Micro-Fiber Cleaning Cloths

A friend of mine introduced me to micro-fiber cleaning cloths. "Here" she said, handing me what appeared to be a folded towel, "this is the best thing I've every bought." Well, it felt soft, almost soft enough to wear, but I wasn't so sure what made it great. I listened to her explain about how great it was for cleaning and how it just felt like everything got cleaner when you used micro-fiber , and how they just lasted forever. She allowed me to wipe down her kitchen counters with the miracle micro-fiber cloth, and it impressed me enough to look for some myself.

Sure enough, the micro-fiber cleaning cloths are my favorite cleaning tool. Let me tell you a little about micro-fiber and why it works so well for almost any cleaning job you have inside (or outside) the house.

Micro fibers are synthetic filaments that are 80% polyester and 20% polyamide that are interwoven, and put through a special process where each filament is split into 16 sections with 16 interval spaces. During this process, the polyester turns into wedge shaped sections that surround the nylon core of the filament. Each filament is 1/20th the diameter of fine silk.

So what does the unique makeup of micro fibers have to do with their cleaning ability? For one thing, the wedge shapes turn a micro-fiber cleaning cloth into a fantastic grime scrubber. Dirt and grime that is wiped up gets stored in the microscopic pockets of fiber and are only released when rinsed in hot water. You can use micro-fiber cleaning cloths over and over for about two years.

When cleaning the kitchen, for instance, a micro-fiber cleaning cloth can clean the stove, counter tops, microwave, and refrigerator. Then you can wash the dishes (even pans with baked on grease) with the micro-fiber cleaning cloth, and the cloth will remain clean enough to then wipe off the patio door or kitchen window, leaving it streak and smear-free. You don't even need to use glass cleaner, bleach products or any of the other cleaners we usually spray all over the kitchen. A micro-fiber cleaning cloth effectively traps all dirt and grime inside, gives a nice scrubbing surface, and cleans heavy dirt even off the oven. You can even clean the shelves in the refrigerator without removing them or soaping them. Simply remove items from a shelf, wipe with a damp micro-fiber cleaning cloth, and replace the items. The glass shelves are clean and streak free. And since the micro-fiber cleaning cloth absorbs almost 7 times its weight in liquid, you can even use it to mop up spills and drips. I find that the micro-fiber cleaning cloths are great for removing fingerprints from the microwave, oven door and refrigerator, too without leaving smears behind.

In the bathroom, we discovered that a micro-fiber cleaning cloth magically cleaned soap ring, soap scum and hard water marks from our bathtub and sinks. The micro-fiber cleaning cloth also works great for wiping up the bathroom floor when you don't want to get a mop out for such a small surface, and of course shines the mirrors without streaking. We use the cloth to wipe down all the surfaces in the bathroom, and thanks to the unique wedges of fiber, all dirt and bacteria are trapped in the weave of the cloth until rinsed in hot water.

Another property of the micro-fiber is its static electricity. Dust and dirt also get sucked into the little traps and holds them inside the cloth until it is released with hot water. If you follow the washing instructions, you will be able to dust your furniture, ceiling fans, lamps, lighting fixtures, and electrical appliances with a micro-fiber cleaning cloth for a long time. The static electricity effect of these micro-fiber cleaning cloths has been explained that it is similar to rubbing a balloon on your head, and then using the resulting static charge to make the hair on your head stand up.

I don't spend much time cleaning or detailing our vehicles. But other friends have reported that they love the micro-fiber cleaning cloths for cleaning the inside, outside, and windows of their vehicles without chemicals and with very little water. In fact, I bought our first pack of micro-fiber cleaning cloths in the automotive section at Wal-Mart, thanks to the advice of my frugal friend, but the cloths are available in almost any store that sells cleaning supplies.

I even made bibs out of the micro-fiber cleaning cloths when my youngest daughter was teething and drenching her clothes with drool. The micro-fiber cloths have become an essential part of running our household!