Don’t use fabric softener on bath towels as well. It causes the material not absorb water as well. You wind up smearing the water around instead of absorbing
Just avoid fabric softener. A friend had someone service the washing machine and there was a whole lot of gloop in there from it and the service person said it was nasty stuff.
Use vinegar as a fabric softener. It works. Also, to get cotton towels clean, you need to add washing soda along with detergent. Helps also to wash them in hot water and let them soak for an hour.
Instead of fabric softener I use dettol laundry wash. Works great with the added benefit of cleaning the washing machine at the same time as the clothes.
Fabric softener should be avoided for many reasons, I stopped using fabric softener when I found out that the chemicals they use for the scents are carcinogenic
In the car detailing world where we use lots of microfiber towels for all kinds of different things like buffing waxes, if you have towels that are super clogged up and not absorbing water anymore there are dedicated detergents that bring them back to like from companies like The Rag Company
Yeah, if they are super dirty maybe once with regular detergent, but the rags to riches opens up and improves even glasses cleaning cloths or improves absorbency of towels, always cold wash and air dry. The longer you soak the better, 2 hours is sufficient but overnight is a game changer.
When I buff wax out, I just toss them tbh. The ones I use for leather conditioner and interior protectant, I leave them to soak in a dawn and warm water mixture. Then agitate them by hand for a few minutes. After that I rinse and wring them out by hand a few times until the water runs clear, then I wash as normal.
Soak them in white vinegar. BTW. Microfiber towels shed almost constantly and plug up our water systems. Whoie all of Cali is whining about plastic straws, microfiber towels are truly horrible for the environment.
Tip from health inspector/kitchen worker. 100% cotton, tight knitted, dish towels (the ones with the offset stripe down the center), can be used anywhere, do not melt, can be abused, cost roughly the same as microfibers, look attractive, do not scratch surfaces, and are sustainable to boot. As you use them, toss them into a 5 gallon bucket of water with a single scoop of oxyclean. The oxyclean slowly (few days) breaks down into hydrogen peroxide and gently bleaches the towels. By the time you get through a set of towels the the bucket full will be ready to be washed with any detergent of your choice. They even come in all black for dealing with meat and oils.
I've been using those kind of towels in my kitchen for 20 years. These are my everyday kitchen towels & I call them my workhorses. I buy them at Sam's Club or Costco, where they are called barmop towels. I didn't know about the Oxiclean tip, though - thanks!
Where do you recommend buying them? I think the ones i have purchased had some odd coating that repels water and even when I never used softener on them
The whole video is 3 minutes 43 seconds! Great! Concise and on point. One further note about using fabric softener, also keep it away from microfiber, or any other cloths that you use to clean camera lenses or display screens. The softener leaves a residue on the cloth that will cloud the lens/screen.
Great video, I like how you’re straight to the point with everything but not overwhelming or adding unnecessary tasks. Keep it up! Liked watching on 2x.
I tried microfiber cloths many years ago and gave up because I couldn't get them cleaned. Not sure how or why your video was recommended to me, but thank you. It all makes sense now and I'll give it another try.
I’ve been a Norwex consultant for years and never knew to not put them in the dryer with heat. I have been washing them separately with appropriate detergent, but so going to switch to air dry setting from now on! Thanks for the tip!
As a Norwex consultant, we’re taught to wash them in hot water and soak them in hot water to release the stains, if they don’t come out in the wash. It’s good to do every once in awhile to loosen the particles that get stuck in the weave. Norwex microfiber holds on to the bacteria, until it’s cleaned. We did a test, using the swabs the health inspectors use to test for contamination. We rubbed raw chicken on the counter, wiped it with the Norwex cloth, then tested the cloth and it showed no bacteria. Next, we used that same cloth to wipe down a different area of the counter. Then, we tested the counter and no bacteria showed up, so the bacteria didn’t transfer to another area of the countertop. There’s a video demonstration on TH-cam. Technically, you could clean your toilet, then your sink, with the same cloth, because the bacteria won’t transfer. BUT, that just sounds gross and we’re used to bacteria transferring. All microfiber are not the same, either. Some are more plush and not as tightly weaved as others.
Thanks for the tips! I didn’t know I wasn’t supposed to use heat to dry them. 😬 Also my own tip - I use vinegar in lieu of fabric softener for all my laundry, microfiber towels included. I find it helps keep scum from building up in the fibers.
@@boorntobewildLike the video says, microfiber cleans partly using static charge. It helps keep dirt sticking to the cloths and not falling off everywhere.
it's a nice idea but vinegar needs a LONG time to work, in most situations. i use vinegar too but i doubt it does much, although it does freshen the wm.
I love that kitchen in the background..it’s very aesthetically pleasing. Also, I did not know a few of these things about microfiber towels..and I’ve been using them for years for most of my cleaning tasks. I’m glad I came across this video! 👍🏻
I've been a housekeeper for 12 years now...I use that tide and my steam sanitize setting on my washer and dry on low. Vinegar if I've let them sit too long and they got that mildew smell. 😊 I also use specific colors for things. Blue for bathrooms, yellow for dusting, green for kitchen, orange for other things like nasty fingerprints on doors, stainless steel when paper towels aren't cutting it etc. I have certain blue microfibers you can see were the bleach ones in the bathrooms. They are the only ones to get bleach, and I can confirm they wear out quicker! Cool tips!
As a result of watching this video, I have completely reorganised my cleaning cloths. I shall also follow your tips on how the clean mircofibre. Thank you!
it's so you don't cross contaminate while you're cleaning. ie you just finished cleaning up piss in the bathroom and now you're using the same rag to clean the kitchen.
Well now I know I’ve done EVERYTHING wrong when cleaning my microfiber towels. At least I know what not to do next time. Who knew a microfiber video could be so entertaining? Like the “orange towels on the kitchen counter” bit? Watched that twice!
Yes, I washed the ones I bought first like washcloths and then was upset that they didn't "work", so I got online and found pro videos on what to do and bought some new ones. One ideas was to wash then in mesh zip bags in the laundry with the gentle detergent, then dry them on low so they never tough other items.
