4 reasons to make the switch to microfibre cloths today

I have another guest post for today’s blog post, all about why you should switch to microfibre cloths. I’ve been feeling a bit ill lately so I haven’t managed to write one in time. Luckily, Alex from Simply Alex Jean has written this brilliant post which I hope you find interesting. Alex is a lifestyle blogger based out of Ontario Canada, with a focus on Organization, Health & Wellness, and Lifestyle. As well, she has a variety of Pinterest Management Services available.

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Many years ago, my mum handed me a microfibre cloth, some cleaning spray and asked me to clean up the bathroom as part of my household chores. I remember saying to her at the time that I’d go get some paper towels and asked what this cloth was for. She outlined I was to use the cloth in place of the paper towel. At the time, I thought she was absolutely nuts. Why use this when I could just use a paper towel as I always had.

Fast forward to about 15 years later, and I own 25 microfibre cloths and replace my paper towel rack very infrequently. I barely use paper towels anymore and microfibre cloths are my new normal.

How did I go from thinking this was nuts, to exclusively using these cloths? Well, it’s not an overnight switch. At first, it took a lot of constant reminders from those I lived with to grab a cloth over a paper towel. Once I was doing it for a couple weeks, I found myself often going for the cloth. Before I knew it, the cloth became my go-to!

What are microfibre cloths?

As the name microfibre cloth alludes to, it’s a cloth made upon very small fibres! In short, the cloth is made from a combination of materials such as plastic, nylon and polyester. The fibres are very fine which allows it to get into small crevasses and cracks easily while cleaning. As well, microfibre cloths are incredibly absorbent and they pick up dirt and grime very quickly!

You can purchase microfibre cloths at most shops, or you can get them online*.

Uses less chemicals and cleaners

When using microfibre cloths, you are likely to use fewer cleaning products. How you might be thinking? Microfibre cloths are positively charged whereas dirt and grease are negatively charged. This means that your cloth will pick up the dirt and grease, easier than it would with paper towels. In turn, instead of maybe using 2-3 sprays of a cleaning product on your counter, 1 spray will do the same trick. This is due to how powerful the cloth is with picking up dirt. As well as spreading the cleaning product around the surface evenly.

To make your cleaning more sustainable, use Ocean Saver Drops* instead of buying a new plastic bottle with spray in. I made a reel on how they work, check it out here.

This helps sustainability in two ways. One way is using less cleaner spray. This means you will purchase fewer cleaning bottles, which slows the need and production of these products. Secondly, the microfibre cloth can easily replace 1-6 sheets of paper towel when cleaning surfaces for example in your kitchen.

Wash and Re-use!

This is one of the first reasons that I got invested in making the switch. Your microfibre cloth can be used to dust, clean or absorb whatever is needed and then toss it in the wash. I throw it in with my regular clothing if I’m using my mild and gentle cleaners. Typically for harsher chemicals, I put them in a different bin and when it’s full then I’ll do their own wash, so it doesn’t interact with my clothing. Make sure to read labels and wash as needed with your items. One of the main reasons I own 25 cloths is so that I can use all of them before doing their own wash, to try to save water. You can also hand wash them in small bundles as well if you have a couple and don’t want to run the washer.

They can be either hung dry or in the dryer, and then fold them and put back with your cleaning supplies. You can keep repeating this process unlike with paper towels that are single use only.

Related post: 25 simple ways to save energy

Dusting

Rather than owning multiple dusting products, cleaners, and refill packs, you can simply run a microfibre cloth over the surface and it quickly will trap the dust! This is such an easy swap and unlike some dusters, it doesn’t just push all the dust and dirt off the surface. It traps it within the microfibres and holds onto it! It’s gentle enough to use on screens, fans, windows sills, and furniture!

Microfibre cloths can hold onto a lot, and therefore it’s so appealing for dusting! I can usually get most of my house done with one cloth whereas I often needed 1-2 paper towels and then they were tossed and forgotten about. The same as using it with cleaners, pop it in the wash and it’s good as new next time you need to dust!

Related post: Top tips and hacks for spring cleaning by Clipboard Claire

Super Absorbent

Microfibre cloths can hold onto a lot of liquid! Not all paper towels can, and it can easily take a good part of a roll to clean up a spill in your space. For myself, when I spill water, I can usually use 1-2 cloths to clean it up. Compared to when I used to use paper towels which could take me almost half a roll!

If you’re trying to dry something such as sitting water on a bathtub ledge, or excess water on your car after hand washing it using a cloth is really a great way to absorb that water without the hassle of being wasteful.

Microfibre cloths aren’t for everyone, so I encourage you to do your own research if you think they would work well as a paper towel alternative. Have you tried a reusable cloth instead of a paper towel? What was your experience like making the switch?

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Thank you so much Alex for writing this post! I think my parents have been using microfibre cloths for a while, which is why I bought some for my uni kitchen too. I highly recommend them – I tend to just put them in with my clothes, tho I only have 6 cloths! You can find Alex on social media:

• Instagram
• Twitter
• Pinterest

If you would like to write a guest post, message me on Twitter or email me via envirolineblog@gmail.com

Best wishes, Cx