Why Super-Cleaning Microfiber Has Never Caught On In The U.S.
Barbara Flanagan of I.D. Magazine has a fascinating article about microfiber, a cleaning cloth introduced in Europe a decade ago that's never caught on in the U.S., despite its ability to clean all sorts of things without the use of cleaning chemicals—"the product cleans surfaces mechanically, not chemically, by scraping them with microscopic precision."
When Flanagan tested microfiber products herself, she found that they worked as promised but made people feel that something was off—and illustrated how deeply packaging and brand expectations control our cleaning purchases:
Robbed of the sensory excitement of cleaning solutions—bright colors, heady fumes, sudsing, foaming, and definitive rinsing—everyone felt ineffective and disarmed. The rituals didn't feel right. But unquestionably, the stuff worked. Windows disappeared, floors gleamed, the Subaru sparkled.
She went on to ask the big cleaning companies what they thought of microfiber, and was met with a generalized "meh":
Several lines of questioning, repeated over the course of two months, via approximately 100 phone calls and countless emails, uncovered several facts. First, large makers of household chemicals are very, very hard to reach and are unwilling to reveal their ingredients for fear of piracy. Second, they're hell-bent on convincing customers to disinfect their premises using the strongest chemicals possible to annihilate bacteria and viruses, evidenced not just by the kind of products they sell and the scare tactics by which they're marketed, but also by the corporate refrain I heard over and over: Okay, maybe microfiber can remove germs, but it does not kill them.
(To disinfect or sanitize, technically one must kill 99.999 percent of microorganisms in 30 seconds.)
Never mind that removing germs is likely to be enough for the average homeowner, assuming he or she takes the time to wash the microfiber cloth properly afterward. Never mind that new university research finds that "safe" household chemicals are proving unhealthy now that so many of them are building up and mixing together inside our hyper-sealed homes, then draining outdoors. Never mind that more scientists are predicting the rise of superbugs as over-disinfecting threatens to create invincible strains of bacteria and viruses.
But of course corporate self-interest is only half the story, because U.s. companies are responding to the desires of their market, and the U.S. market remains a place where chemicals and no-work convenience win out over a re-usable cloth.
The observation that all company spokespeople confirmed, whether makers of disinfectant toilet-bowl cleaner or makers of microfiber, was quite a revelation: America loves its cleaning chemicals, and lots of them. We have a distinct cleaning culture. And as much as that culture makes us look stubborn, superstitious, underinformed, and overly aggressive, it's who we are.
"The Strange Case of the Missing Microfiber" [I.D. Magazine]
Post a comment
Comments:
First I'd heard of them. Hell, I'll take ten.
So where can I get these here in the US?
yeah...where do we get them? since i am allergic to every cleaning product and fragrance known to man (i mostly use Ecover at home), this would be uber helpful.
Well, you know I have microfiber cloths, but never knew until this minute that I didn't need to use cleaners along with them. "Microfiber marketing" folks haven't communicated the nature of their product to me.
I hardly love chemicals, but I had never been told that microfiber was an alternative.
My mother is obsessed with them and does entire laundry-loads of microfiber cloths. Note: never use fabric softener on microfiber cloths. It ruins the magical powers.
I know that some will say never use fabric softener on anything, ever, but I digress.
You can get them at Target by the method cleaning products or my mother buys them in bulk at Sams Club.
From the looks of it, you can find them from Target or QVC (at least online). I seem to recall also seeing some at auto parts stores.
Oh.. and she always uses some sort of cleaning product with the microfiber cloth, unless it's a dry-dusting situation.
These are perfect for your car too...No more Armor All (or other stuff) needed. Perfect for drying your call, dusting the interior, etc. Got mine from Amazon.
Have you been living under a rock? How do people not know about microfiber. Almost every pair of sunglasses I've ever bought has come with one. Mind you everyone has seen those little Oakley sleeves that the sunglasses come in, they were microfiber at one point also. Microfiber FTW
So will we need to have them shipped overseas?
I don't mind myself, since I have contacts there, but I'm actually interested in this alternative.
I've been using them for the past few months. For light cleaning they are great.
