Microfiber is the way to go you say. So much better you say. Well I must be doing it wrong. All my microfiber picks up just about any speck of dirt or junk and wont let go. They are no better than grease rags at this point. The junk wont wash out and I am not going to pick every speck out by hand. Back to the bag of cotton rags for me......... What am I doing wrong. Is it the cheap microfiber I have got?
Im about done with microfiber
- Thread starter jacobsond
- Start date
I keep mine off the ground.... If i drop one it becomes a rag.
You need to keep them "sanitary" , wash alone with like micro using correct PH and buy the ones that are made for cars, the good ones not the ones at Wally World. If you are picking up these foreign things changing how you manage them will fix the main issue. Then buy good ones and never look back.
The entire detailing community uses microfiber. This would point right at you as the issue in this scenario. If you wipe a dirty surface the rag will get dirty, that's not unique to microfiber. It's not like you can just slap a terry towel and all the dirt falls out.
What you're doing wrong is getting them that dirty to begin with... what are you doing with them? Most of my microfibers do little more than touch clean paint. Any rags that touch typical car dirt (the fine stuff, not big chunks or grease) come clean just fine. Anything that touches grease or nasty nasty funk gets washed and relegated to interior towels or wheel wells etc.
The rags I use for ONR washes come clean every time.
I purchase the Costco microfiber towels. They are fantastic.
Sam_Julier
$50 Site Donor 2024
I wash my Griots’s MF and cotton towels regularly with their wax removal solution. No issues with absorbency.
They're great towels, especially for the price. MyRide towels from BJ's are good as well if you can find them with the orange label.
I recommend Autofiber.
TRC has gone full Chemical Guys with their marketing and their costs are higher than they use to be.
same issue here..... everyone on YouTube and forums always seem to have clean microfibers, even if they are years old. I always get some stuff stuck in the fibers, which even with a brush is hard to remove. And I'm surely not going to remove them with needle nose pliers.
Consequently I've thrown out all my long nap microfibers (stuff trapped in there stays trapped) and kept only the ones with the shortest piles which greatly reduces the stuck particle issue.
I used normal detergent, special microfiber detergent and sport clothing detergent. All work fine, sport clothing detergent and special MF detergent are better.
I find that sometimes the dryer kicks out some dirt of the towels that has been lingering around after washing.
I used to use high quality cotton towels years ago, they tend to get hard after a while, but they never have particles stuck in them, they always come out clean. And I mean clean.
Consequently I've thrown out all my long nap microfibers (stuff trapped in there stays trapped) and kept only the ones with the shortest piles which greatly reduces the stuck particle issue.
I used normal detergent, special microfiber detergent and sport clothing detergent. All work fine, sport clothing detergent and special MF detergent are better.
I find that sometimes the dryer kicks out some dirt of the towels that has been lingering around after washing.
I used to use high quality cotton towels years ago, they tend to get hard after a while, but they never have particles stuck in them, they always come out clean. And I mean clean.
I wonder if you buy them cheap enough, if it matters. Mark them with marker for every time you use them, and then cycle them out. Or change their intended usage, first use is on super clean cars, then second on not quite, and so forth. Nothing lasts forever.
I'm waiting to see how my wallyworld ones last. My cars pick up a lot of sand, and I'm sure once I oil coat again they will pick that up too. At some point I might spring for better MF.
I'm waiting to see how my wallyworld ones last. My cars pick up a lot of sand, and I'm sure once I oil coat again they will pick that up too. At some point I might spring for better MF.
I have a collection of old cotton bath towels for removing wax. I only use the microfibre towels for cleaning chores now. I found they take off too much freshly applied wax.
Another thing to consider is contamination. Once you clean a wheel or wipe down and engine that microfiber should really never see paint again, washed or not. I have a 2 tier system. Only new microfibers for paint. Second use will be for wheels and anything else.
I know its me along with the cheap microfiber. The microfiber does not have a special place and treated gingerly. Im 60yrs old been using cotton without really any issues. Im not going to go very far to treat the microfiber like its that special. I keep my cars clean and driven. They are not showpieces in any way. Maybe Ill get a couple good microfiber rags for that special occasion. I think I am a cotton guy.
You always need to look over your towels before you wipe down. A few years ago I had washed my black truck and went to touch up some water that had run down on the rear fender, and grabbed a microfiber to wipe it down. I was shocked when I noticed it was all scratched to heck. Looked at the towel and it somehow had a red Scotchbrite pad stuck to it like it was a magnet. It buffed out though. I have found metal shavings stuck to them after looking them over before I use them.
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That doesn't make any sense
Yeah OP, you’re not handling them properly I suspect.
I keep mine segregated by usage. Yellow is for exterior, black is for interior, and green are for wheels. This helps minimize the grime that could build up from the wheels then get transferred to interior, as an example. It also minimizes the potential of getting product intended for one part of the vehicle from getting transferred to another.
I keep mine segregated by usage. Yellow is for exterior, black is for interior, and green are for wheels. This helps minimize the grime that could build up from the wheels then get transferred to interior, as an example. It also minimizes the potential of getting product intended for one part of the vehicle from getting transferred to another.
Microfiber towels are just tools. They more or less have a specific purpose. I use mine for cleaning windows, removing wax, applying spray waxes, quick detailer and waterless wash. I DO NOT use them for drying cars. I use an electric leaf blower for drying. We have some cheap ones to use for household purposes. I keep the good ones for the cars and nothing else.
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