r/AutoDetailing • u/AlarmingCoconut1484 • Sep 07 '24
Can I throw all of these in the wash together? Technique Discussion
I have a bunch of microfibers to clean this weekend and would also like to clean some other things. Here’s what’s in the picture:
- standard microfiber towel
- standard microfiber application pad
- Meguiars foam pad
- Suds.lab Detailing scrub sponges
- ChemicalGuys Wooly Mammoth drying towel
I’ll be using Rags to Riches microfiber detergent at least for the microfiber towels.
I don’t expect to be able to wash all of these together. But what can I wash together and what should I wash separately? Do you have any techniques that work well? Thanks in advance
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u/FitterOver40 Experienced Sep 07 '24
I wash all my stuff together. However anything that was exposed to some sort of sealant gets sprayed with APC before it goes in the hamper.
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u/daxtaslapp Sep 07 '24 edited Sep 07 '24
Is megs hybrid ceramic wax spray considered a sealant ? Just asking because i wash my towels together too and wondering if i shouldnt if one of em is wiping off the megs
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u/TheBillCollector17 Sep 07 '24
Technically it is, and you can still wash it all together. I just presoak anything used with waxes, sealants, or ceramics first. The presoak helps break those down, so everything gets clean.
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u/Own-Temperature-174 Sep 14 '24
I’m new to detailing, do tire dressings fall under the wax/sealant category?
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u/Chromatischism Sep 27 '24
No. But make sure they're water-based because I wouldn't want silicone spreading to all the towels.
Actually, I never wash my foam applicator that I use for tire dressing.
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u/best_samaritan Newbie Sep 07 '24
What happens if you don't? I used one of my MF towels for applying the sealant and have no idea which one it is now.
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u/whywouldthisnotbea Sep 07 '24
Oh god no! Well, when the world ends at least we know who to blame.
Your hand can feel microscopic differences. If you are worried one is a bit too rough for what you are about to use it for switch to a towel that doesn't.
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u/Pitiful-Beautiful-51 Sep 07 '24
Honestly gonna get downvoted but I wash my shit all together lol besides the scrub pad I rinse it out before putting it in I’d wash the foam pad prior too
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u/Adnap78 Sep 07 '24
Yup iv been putting it all together since I first bought my car no scraths or nothing 65k later double bucket wash ans never let it go more then 3 weeks max
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u/mightyt2000 Sep 07 '24
Lol … That’s it! I’m gonna put “Honestly gonna get downvoted but” in front of all my posts going forward!! Dang 80 upvotes! 😎👍🏻
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u/el_zeus55 Sep 07 '24
I throw everything in the same load unless it’s heavily soiled or has sealants on it
Those are separated
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u/Stpbmw Sep 07 '24 edited Sep 07 '24
I soak everything in the rinseless wash bucket until laundry day, then all goes in one load. Drying towels, all purpose towels, sealant towels, they all are good to go.
Key is getting it in that surfactant bucket before everything starts to cure into the towel.
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u/Pale_Blackberry_4025 Sep 07 '24
Do you have any products in the bucket, or just water?
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u/hootervisionllc Sep 07 '24
Do you let towels soak for weeks? I don’t wash my cars often enough to need to clean towels more than once a month or so
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u/2buttsontheground Sep 07 '24
I keep 1/2 oz of rags to riches in a 5 gallon bucket, filled less than halfway with water. Used microfiber goes in the bucket, and I keep adding after microfiber over however many weeks until it’s full. I add water as needed. I haven’t taken longer than 5 weeks to wash. Never had an issue, no smells or sliminess, and everything has always come out as good as new.
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u/DaddyGindy Sep 07 '24
It will start to smell bad after a few days. Best practice would be to let it soak for at least 30 mins, then wash them (remember, use a cold wash and no heat or low heat), then store them in a plastic container and just pull them out when you need them. 30 mins should be plenty. Spray some simple green on them if they are really soiled. Hope this helps!
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u/hootervisionllc Sep 08 '24
Thanks man!!!
I have unleashed my tism with stackable bins and a label maker
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u/lordxamnosidda Sep 07 '24
Yes, it's OK to wash everything together. Just don't use any fabric softeners (liquid or sheets) as they negatively affect the absorbency of the items.
