10 Mistakes Everyone Makes When Using Microfiber: What to Do to Make Everything Clean

The name itself can explain a lot: the prefix “micro” means that something is a million times smaller than the base unit (for example, there are 1,000,000 micrometers in a meter). In other words, microfiber is made up of tiny fibers – you can’t even see them without a microscope.

Microfiber is composed of a mixture of polyester and polyamide, the first being generally more important: 70% to 80%. (Some mistakes we make with microfiber have to do with the composition of the fabric, but we’ll get to that a little later.) These polymers are very durable, so you can forget about fabric strands getting stuck on an uneven surface when cleaning.

Microfiber has a unique feature: in cross section, its fibers do not resemble a circle, like cotton, but like a snowflake – it is between its branches that dust particles get stuck. Microfiber’s ability to capture them is unique: high-quality towels collect 99% of dust – a regular towel can’t even dream of doing that.

So microfiber is great – now you can even declare it the queen of cleanliness. However, there are common mistakes with microfiber, due to which you do not fully benefit from its superpowers – this is what professional cleaners talk about.

These cloths are capable of trapping grease, bacteria, and liquids, but not properly maintaining microfiber can cause it to lose its ability. “If you don’t wash the fabric, the dirt will block the texture of the fibers and the material won’t perform as well as before,” says Logan Taylor, owner of the cleaning service.

“Almost everyone makes this mistake when washing microfiber: putting it in the drum with other things. As a result, the towel becomes “infected” with cotton fibers and other fabrics and ceases to be lint-free. This means that you can no longer wipe a plasma TV screen with it without leaving streaks: tiny hairs will remain on the surface,” explains Angela Rubin, owner of a cleaning company. She also says it’s best to air dry microfiber cloths rather than in the dryer, and says it’s a good idea to shake them out before hanging them or laying them out on a flat surface.

Conditioner can make clothes look good, but it is not recommended for certain fabrics. “This rule is not just about how to care for microfiber. Do not use conditioner on materials whose main property is the ability to absorb liquid, otherwise they will lose it very quickly, ”says Vera Peterson, president of the cleaning company.

“Because of this mistake, many housewives began to wonder why microfiber was needed – after all, it works ten times worse than a regular old rag. The fact is that most towels are treated during the production process with substances that affect their ability to collect dirt and absorb liquids, so they must be washed before use,” says Vera.

“Another mistake in caring for microfiber is washing it at high temperatures, which literally melts the fine fibers, sticking them together to make thick, poor-performing fibers. Wash your napkins in cold water or at a temperature of 20-30 degrees – this will preserve the properties of the fabric, ”says Angela.

“Remember, this material is primarily polyester. One tip I can give regarding using microfiber is harsh bleaches: avoid using them in tandem with this fabric. Somehow a perfectly good towel literally dissolved in my hands because I chose the wrong product,” says Logan.

Most napkins are identical on both sides, but some have both sides. “If you buy double-sided cloths, you need to know how to use microfiber correctly: the woolly surface is needed for wiping away dust, and the smooth surface is needed for washing or cleaning something,” says Taylor.

Do you know why microfiber doesn’t remove dust? This usually happens because people get it wet and as a result the fibers of the micro snowflakes stick to each other and stop working. “Using water is the most common mistake when cleaning microfiber dust; in this case you need a dry cloth. You’ll need a damp one when you want to clean stains on baseboards or door frames,” says Logan.

Despite its properties, microfiber, according to experts, is not a panacea. “Do not use it when you need to clean your kitchen backsplash, sink, bathtub, or grout. In this case, you need something more abrasive: a brush or sponge. The only exception would be a double-sided cloth, where one surface is stiffer. But of course you can’t wipe off a layer of limescale with it either,” explains Logan.

Although microfiber is the champion in retaining bacteria and dirt, it is 95-99% resistant, not 100%. Therefore, believes Vera, it is necessary to have different towels for different items – some for wiping kitchen surfaces, others for washing windows, others for removing dust from book floors. (You can choose your own colored fabric for different tasks.) “This way, you’ll definitely avoid cross-contamination with germs,” ​​says Peterson.

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