Since the early 1990s, manufacturers have put microfiber technology to good use in cleaning products intended for a wide range of tasks. Microfiber products intended for cleaning are made of nylon and polyesters. Their fibers “hook” dust and dirt in much the same way that Velcro^TM brand fasteners stick together.

 

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“Dry” microfiber products are made for dusting, while cloths sold for “wet” cleaning may be used either way. Some of these products are disposable and should be discarded when they have reached their capacity to absorb dust and dirt. However, microfiber cloths are durable and may be laundered many times and reused. Avoid the use of fabric softener, which will be held by the fibers, reducing their effectiveness in holding soil.

Microfiber mopheads are used on a flat frame and so usually have fibers on only one side of the pad. Since microfibers hold soil so tenaciously, they are best laundered in a machine rather than in a bucket at the work site.