Microfibre Wash for Cloths & Pads
A dedicated microfibre wash for cloths, applicators and polishing pads, because dirty tools scratch clean cars. The concentrate strips wax, polish and grease out of the fibres and leaves nothing of itself behind.
- 500 ml concentrate
- Cloths, pads and mitts
- Strips wax and polish
- Made in Poland
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Swag MICROFIBRE WASH CONCENTR GEL+ / 500 ml | Clean Microfibers, Applicators, Pads | Streak-Free | Removes Grease
£6.99 Add to basket
Why detailers wash cloths separately
Microfibre is a tool, not a tea towel. Treated properly it lasts years; treated like laundry it lasts a month.
How do you wash microfibre cloths?
Shake the grit out first, then wash them on their own on a warm rather than hot setting, using a microfibre wash instead of household detergent. Ordinary powders and liquids leave brighteners, perfume and softening agents in the fibres, and those residues are exactly what causes streaks on glass and paint later. MICROFIBRE WASH CONCENTR GEL+ is built to lift wax, polish and grease and then rinse out completely. Dry them on low heat or hang them up, because high heat melts the fibre tips and the cloth goes hard.
Can you use fabric softener on microfibre?
No, and it is the mistake that kills more cloths than anything else. Fabric conditioner works by coating fibres in a waxy film, which is the opposite of what microfibre needs, since the split fibres have to stay open to grab dirt and hold water. A softened cloth stops absorbing, pushes product around instead of removing it, and leaves a film on glass. Once the softener is in there it takes several proper washes to strip out, if it comes out at all.
How do you clean polishing pads?
Rinse the compound out while it is still wet, wash the pad with a microfibre detergent, then let it air dry face down. A pad clogged with dried compound stops cutting: the abrasives cannot move, the foam glazes, heat builds and you push harder for a worse finish. Clean pads cut predictably, finish cleaner and last several times longer, which makes this the cheapest performance upgrade in detailing. Squeeze foam pads flat to get water out rather than wringing them, as twisting tears the foam.
Step by step
- Shake out the gritKnock loose sand and dust out before anything goes near the machine.
- Sort by jobKeep wheel and engine cloths away from paint, glass and interior ones.
- Wash on their ownRun them separately from normal laundry, warm not hot, microfibre wash only.
- Dry them gentlyAir dry or use the lowest heat setting, and never add a dryer sheet.
Fabric conditioner and dryer sheets leave a film that blocks the fibres for good, and a cloth that will not absorb is a cloth that smears. If your towels feel slippery or have stopped drinking water, that is almost always the reason.
Microfibre and pad care questions
How to make cloths and pads last, and what quietly destroys them.
Can I wash microfibre with normal laundry detergent?
You can, but it shortens the life of the cloth. Household detergents carry optical brighteners, perfumes and softening agents meant to stay in cotton, and microfibre holds onto all of it. The result is streaking on glass, less absorbency and a cloth that smells clean while working badly. A dedicated microfibre wash rinses out completely, which is the entire point of using one.
What temperature should I wash microfibre towels at?
Warm rather than hot. Microfibre is a polyester and polyamide blend, so genuinely hot washes and hot tumble drying melt the fibre tips and the cloth turns scratchy for good. Around 40 °C is the safe habit for general detailing cloths, keeping a hotter wash for the heavily soiled ones only, and following the label if the cloth has one. Heat destroys more towels than dirt ever does.
Can I tumble dry microfibre cloths?
On the lowest heat setting, or better still, hang them up. Never add a dryer sheet, as it does the same job as fabric softener and coats the fibres. Air drying takes longer, costs nothing and keeps the pile open and soft. Make sure they are fully dry before folding them away, because damp cloths go musty fast.
Should I wash car cloths with the rest of the laundry?
No. Microfibre attracts cotton lint like a magnet, so one bath towel in the drum leaves your paint cloths covered in fluff. Wash them as their own load, and split that load by job as well. Wheel and engine cloths carry brake dust and grease that you do not want anywhere near paintwork or glass.
How often should I clean polishing pads?
During the job as well as after it. Brushing or blowing compound out of the face between panels keeps the pad cutting evenly, and a proper wash at the end of the session stops the compound curing solid in the foam. A pad left dirty overnight is usually a pad you end up replacing.
What these cloths work with
The jobs that go through the most microfibre in a week.
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