Waffle weaves.
A chamois can collect minute particles and create a micro marring on finish. Having a Naples gold makes it harder to see but on a dark car it would stand out like a sore thumb!!

I1:)

[anysia]

don't worry i have plenty of other things to stand out on my car right now beyond micro scratches!! ;)

[according2me]

I've also been converted. I'll never buy chamois again. Even 2 of my small mf towels can dry my whole car without ringing them out.

I imagine the more expensive large waffle weave ones could probably dry 2 vehicles before having to ring them out.

[Inspector1]

Santa brought me some new cleaner for my Microfibers...
Microrestore. It really helps soften the towels. http://www.premiumautocare.com/micro-res16.html


I1:)

[RTexasF]

It might be good idea to point out a few things to those considering using microfibre towels that don't realize:

First off they are the best invention since a pocket on a shirt, printed money, and a Philly cheesesteak sandwich!

Second they must be washed seperately.

Third you NEVER use a dryer sheet or softener when drying them.

I use the Calfornia water blade to get the majority of the water off, then the absorber, then microfiber towels for the windows. The chamois were donated to the Monday morning trash pickup...

[Inspector1]

I have 3 Absorbers in the cabinet that never get used anymore.
After reading reviews from others and paying very close attention
(used a magnifier to look at closer). They have small pores that will pick up dirt and could scratch. I still use my California WB before final drying, I clean edges with a cleaner and fresh towel before each use.
After blading the only thing that touches the rest of the car is microfibers.
The Big Blue drying towels are the ultimate for drying.
They can be purchased at several on-line retailers.

http://www.premiumautocare.com/bigbliimich.html

http://www.properautocare.com/bigbludryint.html

On washing microfibers I am noticing that a major key is to make"Sure" they are rinsed out completely(No Soap residue!!!!)

I1:)

[Inspector1]

Originally posted by Inspector1
Santa brought me some new cleaner for my Microfibers...
Microrestore. It really helps soften the towels. http://www.premiumautocare.com/micro-res16.html


I1:)

I think the noticable softness come from less detergent(less cleaning power) Ran my last load with Tide He and the came out cleaner but I had to run 5 rinse cycles to remove soap suds completely! But just as soft!
Like stated in my previous post is rinse completely!!

I1:)

[RTexasF]

I like the size of the "Big Blue". I have 10 microfiber towels, and they work wonderfully, but they are only 16X16. Guess I'll have to add BB to the collection.

[Inspector1]

Yes the BB towels are great, I have 2(2 vehicles and just in case I would ever drop on the ground), plus I have 1 of the Wal-mart large towels and 12 of the small. They all see dirty duty(wheel openings, door, hood jambs and under hood) I have 30 of the 16x16 for polish duty and 2 for carnuba removal 20x30 4 window polishing clothes and 2 compound clothes. The Mrs. has about 20 like the Wal-mart ones for cleaning in the house.
I would like to get another batch of Dark green maybe 20 or so and I think I will be all set on Microfiber;)

I1:)

[Inspector1]

I keep them all dust free in their containers....

[RTexasF]

Cripes! You could open a store.

[Inspector1]

Take at least 3 of your towels and a small spray bottle of water and give to the Mrs. , then proceed to mist one side.
With a 16x16 I fold in 1/2 and then 1/2 again with the misted side out and proceed to dust the house..
I let her try them out and she handed me all her other dusting cloth's and told me to trash them. ;)

Another microfiber supporter is born:D

I1:)

[jakes29]

i bought 2 16 packs of mf towels from sams this weekend. They are great! I used to detail cars at a carwash and these are much better than the towels we used!!!

I gave my new accord that I have had for a week a fresh buff and wax thios weekend. I am getting ready to post a pic on here so everybody check it out.

The only problem I had was after I dressed my tires, my sponge was completely black! I guess my tires weren't as clean as I thought! Everybody go check out my new ride!!

[Inspector1]

Originally posted by jakes29
iThe only problem I had was after I dressed my tires, my sponge was completely black! I guess my tires weren't as clean as I thought!

What tire dressing are you using?? A petrolium based dressing will remove some of the dry rubber making your sponge black!

I1:)

[jakes29]

inspector,

I bought some wetnblack made by turtle wax. I have never used it before but thought I would give it a try. It was a silicone based product. Now I know. Thanks!;)

[anysia]

Originally posted by according2me
I've also been converted. I'll never buy chamois again. Even 2 of my small mf towels can dry my whole car without ringing them out.

