Microfiber towels are amazing inventions. Not only do they work well at cleaning up spills and messes, but they’re also gentle enough to use on delicate surfaces without fear of scratching them.
But like all things, microfiber towels need to be cleaned properly in order to maintain their effectiveness and extend their lifespan.
Things to Avoid
Before we begin, there are some foundational rules that you should adhere to when it comes to cleaning your towels.
- To avoid any danger of bleeding, wash newer black, orange, and red towels separately from lighter colored ones.
- Don’t use heat in the dryer, this can cause damage to your towel.
- Fabric softeners damage fibers. Don’t use them!
- Do not Iron
- Hang it up to dry completely between uses.
- Bleach should not be used. The microfiber fabric will be destroyed if it is bleached. It also removes or diminishes the microfiber’s valuable dust and dirt collecting electrical charge.
How To Do A Light Cleaning
- Fill a basin or sink with warm water and add a little liquid soap.
- Swish the towels around in the soapy water, making sure to get all the dirt and grime off them.
- Rinse the towels thoroughly in clean water, then hang them up to dry.
How To Do A More Thorough Cleaning Using A Washing Machine:
- Add the towels to the washer and select the hot water setting.
- Add a small amount of detergent – no fabric softener!
- Let the machine run its course. When it’s finished, hang the towels up to dry.
- If you have a front-loading machine, you can also add the towels to the sanitize or “extra rinse” cycle for an added level of cleanliness.
- Take care of what you wash with your microfiber. Avoid anything made of cotton because the cloth will catch on to the lint.
- Wash with non-linting synthetics like polyester. Separate your white or light colored microfiber from your dark colored microfiber, just as you would with anything else you wash.
Drying Microfiber At Home
- The best way to get the longest-lasting microfiber is to air dry it.
- Microfiber is a quick-drying fabric.
- Set your dryer to low or no heat if you’re using one.
Consider developing a system for cleaning
Try developing a system for your microfiber towels, this will make things a whole lot easier. If you have a few different colors, you can designate one color for “light cleaning” and another for “thorough cleaning.” That way, you always know which towel to use for which purpose.
You could also use a bin to place dirty microfiber towels or even a bucket filled with some cleaning solution to keep under the sink to place dirty microfiber towels as you wait to accumulate a certain amount before putting them in the washer.
Another system you could try is designating days to clean your microfiber towels. For example, you could clean all of your light-colored towels on Mondays and all of your dark-colored towels on Tuesdays. This will help you keep track of when they need to be cleaned and make the process a little less daunting.
Why Proper Care is Important
Knowing how to wash microfiber towels is essential, but first you must understand how they function.
Microfiber cloths have thousands of small fibers, unlike cotton or nylon cloths, which have huge fibers. In fact, one square inch of microfiber material contains 200,000 fibers. All of those small fibers pick up and hold dirt, dust, and liquid when you clean.
Aside from the thousands of fibers, the fact that the fibers are positively charged contributes to the absorbency of these cloths. Because the dirt and dust that collects on your house’s surfaces is negatively charged, it attracts the mess to the cloth like a magnet. The dust and debris are held in place by the microfibers until the cloth is rinsed clean.
But if they aren’t cleaned properly, all of they will not be as effective. Although you may prefer the most pleasant-smelling laundry detergent, scents and other additives can coat those small strands, making the cloth less effective at cleaning. Microfiber cloths can also gather up dirt and lint when thrown in the dryer.
Tips for Maintenance
While microfiber towels aren’t one of the more expensive cleaning supplies, you can still get the most bang for your buck by maintaining them in good condition.
Do not use cleaning products that contain harsh chemicals. Surprisingly, they’re most effective when only using water.
After each cleaning session, give the towel a good shake and a thorough rinse in the sink to avoid washing it every time.
Separate your microfiber towels from other towels and laundry in a single location.
