Knowing how to clean microfiber cloths will extend their usefulness. As one of the 10 basic cleaning tools everyone should own, microfiber cloths are indispensable at keeping your home clean. They do require proper care to work well, though.
If you’ve ever held a microfiber cleaning cloth in your bare hand, you’ve probably noticed that it’s more bristly and rough than a standard cloth. That’s due to the ultra-fine fibers which make up this synthetic fabric, which are woven and then split to increase surface area. You’ve probably also noticed that your microfiber upholstery doesn’t have the same roughness: that’s because its fibers aren’t split, so it remains a smooth, supple replacement for leather and suede.
The split fibers of a microfiber cleaning cloth are what makes them so great at picking up dust or powering away grime. Unfortunately, that same texture makes them harder to clean since the fibers grab onto dirt and other messes. While it’s tempting to think you can treat them like other fabrics, improper washing will wear away those split bristles and ruin their scrubbing power.
How To Clean Microfiber Cloths
Microfiber cloths should not be treated like regular cleaning or dusting rags. To keep them in good shape, follow these steps.
Cleaning Dusty Microfiber Cloths
It’s a good idea to have separate microfiber cloths for dusting, for cleaning kitchens, and for cleaning bathrooms. That’s why I like colored sets like these from Amazon: I use the yellow cloths to dust, the blue ones in the bathroom, and the white ones everywhere else.
Since repeated washing inevitably wears down the fibers, those used for dusting should be shaken outside to remove as much dust as possible then repeatedly rinsed under cold water. Reserve laundering for every four or five uses and you’ll keep them in good shape longer.
How Often To Wash Microfiber Cloths
- Wash these cloths after each use: Microfiber cloths used in the bathroom or kitchen, along with those used to clean greasy messes, should be washed after each use. Using hot water (over 120°F) will kill lingering germs.
- Wash these after every other use: Microfiber cloths used to dust, polish mirrors or glass, or to clean other dry messes just need to be rinsed well under running water then allowed to air dry. This will prolong their usefulness.
How To Launder Microfiber Cloths
Regardless of how you use them, eventually all microfiber cloths need to be laundered. To keep them in good condition, you need to understand a few things.
1. Never use bleach or fabric softener. Both bleach and fabric softener will ruin your microfiber cloths. Bleach will erode those split fibers that give them such great cleaning power, while fabric-softener will act as a wax and cause the fibers to mat.
2. Don’t use vinegar, either. Although vinegar is a wonderful laundry aid, do not use it to launder microfiber cloths: its acidity will also erode the bristles.
3. Wash them in a separate load. The bristles on microfiber will pick up lint from other types of fabric. Agitation with other fabrics will wear down the bristled fibers, too. So never wash microfiber cloths with other loads of laundry. That’s another reason why I buy several dozen at a time: so I have plenty of clean ones to use until I’ve got a good load of dirties to wash. (Crazy as it sounds, you can keep the used ones in a bag in the freezer so they don’t develop odors while you’re waiting to have a full load.)
4. Pretreat stains before washing. Use a drop or two of liquid dish or laundry detergent. Gently rub this in on both sides with your fingers and allow it to work for 5 minutes. Launder microfiber cloths in warm, not hot, water using a non-bleaching detergent.
5. Air dry them if you can. It’s best to air dry microfiber cloths and, fortunately, they dry very quickly. Hang them from the laundry line or drape them over the shower rod and they’ll dry within an hour. If you’re in a hurry and need to toss them in the dryer, use a low-heat setting and skip the fabric softener sheets.
How long do they last?
If properly cared for, your microfiber cloths should last over 100 washings. You’ll know when it’s time to replace them because they’ll lose their rough texture and start to feel more like washcloths.
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So wish I’d read this half an hour ago… currently my microfibre cloths are swirling around the washing machine at 65c with a couple of tea towels & an old terry nappy that I use as a cleaning cloth. Yep, there’s also vinegar in there.
I used a couple of them when cleaning the oven and they were very greasy, so I figured hot temps, vinegar and also some borax would be needed to get them very clean.
🙁
Hopefully they’ll be all right, Mummy Pig. Mine have accidentally made it into wash loads with vinegar. Once or twice doesn’t seem to do them much harm, but beyond that it seems the vinegar “eats” the microfibers. After that, they don’t get into the nooks and crannies as well, but they’re still fine for things like wiping appliances.
When you suggest using a tumble dryer sheet on paintwork to prevent dust, is the sheet damp or dry?
