[keg97]

I've noticed many of my microfiber towels are losing their water absorbency. Instead of soaking in the water, it usually just pushes it around the body panel.

All of my car wash towels and mitts are washed with each other and nothing else. I don't wash them with fabric softener or dry them with dryer sheets.

Our typical detergent is either Tide High Efficiency liquid detergeant or Kirkland's (Costco) same product.

I've even tried using a specific microfiber towel wash from Chemical Guys and am still having the same issue with water absorbency.

Am I doing something wrong? Using the wrong products? Suggestions for what I should use? Thanks!

[Westside Guy]

I have been using the Chemical Guys product and my microfiber towels are still holding up. I think that after multiple washes any microfiber towel will lose some absorbency.

[BroDoze]

This stuff rocks. Mine are holding up great with it.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001TJXWH4...n_title_1&th=1

[MaineSport]

P&S Rags to Riches is supposed to be great stuff as well. I'm just washing mine with zero detergent and drying for now. I need to try it to see if it makes a difference.

[keg97]

Originally Posted by Westside Guy

I have been using the Chemical Guys product and my microfiber towels are still holding up. I think that after multiple washes any microfiber towel will lose some absorbency.

Interesting! So that is what I'm using and it's not working.

How much do you use? I presume you put it in the normal detergent reservoir. What cycle are you running the washing machine on? I'm typically putting it through the sanitize cycle.

[Westside Guy]

Originally Posted by keg97

Interesting! So that is what I'm using and it's not working.

How much do you use? I presume you put it in the normal detergent reservoir. What cycle are you running the washing machine on? I'm typically putting it through the sanitize cycle.

I use the measurements written on the bottle and use a hot water delicate setting. I then use a lower heat setting for the dryer and if they’re still damp, I put them on a drying rack. I don’t cremate my towels in the dryer.

[stbm5]

you can damage towels drying them at high heat. always dry on lowest setting. also, they just dont last forever.

[keg97]

Well that's another thing I'm doing incorrectly then. I'm drying them on the highest temperature.

Thanks all!

[Tejas1836]

I use the Rags to Riches and dry high heat and they come out super soft and highly absorbant

[keg97]

Originally Posted by stbm5

you can damage towels drying them at high heat. always dry on lowest setting. also, they just dont last forever.

I was making the assumption they'd lose absorbency over time and some of the towels were lower quality to begin with. Those are for the wheels! But some of the others are not old and are higher quality. That's what threw me, even after using the Chemical Guys solution, I was still having issues.

Again- appreciate the feedback!

[Westside Guy]

Originally Posted by Tejas1836

I use the Rags to Riches and dry high heat and they come out super soft and highly absorbant

We will have to agree to disagree on this point, using high heat is dangerous to any material including microfibers.

[BroDoze]

LOW and SLOW …

[Tejas1836]

Originally Posted by Westside Guy

We will have to agree to disagree on this point, using high heat is dangerous to any material including microfibers.

Maybe I have higher quality towels?

[Westside Guy]

Originally Posted by Tejas1836

Maybe I have higher quality towels?

It has nothing to do with the quality, I was in the fabric business all of my life and a cardinal rule in dealing with material was never use extremely high heat.

I use CARPRO's DHydrate high-quality microfiber towels, except for cleaning the wheels.

From Carpro's website, "Microfiber towels should only be washed with other microfiber towels. If you wash with other types of fabrics like cotton, etc, the microfiber will retain lint from those fabrics. Wash with microfiber detergent which contains everything you want and nothing you do not. NEVER use fabric softeners or dryer sheets. When drying either hang dry or dry on a very low heat cycle and never leave them in the dryer long enough to heat up. A dry microfiber that is heated to a certain point melts and becomes a danger to paint."

[Mech Spec]

Just use regular no additive Tide detergent. It's the best detergent made and RebrandGuys cant hold a candle to its efficacy.

Dry on like low heat air fluff into hang dry.

[bosstones]

Originally Posted by Tejas1836

Maybe I have higher quality towels?