I throw my microfiber towels into a basin of warm soapy water immediately after using them. I pretreat any really grimy spots with Shout Advanced, if necessary. Then I launder them with Tide Hygenic Clean and air dry them. They are spotless. I really think that the immediate presoak has made all the difference.
I don’t think I have ever mentioned how much I LOVE THIS GUY… he reminds me so much of myself … I bet he will flip out just as I would seeing someone abuse or use a microfiber in the wrong place…. What really ticks me off is to see someone wipe up cooking grease with one…. And trust me the other person who lives in my house knows to remove grease with dawn power wash and a paper towel and then use the microfiber to clean the stove top…
I read that you do need to dry them with heat because it brings back the static needed to cling to the dust. I don't have any issues with collecting dust when using the dryer heat. Also it doesn't really matter about color coding by job if you're putting them together in the washing machine anyways. All the liquid, chemicals, and germs are getting combined in there.
@@sdennen I just use paper towels/wipes for the toilet area. I rinse and soak my microfiber to get the biggest dirt and dust off before putting it in the wash with everything else. The only issue is lint and strings from other clothes will get stuck when doing it that way, but I just don't have enough microfiber towels to do a whole load with.
wouldn't it just be the friction of brushing against each other as they tumble of the dryer restoring the static? It probably does help in that case to use a dryer, but using it on cold would work just the same without the melting risk.
@@hobbyhopper3143 I have a pack of 36 MF towels, but I do a small load when I've got about half of them that need washing. My washer has a setting from a small load up to a very large load. Small load is just enough water to wash 15 to 18 microfiber towels.
I use all of these cleaners to clean my microfibers, I also use a second rinse and do a pre-soak❤. I’ve had the best luck bye hanging dry works the best for me!
Thanks for the tips Brandon! I got a question can I wash all the colors all together even thought some are used for restrooms and others for the kitchen?
My thought exactly! Brandon washed all the colors together - so technically shouldn't the "toilet" towels be washed separately? Or at least given a pre-wash in a bucket or laundry sink before including them in the whole load of microfiber towels? I wouldn't wash dirty underwear with a load of tea towels.
With exception of chemicals, anything bio will wash out fine. Like soap and water washes hands after bathroom use..... Key is quality detergent (adding Borax works fantastic w/well water!) and fully rinse all of it out. Use an extra rinse cycle w/ plenty of water-not the eco setting.
I use the following colours for all my cleaning. Blue for the loo, pink for the sink, yellow for dusting, green for wiping kitchen cabinets and worktops, and grey for windows.
Based on your video, I decided to give microfiber cloths one more chance. Wow, whoopee, they have changed my life. I was diagnosed with an auto immune disease which has diminished my hand strength. These towels work quickly with little elbow( hand) grease. Thank you so much, I just got back some of my independence.
You are a genius! I was just looking for a video on the topic, but realized you’re the sanitizing engineer and watched your videos a while back. Basically it’s the info im trying to get from google in an efficient creative way. Thx!!!
After cleaning, one thing to do is cover with contact paper, as it can be removed easily later. We lived in Military Housing which had no many rules and I used it and also behind my stove on the wall.
I have a special bin where I keep all of my microfibers so I can wash them separately. Because I use a variety of cleaners, first run them through a quick wash with the vinegar to dissolve all the different cleaners that are on them. Then I run a second wash with oxyclean and regular detergent with an extra rinse. I always hang dry my microfiber. They work so much better if not gone through the dryer.
You shouldn't use fabric softener with any towels. The way it makes the towel "soft" is by plugging up the spaces with gunk. So the towels don't absorb water as well or at all. I wonder if the vinegar soak might pull that stuff out and refresh a towel's ability to absorb water.
I've had no loss of absorption from using liquid fabric softener. In college chemistry, we learned that fabric softener merely helps to break down and remove any remaining detergent from the fabric. Are you thinking of dryer sheets?
A very good video , spot on , so to speak ! I use blue microfiber for my kitchen countertops and cleaning in the kitchen . I don’t clean the bathrooms with microfiber towels . I have microfiber towels I use to clean cars and wash them separately. I usually wash in warm and dry on low . Here is tip, if your towels for cleaning cars and they are really nasty , you can use an electric pressure washer to clean them after soak in some soap for a bit. I wouldn’t use a gas powered pressure washer . I like Arm and Hammer free and clear !
Best tutorial on keeping my favorite cleaning cloths pristine for the long haul🤗. Although, the directions on my microfiber is to use cold water washes along with the extra rinse cycle🤷🏾♂️.
I just moved into a house with a Maytag just like this one. While I like the huge capacity, and the absence of a center agitator is interesting, the machine itself is terrible. The “normal” setting will glitch and set itself to a weird time , so I wind up having to use something like “cold wash” but try to adjust it, and, half the time, laundry just doesn’t come out very clean. I don’t know if it’s the minimal water used, old stuff left around from the previous owners (despite my use of Affresh to clean the machine every other month), or what. I can’t wait to get a GE, Whirlpool, or Speed Queen to replace this Maytag Bravos. Don’t just take my word for it , read a few reviews …. they’re all unfortunately true 🙁
Thank you for the video. After I watch the video, it dawned on me So that’s why I see little fibers on my glasses after I clean them. I just threw the old cloths away and just bought enough to last me for years. They are cheap and do a great job. Thanks. It woke me up.
thank you, these are great tips. I always use colour coded ones so i don't mix up kitchen & bathroom. wow - I NEVER use a cloth to clean a toilet (and then wash it with other cloths, ewk) - I always use just normal toilet paper to wipe down (with spray of course) - then it's flushed away - no risk of contamination with other cleaning products
I worked with a proffesional cleaning company, We used different colour cloths for each task, then in the same load wash together..uck. I work my own contracts now, blue shop towels for this gal on all toilets, can't bring myself to wash all together... in my washer, where I wash my families clothes!
