Problem with Microfiber Towels

Status
Not open for further replies.
W

Winston

Joined
Apr 7, 2005
Messages
1,904
Location
Bay Area, CA
So, I have a stack of microfiber towels that I got at Costco. They worked great the first time. Now, after I wash them they seem to repel the water until I get them damp. I do not use fabric softener. What is the deal? I like the rags, but it takes 5 minutes to "break them in" after I wash them.
mad.gif
 
Better off with better quality microfiber towels over Costco's.

Wash them separately. Liquid fabric softener free detergent in warm water. Dry on delicate setting.
 
I washed mine seperately last time twice in warm water with dish soap and laundry det, triple warm rinsed and let air dry. some even use vinegar in the wash/rinse to help clean that last bit.
 
So is it detergent residue?

Regarding the Costco brand towel. Why don't you think it is a quality product? Costco=low markup. Costco does not equal low quality.
 
Quote:

Quote:

So is it detergent residue?

Regarding the Costco brand towel. Why don't you think it is a quality product? Costco=low markup. Costco does not equal low quality.

Click to expand...


When compared to these they are...

http://www.dftowel.com/ordertowels.html

http://www.dftowel.com/care.html

Click to expand...


The care section from the above site tells you not to use special micro fiber cleaners. I have found that the sonus stuff at autopia.org works better than the Tide HE stuff I use in my high efficiency washer.

This Stuff works for me

It made a difference to me, might be worth a try. If it doesn't work for your microfiber towels, you can use it as a soak on your wax application towels. It breaks down wax very well. I soak my Porter Cable pads in it for 30 minutes and all I need to do is rinse them after wards.

The stuff is expensive but it goes a long way. I use about 1/2 ounce per load since I have a water softener.
 
Quote:

Quote:

Quote:

So is it detergent residue?

Regarding the Costco brand towel. Why don't you think it is a quality product? Costco=low markup. Costco does not equal low quality.

Click to expand...


When compared to these they are...

http://www.dftowel.com/ordertowels.html

http://www.dftowel.com/care.html

Click to expand...


The care section from the above site tells you not to use special micro fiber cleaners. I have found that the sonus stuff at autopia.org works better than the Tide HE stuff I use in my high efficiency washer.

This Stuff works for me

It made a difference to me, might be worth a try. If it doesn't work for your microfiber towels, you can use it as a soak on your wax application towels. It breaks down wax very well. I soak my Porter Cable pads in it for 30 minutes and all I need to do is rinse them after wards.

The stuff is expensive but it goes a long way. I use about 1/2 ounce per load since I have a water softener.

Click to expand...


Sonus has some nice microfiber waffle weave towels too.

With microfiber towel,you get what you pay for.
 
Yes, those towells look great. However, while I care about my vehicles, they are not show cars. I feel good buying at Costco, where I can be assured that nothing is marked up more than 14%, usually more like 10%.

I suspect is is a problem with the detergent, since it most likely has dyes and fragrances in it. After all, for a fragrance to work, it must leave something behind on the towel.
 
Quote:

Yes, those towells look great. However, while I care about my vehicles, they are not show cars. I feel good buying at Costco, where I can be assured that nothing is marked up more than 14%, usually more like 10%.

I suspect is is a problem with the detergent, since it most likely has dyes and fragrances in it. After all, for a fragrance to work, it must leave something behind on the towel.

Click to expand...


True.
I'm anal about my vehicles so I tend to pay more for products.
Test your microfiber by wiping hard on a CD.If you see scratches then don't use that microfiber on the paint.
 
costco may not always equal low quality, but their products may still not be up to snuff. I love micofiber towels for drying dishes, for example. I got some waffled ones from pak shak online, which are way higher quality than Id need - but I threw them in the order as I was buying a bunch of thers for car work, etc.

The 'cheaper' ones that you see at costco, etc. will work great and be fine, but will have a harder strng at the outer edge sewing, and the sewing at said edge itself will be more prone to scratching. The good ones use special materials and are finished especially well to prevent any chance of marks from the underchecked sections of the towel.

I use a special microfiber cleaner. Fr the ones that I use to buff car way, I use soap that cuts wax... for the rest, i use microfiber toel cleaner, and hand wash - so that whatever I was wiping with it does not contaminate the washing machine, etc. with residue, and I have better control.

