Cleaning cloths come in all shapes and sizes along with a gamet of price tags and promises.
It’s easy to just go for the cheapest or nearest option when choosing your cloths, or to fall back on the fail-safe: “If it worked for Mum it will work for me”.
Microfibre cloths have only really been on the market since the late 90’s, so it’s understandable if your Mum isn’t into them – but if she only knew the benefits, I’m sure she’d be all over them!
As technology has advanced, fibres have been able to get smaller and smaller so that the surface area is increased, working like lots of little Velcro hooks pulling up dirt, but small and soft enough that they do not scratch and damage surfaces. It’s a simple, effective system and when built out of polyester, lasts for years and years. It also means you only need to use water so it’s better for the environment.
There are plenty of own brand microfiber cloths, and plenty of pricey ones too. In my experience, they really just fall into two camps: hitchy fluff and well-woven. Even from before the first wash, the hitchy fluffy ones feel like they are not going to last – avoid these and pay an extra £3 to get something decent.
There are many other ways in which brands like Spontex and e-cloth have elaborated on the basic cloth, here’s a few with their benefits:
- Waffle/3D textured: – more absorbent, particularly good for use in wet areas
- Thin polishing cloths – very light weight, use to wipe dry glass, tiled and metal surfaces
- Scrubbing bands – thicker strips of non-scratch scrubbing material for working on tougher stains like hob grease or bathroom watermarks
How to get the best out of your cloth:
- Use one wet, but not dripping and polish after with a clean dry one
- Wash them at 60 degrees to get rid of any lingering grease
- Don’t use fabric softener as it clogs up the fibers
- Do not iron or tumble dry them
Thanks for reading, we hope this brings you closer to a yellow duster and J-cloth free home