Microfiber Towel Stink

[xopher]

Microfibers are great for buffing out a wax or polish or just for drying off excess water after a wash. As some of you may have experienced, microfibers pick up everything, including terrible odors and bacteria that cause smelly towels. I've got a pile of microfibers that sat around for some time and really developed a nasty funk. I've been told again and again not to use fabric softener and not to use bleach, but I'm really thinking about soaking these things in a bucket of hot water and Clorox because I just can't get this terrible olfactory disaster smelling neutral again. That or just buying new ones every few months.

Anyone else have stanky microfiber towels? What have you done to resolve the stank?

[hot-rauder]

Try Oxiclean.

[finster101]

I don't have a problem with them at all. I let tham dry before throwing them into a hamper in the garage and wait until I have enough to justify running the washer. Hot water and detergent only. Use the towel setting on the dryer and ready to go.

[justbob]

At any given time i just send 25-30 through the wash (usually just wait for a full load worth). I haven't noticed any kind of a stink, but if I were you i'd try drier sheets first and see if that helps.

[Matt In Detroit]

1 tablespon of bleach in a gallon makes an effective sanitizer. Id put 2 tablespoons in a car wash bucket with a couple gallons of water and let them soak for 15 to 20 mins then wash them. They will probably turn out ok.

That soloution wont be stong enough to destroy the towels or anything else.

[fastblackmerc]

At any given time i just send 25-30 through the wash (usually just wait for a full load worth). I haven't noticed any kind of a stink, but if I were you i'd try drier sheets first and see if that helps.

Don't use dryer sheets or fabric softener. If you do you'll ruin the towels.

[Embassy]

A small amount of Clorox might help. Then, wash the towels again to ensure you remove all of the bleach.

Here's a guide I've used for maintaining my vast microfiber towel collection:

http://www.autopia.org/publish/articles/22/1/Microfiber-Car-Detailing-Products/Page1.html (http://www.autopia.org/publish/articles/22/1/Microfiber-Car-Detailing-Products/Page1.html)

Hope this helps.

[Richy04]

WTF are you washing with these towels that they stink?? LOL

[Richy04]

I love the tags btw.. funk (http://www.mercurymarauder.net/forums/tags.php?tag=funk), microfiber (http://www.mercurymarauder.net/forums/tags.php?tag=microfiber), odor (http://www.mercurymarauder.net/forums/tags.php?tag=odor), smell (http://www.mercurymarauder.net/forums/tags.php?tag=smell), stank (http://www.mercurymarauder.net/forums/tags.php?tag=stank)

[xopher]

WTF are you washing with these towels that they stink?? LOL
Haha, fair question. I think some rear diff fluid got spilled on them at some point and they sat in it for a while. I've had microfibers smell a little bit before, but right now they are down right rancid :(

[BigCars4Ever]

at 25 towels for $10 at Sam's club I consider them disposable! If one hit the ground I throw it in the trash.

[Aren Jay]

..........

[Dr Caleb]

tide with febreeze.

Finally get that sailboat? ;)

[Blk Mamba]

Rear end grease is the most retched smell in the world, throw them away, buy new ones. I never knew that bleach, fabric softener was bad for the micro-fiber towels, guess I'll have to throw 20-30 away. NOT!

[Embassy]

Haha, fair question. I think some rear diff fluid got spilled on them at some point and they sat in it for a while. I've had microfibers smell a little bit before, but right now they are down right rancid :(

Personally, I'd order new towels if you're needing some for the Marauder's painted surfaces. Keep these older towels for the wheels, tips, etc..

[sd8683]

at 25 towels for $10 at Sam's club I consider them disposable! If one hit the ground I throw it in the trash.


+1^^^^^^ i just throw em out when I'm done with them.

[captain]

Auto geek sells a citrus based cleaner that works. It dissolves the wax that accumulates and they are like new!

[xopher]

Auto geek sells a citrus based cleaner that works. It dissolves the wax that accumulates and they are like new!
This was something I didn't think about ahead of time. In my multiple washing described below, I accumulated a perfect ring of black wax in my washing machine that I had to wipe out with rags. Something to dissolve this wax without harming the microfiber would be helpful.

http://roadkillrefugee.files.wordpres s.com/2007/11/mission-accomplished.png
So here's my after action report. The rancid microfibers got a few washings varying between hot and cold water, powder and liquid detergent. None of these got rid of the smell, although the rags looked nicer. In recommendations around the web, people comically support and disdain a variety of chemicals being applied to microfibers. One that wasn't shouted down too much was bleach, so I decided to try somthing along those lines, with reservations. Rather than use bleach, I used Clorox Clean-Up, a diluted bleach spray. I lightly sprayed the towels and let them soak in hot water and this bleach spray for a few hours. After this, I could still smell the stank, but it had subsided. I rinsed the bleach out and gave them one more hour soak in hot water and then ran them through the washer on medium and the dryer on low for a few minutes. Now I couldn't smell a thing from the pile. I separated them and took a deep whiff on each one individually and found all but one were fresh again, that one probably being the one that got diff fluid spilled on it at some point. So sick of that smell, I threw that one out, but managed to save the other 10 or 15. Lastly, while I'm sure the microfibers will do a fine job, I can tell I shortened their lives a bit with all of these different chemicals and variations in water temperature. They look and smell clean, but they don't have that slightly-tacky-super-light-velcro feel to them anymore. I'd rather have my pile of a few dozen run-down towels than drop another $50 on microfibers this year.

Summary: A degreasing agent is helpful in getting the wax and buildup in the microfibers out. Light bleach or Clorox Clean-Up soak in hot water followed by warm wash and a brisk dry will get out locked-in odors.