Microfiber towels are grab dusty and debris really great, but I feel like most of them are one time use since the dirt/debris doesnt come off when I wash em. glad I found this video
I wash mine with regular laundry, but I only ever use regular laundry detergent and white vinegar in every load. I don’t have any issues. ❤ some times I use a dryer sheet, but not usually.
I always use white vinegar in the rinse cycle and hang to dry. Hydrogen Peroxide cleaner mixed with laundry soap works wonders. I also use that in my normal wash loads.
Thank you for this! I had no idea how to clean these. I end up just giving them a hand wash (don't worry, I only use them for dusting, wiping counters, windows etc., never toilets!) My problem now is that I'll need to buy quite a few more so that I have enough to actually make up a load in my apartment building's front loaders!
Tan for wood, blue for glass, I have a big bright green one for the bathroom floor. That’s just a few. I don’t have a ton but I take care of what I do have. Also never use harsh chemicals for anything helps too
So you have different towels for different parts of the house to avoid cross contamination, but then you wash them together right? So the germs are going to mix anyways isn’t it??
Your videos are great. I love cleaning my cars and your show popped up in you tube to watch. Can’t stop watching your vids! You should try rags to riches from the rag company. It’s a great microfibre towel cleaner. Just an oz in the wash or pre treat with an oz in a bucket for 24 hrs. I use it on my car cleaning microfibre towels and it works great to rid them of heavy cleaners and sealants. It’s also really affordable. And no I’m not sponsored by them, just a happy customer!
I suppose your suggestions might prolong the life of your towels, but what a hassle! I buy the cheap bundles of microfiber towels. I clean with them EVERY SINGLE DAY. I wash them with my COTTON towels using HOT water, Tide detergent, & BLEACH. And they work just fine. I'd rather replace them a little sooner than worry about line drying something that cleans floors and toilets. I do agree with you on the fabric softener! Thank you😁!
I no longer have a washer/dryer, so go to a laundromat. I will never have enough microfiber towels to make a full load, so have always mixed my towels in with my one load of wash. I have always soaked my towels first in Oxyclean, but if vinegar will work better, I always have that on hand. So do I need to hand wash all my towels? I always wash in cold water (mainly jeans and t-shirts and undies). Very informative video! Thanks.
I have just learned that I have been washing my microfiber towels wrong! Have I ruined them by using fabric softener and drying them with bath towels, or is there a way to correct this? Thanks for the great channel 👍
Good to know! I don't use fabric softener, so that's good. Would put a coating on the towels anyway. I haven't had a problem with drying them normally. Have never seen any damage from drying normally. Huh. Didn't know that was a thing. Question. I use microfiber in the woodshop for everything from wiping glue to applying different finishes like wax, poly, shellac, and some use it for applying oil based finishes. So, how would you remove tough stains, like wax, shellac or oil finishes? I encourage everyone to rinse the heck out of any towel they use for glue because we use a water-resistant glue and I've not found anything that will remove that once it's dry. Well, except white vinegar, which you mention. White vinegar is a staple in the woodshop to remove gluy fingerprints before finishing.
I’ve gotten wax out with newspaper and a hot iron on the newspaper, it pulls the wax out of the cloth… this was a blanket, haven’t tried on microfiber, but I imagine would still work fine. Oils stains I use an oil pre-treat spray before adding to laundry.
@@massages_for_world_peace8909have a question. My husband use microfiber to clean off my vanity mirror but apparently he had also used it to wax the car at some point. so now I have film of wax on my mirror that I cannot get off. Any ideas how I get wax off mirror?
Thanks so much Zachary! I do have an editor now helping with all my long form videos. He is absolutely crushing it. This comment is legit going to make his week!
Enjoyed the video. I have been using a bar soap called Zote to was my towels, have you ever used it or know if it will hurt the towels? I line dry my towels.
Soak in bleach and Tide or any liquid soap. 20 minutes is. Rinse well. Just a little splash of bleach/ soap in bucket or sink. Use a scrub brush on the back brush to clean bristles if needed. Clean combs and hairbrushes this way too. Collect and do them all same day. Lay in tub to dry and hang loofah.
I do have different colors for different purposes, and i knew about needing to wash them separately from other towels, or clothes, but i did not know that their effectivenness was damaged by dryer heat. I do throw them in the washer & dryer with my towels, but they are still separated from the towels by putting them in a tightly woven mesh large lingerie bag. That kept them from getting the lint on them. Now, I will just air dry them. I have a tension rod i placed up high inside my shower, along with a retractable clothesline that I use to air dry items I don't want to put in the dryer. Thanks for the vinegar tip.
what about if you have a small load (2-3 microfibers)? hand wash? and if microfibers don't like heat, how come they're washed with warm water? helpful content as always - thanks!!
Mine seem to get clogged up with fibers, especially if I've been dusting. Does this care routine prevent that? Because THAT would make this a Very Good Video.
Fabric softeners coat your towels, bedding, and clothes with a substance, which builds up over time and not only feels weird but slowly damages the fabrics. It makes towels less absorbent from the get-go. The residue from fabric softeners builds up and damages your washer and dryer.
Microfiber cleaning cloths are made 100% from plastic, thus they should be washed in a mess bag and separate from your other clothes and dried on low, as high heat melts the little loops that catch dirt. Cotton is a natural fiber and can we washed with regular soap, etc.
I've been washing them for years. They pile up quick in the wood and metal shop. For the cleanest towels.......pre-soak in 5 gallon buckets overnight in hot water and soap. Wash the next day. Hot water. Lot of soap. Run on heavy cycle.
What I was hoping to find out, is why microfiber cloths tend to get so greasy over time, and then they leave greasy streaks on everything. Having them in hot soapy water doesn’t clean them. Even boiling them in Oxyclean doesn’t remove the grease. Once greasy, always greasy. (I use them for doing dishes and the greasy dishwater gets into them) I suppose it’s because microfiber is made from plastic and plastic holds onto grease. But your point about not letting them get too hot was a good point.