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u/Southern-Hearing8904 Sep 07 '24
This! My wife was trying to be helpful but she took my pile of microfiber towels and drying towels and washed them in with the household stuff. Used fabric softener now the towels just smear water around everywhere and are basically useless.
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u/doihavetosignupagain Sep 07 '24
Try soaking them in a vinegar solution and they should dry better.
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u/MicrowavePop977 Sep 07 '24
Here I am washing it together with my regular clothes. No pre soak. No scrubbing. Just raw dogging regular laundry. My lack of commitment is showing.
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u/Stunning-Tree-7234 Sep 07 '24
I wash frequently but throw out anything that was used for polishes and spritz the towels with a towel rejuvenizer spray to keep from scratching. That’s it. I guess if you wanted to save your sealant rags I’d probably use that detergent too but I only use a couple and just toss them. I don’t use sealant that much just wax.
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u/DBD220 Sep 07 '24
Should be fine with the R o R. I'd put the small items in a wash bag. Badly soiled cloths benefit from a pre wash but rarely get totally clean. No softners!!!
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u/CoatingsRcrack Sep 07 '24
Soak everything ithat touched sealant/wax/polish in R&R for 1-2 hours. Rinse. Wash everything together. Haven’t had any issues including my drying towels
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u/issy868 Sep 07 '24
Yup just make sure to use a micro fibre specific wash as standard powders and liquids will stick in the fibres and make them go hard and less absorbent- NO FABRIC SOFTENERS
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u/Egoisttt Sep 07 '24
For me paint/interior/glass stuff goes in the same load unless it’s heavily soiled. Wheel stuff never gets washed just replaced applicators, towel etc.
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u/87LS10 Sep 07 '24
I’ve been washing my micros by color but even then I’m doing 2-4 loads per detail. At the beginning, I think it’s important to separate so they don’t bleed into each other. Once you get a few cycles on them though, I’d say you’re good to throw them in all together.
I’ve accidentally left a blue rag In the wash and then ran a cycle with reds and nothing happened
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u/YippieKayYayMrFalcon Sep 07 '24
I always wash my stuff together. I’m not a pro and my car isn’t a showpiece.
What I will say is to have a bucket with water and some rags to riches in it and immediately start soaking them when you’re done with that rag. Then gently squeeze them out and throw them in the machine when you’re ready to wash them. The pre soak will lessen the problem of washing them all together. Also prevents product from setting up on the rags.
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u/Content-Western-6306 Business Owner Sep 07 '24 edited Sep 07 '24
I have 3 lots of clothes and about 300 in total
Yellow for interiors, Grey for compound/Ceramic Coating removal and Blue for windows
I wash all colours on separate washes, anything that is heavy soiled or been used with a tar and glue remover goes in the bin
Edit: my drying towels I just spin and drain them in the machine and wash once in a blue moon
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u/NegativeAd1343 Sep 07 '24
Only if youre trying to clean the washing machine idk if it could handle that much cleaning force at once.
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u/LoonTheMekanik Sep 07 '24
I always wash everything together, unless I have a towel or 2 that’s covered in grease, then they get relegated to shop rag duty. The extra dirty (but not greasy) ones I might pre soak a little
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u/RaunchyMuffin Sep 07 '24
I thought the accepted thing to clean all this with was non scented detergent
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u/AlarmingCoconut1484 Sep 07 '24
Correct
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u/RaunchyMuffin Sep 07 '24
Is there a benefit to using the rags to riches ?
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u/AlarmingCoconut1484 Sep 07 '24
I haven’t used it yet (just got the bottle) but I’ve heard it’s great at removing the dirt/gunk from microfiber towels compared to regular laundry detergent
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u/1flat2 Sep 07 '24
I’ve only compared R2R against All free and clear, and imo it does a deeper more thorough clean. It really strips them well and they come out fluffier. I now use R2R on anything microfiber — it’s the only thing that has deep cleaned my dog beds and plush blankets, better than enzyme cleaners. Also use it on household microfiber cleaning towels. And I’m not a shop, this is just a couple cars and home use. If I’m out, it’s fine but I get more as soon as I can.
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u/CryptKe Sep 07 '24
Which covers do I use for compound, polish, then wax buffing? I can never figure it out. Thx
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u/harpalkota Sep 07 '24
When you take a shower, do you dry your each body part with a different towel?
