May 1, 2017

Cleaning with Microfiber

I’ve been using microfiber for cleaning for close to 10 years – I love it and I always tell you to use it 🙂 but it’s been a while since I talked about why I use it. First of all, you should know that I started using any microfiber I could find cheap and have even recommended them to you but have since changed my thoughts of that after doing extensive research on microfiber. There isn’t anything wrong with using the cheapest microfiber you can find, I’m all about keeping things budget friendly, BUT I can tell you that if you hate that scratchy feeling of microfiber (I do!), don’t buy the cheapest ones you can find. You won’t enjoy using them and quite honestly, a higher grade of microfiber (higher ratio of polyamide to polyester and micron rating) does make a difference.

 How should you use microfiber – what can you clean with it?

  • bathrooms – I think that microfiber shines in the bathroom – it’s great for faucets, toilets, tubs, and mirrors. I use separate cloths for these surfaces to avoid cross-contamination.
  • dusting – use for dry dusting or with your favorite polish. I also use a microfiber dusting wand in lieu of a feather duster for quick dusting.
  • kitchen – they work amazingly on counters, cabinets, drawers, and appliances – especially stainless steel.
  • automobiles – use to wipe down seats, dashes, doors, and general cleaning.
  • baseboards and floors – if you want a superiorly washed floor or baseboard, try using microfiber.
  • general cleaning – if you would use a paper towel, you can use a microfiber cleaning cloth instead.

QUICK TIP: I prefer to use microfiber slightly damp – I spray surfaces and wipe clean with a slightly/barely damp microfiber cloth.

What’s the big deal with microfiber?

  • #1 reason I love it? The microscopic fibers pick up more dirt and germs!
  • you can clean using only water or your favorite cleaner (non-toxic is always best!)
  • no lint left behind on surfaces
  • no streaks on windows, mirrors, and surfaces
  • eco-friendly – use in place of paper towels or wipes for cleaning
  • each microfiber cloth has 300+ uses
  • washes easily

How to launder microfiber

  • microfiber can be rinsed and wrung out as your using it
  • wash only with other microfiber cloths – I keep a bucket on the back of our washing machine and toss dirty ones in there. I wash them weekly all together and then run a sanitize cycle on the washing machine.
  • launder with detergent – use less (I use half the amount that I usually use) so it fully rinses out
  • do not use fabric softener – it coats the fibers and ruins its effectiveness
  • dry in the dryer on low

What is microfiber made from?

  • polyester/polyamide (nylon) blend – the percentages of polyester to polyamide will vary from brand to brand.
  • The higher the polyamide percentage, the tighter weave and the softer feel.

A quick science lesson

Why does microfiber work? Microfiber is composed of microscopic fibers made from polyester and polyamide (both are essentially fibers made from plastic). These microfibers are up to 50-100 times thinner than a human hair – hence the name microfibers. Because of these microscopic, teeny tiny fibers, they grab and hold dirt better than a conventional cleaning cloth, cleaning wipe, or paper towel. Microfiber grabs germs and holds them – some cloth companies claim that they kill germs and germs on surfaces. This claim is warranted, but any high quality microfiber cleaning cloth grabs germs from surfaces just simply because of construction.

What about brands?

Let’s talk about brands – I’m not going to mention any brands by name but do your research and find one that you love. If you don’t love them, you won’t use them. There are a lot of choices out there and the choices will most likely multiply as microfiber becomes more and more popular.

I sell microfiber cleaning cloths in my Clean Mama Home shop – I’ve had them made FOR me and I feel that they are amazing. I carry 2 basic cloths – a utility cloth (aqua) and a polishing cloth (gray). You can find a microfiber cleaning cloth for just about any surface but I wanted to keep things simple for me and for my customers because quite honestly, I found that when I had a whole slew of cleaning cloths for different purposes I was only coming back to two.

 Looking for the best microfiber cloths? Check out my selection in Clean Mama Home!

This post is part of a new series – Homekeeping Basics. In the series I’ll talk about ingredients, products, and some simple, basic homekeeping 101 sorts of things. I hope you enjoy it!

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Homekeeping Basics