Welcome Theresa! I know that all to well with gloves... It's the worst! About 4 years ago I tested these gloves from Gloveworks and they are all I have used since. Here's a link - amzn.to/42nRyiv (affiliate link)
So how do you get the stink out of older microfiber towels? I've tried sanitizers, vinegar, oxyfresh, different scented scent beads. They still stink when clean. And I never use re-usable towels to clean my toilet! I wash them in a front loader on a long cycle with cool water. Thanks!
You know, three years ago I would have thought this to be the least necessary, biggest time waster agglomeration of information on TH-cam. WRONG! Thanks for the extraordinarily useful information. I discovered the magic of microfiber a few years ago and have been cleaning them incorrectly. Thanks for the *very* useful information.
Microfiber cloths are made from plastic and Bleach, and heat harms it. One Pro said to put the cloths in Mesh Zip Bags so they don't touch any other fabric or pick up lint. Drying on high heat melts the plastic loops so they don't grab dust as well.
Only last week I bought my first microfibre tea towel. It works wonderfully but I’ve not yet needed to wash it. If I’d known in advance it was such a hassle I would never have bought it. I’ve only got the one, so there’s absolutely no way I’m going to waste litres and litres of water to wash it individually. When it needs to be washed I’m reverting to my cotton tea towels.
Good morning, thank you so much for sharing this valuable information. It is good to always learn something new and worthwhile. have a great day. Good tip on colour usage, very interesting I do not really use micro fibre but I am about to change.
You say soak in two cups of vinegar. How much water do you add? It looks like your bucket has more than two cups of liquid. Thanks for the helpful video.
I use color-coding on a cleaner basis rather than an area-based or "grossness" basis. If you launder your towels properly then any of them should be suitable for any use after laundering... However when you're actually doing cleaning - try putting towels soaked with a bleach-based cleaner the same pile as towels soaked with an ammonia-based cleaner... (Actually don't try it... you'll find out why WW I gas attacks sucked!)
Don’t use fabric softener on bath towels as well. It causes the material not absorb water as well. You wind up smearing the water around instead of absorbing
Just avoid fabric softener. A friend had someone service the washing machine and there was a whole lot of gloop in there from it and the service person said it was nasty stuff.
Use vinegar as a fabric softener. It works.
Also, to get cotton towels clean, you need to add washing soda along with detergent. Helps also to wash them in hot water and let them soak for an hour.
Instead of fabric softener I use dettol laundry wash. Works great with the added benefit of cleaning the washing machine at the same time as the clothes.
Fabric softener should be avoided for many reasons, I stopped using fabric softener when I found out that the chemicals they use for the scents are carcinogenic
And it leaves a film on the items, causing them to take longer to dry.
In the car detailing world where we use lots of microfiber towels for all kinds of different things like buffing waxes, if you have towels that are super clogged up and not absorbing water anymore there are dedicated detergents that bring them back to like from companies like The Rag Company
Yeah, if they are super dirty maybe once with regular detergent, but the rags to riches opens up and improves even glasses cleaning cloths or improves absorbency of towels, always cold wash and air dry.
The longer you soak the better, 2 hours is sufficient but overnight is a game changer.
When I buff wax out, I just toss them tbh. The ones I use for leather conditioner and interior protectant, I leave them to soak in a dawn and warm water mixture. Then agitate them by hand for a few minutes. After that I rinse and wring them out by hand a few times until the water runs clear, then I wash as normal.
Soak them in white vinegar.
BTW. Microfiber towels shed almost constantly and plug up our water systems. Whoie all of Cali is whining about plastic straws, microfiber towels are truly horrible for the environment.
@@barbarat5729 Try a different brand. Some I bought leave lint on windows and it was infuriating to me.
Tip from health inspector/kitchen worker.
100% cotton, tight knitted, dish towels (the ones with the offset stripe down the center), can be used anywhere, do not melt, can be abused, cost roughly the same as microfibers, look attractive, do not scratch surfaces, and are sustainable to boot.
As you use them, toss them into a 5 gallon bucket of water with a single scoop of oxyclean. The oxyclean slowly (few days) breaks down into hydrogen peroxide and gently bleaches the towels. By the time you get through a set of towels the the bucket full will be ready to be washed with any detergent of your choice.
They even come in all black for dealing with meat and oils.
Thanks for that tip…
@@timeforturtlesthanx mN.where do you buy this towels?
Would you please put a link to a picture?
I've been using those kind of towels in my kitchen for 20 years. These are my everyday kitchen towels & I call them my workhorses. I buy them at Sam's Club or Costco, where they are called barmop towels. I didn't know about the Oxiclean tip, though - thanks!
Where do you recommend buying them? I think the ones i have purchased had some odd coating that repels water and even when I never used softener on them
The whole video is 3 minutes 43 seconds! Great! Concise and on point.
One further note about using fabric softener, also keep it away from microfiber, or any other cloths that you use to clean camera lenses or display screens. The softener leaves a residue on the cloth that will cloud the lens/screen.
Yes! I am so glad when people just get to the point and don’t add unnecessary fluff!
Yes and no stupid intro to the video!
Blue for the loo, pink for the sink. 😊
😱 genius!!
Loved the rhime
Wtf I chose blue for floor and bathroom cleaning and white for the sink :-P I like this rhyme
Was looking for something like this. 👍
Then wash them together 😅
Great video, I like how you’re straight to the point with everything but not overwhelming or adding unnecessary tasks. Keep it up! Liked watching on 2x.
I tried microfiber cloths many years ago and gave up because I couldn't get them cleaned. Not sure how or why your video was recommended to me, but thank you. It all makes sense now and I'll give it another try.
I’ve been a Norwex consultant for years and never knew to not put them in the dryer with heat. I have been washing them separately with appropriate detergent, but so going to switch to air dry setting from now on! Thanks for the tip!
As a Norwex consultant, we’re taught to wash them in hot water and soak them in hot water to release the stains, if they don’t come out in the wash. It’s good to do every once in awhile to loosen the particles that get stuck in the weave.