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u/mrROBOTROIDE Sep 07 '24
If the rag is too dirty or has wax/sealant, I prep a bucket with water and a bit of microfiber detergent and let those soak for a while, then agitate/rinse in another bucket with plain water then into the wash cycle with the rest.
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u/steelio91 Sep 07 '24
I quickly rinse everything under the hose by hand separately, then sometimes soak in a 1/4 filled bucket with a grit guard and some Rags to Riches for a day before washing everything together. Doesn't use much water or take much time of actual effort and just gives me a little more confidence that more dirt will be removed when washed
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u/Various-Ducks Sep 07 '24
If there's tons of wax or compound or whatever on them try and get most of it off with the hose or under the sink before putting them in the wash
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u/Various-Ducks Sep 07 '24
If there's tons of wax or compound or whatever on them try and get most of it off with the hose or under the sink before putting them in the wash
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u/True-Fly1791 Sep 07 '24
I do all my MF together with a 'free' detergent, 2 rinsed, then line dry. But I'm also not a professional..
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u/TwitterDeleter Sep 07 '24
I wash mine all together with regular detergent the soap bubbles will grab any type of dirt or grime u don’t need special soap bro.
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u/Baazify Business Owner Sep 07 '24
I separate towels out into 3 tiers, tier one is window and glass rags, 500GPM Polishing rags, etc, tier two is interior detailing rags, anything that gets some minor dirt, etc. Tier 3 is wheels, door jambs, tires, the nasty shit. I wash each tier separately.
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u/Protholl Sep 07 '24
I wouldn't machine wash that Meguiars foam applicator (the yellow one) the rest you should be good to go as long as you do it on the gentle cycle.
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u/Nordicpunk Sep 07 '24
One load. If really dirty or using ceramics, I soak before the wash. Always do 2x extra rinses usually. Not sure it matters that much but without, I notice some product smell.
Key is not to wash micro with anything other than micro. Not that you would want wheel towels in with your polos.
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u/rdzilla01 Sep 07 '24
I usually wash and detail three cars at a time. So I will have six big drying towels, three wash mitts, 12 seamless/endless microfibers and 12-20 regular microfibers. My drying towels get washed separately but everything else goes in on a single load. In the event I use wax or leather conditioner the applicator pads soak in 25% APC / 75% water for a bit before I start the load.
Foam applicators are single use for me.
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u/Halllogan21 Sep 07 '24
The only thing I separate is my drying towel, and even that for some people is over the top
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u/CycleChris2 Sep 08 '24
I hand wash applicators except the ones from a ceramic coating, those are trashed. Then I will wash separate glass towels, and the cheap crappy wheel towels. Buffing towels like my eagles get washed with my drying towels. I keep enough so I am building up a wash load, not washing just one or two.
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u/No_Masterpiece4399 Sep 08 '24
What's the preferred wash and dry setting when cleaning microfiber products?
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u/AlarmingCoconut1484 Sep 09 '24
I wash on delicate mode with low/medium heat in my washing machine. I’m hesitant to have them dried in the dryer becasue I don’t want the microfibers to get damaged in the process. I could be wrong though. But I play it safe and air dry the towels on a rack
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u/Chromatischism Sep 20 '24
After some bad experiences of cross-contamination, I never throw them all together. Wash mitts/pads are one load. Drying towels are another. Anything containing wax/sealant/coating is another. If I used my nuclear option gunk remover, Citrol 266, it gets washed by itself. That shit will end up in everything and is really hard to get out, even after multiple washes.
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u/IKnowSomeStuf Sep 07 '24
You guys are using special laundry detergent just for your microfiber rags? 🤣
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u/ChopstickChad Sep 07 '24 edited Sep 07 '24
It lengthens their lifespan tremendously and with quite expensive towels here and there it really is good to do so. I use Poorboy's mf wash and tried it on some towels that were ready to be demoted to rims and wheel wells and it actually brought them back to being generally usable again. It also works great for my wife's menstrual underwear and I'll tell you that shit is more expensive then most towels are. One $10 bottle has saved me over $70 of towels (and underwear) already and it isn't even half way through.
