By Baxter Overman | March 25, 2025 in 
Have a microfiber towel or wash mitt you’re unsure how to clean? There is a right way to wash your towels, and a few things NOT to do. For starters, never throw dirty microfiber towels in a pile to air-dry….and then use them again. This is a surefire way to leave tiny scratches without knowing it!
It’s best to retire heavily soiled microfiber towels since they can scratch your clear coat or leave swirl marks. I do recommend keeping a few older towels for use under the hood or unpainted areas like trim.
What’s the best method to wash microfiber towels?
For best results, use a washing machine to clean your towels since the spin cycle produces the agitation needed to remove trapped dirt. It can be difficult to remove embedded dirt or wax trapped in microfiber by soaking alone.
1. Separate your towels by type and dirtiness
To start, I like to separate microfiber towels and wash mitts based on interior or exterior use and how old or soiled they are. For example, all used towels will get tossed in separate buckets labeled ‘interior’, ‘exterior’, ‘wheels’, ‘glass’, and so on. I can’t stand when clean glass towels leave streaks because they made contact with towels that had oils or wax on them!
Consider color-coding your microfiber towels. If you buy towels in different colors, you can assign blue for the interior, red for the exterior, or green for wheels, for example. This will make it much easier to sort your towels before washing.
Never wash other fabrics (like socks or terry-cotton towels) with microfiber; Microfiber is a unique material made of a type of plastic like polyamide—which can melt under high heat unlike cotton.
Don’t wash your dirtiest exterior towels (used on wheels or under the hood) with your towels used on paint. While optional, this tier-based labeling system for storage can also help you sort and store your exterior towels based on their condition:
Tier 1: Your newest towels
Tier 2: Washed 1-2 times, still usable
Tier 3: Washed more than twice, but starting to look old or stained
Tier 4: Towels used for the engine, wheels, almost ready to discard
2. Pre-treat by soaking dirty towels if needed
For small smudges or dark spots, spray your towels with a simple degreaser like Simple Green, and let soap overnight. You can add what’s called microfiber detergent during this phase in warm water.
Pre-treating won’t clean your towels completely, but it will help dislodge some dirt so your washing machine won’t have to work quite as hard.
3. Select dye and scent-free detergent
Always use a dye-free unscented detergent when cleaning microfiber. No perfumes, fabric softeners, dyes, or bleach. On the household side, All Free and Clear works, or you can pick up a dedicated microfiber detergent by Chemical Guys or another detailing brand.
Microfiber Towel Concentrated Cleaning Detergent
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To help remove trapped substances, you can add a small amount of white vinegar to your machine’s fabric softener dispenser or during the rinse cycle. Vinegar or microfiber detergent helps break down certain bonded chemicals that regular clothing detergents aren’t designed for.
4. Wash and rinse towels separately based on dirtiness and type
Wash your exterior towels separately from your glass and interior towels, and don’t max out the spin speed. I prefer at least two rinse cycles just to be on the safe side.
Should you wash microfiber towels in a washing machine?
Yes. This comes down to personal preference, but I would advise against throwing heavily soiled towels in a shared washing machine. Chemicals used in detailing can be quite harsh…and to be honest—it’s easy to forget to wipe out the drum or clean the washing machine. You also don’t want to risk ruining expensive clothing.
If you don’t want to use a traditional washing machine you can buy what’s called a portable washing machine. They’re designed for camping and small loads, perfect if you have a few towels.
Never use high heat or hot water to wash microfiber, as the melting point is 140 degrees Fahrenheit (60 degrees Celcius). If care instructions aren’t listed, use cold or warm water only.
Portable Washing Machine for Microfiber Towel Washing
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While these machines aren’t as powerful as a full-size machine, they’re still effective. After all, unless you’re a professional detailer you probably won’t need to wash a ton of towels all the time.
If you have an extra hookup and want a second washing machine for your microfiber towels or shop rags, you can find them pretty cheap on Facebook Marketplace these days.
5. Air dry or use low heat for drying
It is safe to use a dryer to dry microfiber towels, but use a no heat or low heat setting…and absolutely no dryer sheets or fabric softeners. Heat can damage microfiber during washing OR drying; dryer sheets and softeners will clog and harden the fibers.
You can air dry your microfiber towels in a well-ventilated area on a drying rack if you don’t have a dryer, just make sure you don’t have airborne particles like pollen floating around.
Premium microfiber towels can usually withstand a handful of washing and drying cycles before it’s a good idea to discard them. Eventually, the fibers will break down, come loose, or get rough. At that point, you can either repurpose these towels or toss them.
Store and organize your towels
Once clean and dry, fold and separate your microfiber towels together, just as they came out of the dryer. You can even place them all into the right tier, depending on their age.
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