Microfiber (Micro fibre) Towel Care
01-30-2007, 09:11 AM
#1
Burning Brakes
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Microfiber (Micro fibre) Towel Care
Microfiber (Micro fibre) Towel Care:
Always wash towels as soon as possible after use, the longer they sit the more the contaminants will set do not use bleach (bleach will shorten the life of your Microfiber cloths.) Read the label on the detergent bottle and use half of what they recommend and use hot water (120oF). The alkaline minerals found in hot water attach themselves as you wash your towels, vinegar is an acid (Acetic acid, pH=2) that l dissolves minerals. If the minerals are not removed from the towel it will eventually cause the towel to become abrasive and reduce its ability to absorb water. Fabric softener will also clog a micro fibre and reduce it absorbent qualities, and leave an oily residue on the paint surface.
Heated water breaks down water-soluble soiling faster as it reduces overall chemical usage because it reduces the surface tension of the fibre and will better dislodge wax and other particles. Heat acts as a catalyst promoting quicker reactions between chemicals and the soil thereby minimizing dwell time.
If the towel becomes too dirty, it will begin to “streak”, it is then time to wash the towel. Pre-soak in a liquid detergent / water and then squeeze out wax/polish with your hands and rinse thoroughly. Micro-Restore is the only detergent formulated for maintaining and restoring micro fibre, it’s a concentrated detergent designed to clean, pamper and extend the life of micro fibre cloths. With all of the polishes, waxes, oils and chemicals that we apply and remove with our micro fibre cloths / towels, regular household detergent doesn’t even come close to cleaning or restoring them.
Micro-Restore effectively removes dirt without using the bleaches and softeners commonly found in laundry detergents (even when they say they don't there are small traces). Over time bleach breaks down micro fibres, and fabric softeners clog the microscopic fibres that make it so effective, rendering the micro fibre product less effective with each washing.
Three types of energy are required; Chemical energy- provided by the synthetic cleaner, Mechanical energy - (agitation) provide by machine or hand, Thermal energy -provided by warm or hot water. Heated water breaks down water-soluble soiling faster as it reduces overall chemical usage because it reduces the surface tension.
Heat acts as a catalyst promoting quicker reactions between chemicals and the soil thereby minimizing dwell time. Warm or hot water helps dissolve grease and oil in soil, agitation or hand rubbing helps pull the soil free.
This concentrated aqueous formula is a special blend of surfactants, emulsifiers, chelating agents and water softeners. Not only will Micro-Restore extend the life of your micro fibre, but also its special blend of ingredients has the power to break down all chemicals and heavy residues (wax, oil, grease, break dust, and other chemicals) that become implanted in micro fibre products when used in heavy cleaning situations like car care and remove them. The water softeners in the formula neutralize calcium and magnesium in hard water that cause towels to stiffen over time. Micro-Restore is biodegradable
Washing / Care Directions: Colours may bleed during first washing. Use hot (120oF - 50oC<) water and add 1-2 ounces of low-foam soap / detergent (the reason you don’t need suds is that the cleaning action requires friction and suds would cushion the required friction thereby reducing the cleaning action) to a standard size (8 gallon – 30 litres load) for larger loads or heavily soiled laundry, add 3-6 ounces. As a pre-spotter: dilute 1 part concentrates with 3 parts water, apply to stain and launder as usual. Do not use fabric softener (most contain silicone that the towel will adsorb and it will clog the fibres thereby reducing their effectiveness) towel will also treat the fabric softener as if it was dirt by trying to store the tiny particles of the softener in the towel fibres. This will clog up the micro fibres and render the towel ineffective. If the minerals are not removed from the towel it will eventually cause the towel to become abrasive and reduce its ability to absorb product / water.
Add a teaspoon distilled white vinegar in place of a softener per towel, the vinegar doesn't coat the fibres but instead works to eliminate detergent residue and the acid counteracts any alkaline minerals in the water supply. Vinegar (Acetic acid, pH=2) works well in the last rinse cycle to make your towels softer. Detergent is an alkaline (pH=12, the opposite of acidic on the pH scale).When you wash your towels (or anything for that matter) there are small amounts of detergent left behind, when your add Vinegar it balances the pH of the solution and helps removes the excess detergent from the wash.