Norwex microfiber holds on to the bacteria, until it’s cleaned. We did a test, using the swabs the health inspectors use to test for contamination. We rubbed raw chicken on the counter, wiped it with the Norwex cloth, then tested the cloth and it showed no bacteria. Next, we used that same cloth to wipe down a different area of the counter. Then, we tested the counter and no bacteria showed up, so the bacteria didn’t transfer to another area of the countertop. There’s a video demonstration on TH-cam. Technically, you could clean your toilet, then your sink, with the same cloth, because the bacteria won’t transfer. BUT, that just sounds gross and we’re used to bacteria transferring. All microfiber are not the same, either. Some are more plush and not as tightly weaved as others.
I love Norwex! The only microfiber that doesn't hold on to hairs !
Thanks for the tips! I didn’t know I wasn’t supposed to use heat to dry them. 😬 Also my own tip - I use vinegar in lieu of fabric softener for all my laundry, microfiber towels included. I find it helps keep scum from building up in the fibers.
What combats static cling when you use Vinegar instead?
@@boorntobewildLike the video says, microfiber cleans partly using static charge. It helps keep dirt sticking to the cloths and not falling off everywhere.
it's a nice idea but vinegar needs a LONG time to work, in most situations. i use vinegar too but i doubt it does much, although it does freshen the wm.
I was washing only in vinegar too. Then I read that vinegar eroded the seals in the washer. 😢
@@yvonnerenoult1819 Wait what? Who said “wash only in vinegar?”
I love that kitchen in the background..it’s very aesthetically pleasing. Also, I did not know a few of these things about microfiber towels..and I’ve been using them for years for most of my cleaning tasks. I’m glad I came across this video! 👍🏻
Thanks for watching Paige! Appreciate it :)
I, too, checking out the kitchen in the background whilst listening 😆
☝️Don't wash on high temperature❗it releases nanoparticals that goes into our waters & is poisonous to all living... No filters can remove them.. 🤷♀️
🤮too much White
I've been a housekeeper for 12 years now...I use that tide and my steam sanitize setting on my washer and dry on low. Vinegar if I've let them sit too long and they got that mildew smell. 😊 I also use specific colors for things. Blue for bathrooms, yellow for dusting, green for kitchen, orange for other things like nasty fingerprints on doors, stainless steel when paper towels aren't cutting it etc. I have certain blue microfibers you can see were the bleach ones in the bathrooms. They are the only ones to get bleach, and I can confirm they wear out quicker! Cool tips!
As a result of watching this video, I have completely reorganised my cleaning cloths. I shall also follow your tips on how the clean mircofibre. Thank you!
Does it matter if you use towels by color if they end up in same washing cycle?
I’m curious too
That was my question as well. If he is that concerned, each colour should be washed separately
it's so you don't cross contaminate while you're cleaning. ie you just finished cleaning up piss in the bathroom and now you're using the same rag to clean the kitchen.
Diminishing returns. Reserving one specific color for toilets is easy. Sorting and washing each color separately is a step too far for most people.
I wash kitchen microfiber separately 😊
Well now I know I’ve done EVERYTHING wrong when cleaning my microfiber towels. At least I know what not to do next time. Who knew a microfiber video could be so entertaining? Like the “orange towels on the kitchen counter” bit? Watched that twice!
Yes, I washed the ones I bought first like washcloths and then was upset that they didn't "work", so I got online and found pro videos on what to do and bought some new ones. One ideas was to wash then in mesh zip bags in the laundry with the gentle detergent, then dry them on low so they never tough other items.
The shame
Tbh no one should ever use fabric softener for anything ever. It’s such a marketing scam and just not good for your body at all.
Stops static on clothes.
Vinegar is great
Hear hear!
I throw my microfiber towels into a basin of warm soapy water immediately after using them. I pretreat any really grimy spots with Shout Advanced, if necessary. Then I launder them with Tide Hygenic Clean and air dry them. They are spotless. I really think that the immediate presoak has made all the difference.
Does the bucket with dirty, wet rags start smelling? I wash a load every couple of weeks, how often do you wash yours?
I’ve always dried it flat, but I did not know that you cannot wash that with cotton towels!! 🤦♀️ Now I know.❤
I don’t think I have ever mentioned how much I LOVE THIS GUY… he reminds me so much of myself … I bet he will flip out just as I would seeing someone abuse or use a microfiber in the wrong place…. What really ticks me off is to see someone wipe up cooking grease with one…. And trust me the other person who lives in my house knows to remove grease with dawn power wash and a paper towel and then use the microfiber to clean the stove top…
I read that you do need to dry them with heat because it brings back the static needed to cling to the dust. I don't have any issues with collecting dust when using the dryer heat. Also it doesn't really matter about color coding by job if you're putting them together in the washing machine anyways. All the liquid, chemicals, and germs are getting combined in there.
I was wondering that myself, washing them together.
@@sdennen I just use paper towels/wipes for the toilet area. I rinse and soak my microfiber to get the biggest dirt and dust off before putting it in the wash with everything else. The only issue is lint and strings from other clothes will get stuck when doing it that way, but I just don't have enough microfiber towels to do a whole load with.
wouldn't it just be the friction of brushing against each other as they tumble of the dryer restoring the static? It probably does help in that case to use a dryer, but using it on cold would work just the same without the melting risk.
What homemaker has enough microfiber cloths to do a whole load of just them?
@@hobbyhopper3143 I have a pack of 36 MF towels, but I do a small load when I've got about half of them that need washing. My washer has a setting from a small load up to a very large load. Small load is just enough water to wash 15 to 18 microfiber towels.
Never too old to learn.
I'm 54 and just liked and subscribed.
welcome to the clean team :)
I use all of these cleaners to clean my microfibers, I also use a second rinse and do a pre-soak❤. I’ve had the best luck bye hanging dry works the best for me!
Great tips. I use microfiber towels for all my dusting and deep cleaning. I don't fabric softeners even for my regular wash load.
Thanks for the tips Brandon! I got a question can I wash all the colors all together even thought some are used for restrooms and others for the kitchen?
