Wash microfibre car cloths separately from household laundry, sort them by the jobs they do, use a dedicated microfibre detergent and leave out fabric softener. Choose a cycle and drying method that suit the towel’s care instructions, then store it fully dry and protected from dust.
A good drying towel should lift water easily, and a clean buffing cloth should help you finish without dragging yesterday’s product residue across the paint. Looking after them is part of looking after the car. Here’s our practical routine for keeping your microfibres ready for the next wash.
Start by separating your cloths
Don’t put every used cloth into the same laundry pile. A towel used to dry freshly washed paint has a different job from a cloth used around wheels or to remove a dressing. Keeping them separate makes it easier to keep residue and grit away from your paintwork towels.
- Drying towels: keep these in their own wash group. For our Double Twist, avoid mixing with other laundry, long-pile microfibres or cloths used to remove wax.
- Paintwork buffing cloths: separate cloths carrying polish, wax or sealant from your drying towels and glass cloths.
- Glass cloths: keep away from oily dressings and protection products that could transfer and cause smears.
- Wheel, tyre and heavily soiled cloths: keep these out of your paintwork-towel wash.
Use labelled containers or a simple colour system so the separation continues after washing. A cloth’s colour tells you which job you assigned it; it doesn’t tell you whether it is clean enough to touch paint.
How to wash microfibre cloths with MicroWash
Our MicroWash microfibre detergent is formulated to remove the polish, wax, sealant and dressing residues that build up during detailing. It helps restore softness and absorbency without the fabric softening additives we want to keep off working microfibres.
- Inspect before washing. Open out each cloth and check for grit, trapped debris and damaged areas. If you drop a towel, take it out of use immediately. Don’t assume a shake makes it safe for paintwork.
- Pre-clean heavily soiled cloths. MicroWash’s directions specify 60ml in 20 litres of water for a pre rinse in a bucket. Wearing suitable gloves, gently work the solution through the fibres, then rinse thoroughly. Keep different towel groups separate here too.
- Load the machine without packing it tight. The cloths need room to move and rinse. Wash separately from clothing, bath towels and other lint-producing laundry.
- Add MicroWash to the detergent drawer. The current machine wash dose is 30–60ml. Follow the bottle directions rather than adding extra detergent in the hope of a better clean.
- Select a suitable cycle. MicroWash’s directions specify 30°C or a quick wash cycle. Check the cloth’s own care instructions as well, and don’t use a quick programme that cannot clean and rinse the load properly.
- Leave out fabric softener. It coats the fibres and reduces the cleaning and drying performance you bought the cloth for.
Check the current bottle and towel instructions before each wash, particularly when adding a different type of cloth to your kit.
What temperature should you wash a car drying towel at?
There isn’t one universal temperature for every microfibre product. The detergent directions and the towel’s care instructions both matter.
For our Double Twist 90 × 60cm drying towel, the stated wash limit is 40°C maximum. That is a ceiling, rather than a reason to choose 40°C every time. A 30°C wash follows our current MicroWash guidance while staying below that limit.
Use the instructions supplied with other towels instead of assuming they share Double Twist’s limits. If a label specifies a cooler setting or a particular drying method, follow it.
Dry gently, then store completely dry
MicroWash’s general directions allow air drying or low-heat tumble drying. Double Twist has more specific care guidance: cold-air/gentle tumble drying, with line drying also permitted. Choose the towel-specific method rather than treating “low heat” as suitable for every cloth.
Leave out dryer sheets and keep the drying area clean. Once fully dry, inspect and fold the towels, then store them in a clean cupboard, lidded container or bag. Keep paintwork cloths separate from wheel and tyre cloths in storage as well as during washing.
Don’t seal damp towels into a bag between washes. Let them dry if they cannot be washed straight away, while keeping used towels clearly separate from clean ones.
Why has my drying towel stopped absorbing water?
First check whether it is simply saturated. A towel that is already holding plenty of water will not behave like a fresh, dry one. Swap to a clean, dry towel before deciding that the fibres have a problem.
If poor absorbency persists after drying, consider what the towel has picked up. Wax, sealant, dressing, detergent or fabric softener residue can interfere with its performance. Wash it separately with MicroWash, following the directions, then rinse and dry it properly before checking again.
Cleaning can help with residue build-up; it cannot reverse every kind of wear or heat damage. If the towel still feels hard, contains particles you cannot remove, or has damaged areas, keep it off paintwork.
When should you replace or reassign a microfibre cloth?
Judge the cloth by its condition and the job you want it to do. A stain alone does not tell you whether it contains grit, and a soft feel alone does not prove it is clean.
- Keep for paintwork: only when it is clean, free from trapped debris and in suitable condition.
- Reassign: a thoroughly cleaned, usable cloth can move to a less delicate job if it no longer gives the finish you want on paint. Label it so it does not return to the paintwork pile.
- Retire: if embedded particles, hardened residue or damage make it unsuitable for the intended use. Don’t move a gritty cloth to another surface it could scratch.
Common microfibre-care questions
Can I wash car cloths with clothes or bath towels?
We recommend separate loads. Household laundry can shed lint, and detailing cloths can carry product residue you don’t want transferred between loads. Keep your drying towels separate from dirty wheel cloths too.
Can I use normal laundry detergent?
We recommend MicroWash because it is made for detailing residues and microfibre care. Household detergents vary, and additives can leave residue that affects performance. Fabric softener should be left out entirely.
How often should I wash my drying towel?
Make washing after use part of your routine, and always clean a towel that has collected dirt or product residue before using it on paint again. If it touches the ground, stop and switch to a clean towel.
Can I wash polishing pads with MicroWash?
MicroWash is also suitable for polishing pads. Follow the pad’s own care instructions for the cleaning method; don’t assume a pad can go into the same machine cycle as your cloths.
Build towel care into your next wash
Keep clean towels ready before you begin, separate used cloths as you work, and finish by washing and drying them properly. Our MicroWash and Double Twist drying towel make a useful pairing for a regular care routine.
For help choosing a towel, see our car drying towel guide. For the wash itself, follow our safe wash guide.