When detergents build up from improper washing, towels will become stiff and loose there effectiveness, boiling them for a few minutes will eliminate all the waxes, polishes and chemicals. If you properly wash and maintain on a regular basis you'll never need to resort to this extreme corrective step
a) Rinse Cycles- I would suggest a minimum of three (or more); as its important to remove all traces of polish / wax / sealant / detergents from the towels otherwise you will find ‘streaks’ and / or residue on the paint surface, which are difficult to remove and have the potential to cause surface marring or worse
b) Drying- Air dry or you can dry micro fibre cloths / towels in any dryer on low heat, remove them before they are still damp (cuts down on static charge) If you're getting static charge from your towels it might be that you're drying them too hot and/or too long. They should be slightly damp when you remove them from the dryer.
c) Do not wash micro fibre cloths / towels with other non- micro fibre fabrics, as they will pick up lint from other fabrics. Also be sure that the dryer does not dry at temperatures above 235 oF as a synthetic Microfiber may melt if heated too high.
Information resource- (http://www micofibertech.com
For towels or foam pads that are used for polymer (Zaino) application or badly stained towels or polishing pads;
Use a hot water (120 0F – 40 0C) 1:1 solution / Simple Green® Aircraft & Precision Cleaner http://industrial.simplegreen.com/ind_prod_ext_mor.php
Reference source - Automotive Detailing; Inside & Out, A Knowledge Base for the Perfectionist – by Jon Miller aka TOGWT
TOGWT Copyright © 2002-2007. Jon Miller, all rights reserved
Always wash towels as soon as possible after use, the longer they sit the more the contaminants will set do not use bleach (bleach will shorten the life of your Microfiber cloths.) Read the label on the detergent bottle and use half of what they recommend and use hot water (120oF). The alkaline minerals found in hot water attach themselves as you wash your towels, vinegar is an acid (Acetic acid, pH=2) that l dissolves minerals. If the minerals are not removed from the towel it will eventually cause the towel to become abrasive and reduce its ability to absorb water. Fabric softener will also clog a micro fibre and reduce it absorbent qualities, and leave an oily residue on the paint surface.
Heated water breaks down water-soluble soiling faster as it reduces overall chemical usage because it reduces the surface tension of the fibre and will better dislodge wax and other particles. Heat acts as a catalyst promoting quicker reactions between chemicals and the soil thereby minimizing dwell time.
If the towel becomes too dirty, it will begin to “streak”, it is then time to wash the towel. Pre-soak in a liquid detergent / water and then squeeze out wax/polish with your hands and rinse thoroughly. Micro-Restore is the only detergent formulated for maintaining and restoring micro fibre, it’s a concentrated detergent designed to clean, pamper and extend the life of micro fibre cloths. With all of the polishes, waxes, oils and chemicals that we apply and remove with our micro fibre cloths / towels, regular household detergent doesn’t even come close to cleaning or restoring them.
Micro-Restore effectively removes dirt without using the bleaches and softeners commonly found in laundry detergents (even when they say they don't there are small traces). Over time bleach breaks down micro fibres, and fabric softeners clog the microscopic fibres that make it so effective, rendering the micro fibre product less effective with each washing.
Three types of energy are required; Chemical energy- provided by the synthetic cleaner, Mechanical energy - (agitation) provide by machine or hand, Thermal energy -provided by warm or hot water. Heated water breaks down water-soluble soiling faster as it reduces overall chemical usage because it reduces the surface tension.
Heat acts as a catalyst promoting quicker reactions between chemicals and the soil thereby minimizing dwell time. Warm or hot water helps dissolve grease and oil in soil, agitation or hand rubbing helps pull the soil free.
