How to clean your cleaning products.

[Davstylee]

Hi people

This may be a proper noob question, but I am a bit of a noob to the detailing world so please don’t judge me.

I just gave the old girl a quick wash (2 bucket method, with Poorboys super slick and suds) and I have two micro fibber wash mitts, 1 for the car body and 1 for the wheels. I also have a micro fibber drying towel.

Well the mitt I use for the wheels is full of this black gunk now, even after rinsing it with the hose and trying to wash it with clean water in the bucket. And then when I hung the drying the towel on the washing line, I forgot to peg it up so it fell on the floor and got a little dirty (see told I was a noob)

Anyway I just wanted to check, are the wash mitts and the towel ok to chuck in the washing machine to clean them? And is it ok to wash them with my regular washing powder, or will the combo of the two mess them up?

This may seem like a well stupid question to you profession detailers, but I just wanted to check what with them being "micro fibber" and all. 

Thanks in advance, and please be gentle with the comments.

[VWKev]

Hi people

This may be a proper noob question, but I am a bit of a noob to the detailing world so please don’t judge me.

I just gave the old girl a quick wash (2 bucket method, with Poorboys super slick and suds) and I have two micro fibber wash mitts, 1 for the car body and 1 for the wheels. I also have a micro fibber drying towel.

Well the mitt I use for the wheels is full of this black gunk now, even after rinsing it with the hose and trying to wash it with clean water in the bucket. And then when I hung the drying the towel on the washing line, I forgot to peg it up so it fell on the floor and got a little dirty (see told I was a noob)

Anyway I just wanted to check, are the wash mitts and the towel ok to chuck in the washing machine to clean them? And is it ok to wash them with my regular washing powder, or will the combo of the two mess them up?

This may seem like a well stupid question to you profession detailers, but I just wanted to check what with them being "micro fibber" and all. 

Thanks in advance, and please be gentle with the comments.

Others might have different opinions, but I wouldnt use a mit to wash your wheels. Get yourself some proper cleaning fluid like Megs APC, AS G101 or proper wheel cleaner like Dodo Mellow Yellow, as it sounds like your wheels are manky  Then give them a good scrub with a proper wheel brush. I use the EZ brush. Then hose them down and shove on some sealant like Jetseal 109 so that you dont have to do much work to them when they get dirty again.

If you want to save that mit (Id bin it personally) then it depends if its synthetic or wool, if its pure wool then its fine to wash in the washing machine but use proper wool detergent. If its synthetic, infact, if its synthetic just bin the fecker and cut your loses.

Towel is fine to wash in the machine too, I recommend putting your towels and micro fibres in the washing machine together, but do not use fabric softner, just plain soap powder.

[tony_ack]

Also, if it is a woollen mitt don't wash it on a high heat, or you will end up with a very small fluffy sheep!

[JulesS3]

If you really want to look after your gear dont use washing powder get some of this

http://www.cleanyourcar.co.uk/microfibre-cloths/microfibre-wash-/prod_209.html

[Dan J]

pluck out any large bits of crap from when it fell off the washing line,put them in the machine with a couple of persil liquitabs,set the temp to 60 and put in on a normal wash with super rinse, very important NOT to use softner.

[Davstylee]

Hi people

This may be a proper noob question, but I am a bit of a noob to the detailing world so please don’t judge me.

I just gave the old girl a quick wash (2 bucket method, with Poorboys super slick and suds) and I have two micro fibber wash mitts, 1 for the car body and 1 for the wheels. I also have a micro fibber drying towel.

Well the mitt I use for the wheels is full of this black gunk now, even after rinsing it with the hose and trying to wash it with clean water in the bucket. And then when I hung the drying the towel on the washing line, I forgot to peg it up so it fell on the floor and got a little dirty (see told I was a noob)

Anyway I just wanted to check, are the wash mitts and the towel ok to chuck in the washing machine to clean them? And is it ok to wash them with my regular washing powder, or will the combo of the two mess them up?

This may seem like a well stupid question to you profession detailers, but I just wanted to check what with them being "micro fibber" and all. 

Thanks in advance, and please be gentle with the comments.