My thought exactly! Brandon washed all the colors together - so technically shouldn't the "toilet" towels be washed separately? Or at least given a pre-wash in a bucket or laundry sink before including them in the whole load of microfiber towels? I wouldn't wash dirty underwear with a load of tea towels.
With exception of chemicals, anything bio will wash out fine. Like soap and water washes hands after bathroom use..... Key is quality detergent (adding Borax works fantastic w/well water!) and fully rinse all of it out. Use an extra rinse cycle w/ plenty of water-not the eco setting.
I have that same sort of washing machine where you load from the top and I love it so much !
Yay perfect timing. I'm washing some today. Great tips. You're the best Brandon. I'm really enjoying your channel
Great to see a serious, helpful video about microfibres, we just abuse what we dont know. Good lad.
I use the following colours for all my cleaning. Blue for the loo, pink for the sink, yellow for dusting, green for wiping kitchen cabinets and worktops, and grey for windows.
Based on your video, I decided to give microfiber cloths one more chance. Wow, whoopee, they have changed my life. I was diagnosed with an auto immune disease which has diminished my hand strength. These towels work quickly with little elbow( hand) grease. Thank you so much, I just got back some of my independence.
You are a genius! I was just looking for a video on the topic, but realized you’re the sanitizing engineer and watched your videos a while back. Basically it’s the info im trying to get from google in an efficient creative way. Thx!!!
Hi Brandon ❤ can u show us how to clean greasy kitchen cabinets and how to dust off the dusts above the kitchen cabinets.
Use mineral oil (or baby oil) on a cloth to clean greasy cabinets. It works amazingly well.
@Laolrah I used Zep Orange Degreaser, the foaming one. Absolutely no scrubbing.
@@Jade_902 All the ZEP products are great and found in the Janitorial Supply section of a store and not in the regular cleaning supplies.
After cleaning, one thing to do is cover with contact paper, as it can be removed easily later. We lived in Military Housing which had no many rules and I used it and also behind my stove on the wall.
I have a special bin where I keep all of my microfibers so I can wash them separately. Because I use a variety of cleaners, first run them through a quick wash with the vinegar to dissolve all the different cleaners that are on them. Then I run a second wash with oxyclean and regular detergent with an extra rinse. I always hang dry my microfiber. They work so much better if not gone through the dryer.
You shouldn't use fabric softener with any towels. The way it makes the towel "soft" is by plugging up the spaces with gunk. So the towels don't absorb water as well or at all. I wonder if the vinegar soak might pull that stuff out and refresh a towel's ability to absorb water.
I've had no loss of absorption from using liquid fabric softener. In college chemistry, we learned that fabric softener merely helps to break down and remove any remaining detergent from the fabric. Are you thinking of dryer sheets?
I am very squeamish about using a towel to clean the toilet! I use paper towel or toilet paper + an old toothbrush.
That works too!
A very good video , spot on , so to speak ! I use blue microfiber for my kitchen countertops and cleaning in the kitchen . I don’t clean the bathrooms with microfiber towels . I have microfiber towels I use to clean cars and wash them separately. I usually wash in warm and dry on low . Here is tip, if your towels for cleaning cars and they are really nasty , you can use an electric pressure washer to clean them after soak in some soap for a bit. I wouldn’t use a gas powered pressure washer . I like Arm and Hammer free and clear !
I’m a retired house cleaner and I did not know about the heat on the microfiber towels. I did that for years. 😬
I'm currently one (4+ years) and here to learn/fix my mistakes 😅
Heat is fine for them in my experience.
Best tutorial on keeping my favorite cleaning cloths pristine for the long haul🤗. Although, the directions on my microfiber is to use cold water washes along with the extra rinse cycle🤷🏾♂️.
Dude, I fell in love with your washing machine 😍
Yeah but don’t buy one. Maytag sucks.
I just moved into a house with a Maytag just like this one. While I like the huge capacity, and the absence of a center agitator is interesting, the machine itself is terrible. The “normal” setting will glitch and set itself to a weird time , so I wind up having to use something like “cold wash” but try to adjust it, and, half the time, laundry just doesn’t come out very clean. I don’t know if it’s the minimal water used, old stuff left around from the previous owners (despite my use of Affresh to clean the machine every other month), or what. I can’t wait to get a GE, Whirlpool, or Speed Queen to replace this Maytag Bravos. Don’t just take my word for it , read a few reviews …. they’re all unfortunately true 🙁
Which ones do you suggest we do throw away? Do you have tips on removing pet odor? How to sanitize kitty litter mats and litter box?
Thank you for the video. After I watch the video, it dawned on me So that’s why I see little fibers on my glasses after I clean them. I just threw the old cloths away and just bought enough to last me for years. They are cheap and do a great job. Thanks. It woke me up.
thank you, these are great tips. I always use colour coded ones so i don't mix up kitchen & bathroom. wow - I NEVER use a cloth to clean a toilet (and then wash it with other cloths, ewk) - I always use just normal toilet paper to wipe down (with spray of course) - then it's flushed away - no risk of contamination with other cleaning products
Aren't the towels cross-contaminating each other when they are put in the wash together?
Yup...I guess I would just run them all through with sanitizer. I use blue shop towels on my toilet. Stronger than paper towel but still disposable.
I worked with a proffesional cleaning company, We used different colour cloths for each task, then in the same load wash together..uck. I work my own contracts now, blue shop towels for this gal on all toilets, can't bring myself to wash all together... in my washer, where I wash my families clothes!
no, because the washing machine is cleaning them
Yea i guess toilet stuff should always be disposable material.
Who cleans a toilet with a cloth? Thats a paper towel job.
Perfect timing.
I just washed my new microfibers towels for the 1st time and wasn't happy with the results.
Thank you for these tips.
I’m so glad I watched this because I’ve been doing four of the five things wrong!
Could you do a video about how to start your own cleaning business ? Or do you have a good resource for how to start your own cleaning business?
This is a great video idea, adding to the list!