This concentrated aqueous formula is a special blend of surfactants, emulsifiers, chelating agents and water softeners. Not only will Micro-Restore extend the life of your micro fibre, but also its special blend of ingredients has the power to break down all chemicals and heavy residues (wax, oil, grease, break dust, and other chemicals) that become implanted in micro fibre products when used in heavy cleaning situations like car care and remove them. The water softeners in the formula neutralize calcium and magnesium in hard water that cause towels to stiffen over time. Micro-Restore is biodegradable
Washing / Care Directions: Colours may bleed during first washing. Use hot (120oF - 50oC<) water and add 1-2 ounces of low-foam soap / detergent (the reason you don’t need suds is that the cleaning action requires friction and suds would cushion the required friction thereby reducing the cleaning action) to a standard size (8 gallon – 30 litres load) for larger loads or heavily soiled laundry, add 3-6 ounces. As a pre-spotter: dilute 1 part concentrates with 3 parts water, apply to stain and launder as usual. Do not use fabric softener (most contain silicone that the towel will adsorb and it will clog the fibres thereby reducing their effectiveness) towel will also treat the fabric softener as if it was dirt by trying to store the tiny particles of the softener in the towel fibres. This will clog up the micro fibres and render the towel ineffective. If the minerals are not removed from the towel it will eventually cause the towel to become abrasive and reduce its ability to absorb product / water.
Add a teaspoon distilled white vinegar in place of a softener per towel, the vinegar doesn't coat the fibres but instead works to eliminate detergent residue and the acid counteracts any alkaline minerals in the water supply. Vinegar (Acetic acid, pH=2) works well in the last rinse cycle to make your towels softer. Detergent is an alkaline (pH=12, the opposite of acidic on the pH scale).When you wash your towels (or anything for that matter) there are small amounts of detergent left behind, when your add Vinegar it balances the pH of the solution and helps removes the excess detergent from the wash.
When detergents build up from improper washing, towels will become stiff and loose there effectiveness, boiling them for a few minutes will eliminate all the waxes, polishes and chemicals. If you properly wash and maintain on a regular basis you'll never need to resort to this extreme corrective step
a) Rinse Cycles- I would suggest a minimum of three (or more); as its important to remove all traces of polish / wax / sealant / detergents from the towels otherwise you will find ‘streaks’ and / or residue on the paint surface, which are difficult to remove and have the potential to cause surface marring or worse
b) Drying- Air dry or you can dry micro fibre cloths / towels in any dryer on low heat, remove them before they are still damp (cuts down on static charge) If you're getting static charge from your towels it might be that you're drying them too hot and/or too long. They should be slightly damp when you remove them from the dryer.
c) Do not wash micro fibre cloths / towels with other non- micro fibre fabrics, as they will pick up lint from other fabrics. Also be sure that the dryer does not dry at temperatures above 235 oF as a synthetic Microfiber may melt if heated too high.
Information resource- (http://www micofibertech.com
For towels or foam pads that are used for polymer (Zaino) application or badly stained towels or polishing pads;
Use a hot water (120 0F – 40 0C) 1:1 solution / Simple Green® Aircraft & Precision Cleaner http://industrial.simplegreen.com/ind_prod_ext_mor.php
Reference source - Automotive Detailing; Inside & Out, A Knowledge Base for the Perfectionist – by Jon Miller aka TOGWT
TOGWT Copyright © 2002-2007. Jon Miller, all rights reserved
Last edited by TOGWT; 02-19-2007 at 03:30 PM.
02-08-2007, 11:22 AM
#3
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OK...I tried your way Jon and must say it worked very well. I added the vinegar in the beginning of the load by accident. Does that make a deifference? I also used coldwater tide and the micro restore. I still cannot get some of the black spots out of towels that I've used on door jams. Any tricks there?
02-08-2007, 09:43 PM
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Becuase of the material, MF towels should hang dry awfully quickly. I have golf shirts that are made of BLah Blah Blah...polyfreakingester, and they dry extremely fast. Why they don't just call the damn things polyester I don't know. I guess "coolmax" is sexier?....Well not on Phil Mickelson it aint!