Call me anal, but that is what Ive read the recomendations to be... Ive washed some in the machine with non-softening detergent, and this seems to be OK too... the biggest concern IIRC is not drying them any other way than by hanging on a line.

JMH
 
I forgot to add that I do have both the Sonus microfiber towels and the Costco ones. I agree with the above comments that you do get what you pay for, but the yellow Costco ones still work good for me. I like them because I have enough to fill one load in the washer (I think 3 packages) so I am not wasting soap/water/energy. They work well for me, so I am going to say that I believe it is the soap (as you already suspect).

The Sonus microfiber drying towels are simply awesome. They are absorbant and are durable. I generally use the costco ones with my quickdetailer (to remove a bird bomb, or to shine up the bikes a little).

Don't ever mix those towels with anything else though. Somehow one of them got in the "white cotton rag" bin and it was amazing how much lint the towel pulled in. I had to throw it away.
 
I wash one cycle with detergent then a second without.

During the second cycle I use some vinegar during the wash cycle to help get the soap residue out.

The towells I paid more for work better, stay fluffier, last longer, etc. than the el cheapos I bought.

I dry with them but, after experimenting, decided that for removing wax, buffing Aerospace 303 Protectant, etc. that a fluffy soft quality cotton towell works better for me.

YMMV
 
I think I will wash them again with a bit of vinegar. I can get a bottle of white vinegar for a buck. I'll let you know if it helps.
 
Quote:

I

I dry with them but, after experimenting, decided that for removing wax, buffing Aerospace 303 Protectant, etc. that a fluffy soft quality cotton towell works better for me.

YMMV

Click to expand...


I've bought the Costco MFers.
I also use them with Protectant 303.
I do a light buff of interior vinyl and plastic after applying 303 and let sit for a few minutes.
 
Cheap MF towels only on the interior, wheels, wheel wells, under hood, and tires.

Good, high quality MF only touches the paint.

I would never think of using my cheap MF on my paint
crazy.gif


I wash mine on warm wash with Woolite and some non-chlorine bleach, cold rinse, then second cold rinse with 1 cup of white vinegar. Dry in dryer on low heat. I use the sensor dry so they don't dry to much.

Never had a problem with this so far. Towels are always ready to use and work like they should. The vinegar really does make a difference. They come out much softer when I started using it.

Brian
 
My experiences with microfiber towels are fairly similar; absorption is a problem when washed with detergents. It seems that I had the best success using either trisodium phosphate when rather dirt-laden or borax when they aren't too dirty. Since I have a front-load washer I use no more than 1/4 cup or so of either.

I believe the surfactants in detergents are what causes the problem.
 
I use the Costco Microfiber towels, you need to dry the windows first to get them "broken in" before using it on the paint in my opinion. I also rip out the tag on each one before drying my paint so not to scratch it. They work good for me if you follow those instructions.
 
I washed them with TSP and Borax. (since I had it). I did an extra rinse too. Then I dried them till just damp and air dried them till dry. There was absolutely no improvement in the way they work.

When you first try to dry with a freshly washed towel, it just smears the water around. It absorbs a bit of water, but leaves a lot behind. After it gets a bit wet, I wring it out. Then they absorb beautifully. So, they work OK, I just wish they would absorb well upon the initial use.

Maybe it is because the towels are not cotton. The tag says the composition is 80% polyester and 20% polyamide. I assumed that a "microfiber" towel was not made of cotton. However, the links above show that cotton microfiber towels do exist.
 
The Costco MF towels (lately) leave tiny fibers on windows and paint. They are near impossible to see on paint, but on the windows, they show up clearly in the sun.

The 3M MF towels I have do not do this.

BTW, the first batch of Costco MF towels were fine, but they were also different in size, look, color and feel.

Chris
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

Nessism1
Costco Microfiber Towels Debris Magnets?
Replies
6
Views
959
Reggaemon
T
Maxshine towels - wow!
Replies
8
Views
944
Toy4x4
cammyfive79
4th of July Detailing using Adams Polishes and Armour Detail Supply
Replies
6
Views
319
rszappa1
M
haze look after washing car?
Replies
17
Views
5K
IcarusLSC
Don_M
Obsessed detailer in a former life - The obsession is back
2
Replies
31
Views
1K
Turbo Actual
Back
Top Bottom