Microfiber cloths and towels come in handy whatever the task at hand – whether you’re cleaning the kitchen, wiping down windows, or cleaning the car, microfiber can be the right tool for the job.
As with any tool, it’s important to keep your microfiber towels in good condition to ensure they continue to carry out their function properly. Below we work our way through the many benefits of choosing microfiber to clean your vehicle, before running through our top tips and tricks for keeping your cloths and towels in excellent condition for years to come.
What is Microfiber?
Microfiber is a synthetic fabric characterised by the fact that it is woven from incredibly fine fibers – even slimmer than a stand of silk, and over five times narrower than an average human hair. The nature of these fibers will determine the fabric’s overall properties, so ‘microfiber’ can actually be used to describe a wide array of materials, with a wide array of uses.
Because of its versatility, microfiber fabric is used for everything from bed sheets, to sportswear, to mops, cloths and towels. The most common type of microfiber fabric is made from polyester. By controlling the sizes and lengths of fibers used, manufacturers can control properties such as absorbency and softness.
Benefits of Microfiber Towels
One popular use for microfiber is the production of towels. The fabric is very well-suited to this application for a number of reasons:
- It’s highly absorbent
One of the main benefits of using microfiber over other materials is its absorption capacity. Microfiber can hold up to seven times its own weight in water, allowing to make short work of wet surfaces.
- It can pick up almost anything
Most microfibers designed for cleaning are ‘split-weave’. This simple means that the fibers it is woven from have been split during production, which hugely increases the cloth’s surface area. These tiny filaments allow the fabric to work its way into the tiniest of crevices, picking up not only larger fragments of dirt and detritus, but also dust and even bacteria. Because microfiber is typically made from inorganic fibers, the bacteria that are gathered up have nothing to feed on, and die in the cloth.
- It’s Non-abrasive
One of the main benefits of using microfiber towels on your car is that the fabric is totally non-abrasive, thanks to its tiny fibers. This means that using a microfiber cloth on your car won’t leave any scratches in the paintwork, helping to preserve it.
- It’s cost effective
Although microfiber towels have a higher up-front purchasing cost than other fabrics, they tend to last for much longer. Because of the huge surface area of the fabric, microfiber towels can also spread smaller amounts of cleaning product further.
- They could be better for the Environment
Provided you care for your microfiber cloths and towels properly, they will last much longer than their cotton counterparts. Since they’re effectively anti-bacterial, cleaning with microfibers also cuts down on the amount of cleaning product you need to use, minimising chemical runoff when cleaning your car outdoors.
Uses for Microfiber Towels around the Garage
To give you an idea of just how useful microfiber towels can be, we’ve compiled a list of ways they can be used in and around the garage:
- Easily and hygienically cleaning dust and dirt from the interior of your car
- Wiping down surfaces such as workbenches
- Wiping down headlights
- Giving the car a quick clean with only water
- Quickly drying the car without the risk of leaving scratch marks
Microfiber towels also plenty of uses around the home, whether it’s in the kitchen, bathroom, or living areas. They’re a great option to bear in mind in places where traditional cleaning products might do damage, which is why they’re great for car interiors – this same property makes them an excellent choice for fiddly tasks such as cleaning monitors and keyboards. They truly are a versatile addition to your cleaning collection!
How to Properly Clean Your Microfiber Towels
With all their uses and benefits, you’ll definitely want to keep your microfiber towels in tip top conditions. They do require some special care compared to other cleaning fabrics, but with just a few simple steps you can ensure they last for months and years to come.
- Wash with Water only
The first thing to remember about microfiber cloths and towels is that they work best with water alone, and this holds true when it comes to cleaning them. Whether you hand wash them or put them through the washing machine, never use any detergent or fabric softener on microfiber fabrics, as this will impede their ability to sweep up dirt and grime, but affecting the structure of their fibers. You can purchase detergent designed specifically for washing microfibers, but provided you wash them regularly, using water alone is sufficient.
- Wash like with like
If possible, it’s best to wash all of your microfiber fabrics together, and avoid placing other materials – especially cotton – in the same load. This is because the microfiber can easily pick up lint from these fabrics, essentially clogging them up, which makes reduces their ability to pick up dirt.
- Stick to low Heat
Exposing microfiber to too much heat can alter the fiber’s structure and impede its ability to pick up small fragments. If washing the towels by hand, simply leave them to soak in warm or cool water before agitating them to release dirt and dust. If washing them in a machine, use the ‘cool’ or ‘warm’ temperature settings. To dry the towels, either air dry or use the lowest temperature setting on your tumble drier. Air drying is best if you have the time, as tumble driers contain pieces of lint which the cloths could pick up.
- Avoid Ironing
Exposing microfiber fabric to the high temperatures of an iron would a bad idea! Once the towel is dry, there’s no need to iron it.
- Store correctly
Because microfiber is so good at picking up dirt and dust, it’s important to store them in a very clean space where falling dust won’t affect their quality. You might choose to store them inside a clean box or plastic bag to protect them while they wait for their next use.
Sources:
- How to Clean Microfiber – howstuffworks
- How to Clean Microfiber – wikiHow
