maintaining swirl-free paint: a MF question

Hey guys,
So I feel pretty confident with being able to correct paint at this point, but I feel that I lack knowledge in the maintenance portion...

So I noticed some of my MF towels were scratching my paint with use. I was wondering how you guys maintain clean MF towels and use them in a way that won't marr paint...

Is there a certain detergent I should be using, and how do you clean your MF? What towels do you use for each step of your detail?

Any information you guys can post up is greatly appreciated!!

Best,
-J

 

first you have to get some quality microfiber towels. there are plenty out there that many people will vouch for. chemical guys, pakshak, detailersdomain just to name a few

then you actually have to care for them. i use microrestore as my detergent. remember not to wash it with any other clothes. the lint gets caught in the fibers and they aren't as soft anymore

when i detail, i use costco mf towels for wheels, wheel wells, tires, exhaust and engine bay

for the body, nothing but the chemical guys ones touch the paint

 

Okay sounds good! I'll give the microrestore a try!

I'm going to be washing these in the same washing machine that my family uses for normal clothes.... so there will be traces of normal detergent :[ Is that a big problem?

thanks so much!!

 

should be fine. the detergent isn't overly thick or makes a lot of suds compared to detergent for clothes

 

As specc said, wash your MFs seperately from other linens but also, wash your window MFs seperate from all others. Getting wax residue on a window towel is the kiss of death. Put some vinegar in the rinse cycle as well to keep the towels nice and fluffy.

 

See "Micro fibre (Microfiber) Towels" Detailing School section for more info

 

what about warm or cold? warm for washing, cold for rinsing, or warm warm, cold, cold? trying to get dirt out of my window towels.

 

^ Have you tried pre-soaking them in some of the microfiber detergent for a few hours before throwing them in the machine?

 

I personally use Tropi-Care Detailing towels for maintenance. They work amazing.

To clean them, I use a sink and squish and move them around in hot water (I wash one at a time). I then rinse it out in cold water. I only use water to clean it. I then fill up the sink enough to cover the towel and then I put 1 TableSpoon of Vinegar in the water (this helps the "puffiness" of the cloth). I then rinse it all out and hang it on a line to dry indoors. Takes about 24 hours to dry.

Mist some QD on it when it is dry, let that dry out and it is nice and soft and clean again and ready to touch your car!