I imagine the more expensive large waffle weave ones could probably dry 2 vehicles before having to ring them out.

i still haven't been converted to mf for drying... seems that the microfiber leaves a trace of water on my car and then results in spotting. the microfiber did appear to dry well on the ruby red civic the one time i used it, but the color of the car was much lighter.....

i haven't yet bought one of the large waffle weave mf though....

i still LOVE my mf for waxing/glazing/interior/dusting etc! :D just not for drying...... :(

[Inspector1]

The regular Microfibers are not good drying towels.....
Get a good Waffle weave and YOU 2 WILL BE CONVERTED!!:D :D

I1:)

[Inspector1]

I started noticing my Big Blue towels were just pushing water and not soaking it up.
All my other towels were getting weak also.
I have read where others have been boiling their towels for a couple minutes and removing any buildup on the fibers.
Last wash I tried out the sanitary cycle on my washer with the micros..
Wow big difference!!! All towels work like new. :banana:
My washer manual said that it heats the water to 167 F and it seems that is enough heat to get the towels fibers rejuvenated.
So that leads me to believe that the boiling technique should work also as well as soaking in very(165+F) HOT water.

Just a tip I wanted to pass along to you micro users!!

I1 :)

[RTexasF]

Good to know I1. I'll try that when mine start to act up.

Since this thread started I now have about 30-35 MF towels for various purposes. I found a trick similar to I1's that keeps them clean and not scattered about.

When I'm through washing the car, using the 2 bucket method, there are still plenty of clean suds remaining ( I use a 5 gallon wash bucket.) I take the dirty MF towels and throw them in the car wash bucket, add a bit more water and let them soak. It's amazing how much crap comes out of the towels just by soaking. A day or two later I wring them out a bit and abolish them to the Maytag. They come out great.

[RTexasF]

BTW I've also stopped using anything to dry other than the water blade and the Waffle Weave MF drying towels.

[SSMV6]

Just tried out the cheapy WalMart MF towels last week and my initial impresions left me VERY amazed! I couldn't believe how clean the car looked after I dried with a water blade and followed up with a MF towel! The car looked cleaner than the day I picked it up (if you can look past the paint chips and dings, of course)! The best part of it all is it doesn't drip while driving down the street after I "dry" it anymore! I could leave a dry towel in the car for the touchups (drips from the door handles, side mirrors, rolled down windows, etc).

Going to buy more towels for dedicated detailing purposes and leaving the Walmart MF towels for everyday usage (picking up the dirt on the door sills and engine bay, etc... :D

[Inspector1]

BTW I've also stopped using anything to dry other than the water blade and the Waffle Weave MF drying towels.
Watch that water blade it can scratch.. make sure you clean very well between uses. Its amazing how much dust and airborne debris will stick to the wet finish of a vehicle and then stick to the edge of the water blade....so be very careful.

I1 :)

[SSMV6]

I wipe the blade after every other pass on the car, so it won't have that much debris when I dry the car. I've used it for the past 8 years or so and it hasn't scratched my car yet! It's definately a timesaver. :thmsup: When I build up my collection of MF towels, I might end up abandoning the water blade, but time will tell... :)

[Inspector1]

I wipe the blade after every other pass on the car, so it won't have that much debris when I dry the car. I've used it for the past 8 years or so and it hasn't scratched my car yet! It's definately a timesaver. :thmsup: When I build up my collection of MF towels, I might end up abandoning the water blade, but time will tell... :)
:thmsup: :thmsup: Proper use gives the results expected :thmsup: :thmsup:

Here's (http://www.driveaccord.net/forums/showthread.php?t=2576) what I have been contemplating purchasing. For around 300 bucks I will have 500 gallons of spot free rinses.. No drying necessary :yes:
I did both vehicles this weekend and only used my BB Waffle to dry.

I1 :)

[Chris_B]

Hey I1, do you have any of these? They are Cobra microfiber towels. It seems to be a pretty good deal.

Link (http://www.autogeek.net/mitoco.html)

[Inspector1]

Hey I1, do you have any of these? They are Cobra microfiber towels. It seems to be a pretty good deal.

Link (http://www.autogeek.net/mitoco.html)


Don't have any of the Cobra brand per se.. I have some Viper towels which are very similar to the Cobras.. Good towels.

I just have a hard time paying 5 bucks a towel when $2 towels work fine for me.

I have not heard anyone say they did not like them!!

I1 :)

[Chris_B]

I just have a hard time paying 5 bucks a towel when $2 towels work fine for me.
I1 :)

Perhaps I have missed it but where do you get them for $2 each?

[Inspector1]

I usually buy in quantity.. from
here (http://www.winnerscircledetailingproducts.com/CandyPress/scripts/prodList.asp?idCategory=27) or here (http://www.vaporcleanproducts.com/microfiber.htm)

I1 :)