Others might have different opinions, but I wouldnt use a mit to wash your wheels. Get yourself some proper cleaning fluid like Megs APC, AS G101 or proper wheel cleaner like Dodo Mellow Yellow, as it sounds like your wheels are manky  Then give them a good scrub with a proper wheel brush. I use the EZ brush. Then hose them down and shove on some sealant like Jetseal 109 so that you dont have to do much work to them when they get dirty again.

If you want to save that mit (Id bin it personally) then it depends if its synthetic or wool, if its pure wool then its fine to wash in the washing machine but use proper wool detergent. If its synthetic, infact, if its synthetic just bin the fecker and cut your loses.

Towel is fine to wash in the machine too, I recommend putting your towels and micro fibres in the washing machine together, but do not use fabric softner, just plain soap powder.

The mitt I use for my wheels is this

http://www.cleanyourcar.co.uk/washing-and-drying/microfibre-wash-polish-mitt/prod_158.html

My wheels aint that mank really as I use 2 coats of Poorboy’s wheel sealant, works wonders. Anyway I normally just blast them with the power washer, and then give them a quick wipe with the mitt, but I was at the girlfriends house and I didn’t bring it with me. Plus I wiped the really dirty inner rim which doesn’t have sealant on it, so it made the mitt extra dirty. I will one weekend take the wheels off and scrub the whole thing then seal it, so hopefully I won’t have this problem again.

Saying that I wouldn’t mind getting some proper wheel cleaning stuff. I have the regular 17in GTI wheels, and in the corners there is a little baked on brake dust (previous owners fault). I have tried scrubbing it with a brush and my normal car shampoo, but no luck. So if the guy from Waxamomo has any suggestions for some decent spray on wheel cleaner and a good brush I am all ears. And a little forum discount wouldn’t go a miss he he! 

[Guy]

If you want to save that mit (Id bin it personally) then it depends if its synthetic or wool, if its pure wool then its fine to wash in the washing machine but use proper wool detergent. If its synthetic, infact, if its synthetic just bin the fecker and cut your loses.

Towel is fine to wash in the machine too, I recommend putting your towels and micro fibres in the washing machine together, but do not use fabric softner, just plain soap powder.

pluck out any large bits of crap from when it fell off the washing line,put them in the machine with a couple of persil liquitabs,set the temp to 60 and put in on a normal wash with super rinse, very important NOT to use softner.

just to reiterate what has already been said... for washing your micro-fibres etc, you are best of washing at 40 degrees (that is what I use anyway Dan) using LIQUID detergent and has already been said NO softener as residue from the softener will remain in the material and you risk damaging your clearcoat

[A7 UFO]

I clean my wash mit by putting it on the floor and washing it with the jet hose.  Once it's dried you can then just rub off the bits of grit.









 

[Dan J]

not really good advice there mate as you run the risk of blowing grit into the mitt by doing that

@guy yer 40 is ok if the cloths arent too crappy, i use 60 to ensure they're totally clean.

I clean my wash mit by putting it on the floor and washing it with the jet hose.  Once it's dried you can then just rub off the bits of grit.











 

[Davstylee]

If you want to save that mit (Id bin it personally) then it depends if its synthetic or wool, if its pure wool then its fine to wash in the washing machine but use proper wool detergent. If its synthetic, infact, if its synthetic just bin the fecker and cut your loses.

Towel is fine to wash in the machine too, I recommend putting your towels and micro fibres in the washing machine together, but do not use fabric softner, just plain soap powder.

pluck out any large bits of crap from when it fell off the washing line,put them in the machine with a couple of persil liquitabs,set the temp to 60 and put in on a normal wash with super rinse, very important NOT to use softner.

just to reiterate what has already been said... for washing your micro-fibres etc, you are best of washing at 40 degrees (that is what I use anyway Dan) using LIQUID detergent and has already been said NO softener as residue from the softener will remain in the material and you risk damaging your clearcoat

Thanks for clearing that all up guys. I have washed them all now and they all seam to be nice and clean. As for the no fabric softener thing, the label on the drying towel said that so no softener was added.

On another note Guy, did you get my PM about the whole detail and paint restore thing now you have your van?