Microfiber
04.04.2008 | Filed under: CleaningMicrofiber Introduction
Microfiber is a highly effective and versatile cleaning material with unlimited uses. Microfiber products are extremely diverse but are commonly found as towels, mop pads, washing mitts/gloves and more. Below is some more basic information you should know about microfiber and why you should be using it.
What is Microfiber?
Microfiber is a very fine fiber, less than one denier, which is about 1/100th of a human hair. Each fiber has micro-wedges removed from it which create pockets for dust to collect in (see diagram below). When these extremely thin fibers are woven together they make up one single strand, which can then be put into the form of a towel or other microfiber product. There are many different weaves and patterns that are designed to help you accomplish a specific task like cleaning, polishing, dusting, drying, etc. Microfiber is usually made of a combination of polyester and polyamide (nylon).
How Microfiber works?
The threads are so fine that they are able to work in to microscopic pores and pull out particles from tough to reach areas. Microfiber works by picking up and trapping particles within the wedges of each microscopic fiber. The exposed surface area of microfiber threads makes it vastly superior to other cleaning materials. Microfiber products often have 10 – 40 times the surface area of a standard cotton towel (see diagram below). The increased surface area makes it the perfect tool to pick dust, dirt, grease, moisture, and other particles. Microfiber works extremely well wet or dry, so you can use it various ways. When using a dry microfiber material the fibers utilize static electricity to collect and trap particles. When microfiber products are wet they use a capillary action that breaks water surface tension so the microfiber can readily absorb particles. Best of all microfiber towels are extremely soft and very safe to use on delicate surfaces like TVs, crystal, automobiles, lap top screens, etc.
The above diagram shows how microfiber collects and traps particles in the wedges of its extremely fine fibers. Cotton towels have far less exposed surface area which reduces their ability to actually collect particles. Cotton towels are far more likely to push dust particles around and circulate them in to the air, instead of collecting the particles. When comparing microfiber to cotton you can clearly see how much more effective it is because of the innovative design used to create microfiber.
Why Microfiber?
Microfiber has many benefits and advantages as a cleaning material. Here are some reasons for using microfiber for cleaning:
- microfiber strands are small enough to pick up bacteria
- easily collects dust, dirt, grease, moisture, and particles
- proper use leaves no residuals
- cost effective because it’s reusable (safe to machine wash and dry)
- it’s gentle and won’t scratch delicate surfaces
- enhanced absorbency
- environmentally friendly saving waste
Microfiber Products:
We hope the above information helps you better understand microfiber and its numerous advantages. The benefits of microfiber products can’t be denied and we hope you try some microfiber products today. We promise that you’ll be able to save time and clean more effectively.
