Question about rag cleaning???

[BOOT]

Ok so in the past I've bought cheap chain store microfiber rags and just washed them like normal stuff. They didn't turn out so well and the **** imbedded just spread to the rest of the rags, so now those are oil rags. I just bought some new supposedly better rags & towels and after the pre-wash I used them to clean my car in the various ways.

Now my main question is washing, do I just throw all the different usage rags in one wash? For example ones I used to clay bar, remove wax, polish, clean windows, polish aluminum wheels, clean tires, clean leather and drying towels? I know you want to keep microfiber separate from normal cotton rags.

Thx

[Firehouse Mike]

Re: Question about rag cleaning???

So you will likely get a few opinions on the subject. Here is what I do and works well for me....

1. All towels that will or have touched paint get a soak in very warm ( not hot) water and APC for a few minutes to loosen wax / polish residue. They go into the washer alone on a warm setting with APC as soap with extra rinse. Dry on low heat

2.Glass towels go into the washer on warm with some D120 as a cleaner. Seems to work great! Again dry on low heat.

3.Interior towels and other utility MF get a soak in APC like paint towels.

4.Wheel, jamb, engine, and other very dirty towels, both MF and terry get a soak in degreaser, then into the wash on hot with some bleach and normal laundry detergent.

Yes it is several loads of separate items, but it is needed to prevent contamination of your "good" MF's. Here is a great video from Larry at AMMO NYC....https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X9W-mMJicSM

Again, this is what I have been doing, works for me. But whatever you decide to do: don't mix towel types, don't use perfumed or scented soaps, and don't use softeners of any type (including dryer sheets).

Happy washing! Mike

[The Guz]

Re: Question about rag cleaning???

I separate my towels when washing. For example any towels that touch the paint get washed together. Towels for wheels, tires, engine bay get washed separately. Same goes for any metal polishing towels. I have washed my glass towels with my paint towels and never had an issue. I do wash with a dedicated microfiber detergent. The only towels that get a pre soak prior to washing are those that I use with a coating. These are also get washed separately.

[BOOT]

Re: Question about rag cleaning???

Thanks for the reply's, that seems like some good advice! I'll prob presoak and do a paint and nonpaint load since I don't have a ton of rags. I bought a few types of rags to try out and will buy more of the ones I like for next time.

[Murr1525]

Re: Question about rag cleaning???

I just keep MF and terry cloth separate...

Real bad might get a pre-soak, but not usually....

[Eldorado2k]

Re: Question about rag cleaning???

I have 30 Ultimate Wipes which are reserved for paint correction/wax removal only. They get their own separate load.

I have about 50 Supreme Shines, and with all the waterless washing I'm doing lately it's becoming harder to distinguish which ones are still grade A towels.. I could take a prime towel and use it for a rinseless/waterless wash and begin having 2nd thoughts about it ever being prime again.. They seem to clean up fairly well, but I can tell which ones are interior towels by holding them up to the light and checking for stains.

I wash the heavily soiled/interior/door jamb status/wheel drying towels separately. But it's a PITA keeping them all separated sometimes.

I only have 1 main towel that I use for glass. It's a 24x36 waffle weave, and while I'd like to wash it separately, I sometimes just throw it in with my load of wash mitts and other drying towels/waffle weaves.

I've begun washing my towels on hot instead of warm. Low heat, minimal time in the dryer.

[thedoc46]

Re: Question about rag cleaning???

Here's my routine.

I have four 5 gallon buckets. Two of them with clean MF's. One is labeled for 'Paint Only' This is where my expensive MF's go.. The other is for everything else.. This is where my less expensive MF's go in.. Costco / Kirkland ones for example.

I only use my paint MF's on paint obviously, and when the paint isn't too dirty. I've basically gone 100% waterless with D115, and cos i do it frequently, my paint MF's never really get all that dirty... So then go in the 3rd bucket called LIGHT DIRT ONLY.

My other MF's, which do get dirty, (tires, engine bay, wheel wells, door jambs) go in my v.dirty only bucket.

This is the bucket that gets the most attention when cleaning. I bought an inexpensive detergent from my local supermarket. I soak them in hot water for about an hr, hand squeezing them thru. Then pour away the BLACK water down the drain.. Then i soak them again in hot water and some APC, again squeezing them by hand... The water is less dirty, but still dirty, gets poured down the drain.. Then they go into a machine on a medium wash, with 2oz of TOWEL KLEEN, which is a special dedicated detergent for microfibers. Then once out, they get thrown in the dryer on low heat.. Then folded and put back in my NON PAINT MF bucket.

The good MF's, once my light dirt 5 gallon bucket if full enough, just get thrown straight in the machine on a medium. No presoaking req'd. and then in the dryer on low heat.

I have some special glass only Korean MF's for glass and D120.. Which i just hand wash, same as my water magnets, which hardly see any use these days since going waterless with D115.

The inside drum of washer does get dirty and needs its own MF for a wipedown after a wash...

[Blueline]

Re: Question about rag cleaning???

I would not call my good MF towels rags. Rags are used once to clean up grease, etc. and tossed out. My good MF towels, are simply washed in the washer, separate from normal clothes washing, warm water, with normal washer soap (Tide) and hung to air dry. No softener used.

[BOOT]

Re: Question about rag cleaning???

I soaked them in a bucket for a few min in warm water with some apc and then warm washed them with free style detergent. They came out great so I'll do that again next time.

[lsiberian]

Re: Question about rag cleaning???

I use warm water on delicate with a little detergent.