Microfiber towels are grab dusty and debris really great, but I feel like most of them are one time use since the dirt/debris doesnt come off when I wash em.
glad I found this video
I wash mine with regular laundry, but I only ever use regular laundry detergent and white vinegar in every load. I don’t have any issues. ❤ some times I use a dryer sheet, but not usually.
I always use white vinegar in the rinse cycle and hang to dry. Hydrogen Peroxide cleaner mixed with laundry soap works wonders. I also use that in my normal wash loads.
Thank you for the tips. I will try this on my next cleaning of the Microfiber Towels
Happy cleaning to you!
Thank you for this! I had no idea how to clean these. I end up just giving them a hand wash (don't worry, I only use them for dusting, wiping counters, windows etc., never toilets!) My problem now is that I'll need to buy quite a few more so that I have enough to actually make up a load in my apartment building's front loaders!
I never thought I would envoy so much a microfiber video
Tan for wood, blue for glass, I have a big bright green one for the bathroom floor. That’s just a few. I don’t have a ton but I take care of what I do have. Also never use harsh chemicals for anything helps too
I use vinegar instead of fabric softener in every load. I will now try soaking the cloths in vinegar before washing. Thanks for the video.
So you have different towels for different parts of the house to avoid cross contamination, but then you wash them together right? So the germs are going to mix anyways isn’t it??
Your videos are great. I love cleaning my cars and your show popped up in you tube to watch. Can’t stop watching your vids! You should try rags to riches from the rag company. It’s a great microfibre towel cleaner. Just an oz in the wash or pre treat with an oz in a bucket for 24 hrs. I use it on my car cleaning microfibre towels and it works great to rid them of heavy cleaners and sealants. It’s also really affordable. And no I’m not sponsored by them, just a happy customer!
I soak mine in vinegar and baking soda diluted with water for about 2-3 hours and then just wash with hands. It works perfectly
Vinegar and baking soda neutralize each other, so it would be a wiser idea to use just the baking soda
You’re essentially soaking them in salty water.
Does this get them clean if they are really dirty? And I don't think they'll be sanitized.
Look up the properties in vinegar, very good for cleaning. They sell cleaning vinegar in stores.
@@Coco-zu9ob mine comes out very much cleaner
Great when people actually know how to do stuff! Nice vid.
I suppose your suggestions might prolong the life of your towels, but what a hassle!
I buy the cheap bundles of microfiber towels. I clean with them EVERY SINGLE DAY.
I wash them with my COTTON towels using HOT water, Tide detergent, & BLEACH. And they work just fine.
I'd rather replace them a little sooner than worry about line drying something that cleans floors and toilets.
I do agree with you on the fabric softener!
Thank you😁!
I no longer have a washer/dryer, so go to a laundromat. I will never have enough microfiber towels to make a full load, so have always mixed my towels in with my one load of wash. I have always soaked my towels first in Oxyclean, but if vinegar will work better, I always have that on hand. So do I need to hand wash all my towels? I always wash in cold water (mainly jeans and t-shirts and undies). Very informative video! Thanks.
Good video. I don’t use fabric softeners or sheets any more. I love the dryer balls they help a lot in dryer items
I love those! Thanks for watching!
I have just learned that I have been washing my microfiber towels wrong! Have I ruined them by using fabric softener and drying them with bath towels, or is there a way to correct this? Thanks for the great channel 👍
I have white kitchen cabinets like yours- what do you use to clean them?? I have some grease splatter on the ones by the stove.
Car detailer spray, waterless wash spray.
Hello! Thank you 🤗 I was wondering, do you wash all the different colors separately too?
Good to know! I don't use fabric softener, so that's good. Would put a coating on the towels anyway. I haven't had a problem with drying them normally. Have never seen any damage from drying normally. Huh. Didn't know that was a thing.
Question. I use microfiber in the woodshop for everything from wiping glue to applying different finishes like wax, poly, shellac, and some use it for applying oil based finishes. So, how would you remove tough stains, like wax, shellac or oil finishes? I encourage everyone to rinse the heck out of any towel they use for glue because we use a water-resistant glue and I've not found anything that will remove that once it's dry. Well, except white vinegar, which you mention. White vinegar is a staple in the woodshop to remove gluy fingerprints before finishing.
The idea is the higher heat, so another pro explained melts down the tiny loops and they don't work as well.
I’ve gotten wax out with newspaper and a hot iron on the newspaper, it pulls the wax out of the cloth… this was a blanket, haven’t tried on microfiber, but I imagine would still work fine.
Oils stains I use an oil pre-treat spray before adding to laundry.
@@massages_for_world_peace8909have a question. My husband use microfiber to clean off my vanity mirror but apparently he had also used it to wax the car at some point. so now I have film of wax on my mirror that I cannot get off. Any ideas how I get wax off mirror?
@@massages_for_world_peace8909 it will melt it, so if that was your intention.
@@hollie611 Vinegar might work.
Any small vacuum recommendations for windows sills? I love your positive attitude. Inspiring me 😊
Did you hire an editor because your editing is bussin. Dude the transition from microfiber to tide👌🏼👌🏼👌🏼
Thanks so much Zachary! I do have an editor now helping with all my long form videos. He is absolutely crushing it. This comment is legit going to make his week!
Enjoyed the video.
I have been using a bar soap called Zote to was my towels, have you ever used it or know if it will hurt the towels? I line dry my towels.
Awesome tips!! The vinegar tip is so helpful!
I’m glad you enjoyed them!!
Thanks so much for watching!
How long did you soak yours in the vinegar water before washing?
@@richardwoods7053 depends on how bad they are. Some I’ve done for an hour or so and really bad ones overnight
@@richardwoods7053 that was my question too. Thanks for asking it!
3:00 how long should you let the towels soak in vinegar water?
I've read to use cold water which releases fewer microfibres into the environment through the rinse water.
Hey, can you tell me how to clean bathroom items, like a back scrub, a loofah… especially where mould grows 😅?
