We’ve all seen the word ‘microfibre’ on cleaning cloth packaging, but what exactly does it mean? Often the term is used as a selling point, but it is more than just marketing speak, with microfibre cleaning cloths referring to a specific type of cleaning technology.
Microfibre cloths differ from other similar products, as they are made from tiny fibres that are actually invisible to the naked eye!
So what is the benefit of using this specific type of cleaning cloth over more traditional alternatives? In this article, we will explore how microfibres work, and why they’re so effective at a wide variety of cleaning jobs.
What Makes Microfibre Cloths Different?
First, let’s address the main question – what is the difference between microfibre and traditional cleaning cloths? The key difference between these products is the materials they are made from, and more specifically the size of the fibres within these varying materials.
As implied by the name, microfibre cloths are made from much smaller plastic fibres that are up to 50 times thinner than human hair!
Ordinary cleaning cloths, conversely, have fibres made from cotton or other synthetic materials such as nylon, which are far bigger by comparison. This size difference is highly significant when it comes to the effectiveness of microfibre cleaning cloths.
When the fibres are so much smaller, each individual cloth contains considerably more of them, essentially offering a far greater surface area for dirt to cling onto. In effect, microfibre cloths pack more cleaning potential into a smaller space than traditional products are able to do, thanks to the size of the fibres.
How Does This Work?
Here comes the science bit!
Due to their microscopic size, microfibres are able to attach themselves to even the smallest dirt particles imaginable, which can be missed by the larger fibres of traditional cloths that simply brush over the top of them instead.
Using a principle known as Van der Waals forces, each individual microfibre in one of these cleaning cloths creates an extremely small amount of adhesive force between the cloth and the dirt.
Individually this force is not enough to be effective, but there are millions of individual microfibres in one cloth alone. As a result, the tiny adhesive effect of one microfibre is magnified considerably, meaning that dirt and dust stick easily to microfibre cleaning cloths through forces of attraction.
This is actually the same principle that allows geckos to stick upside down, as these amazing lizards use billions and billions of tiny hairs on their feet to adhere themselves to vertical and upside-down surfaces through forces of attraction as opposed to a sticky adhesive chemical.
When a microfibre cleaning cloth is in action then, the millions of fibres are able to dislodge the dirt on surfaces through Van der Waals forces. Even dried-on dirt and grime can be picked up when loosened with a small amount of water, with microfibre cloths then naturally cleaning dirt away through the power of physics.
While microfibre cloths use this ingenious method to clean, traditional cleaning cloths require some form of chemical product to be used as well, which sticks to the dirt and breaks it down enough so that the larger fibres can collect it. Cleaning cloths are then able to remove the dirt which is actually stuck to the cleaning product, not the cloth.
Although this traditional method is effective, microfibre cleaning cloths offer an innovative and hygienic way to clean without having to rely on cleaning chemicals for assistance.
How are Microfibre Cloths Made?
Microfibre cloths are created from a mixture of two different types of plastic – polyester and nylon (which is also known as polyamide). In the manufacturing process, these two plastics are forced together through a small pipe and then heated up, which fuses the two materials into one new blended product.
This manufacturing process results in tiny fused plastic fibres, which are then split 10-20 times further to create the finished microfibre cloth.
Depending on the specific manufacturing process, cloths labelled as ‘microfibre’ can still vary considerably in terms of the size of each fibre. On average, as we discussed earlier in this article, microfibre cloths are about 10-50 times thinner than an individual human hair, and 50 times lighter than the fibres in a pair of women’s tights.
This makes microfibres even smaller than pollen grains, or even red blood cells, and roughly the same size as a typical bacteria cell. As microfibres would be unable to pick up anything smaller than they are, this minute fibre size makes the cloth highly effective at picking up most types of dirt and grime.
The exceptionally small size of the microfibres in these cleaning cloths in comparison to bacteria cells makes them an effective antibacterial cleaning product. Recent studies have found that microfibre cloths (often in combination with steam cleaning) have helped to minimise the spread of infections in hospitals and other medical facilities, all without the use of detergents.
But what other benefits are involved with using microfibre cloths?
Why Should We Use Microfibre Cloths?
When cleaning, often we use detergents of some kind – soapy chemicals that help to break dirt and grease particles apart during the cleaning process. Increasingly, however, many people are starting to reduce their use of these products for a number of reasons.
Firstly, cleaning chemicals of this nature are often expensive to buy and can also cause allergic reactions and skin complaints for many people, while aggravating skin conditions like eczema or contact dermatitis.
In our push to make our homes as clean and hygienic as possible, there is also a concern amongst many experts (as well as parents) that the overuse of cleaning agents is actually undermining our bodies’ natural immunity to germs and bacteria. This could potentially make us more susceptible to the dirt and grime we are rigorously cleaning away, which is of particular concern for developing children.
Another major issue regarding detergents is their negative impact on the environment. As these chemicals flush down our drains, they enter rivers and water streams, eventually finding their way to the ocean, where they cause water pollution, harming wildlife and damaging ecosystems.
Microfibre cloths clean without the need for detergents, meaning they are not only cheaper to use, but equally (if not more) effective, and potentially better for our health and the environment too.
How Do I Use a Microfibre Cloth?
With the various benefits involved with microfibre cloths, you may be considering switching over to this product – but how do you use them?
While microfibre cloths differ from traditional cleaning cloths in terms of how they are manufactured and how they work, they are used in much the same way – for dusting and cleaning various surfaces. When used for dusting, the cloths don’t need any detergents or water added, with the microfibres able to pick up dust particles effectively.
For more general cleaning, you can use them with a small amount of water to help loosen dried-on dirt and grime. While you may be tempted to soak microfibre cloths in soapy or warm water, this will actually make the cloth less effective, so try to avoid doing this.
To ensure the best possible results, microfibre cloths should be used with as little water as possible and no added soap or detergents.
As with any cloth, after being used, microfibre cloths also need to be cleaned thoroughly, either by machine washing them (preferably without detergents) or by boiling them in a saucepan before allowing them to dry.
With a rigorous manufacturing process, and the blend of materials used, microfibre cloths have high levels of durability, meaning they can be washed hundreds of times without a drop in their performance.
Thanks to their exceptional cleaning power and incredible durability, microfibre cloths can be used for a variety of jobs, including cleaning windows and mirrors, kitchen work surfaces, bathrooms, and lots more.
Stock Up on Your Microfibre Cloths Today!
There are many advantages to using microfibre cloths, and we stock a variety of microfibre cloths and towels in different multipacks. We have products from leading brands including Kimberly Clark as well as our own in-house brand as well.
All of these brands manufacture microfibre products to exacting industry standards and are suitable for a wide variety of domestic and commercial cleaning jobs.
Galleon’s own-brand microfibre towels offer a highly economical way to replenish your cleaning supplies. Available in different colours, you can colour code your cleaning to avoid cross-contamination between rooms and tasks.
The excellent durability of all our microfibre cloths and towels makes them highly efficient at wet and dry cleaning and drying. All microfibre cloths from Galleon Supplies can be machine washed up to 300 times while still maintaining the same levels of performance.
Microfibre cloths are a unique and highly effective product that uses an ingenious approach to cleaning. Whatever job you need them for, microfibre cleaning cloths make a great addition to your cleaning supplies at home or at work.
This article was written by Tim Bench of Galleon Supplies.
