What microfiber cloths are made of?

The name explains most of it. Microfiber cloths are made of fibers so fine you probably won’t be able to see them with the naked eye; you’d need a microscope. In scientific terms, the prefix ‘micro’ means something 1,000,000 times smaller than the basic unit. For example, 1 micrometer is 1,000,000 times smaller than a meter, or 1,000 times smaller than a millimeter. A fiber is classified as microfiber when it is no wider than 10 micrometers, making it five times thinner than a human hair.

Microfiber cloths are primarily made of a mix of polyester and polyamide. Polyester is the dominant material, usually making up between 70% and 80% of a microfiber cloth. The rest is polyamide. 

Why Do Microfiber Cloths Work So Well?

Easy to Catch Dirt

Microfiber cloths are made of very thin fabrics woven together, making them perfect for catching even the smallest grains of sand or dirt. Manufacturers often split fibers into even thinner strands, producing asterisk-like fibers. This increases their surface area and enhances their ability to trap dirt. A picture is worth a thousand words, so just see the difference between cotton (bottom) and split microfiber threads (top) in the illustration below.

Split microfiber threads (top) are more effective in collecting the dirt from surfaces compared to the regular cotton threads (bottom).

You may encounter a similar illustration on packages of microfiber cloth:

No Loose Threads

There are few things more annoying during house cleaning than loose strands of fabric left by cleaning cloths. Because microfiber cloths are made of strong polymers such as polyester and polyamide, they do not disintegrate with use. This means no loose fabric strands on mirrors, countertops, and windows. Cotton-based fabrics tend to wear out over time, which is why you keep fighting those loose fabric strands when you choose to clean with cotton cloths. Paper towels are no better; they tend to shred and leave loose strands too. Microfiber cloths, on the other hand, are made of threads that are very hard to break apart, saving you from the loose-thread worries.

Good at Absorbing Oils

Think about some of your polyester or nylon (polyamide) clothes. Is it easy to catch oil stains on them? Probably yes. Is it easy to remove those stains? Likely no. With microfiber cloths, it is no different. Since they are made of a mix of polyamide and polyester, they will absorb oil easily, which is beneficial when cleaning greasy surfaces.

Good at Absorbing Water

Microfiber cloths are real champions when it comes to water absorption. It is mainly because of polyamide’s chemical properties, allowing it to form hydrogen bonds with water. Microfiber cloths can absorb as much as 98% of moisture. This can be compared with only 70% of moisture absorption in the case of regular cotton cloths. What is means is that for the same sized cotton and microfiber cloths, you will be able to use the latter for longer, before you need to wring it.

Microfiber cloths are real champions when it comes to water absorption. Polyamide’s chemical properties allow it to form hydrogen bonds with water, enabling microfiber cloths to absorb up to 98% of moisture. In comparison, regular cotton cloths absorb only about 70% of moisture. This means that for the same size cloth, microfiber will last longer before needing to be wrung out.