Everything you need to know about using microfibre cloths for cleaning

Microfibre cloths are one of the most commonly referenced and celebrated tools in cleaning tips and tutorials, which may make you wonder if they’re really necessary. 

Well, it turns out their reputation is justified with cleaners revealing they make removing dirt, dust and grime easier than just about anything else. 

“Microfibre cloths are amazing for cleaning due to their design; the groves within the cloth allow for dirt to be picked up extremely effectively,” Delah Gomasi, managing director at house cleaning service MaidForYou, told nine.com.au.

“In a year we may go through thousands of microfibre cloths. They’re an essential cleaning tool and without it, the surfaces of our client’s homes would be left streaky and unsightly.”

Cherie Polwarth, a professional cleaner and field staff team leader with Maid2Match, also raves about microfibre cloths.

“I love microfibre cloths; they just really grip the dirt, they really grab it. I’m not big on rags; lots of people just will have cotton rags or scraps – they wipe, but they tend not to do a thorough job. The microfibre cloths also really grab that moisture,” she said. 

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Microfibre cloths can be used for most cleaning tasks, including in the kitchen and bathroom and on dusty surfaces. 

You do need to change them over once a cloth gets dirty, so to ensure one cloth goes as far as possible Polwarth has a handy hack.

“I love folding my little microfibre cloths into four, getting four good sides out of it and getting good use,” Polwarth said.

The tasks microfibre cloths don’t need to be used for are cleaning mirrors and glass because, according to Polwarth, a glass and window cloth does a better job as it makes them shine.

And if you’ve been wiping along and get to a natural stone surface you should switch to a fresh cloth to prevent damage.

“Microfibre cloths are so effective at picking up even minuscule pieces of dirt, sand and grit that we never clean sensitive surfaces like marble and travertine with already used microfibre cloths because they have caused scratching in the surfaces of natural stone that has led to expensive damage claims to fix,” Gomasi said.

If you’ve ever purchased some microfibre cloths you’ll know they come in a rainbow of colours. This makes them handy for colour-coding your cleaning and designating particular colours to specific tasks or rooms if that’s your personal preference.

It’s something Gomasi swears by in his cleaning business but Polwarth uses a different system that prevents dirty cloths from being reused until they’ve been cleaned.

“I’m not one for colour coding, I just make sure that what gets used in the bathroom’s for the bathroom and it never cross-contaminates to another area. So I think we can easily live without colour-coded cloth,” she said.

“I know they’re going to use colour codes in hospital settings and aged care settings, but for us in homes… every time we’ve used them, they go in our dirty cloth bag, and each day when we get home, they’re getting thoroughly cleaned and washed.”

Washing microfibre cloths well is important not just to remove grime and germs, but also to maintain their quality for as long as possible. 

They are made from a blend of polyester and polyamide, which is typically nylon, so to avoid throwing them out, where they’d remain in landfill for decades to hundreds of years before they break down, you want to get as much use out of them as possible for as long as possible.

Before putting microfibre cloths in the washing machine consider shaking them out to remove dust and debris. This doesn’t just help the cloth wash more thoroughly, it also keeps your machine cleaner.

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“When I first became a cleaner I’d wash them and I’d think, ‘Why is there all this gunk in my machine?’. It’s just all the little debris that comes out. So always give them a good shake off,” Polwarth said.

Then she puts them in the washing machine with her regular laundry detergent and warm water.

“I think for me the key is air drying. In winter, I do use my clothes horse right under my heater vents and just let them air dry overnight and the next day… in the summer, they’ll go out on the line for a good full day and really let that sun get on them - they just come out so fresh and smelling nice,” she said.

Gomasi, meanwhile, uses cold water followed by air drying. 

“We never recommend washing with hot water or drying in a dryer as the cloths have a high composition of plastic and doing so can warp the cloth and render it useless,” he said.

When your microfibre cloths start getting a bit old and worn, Polwarth recommends using these for particularly dirty or greasy tasks to prevent permanent staining on your newer cloths.

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“Old microfibre cloths are great for dusting, great for getting down behind furniture… I might keep them for oven cleans, for things that you know probably is going to kill and destroy them, whereas my new cloths, they’re always going to be reserved for the bathrooms and the kitchen,” she said.

“If you’ve got a dirty stove top – a really dirty one, attack it with your disposable cloth, just your old Chux cloth, and then your paper towel, and finish it off with your microfibre because the black, burnt cooking [residue], that’s what’s never coming out of your microfibre cloth.”

Despite their cleaning prowess, some people don’t like the texture and feel of microfibre cloths. If that’s you, the good news is there are plenty of other options out there for you to try to find one you like, or you can simply use a cotton cloth.