Washing Microfiber Towels After Waxing
What is Microfiber?
Good quality Microfiber towels are the most important of a detailer's tools. In constant use applying and removing wax they need to be cared for properly. Understanding just how they work will help you appreciate how to look after them.
Microfiber is combination of polyester and polymide and with its fine fibers it is able to pick up microscopic particles much easier than any other type of cloth. Combine this with super absorbing qualities and you have the ideal car cleaning towel!
Not just for waxing but for pre-wax drying and buffing off.
The Polyester portion of the fiber acts as the picking up agent whilst the Polymide absorbs. A typical ratio at which these are mixed to provide ease of cleaning is 70/30 which means 70% Polyester and 30% Polymide. The ratio can vary such as 80/20, this ratio will pick up more wax but not absorb so much water.
Waxing TIP! Always remove the labels before using! This ensure no nasty cotton or nylon fibers are left all over your car!
Grams per Square Metre
Another factor to consider along with the Polyester/Polymide ratio is the thickness or weight of the towel. This is measured in grams per square meter (GSM).
A typical weight is 300-350 GSM and is the usual 70/30% ratio. Below this weight we have the 150-200 GSM which are ideal for cleaning wheels and lower again we have what are termed as "Window clothes" or "glass towels".
At the other end of the spectrum we have the over 400 GSM super plush towels which we consider rather too long and lack picking up qualities but can be used to good effect with spray waxes
FINE gsm
Perfect glass clothes
$
14.98
300 GSM Reg
Industry Standard
$
14.75
400 GSM Plush
Plush Durable Towel
$
19.99
Washing Microfiber Towels
To give your microfiber towels the best finish in preparation for their next call to action firstly sort them out into groups of really dirty, dirty and not so dirty. This way you will not be washing cleaner towels in the water of dirty towels.
Wash them in their groups starting with the cleanest. This will again give the cleaner towels the best chance of staying that way rather than being deposited into a half dirty washer lived with wax deposits from the earlier batch.
While those are going through the cycle it can be a good idea to soak the heavily soiled ones in a bucket of water to loosen the grip of the grim! Also clean the washer out after the last batch especially if you are using the household machine!
Detergent granules stick to Microfiber!
As for detergent DO NOT use powder as the granules will just stick in the microfibers and create more problems with swirls etc on the next use. Use a liquid detergent and the cheapest level with the least fancy additives in is often the best choice.
When loading do not over the washer, pour the detergent in and use "Heavy Load" size, Super wash with Max water. Normal fast wash spin cycle works well with a warm cold temperature. It is worth noting it can be best to run a cycle empty before putting the towels in.
Going back to the GSM thickness grades it is best to wash the finer window towels separate but the others can be mixed.
Drying microfibers is the Big Issue!
Here we have the biggest problem with damage to microfiber towels, its in the drying process that the most damage to the fine fiber's can be done!
The issue is the amount of heat to use and its NOT TOO MUCH, this a very important pint please understand.
Use a low heat for 30-40 minutes. This will prevent damage to the fine microfiber that does the picking up of the dirt particles.
To check the effectiveness of a microfiber towel run it across your hand.
This should result in the microfiber slightly gripping your skin as they grab hold of the grooves.
To see how much damage and loss of effectiveness can be done, run an old towel on a hot dry cycle and the run it across your hand to see how much grip is lost. You will be amazed!
This experiment will serve you well in remembering not to dry them on HOT!
Follow the above rules to keep your towels in the best possible condition as they are your contact with the car and go along way to giving your the best possible results!