Soak in bleach and Tide or any liquid soap. 20 minutes is. Rinse well. Just a little splash of bleach/ soap in bucket or sink. Use a scrub brush on the back brush to clean bristles if needed. Clean combs and hairbrushes this way too. Collect and do them all same day. Lay in tub to dry and hang loofah.
I do have different colors for different purposes, and i knew about needing to wash them separately from other towels, or clothes, but i did not know that their effectivenness was damaged by dryer heat. I do throw them in the washer & dryer with my towels, but they are still separated from the towels by putting them in a tightly woven mesh large lingerie bag. That kept them from getting the lint on them. Now, I will just air dry them. I have a tension rod i placed up high inside my shower, along with a retractable clothesline that I use to air dry items I don't want to put in the dryer. Thanks for the vinegar tip.
Just discovered your channel and that I have been washing my microfibers towels wrong!!! 😅🤣 Thank you for the content. Its light and informative.
welcome to the clean team mariel!!
what about if you have a small load (2-3 microfibers)? hand wash? and if microfibers don't like heat, how come they're washed with warm water? helpful content as always - thanks!!
Mine seem to get clogged up with fibers, especially if I've been dusting. Does this care routine prevent that? Because THAT would make this a Very Good Video.
Fabric softeners coat your towels, bedding, and clothes with a substance, which builds up over time and not only feels weird but slowly damages the fabrics. It makes towels less absorbent from the get-go. The residue from fabric softeners builds up and damages your washer and dryer.
Do you use white vinegar instead?
@@ARw275I only use vinegar in the rinse cycle
Some of us cannot use Bio liuid because of allergies but this was great, I had no idea heat damaged them. Thank you.
I hope your channel triples with subbies. You are a wealth of knowledge. Tfs😊
Great tips. Do you used the same tips for cotton dish clothes and towels?
Microfiber cleaning cloths are made 100% from plastic, thus they should be washed in a mess bag and separate from your other clothes and dried on low, as high heat melts the little loops that catch dirt. Cotton is a natural fiber and can we washed with regular soap, etc.
I've been washing them for years. They pile up quick in the wood and metal shop. For the cleanest towels.......pre-soak in 5 gallon buckets overnight in hot water and soap. Wash the next day. Hot water. Lot of soap. Run on heavy cycle.
Curious about thoughts of using the vinegar in the fabric softener dispenser of the clothes washer instead of presoaking.
What I was hoping to find out, is why microfiber cloths tend to get so greasy over time, and then they leave greasy streaks on everything. Having them in hot soapy water doesn’t clean them. Even boiling them in Oxyclean doesn’t remove the grease. Once greasy, always greasy. (I use them for doing dishes and the greasy dishwater gets into them)
I suppose it’s because microfiber is made from plastic and plastic holds onto grease.
But your point about not letting them get too hot was a good point.
Hi Brandon I'm a new subscriber here. What are the cleaning gloves you use? When I wear gloves I always end up with a hole in the fingers.
Welcome Theresa! I know that all to well with gloves... It's the worst! About 4 years ago I tested these gloves from Gloveworks and they are all I have used since. Here's a link - amzn.to/42nRyiv (affiliate link)
So the ones you used on cleaning the oven with cleaner residue and grease, wont it hurt the washing machine?
That's why you soak them in vinegar first.
So how do you get the stink out of older microfiber towels? I've tried sanitizers, vinegar, oxyfresh, different scented scent beads. They still stink when clean. And I never use re-usable towels to clean my toilet! I wash them in a front loader on a long cycle with cool water. Thanks!
You know, three years ago I would have thought this to be the least necessary, biggest time waster agglomeration of information on TH-cam. WRONG! Thanks for the extraordinarily useful information. I discovered the magic of microfiber a few years ago and have been cleaning them incorrectly. Thanks for the *very* useful information.
Fun video, thanks for the tips. I gotta dunk my old microfiber towels in vinegar now!
I've been bleaching and heat drying my towels and wondering why they just pushed hair and dirt around!
I use disposable cotton cloths for around the toilet. Well I use a few times but the just throw out to avoid contamination
Thanks for this tip, I didn't know about it before
I use the pre- soak option. Works for the worst of dirty towels. I use the oxy you showed.
I actually use a microfiber towel in the dark laundry to catch pieces of lint. This works really well on super soft baby blanket. .
Good tips. Thank you. The ones I use are for car cleaning, but good to know how to properly wash them.
Microfiber cloths are made from plastic and Bleach, and heat harms it. One Pro said to put the cloths in Mesh Zip Bags so they don't touch any other fabric or pick up lint. Drying on high heat melts the plastic loops so they don't grab dust as well.
Great tips. I promise to treat my microfiber towel better in the future. They will get their own load!
Awesome!
Only last week I bought my first microfibre tea towel. It works wonderfully but I’ve not yet needed to wash it. If I’d known in advance it was such a hassle I would never have bought it. I’ve only got the one, so there’s absolutely no way I’m going to waste litres and litres of water to wash it individually. When it needs to be washed I’m reverting to my cotton tea towels.
You could just hand wash it in the sink and let it air dry.
Who's going to have such a pile of microfibre cloths, enough that'll fill a washing machine drum as an individual and separate load???
A professional home cleaner
Me. Lol I go through so many of them for simple cleaning around the house as well as my cars
@@justforthetv Exactly. Less paper towels, more microfiber and/or cotton towels.
Me
@@justforthetv 💯 same here
Good morning, thank you so much for sharing this valuable information. It is good to always learn something new and worthwhile. have a great day. Good tip on colour usage, very interesting I do not really use micro fibre but I am about to change.
You say soak in two cups of vinegar. How much water do you add? It looks like your bucket has more than two cups of liquid. Thanks for the helpful video.
Would wool dryer balls damage the microfiber the same as fabric softener?
I use color-coding on a cleaner basis rather than an area-based or "grossness" basis. If you launder your towels properly then any of them should be suitable for any use after laundering...
However when you're actually doing cleaning - try putting towels soaked with a bleach-based cleaner the same pile as towels soaked with an ammonia-based cleaner... (Actually don't try it... you'll find out why WW I gas attacks sucked!)