Best Microfiber Detergent? 7 Washes Tested on Real Towels

What is actually the best way to clean dirty microfiber towels? For the first episode of The Detailing Standard, I put seven detergents and cleaning methods through real loads of towels from real details. The strongest cleaner and the overall winner were two different products.

I’m Gary, thatdtailguy. I wanted to know whether a specialty microfiber wash earns its place on the shelf, whether regular Tide can compete, and what a wash really costs once you count the presoak and any extra detergent. Here are the results, the process, and the parts of this test that still need work.

The result, in two answers

Read these as results from one real-world round. The loads did not start with identical towels or identical contamination. These percentages describe my visual inspection, not laboratory cleaning efficiency or proof of restored absorbency.

Watch the full test

See the towels, the sorting process and my reactions as the results came in. Start with the scoring explanation or jump to the final scoring if you already know the lineup.

All seven results, side by side

The total is the published episode score. The cleaning percentage and scored cost are separate measures, so you can make your own decision about what matters. All costs below are historical test figures, not current store prices.

Browse the tested products and purchase links or keep reading for the tradeoffs behind each result.

How I tested the towels

These were used detailing towels with the kind of contamination that actually comes back from a job: interior grime, polishing residue and ordinary detailing soil. I sorted them as evenly as I could among the loads. I did not apply an identical stain to each towel, and the baskets did not contain an identical number or mix of items.

I used the product directions that applied to the test loads, including presoaks for YumCars and P&S. Detail Co. was used at one ounce in an HE machine without a presoak. Griot’s and TUFF were evaluated with additional laundry detergent. The citric-acid method used the acid in the rinse, separate from the detergent wash.

After washing, I inspected the items for visible contamination and counted the ones I thought needed further cleaning. Polishing pads and unusual items were discussed separately where they would otherwise distort the towel comparison. The final cleaning percentages are the results reported for each treatment in the episode.

Visual cleaning rate = items judged clean ÷ items counted × 100. That is a practical screening method, but visible staining and remaining contamination are not the same measurement. No instrumental residue, absorbency or durability testing was performed.

Softness was originally going to be scored. Once I handled the finished loads, the differences were not clear enough to justify a meaningful ranking, so I removed that category. Watch the sorting process and the explanation of the final categories.

What the overall score measures

The goal is to make my decisions visible and repeatable. It does not make my preferences disappear. You may care much more about cleaning than local availability, and that is a valid reason to choose differently from the overall scoreboard.

• Ranked categories: cost per unit, cost per use and cleaning performance. With seven entries, the strongest rank earns seven points and the weakest earns one.
• Availability: 0 to 2 points, reflecting the access described during the test, from specialty-site ordering to easy local purchase.
• Safety documentation: 0 or 1 point for whether the official documentation was located during the research.
• Hazard profile: 0 to 2 points under the episode’s finished-product classification rubric.
• Ease of use: 0 to 2 points for the process required.

Cost per unit and cost per use are both included, which gives economics substantial influence. That weighting is a choice, not a universal definition of the best detergent. The score also reflects availability and documentation at the time of research; those can change.

Normal manufacturer pricing was the intended baseline, rather than temporary coupons or sales. I kept the reported episode totals here instead of silently rescoring products after publication. In future rounds, a complete category-by-category worksheet and tighter contamination controls will make the comparison easier to audit.

What each wash actually cost

A low bottle price does not necessarily mean a low cost per load. Dose size, extra detergent and presoak product all count. The final wash figures below supersede the preliminary estimates discussed earlier in the video.

A cost exception worth calling out: P&S needed two presoak buckets during the test. I counted only one bucket’s presoak product in its $2.73 scored cost. Its total detergent consumed was therefore higher than the figure shown. That decision favors P&S on cost and is a limitation of this first round.

The amounts are the reported test process, not a substitute for the current bottle directions, your washer manual or the size and condition of your load. These figures also compare detergent costs, not a complete accounting of water, electricity or your time. Watch the final cost breakdown.

The notes behind each result

A practical microfiber wash routine

Detergent choice is only part of towel care. As a starting point, sort microfiber away from lint-shedding laundry and separate the dirty jobs from paint, glass and drying towels. Follow the towel and detergent directions for dose, water temperature and any presoak.

Skip fabric softener and dryer sheets. Rinse thoroughly, use an extra rinse when appropriate, and follow the towel’s low-heat or no-heat drying instructions. Inspect towels before putting them back into service. Looking brighter does not prove that a towel is free of residue or safe for a sensitive surface.

For manufacturer care guidance, see The Rag Company’s microfiber washing guide. For your own kit, browse microfiber detergents and towels, pads and applicators at That Detail Shop.

Safety documentation and test limitations

The episode scored documentation availability separately from the finished-product hazard profile. Finding an SDS is not the same as finding a product with no hazards. Likewise, failing to locate a document does not prove a product is unsafe. The original safety scores are reported as part of the episode, not presented as a new certification or a claim that one detergent is harmless.

Use the current label and the SDS for the exact product and market you own. Useful manufacturer and product-document links:

• P&G safety-data-sheet finder for Tide products. Match the product and formulation; a different brand’s free-and-clear SDS is not a Tide SDS.
• P&S Rags to Riches SDS (PDF).
• Griot’s Microfiber Cleaner SDS (PDF).
• Detail Co. Microfiber Wash SDS (PDF).
• YumCars Yum Wash MF SDS (PDF).

What I would tighten next time: matched towel types, controlled contamination, repeated loads, clearer separation of pads from towels, a published category worksheet, and measured absorbency. I would also count every presoak dose consistently. Until those variables are controlled, avoid treating a small percentage difference as proof that one formula always beats another.

Episode chapters

Go directly to the part you want to inspect.

Help shape the next test

The point of The Detailing Standard is to show the process, explain the judgment calls and keep improving. I want strong performers to come back against new challengers, not disappear after one video.

Leave a comment on the episode with the category you want next and the part of the scoring you would change. Pre-washes, snow foams, wheel cleaners or something else? You can also follow thatdtailguy on YouTube, Instagram and TikTok.

Trust Costs Nothing.