How are you washing your towels?


hankthecowdog

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I ussually pre soak them over night in a bucket with water and 50ml of APC (power clean would be perfect) to release as much as posible (polishing oils, wax etc.) from them before washing. Then I throw them in a washing machine and add my normal liquid washing detergent and vinegar instead of fabric softener. I set the machine to a short 30min program and air dry them afterwards. Ive had the same towels for a couple of years now and they are still soft and clean.

 

P.S.

 

Also worth a listen http://directory.libsyn.com/episode/index/show/optimumsynergypodcast/id/4343573

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  • 5 months later...

I usually pre soak them overnight in a bucket with water and 50ml of APC (power clean would be perfect to release as much as possible polishing oils, wax etc.) from them before washing.

 

Hey Fanatic,

 

What do you mix the 50ml of power clean with? 1 gallon... 2 gallons of distilled water? I like the vinegar idea, it will help in keeping away the moldy smell that sometimes occurs in HE machines.

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Basically how I do it. Spoiler alert...no OPT products were used during this wash!

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I put the towels into a standard wash bucket (I think its 20 l) and fill it with warm water. Depending on the number of towels the bucket gets filled with about 3-ish gallons of water. Its hard to tell really.

 

I add about 30-50ml Citrus APC and leave it for a couple of hours or even best over night.

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After that time I agitate the towels and/or mitt with a soft brush in my bath. A lot of black gunk gets released this way. I then rinse, wet again, agitate again and repeated until the water is as clear as it could possibly be before I throw them into the machine. Some people separate towels but I dont as I dont want to fill up the machine as possible in one wash.

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The bucket water ends up like this. Dirty right?

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I put the towels into the machine alongside with again 30-50 ml Persil liquid detergent and vinegar instead of water softener (I pour that into the softener compartment of the machine).

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I found a program that suits me. Temp on 30 deg. C, spin on 1200 RPM and extra rinse. Wash time is about 40 min but that too can be adjusted on my machine. I found the extra spin (1200 instead of 800 rpm) makes them come out drier.

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After the wash I let them air dry as I dont have a dryer. If you do, use the lowest possible temperature to dry. Remember...heat is a microfibers worst enemy.

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Hope it helps.

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Basically how I do it. Spoiler alert...no OPT products were used during this wash!

 

- Lots of pics, and great info -

 

Hope it helps.

 

 

 

WOW! That is just so frickin helpful man, I can't begin to tell you how much I appreciate your explanation, it's good to see how others manage their towels.

 

Some of the articles you read make it sound so meticulous, and time consuming, you sometimes wonder if it's worth all of the fuss.

 

You said you've been doing this approach for several years, and your towels look and feel like new? That makes a lot of sense, since your prewash scheme gets most of the crap off of the towels.

 

I hope others get a good look at this, and maybe they can add their approach for review and consideration. Then newbies, such as myself, can try different ideas, and make determinations based on others experience.

 

Very cool man... thank you,

-M

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Not a problem bud :thumbsupup[1]:

 

The pre wash also helps preserving the machine washer (so it doesnt get all the crap). Dont forget to wipe the barrel of the washer after wash before the missus throws in her whites (that sound so racist, I meant white chothes). Ask me why and how I know?!?

 

Ive had some towels for 2-3 years (the long yellow drying towel (CG miracle dryer) and the yellow orange buffing cloths) and I still use them after that time.

 

I dont wash my towels them after every wash like some people but you do have to watch out they dont get gritty or dirty. The blue (Martin cox) waffle towel Ive not washed a couple of times and it got so dirty it actually caused light scratches on my paint. They are very fine but on a freshly polished car I can notice them. Guess which 1/4 was it?

 

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That towel got replaced not long ago.

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@Lowejackson

 

My washing machine is made in EU and considering English is a world language its also on every machine, computer, appliance, TV...and this is very common. You might be spoilt by this as you are from the UK and you speak English as your mother language but the rest of us just have to adapt and learn English just to be able to communicate with the rest of the world.

 

No offence but I thought you knew this!

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No offence taken. I had not given this any consideration but I am surprised. I guess I had assumed that something like a washing machine sold in France, Germany, Russia or anywhere else would have the labels in the local language. I really must take more notice of outside world.

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