How To Wash Microfiber Towels

Quick answer: how to wash microfiber towels. Wash microfiber towels in the washing machine, separate from cotton and other laundry, using warm or cold water and 1–2 oz of a dedicated microfiber detergent like Rags to Riches. Skip fabric softener, dryer sheets, bleach and powder detergents. Add an extra rinse, then tumble dry on low heat or no heat, or hang to air dry. Heavily soiled towels get a pre-soak first.

We make microfiber for a living, and washing is where most towels get ruined. Here is exactly how we wash ours, by machine and by hand, plus how to rescue towels that have gone stiff, streaky or smelly.

What you'll need

• A dedicated microfiber detergent (Rags to Riches is ours)
• A washing machine (standard or HE both work) and a dryer with a low or no-heat setting
• A bucket for pre-soaking really dirty towels, or for hand washing

How to wash microfiber towels in a washing machine

1. Sort them first. Keep microfiber away from cotton towels, clothes and anything that sheds lint. Microfiber grabs lint and won't let go. Then separate dirty jobs from clean ones: wheel, engine and interior towels in one load, paint, glass and drying towels in another.
2. Pre-treat the worst ones. Towels loaded with polish, compound, wax or sealant residue should soak first (see how to deep clean microfiber below).
3. Use the right detergent, and not too much. Add 1–2 oz of microfiber detergent per load. Liquid only: powders and pods can leave residue in the fibers.
4. Choose warm or cold water. Avoid hot water and sanitize cycles. Heat is what damages microfiber (more on that below).
5. Use a normal or bulky cycle and add an extra rinse. The extra rinse flushes out leftover detergent and loosened residue so towels come out soft instead of stiff.
6. No fabric softener, no bleach. Softener coats and clogs the fibers so they stop absorbing and start smearing. Bleach weakens them.

How to wash microfiber towels by hand

No washer handy, or only a few towels to clean? Hand washing works well:

1. Fill a clean bucket with warm (not hot) water and add a small splash of microfiber detergent.
2. Submerge the towels and let them soak for 15–30 minutes, longer if they're dirty.
3. Agitate and knead each towel by hand to work the dirt and residue loose.
4. Drain, then rinse in clean water until it runs clear and no suds remain.
5. Gently squeeze out the water (don't wring hard), then air dry or tumble on low.

How to dry microfiber towels

• Low heat or no heat only. Tumble dry on low, delicate or air-fluff, or hang them to air dry. If air-dried towels feel a little stiff, a short low-heat tumble softens them back up.
• Dry with like towels. Same rule as washing: no cotton in the dryer with your microfiber.
• No dryer sheets. They coat the fibers just like liquid fabric softener does.
• Clean the lint trap before every microfiber load so leftover lint doesn't end up in your towels.

How to deep clean crusty, stiff or smelly microfiber towels

If towels have stopped absorbing, leave streaks, feel crunchy or smell even after washing, they're usually loaded with residue. Revive them with a soak:

1. Mix 1–2 oz of Rags to Riches in a bucket of warm water.
2. Soak the towels for 24–48 hours to break down polish, wax, sealant and coating residue.
3. Spot-treat stubborn stains with a diluted detergent spray.
4. Machine wash as normal with an extra rinse, then dry on low or no heat.

Accidentally washed your towels with cotton or softener? Don't toss them yet. See I washed my microfiber towels wrong: are they ruined?

What ruins microfiber towels?

• High heat. Microfiber is a blend of polyester and polyamide (nylon) split into fibers far finer than a human hair. High heat in the washer or dryer makes those fibers shrink, curl and harden, which kills absorbency and can even cause light marring on paint.
• Fabric softener and dryer sheets. They clog the fibers so the towel pushes liquid around instead of absorbing it.
• Washing with cotton. Cotton lint embeds in microfiber and ends up on your paint and glass.
• Powder detergents, pods and too much detergent. These can leave residue behind that stiffens towels.
• Bleach. It weakens the fibers and fades colors.
• Letting dirty towels sit. Chemicals dry into the fibers and wet towels can sour or mildew. Wash them soon after use.

How often should you wash microfiber towels?

Wash them after every use. Towels that touched paint, glass or a fresh coating should always be clean before they touch it again. Reusing a dirty towel drags trapped grit across the surface. We also recommend washing new towels before their first use to clear out any loose fibers.

How to store clean microfiber towels

• Keep them in closed containers (lidded totes or clean bags), not on open shelves where they collect dust.
• Store them by job (paint, glass, drying, interior, wheels) so the right towel is always at hand and dirty-job towels never end up on paint.

Need to replace a few? Shop our microfiber towels and drying towels.

Frequently asked questions

Can you put microfiber towels in the washing machine?

Yes. Machine washing is the best way to clean microfiber. Use warm or cold water, 1–2 oz of microfiber detergent, no fabric softener, and wash them separately from cotton. An extra rinse helps.

Can I wash microfiber towels with regular laundry detergent?

In a pinch, a liquid detergent with no softeners, scents or dyes will get them clean. A dedicated microfiber detergent is better at dissolving the polishes, waxes and sealants detailing towels pick up, and it rinses out cleanly. Avoid powders and pods.

Can I use Dawn dish soap on microfiber towels?

It's not a good choice for regular washing. Dish soap is made to cut grease, not rinse cleanly out of dense fibers, and can leave towels streaky. Stick with a microfiber detergent.

Should you wash microfiber towels with other clothes?

No. Wash microfiber only with microfiber. Cotton and other fabrics shed lint that gets trapped in the towels.

What temperature should you wash microfiber towels at?

Warm or cold. Skip hot water and sanitize cycles, and dry on low or no heat.

Can you put microfiber towels in the dryer?

Yes, on low heat or no heat, without dryer sheets. You can also hang them to air dry.

Should you wash microfiber towels before first use?

We recommend it, especially for towels that will touch paint, glass or a coating. One wash removes loose fibers left from manufacturing and packaging.

Want more? Read why Rags to Riches is our go-to microfiber detergent, and subscribe to our YouTube channel for more microfiber tips.