Dry works to remove dust, damp works to remove and prevent it. 🙂
I use mine to sweep the floors – it does a really good job! Unfortunately, I cannot get the cloths cleaned in the machine! I remove any large dust balls and hair but it always comes out a mess – a big mess. Any advice on how to get the hair and dust off these towels so I can start fresh? Thanks!
You can always try vacuuming them with the upholstery attachment on your vacuum cleaner. 🙂
This is the single biggest reason I hate microfuber cloths. Everyone touts then and I wanted to jump on the bandwagon but they are impossible to remove all the hair and lint from. Making then less and less effective everytime I use them. And I wash per all recommend methods too: not too hot, by themselves, no softeners etc. But after maybe just a couple of weeks and washes they are depositing more random lint fibers than pieces of dust they pickup. Makes me want to tear my hair out!
I have heard washing then in pretty hot water, with some dish soap (like in a big pot on the stove) could get the fibers to relax enough to let go of all the lint, and crud, but in worried about the heat breaking down the synthetic/plastic fibers.
I just fill a sink halfway with hot water straight from the tap, add a few drops of dish detergent, and rinse my cloths repeatedly while cleaning them. Then give them another good swish after use and let them dry. When I have enough dirty ones, I toss them together into the wash in their own load.
They definitely can be finicky. Some brands don’t hold onto hair as much as others. I’m a fan of Zwipes for that reason. And, of course, swishing them in a lot of water after use helps dislodge the hair and dust. Put don’t pull your hair out — that’ll just make more of a mess. 😉
Do you also put borax in with them, or at least the ones used in the bathroom, to disinfect?
You certainly can.
I washed my daughter’s microfiber towels and now there are big pieces of lint all over them. Too much to pick off by hand, lint rollers don’t work. Please help?!
It’s very difficult to get lint out of microfiber towels once they’ve been washed with other fabrics. My best suggestion is to wash them just a few at a time in a load but use the highest water level setting so they get a chance to swish around a lot. This should loosen up some of the lint. Run them in small batches through the dryer, too, to remove more. Best of luck!
I detail cars. To clean the wax and grease I place in warm water and scrub spots with Dawn, baking soda and vinegar. This works great! Then I throw in washing machine on 15 minute Speed Wash. Throw in dryer for 10-15 minutes and fold. Good luck!
Good to know!
Hi can I dry two different color microfiber cloth together after washing. exp: blue and red .
Yes. They don’t really bleed onto each other and, even if they did, they’re cleaning cloths so it doesn’t matter.
hello I was wandering if I can use Dettol cleaning product with my cloth without damaging it as I like to disinfect my floors
Dettol isn’t widely available in the States where it’s mostly used as a medical antiseptic, so I can’t rightly claim to have tried it with microfiber cloths. That said, I can’t think of any reason it would harm them since it’s not acidic or corrosive like bleach or vinegar.
I use Polly microfiber cloths and wash with bleach, vinegar, etc. just fine. Website says it’s ok to do so! 🙂
I’ll check those out! Thank you. 🙂
How can I remove pet hair from a microfiber mop please?
Since I don’t know what kind of microfiber mop you have, it’s hard to answer that easily. I’d start by slipping on a rubber dishwashing glove and firmly running my hand over the mop head repeatedly. Those gloves are brilliant at picking up pet hair from sofas, so I’m guessing they’d work on a dry microfiber mop head, too. You could also try vacuuming it. Or both!
Thank you! Is a vileda mop so would be difficult to hoover, but I shall try the rubber gloves. Thank you:-)
I’ve been washing my microfiber clothes with ammonia. They get pretty gnarly so I feel like some sort of disinfectant is needed. Also ammonia is amazing for greasy stains. Now I worry it is corrosive as bleach. . .
Ammonia is corrosive, and it doesn’t kill staph, so I’d recommend washing those a few times without it then following these steps.
To remove pet hair, grass or dust from cloths, I use a rubber bristle brush, like a Norwex or Carrand. Just hold the cloth over the trash can. The brush pulls off most of the dirt and then you can wash them. I use if with my microfiber mop also. Thank you for the information about the vinegar. I’ve been using that in the rinse cycle with my cloths, and it is probably making them less effective.
Great tip. Thank you for sharing!
I just bought a large pack of durafiber clean cloths. There are three colors for separating the type of cleaning. My question is what is the best way to get grease and oil stains out of these cloths in the washer. Thanks so much
Pretreat the stains how I described above.