just pikced up some micofiber mits. some questions i have though:

after the i wash the car is there anything i should do the mits (ring them out, through them in the washer and dryer, etc)?

this relates to the first question, should i wash the mits in the washer and dryer every car wash? and can i wash all microfiber mits together? and im assuming you dont use any products like Tide or anything.

and finally, i read the washing instructions sticky but what exactly is a panel of the car? im not sure, but is one panel front driver door, next panel would be the rear passenger door, full trunk (rear) would be another, roof (another), etc?


it says to use a front - back motion when washing. this motion to me is like sweeping the dirt to the back of the car?

im apologize for my beginner level but thanks in advance guys...

 

I wash mine using normal detergent, just no fabric softener of any kind.

 

do you just chuck it in with other laundry as well or seperate? I was planning just to throw it in with my jeans and stuff cuz washing them seperate would be kinda waste of water :p

 

I usually keep all of the car stuff by itself in the wash, but heck I guess that it would not matter if you threw them together.

 

can anyone answer my panel washing question. what panel order should i wash in??

also i dont want to go TO overboard on washing so this is what i plan to do: rinse the car off, use microfiber mits w/ meguiars gold glass shampo, shed the water off, pick up spots with waffle weave and maybe clay the car after? im using p21s for the wheels and mother's for the chrome. and windex i guess for the windows. any suggestions?

 

Here's the order I go with:

Roof and windows, sides, front & back

Hood and tops of fenders

Trunk lid and tops of rear quarter panels

front fender's sides above body moulding

Sides of body (above the moulding)

Front and rear bumpers

then lower sides below moulding

then the rocker panels (area below door openings)

Most important - use a seperate sponge or mitt for the wheels!
these are the dirtiest parts and have abrasive brake dust. The brake dust will cause swirls in the paint otherwise.

Either do wheels first or last, but use another batch of wash water for the wheels and under the rocker panels.

Tip: the lower parts of the car get dirty from driving in the rain / winter weather, the upper parts (roof, windows, top of hood /trunk) won't get as dirty.

The parts of the body closer to the road and wheels get the most dirt.

By working from the top down you won't get road grit in the wash water and put swirls or scratches on the large panels on the top.

Also, I recommend using microfiber towels for the body and using cotton terry towels for the wheels - again use seperate towels for the wheels and tires.

 

Although I'm not a pro, here is what I do:

When washing your car, use plenty of water; dip your rinse your sponge often.

Work from the top down.

Use back and forth stokes

Use a separate sponge/mit for doing your wheels, and either separate water, or do them last.

Rinse and dry.

When washing your microfiber towels, do not use a fabric softener. But you can use your normal detergent.

Also, make sure your microfiber towels are 100% natural materials and not polyester, or you may scratch the paint.

 

rinse the car first with water?

 

~One man’s opinion / observations ~

Microfiber Towel Care:
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. Hand or machine wash in hot (>150oF) water with liquid detergent (Auto-Fiber’s Micro-Restore) this will remove wax or polish, rinse thoroughly twice, do not use bleach (bleach will shorten the life of your Microfiber cloths.) Do not use fabric softener (most contain silicone that the towel will adsorb and it will weaken the towels static charge 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. Add a quarter of a cup of distilled white vinegar in place of a softener, the vinegar doesn't coat the fibres but instead works to eliminate detergent residue. Be careful when machine washing or drying in mixed loads (Microfiber cloths will pick up lint from other fabrics.) Air dry or you can dry Microfiber cloths in any dryer on low heat, just be sure that the dryer does not dry at temperatures above 235 degrees F as Microfiber will melt if heated too high. Colours may bleed during first washing. Just recently, a cleaning solution was developed specifically for cleaning Microfiber towels, a product called Micro-Restore Detergent that claims to effectively remove dirt without using the bleaches and softeners commonly found in laundry detergents.

~Hope this helps~

Experience unshared; is knowledge wasted…/

justadumbarchitect *so I question everything*

 

thanks for the reply, what do i do with the microfiber mit after im done washing my car? just rinse it out and air dry? i dont assume i have to wash it the washer and dryer everytime

 

you can keep using it till it doesn't pick up the dirt anymore. Rinsing it after every wash is a good idea and let it air dry. Once it doesn't pick up the dirt and such anymore, time to throw it in the washer with your regular detergent then let it air dry.

 

ABSOLUTELY!!!

 

washed my car yesteday and was very careful not to go over the same spot twice to prevent scarthcing like it says in the sticky. The inital dirt came off, however, there are still specks here and there throughout the car i tried not to rub them but coudnt really resist. is there anything else i can do to get that extra dirt off (im not sure what it is, i think the car just gets that way due to driving). should i "clay" it off? or scrub it off? or anything else u suggest.

 

so what happens if i use fabric softener with the mocrofiber towels??

 

What some have suggested is to use some vinegar in the rinse cycle. Vinegar is a natural softener. It also helps cleans away/neutralizes the excess detergent.

Don't use too much though.

 

The way I understand it is that the microfiber has tiny pockets in the fibers which collect dust/dirt when you use it. This is what makes it so effective. By using a fabric softener, these little pockets get clogged with the softener, and the towel will not work as intended.

 

• The first thing you should do when you get a new DF™ Concours Towel is to wash and dry it. During the manufacturing process the fabric has a tendency to become flat as it picks up contaminants from the air and machinery. There will also be a number of loose threads that, while they cause no harm, can be annoying the first time you use the towel.
• To clean the towel simply wash it in your washing machine using warm or hot water. If you use hot water the temperature should not exceed 150 degrees F.
• Always wash your towels separately from other fabrics. They have a tendency to pick up lint and other particles from other fabrics and the next time you use your towels this lint will transfer to the surface being cleaned, only making your job harder.
• ONLY USE LIQUID DETERGENTS, never use dry detergents as many times the granules do not fully dissolve and become trapped in the towel. This can cause scratching of the surface you are cleaning.
• NEVER USE BLEACH OR FABRIC SOFTENERS! You simply don't need them. Bleach will damage any fine fabric and fabric softeners deposit a chemical coating on the fabric that you really don't want to transfer to your car's finish or windows.
• Either air dry the towel on a clean line or in your clothes dryer using low heat. AVOID HIGH HEAT! High dryer temperatures won’t damage the towel but can reduce the towel's life span. Also, don't use those toss in fabric softener towels, all they do is deposit chemicals on the fabric that will transfer off to whatever you are cleaning or polishing with the towel.
• If you wash your towels on a regular basis and don't let them get too dirty they will last much longer. As with any fine fabric dirt particles, grease, and other contaminants can cause the fibers to break down so regular cleaning will go a long way in preserving your towels.
• The more the towel is cleaned the fluffier and softer it will get.

• As you use the DF™ Concours Towel you will notice that sometimes a thread will loosen or pull out here or there. This is normal for terrycloth and you should NEVER PULL AT THE LOOSE THREAD! Pulling the thread can cause the weave to come undone or stitching to unravel. Instead, simply trim the thread with a pair of sharp scissors to about 1/4 of an inch from the surface, don't cut too closely. Think of it as giving your towel a haircut from time to time.

 

"what do i do with the microfiber mit after im done washing my car? just rinse it out and air dry? i dont assume i have to wash it the washer and dryer everytime"

Your using it with a wash concentrate, providing it doesn't pick up dirt (road grime or tar) then rinse and air dry will do fine.