What makes a microfibre cloth good?
A professional microfibre cloth is a 70/30 polyester/polyamide blend, split into fibres 100× thinner than a human hair. Those fine fibres act like thousands of tiny scoops that grip dirt and grease — not through chemistry, but through physical attraction. That's why 80% of the time you only need water.
Colour coding — prevent cross-contamination
Four colours is the minimum, always washed separately:
- Red — sanitary (toilet, urinal)
- Yellow — washbasins and hand-wash stations
- Green — food contact and kitchen
- Blue — general (office, meeting rooms, glass)
How to reach 300 wash cycles — washing rules
- Wash at 60 °C — no hotter (90 °C melts microfibres)
- Liquid detergent without bleach or optical brighteners
- No fabric softener — it permanently clogs the microfibres
- Don't use a full programme — a 60-min cycle is enough
- Line dry or tumble on LOW (max 60 °C)
- Wash by colour separately — cross-contamination + colour bleed otherwise
Three field techniques
Flat wiping (surfaces)
Fold the cloth in quarters. Start at the top and wipe in a single straight motion. Turn to a clean fold once the current side is soiled. One cloth = four clean wipes.
Wrapping (handles and corners)
Wrap the cloth around a finger and rub in a circular motion. Works well for door handles, light switches and sanitary corners.
Dry buffing (glass and stainless)
Wet-clean first with a separate damp cloth, then dry-buff with a second dry microfibre. No chemical needed — physical attraction lifts the last moisture and streaks.
When to replace a cloth
- Cloth is no longer lint-free after washing — fibres loose
- After 300 wash cycles regardless of visible condition
- Stains that no longer come out (chemical damage)
- Tears or fraying along the seams
- Cloth no longer absorbs water within 5 seconds
How many cloths per site?
A rule of thumb for procurement:
- Office < 50 staff: 4 colours × 10 cloths = 40 pieces
- Hotel with restaurant: 4 colours × 30 cloths = 120 pieces
- Production / industrial kitchen: 4 colours × 50 cloths = 200 pieces
- Cleaning contractor with 3 shifts: 4 × 100 = 400 pieces