It's not so much that the towel will lose whatever quality it has for its intended purpose (eg drying vs buffing) as it is risking marring from the synthetic fibers having melted from too much heat. Is that guaranteed to happen, no, but it can and there is some temperature variability btwn appliance brands (i.e. dryers) when drying and what constitutes 'hot' for hot water when washing.

That's why it is generally recommended to not use hot water or high heat when washing/drying MF towels.

For OP, I use Rags to Riches with a proportioner. I got the larger size since it is more exonomical and was the only size available at a reasonable price when I bought it. Cold or warm water to wash (depending on what I used the towels for). For drying, low heat and/or air dry.

I try the choose what type weaves I use for simplicity as I have neither the time nor patience to separate different weaves based on type and purpose for washing. As an example, I like waffle weaves for cleaning glass but they'll collect lint from other towels, so mixing them isn't a good idea. I find general purpose MF towels will carry lint less and still adequately clean glass so that's my 'window' go-to since I'll use general purpose towels for other things when cleaning a car. Thus it is more efficient to wash afterwards (vs 1-2 waffle towels).

That was more info than asked for.

[Tejas1836]

Originally Posted by bosstones

It's not so much that the towel will lose whatever quality it has for its intended purpose (eg drying vs buffing) as it is risking marring from the synthetic fibers having melted from too much heat. Is that guaranteed to happen, no, but it can and there is some temperature variability btwn appliance brands (i.e. dryers) when drying and what constitutes 'hot' for hot water when washing.

That's why it is generally recommended to not use hot water or high heat when washing/drying MF towels.

For OP, I use Rags to Riches with a proportioner. I got the larger size since it is more exonomical and was the only size available at a reasonable price when I bought it. Cold or warm water to wash (depending on what I used the towels for). For drying, low heat and/or air dry.

I try the choose what type weaves I use for simplicity as I have neither the time nor patience to separate different weaves based on type and purpose for washing. As an example, I like waffle weaves for cleaning glass but they'll collect lint from other towels, so mixing them isn't a good idea. I find general purpose MF towels will carry lint less and still adequately clean glass so that's my 'window' go-to since I'll use general purpose towels for other things when cleaning a car. Thus it is more efficient to wash afterwards (vs 1-2 waffle towels).

That was more info than asked for.

That's for sure, as does for ovens. The best way that I have found to asses for snags, rough towels [or anything] is to brush them with the back of my hand or the volar surface of my wrist

[tracer bullet]

I don't have specific advice but will say I soak everything in a combo of dish soap and rags-to-riches overnight, then wash with laundry detergent but no softener, and lastly dry on a medium heat setting. So far so good.

if you use any MF's with a spray on ceramic, I'd keep them to do that job or start cleaning door jambs with them or around the house stuff. They do tend to lose absorbency after a few times.

[louielouie]

Originally Posted by keg97

Well that's another thing I'm doing incorrectly then. I'm drying them on the highest temperature.

Thanks all!

Drying them at the highest temp causes the microfiber strands to melt and shrivel up which is what's causing your loss of absorbency. Another issue is regular detergent can be too harsh on microfiber. You likely won't get them back to their original state if dried on hot and melted the strands.

It would probably be best to buy some new ones, and maintain those. Use MF towel detergent, wash them on hot and dry them on low.

[chassis]

I wash microfiber towels in the normal laundry, then dry in the dryer. All good.

[Murf the Surf]

I wash and dry them with the regular wash and when they go for a crap I buy new ones, they're pretty cheap. That's about $6 USD, probably less than you guys are spending on special detergent.

[tracer bullet]

Originally Posted by Murf the Surf

they're pretty cheap

Those are great towels, I have a dozen or so in green. I like them for windows and even use them in the house. When they go bad I move them to oil change and similar duties and cut a corner off of them first so I know not to bother washing them again.

However i think most folks are talking towels more like these, double the size and a lot more plush: https://adamspolishes.com/products/a...19941438718049

I've only bought the 12 pack once at about $5 USD per towel. Not cheap but they've been great. No issues with "normal" use or washing, and if they've seen some ceramic removal they too get a corner cut off and see new jobs afterwards.

On a related note I'll probably get some of these once I start to run low on the bigger, plush ones: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...LVBY446LD&th=1