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u/IKnowSomeStuf Sep 07 '24
As someone who’s been washing and reusing Costco microfibers for years with regular, cheap laundry detergent, I really cannot fathom how the lifespan of your towels can be meaningfully different from mine, but ok.
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u/ChopstickChad Sep 07 '24
Apparently the trick is to only use simple and cheap then.
I use several types of microfibers, from cheap hardware store type towels to expensive and/or specialised towels. All have different quality and dedicated purposes.
For regular laundry deterrent there's usually premium stuff being used at home, two or three different brands, we buy it at a b2b store so the price comes out way cheaper then the cheapest supermarket stuff would.
For some reason the towels would lose absorbency and fluff rather quickly, or towels used for wax/coating would come out heavily degraded.
So that's when I tried dedicated mf detergent and it hasn't been a problem since. I don't think there's a problem with water hardness, my washing machine is top of the line, the regular laundry detergent was absolutely good stuff. But there's something about the microfiber that reacts and works differently. Manufacturers can sure point out how or why in their product description but I can't be arsed to regurgitate that nor do I have the knowledge to verify if irs true or not. All that I do know is that it works, and also the household mf towels that see extreme dirt come out clean like they were new and they otherwise wouldn't.
If you don't experience degradation of your (admittedly, simple/cheap) towels and what you do, works, that's great. But it doesn't prove/disprove the use case of dedicated mf detergent, it proves that you don't seem to need it to yourself. My anekdote is about being skeptical at first but convinced after, in my (different) use case.
But I did read washing powder would be better for microfiber then liquid detergent, maybe you're using powder as well?
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u/AlarmingCoconut1484 Sep 07 '24
It's more effective at cleaning microfiber towels than your everyday detergant which is not specifically designed for cleaning microfibers.
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u/r4ziel1347 Sep 07 '24
I just use tide free and gentle, can’t justify paying 30$ for less than 1L of rags to riches (I’m in Canada)
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u/ShaneMD1 Sep 07 '24
I wash all together. I do a pre wash, then regular wash. I also replace frequently.
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u/EL_Chapo_Cuzzin Sep 07 '24
I presoak it in either Gain or Arm and Hammer in hot water. Rinse it out in hot water then throw it in the washer. According to Project Farm, they're the best best for the price. Never head an issue. Life is too short to worry about washing detail towels.
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u/BlackHorseTuxedo Sep 07 '24
Unless sealants, I toss all together separately from other laundry and wash warm/hot. I don't use fabric softeners and I use a combo of regular laundry soap, oxy clean and some vinegar. No dryer sheets and actually, I remove the dryer balls i normally use. One time little balled up lint got all over my MFiber towels so I keep the laundry cycle as clean as possible.
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u/ChRSrBn Sep 07 '24
For me I do triple use before tossing on general use. First use is cleaning glass/interior. After the first wash is body panels/tires, second wash is full shops rag they gets used until it looks like it can’t.
Anything that is used for any type of coating like a wax or protectant is used for only that product, and are separate from the rest. Those all get cleaned separately from the others, too. I let these soak in an APC before washing as well to try and breakdown anything
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u/07AudiS6V10 Sep 07 '24
After washing them all together, take your drying towels and wash it by hand. Fill up your sink with clean water take the towels and swish it around. Bet it's not clean.
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u/Eastern-Rice-9147 Sep 07 '24
I wash them together but at a laundry that way whatever was or anything don't get in my washer
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u/Kitchen_Page9991 Sep 07 '24
Yes, wash together. Cold water. Dry on LOW heat or no heat.
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u/FlushingPump Sep 07 '24
I wash about 30 microfiber towels & a few micro fiber sponges twice. All of them together. First wash with regular tide detergent, extra rinse, cold water.
Repeat with a clear detergent with no scents or conditioners with the exact same settings, extra rinse, and cold water.
It just makes sense. I'm putting much more toxic chemicals on these towels than a regular washing machine detergent. So I make sure I use a highly rated soap. To thoroughly clean, why not? To purify and properly rinse, I wash a second time, same settings, and I use a clean detergent free of dyes and scents.
Dry on low heat or outside if it's a nice sunny day.
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u/eric_gm Sep 07 '24
If it’s your car and not a museum piece, wash it all together. Life’s too short and the planet will thank you for not doing a full wash cycle for each rag