I saw a pack of like a dozen at Costco - they are bright yellow and I believe the packaging advertises them as being for drying your car after washing it. But they're just regular microfiber. I've gotten a few at a local shop called Kitchen Kaboodle, which I believe only has brick & mortar stores in Oregon but they do have an online store. On top of that, I've seen them at Safeway. I'd be willing to bet they are more ubiquitous than you'd think - once you notice them you see them in lots of places.
@mwdavis: I have a set of microfiber sponges that I got recently, the packaging is really clear about not needing to use soap or chemicals, only water. But up till then, I'd never seen any of my previous cloths put that on their packaging.
You can get them at Target, Wal-Mart, Sam's Club, and a host of other local stores that carry cleaning supplies/rags, and other things of that nature.
I LOVE microfiber cloths. They are the only thing that I use to clean my safety glasses. When sawdust gets on them, the microfiber doesn't scratch the surface, so I can still see after cleaning them.
@missdona: Interesting that you should mention the fabric softener. I have some microfiber dish towels from Target, and they'll invariably come out of the dryer with the fabric softener sheets attached. They're not very old, and it does seem like they don't dry as well as they did before I first washed them. I'll have to dry them separately in the future.
For anyone wondering, these things dry dishes like a miracle. I found them at Target with the regular dish towels.
@missdona: I also don't run mine thru the dryer after washing them. I have noticed that the ones who have gone thru the dryer just aren't the same afterwards. They still work okay, but not as well. Fortunately they line-dry pretty quickly.
I have a microfiber towel to clean my bowling ball with, and it doesn't work worth a crap without cleaning solution (i.e. Windex). It actually doesn't work any better than my Hello Kitty cotton towel.
@Scubastevie00: I think everybody has encountered them at some point or another, but I'm not sure many people at all realize how useful they are.
I picked up a microfiber cloth at the Auto parts store, and not only does it work amazingly to dry my car, windows and all without streaks, after that it's nice and damp to wipe out the interior.
I also have the microfiber cloths that come with Apple Clean spray, those work great on my MacBook and my TV.
Is this the old Miracle Cloth of the 1970's or the man-made shamies of the 1980's?
If these are what I'm thinking of, and I believe they are, they've been sold for many years as lens cleaning cloths, and I've been using them. Expensive camera lenses, glasses, etc. They're great, and no lens cleaning fluid is needed.
In fact, I use them on myself, and I haven't had a shower in years. Same with my teeth. Toilet paper? A thing of the past... ; )
I just bought a 36 pack at Amazon for $20. This article is inspiring me to be more like my mother.
Also, they're awesome on granite countertops.
Yes, I have been using these for a couple of years now for cleaning/drying my car until I read recently, that since they are made of plastic, they may actually scratch and damage the paint. Whether or not that is true I do not know but I bought a real chamois on sale at Target recently for drying the paint. First one I have ever owned and I have to say it works way better then anything I have used before.
Anyways, I will continue to use microfiber for everything else, now if I can just convince my wife not to use so much cleaner and to use these instead...
The microfiber cloth has been around for several years. I have two here at my desk. I use one to clean my glasses and one to clean the monitor screen. I have one in my car to clean the inside of the windshield. I also use one as the wash cloth when washing dishes.
But the wife hates the feel of the microfiber and won't touch it. She says it feels creepy. I've seen microfiber shirts and pants in the stores but I do not like the feel of the material as an item to wear.
They are sold in WalMart stores where the dish towels etc are and in the automotive department in packs of three. They make excellent dust cloths too. Just throw them in the washing machine and they are good to go again.
"the product cleans surfaces mechanically, not chemically, by scraping them with microscopic precision."
Scraping? And you want me to use these "scrapers" to dry my car? Clean my expensive TV, computer screen, etc?
Is this the same concept as the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser? I used one of those again this weekend on the tub and was again amazed by what it could do...but it made me wonder if the 'magic' involved was doing something worse than chemicals to my tub.
They're awesome. I've used them for about two years, and I have different colors for whichever part of the house--bathroom, kitchen, etc. I've found that you can either use no chemicals or less of a given chemical, if it's necessary, for great results. The mops are terrific too.
@AndyRogers: My 46" Sharp Aquos actually came with one to clean the screen. I think they're using "scrape" in broad sense.
At target the bright orange microfiber cloths found in the automotive section are cheaper than the microfiber cloths in the cleaning section. You just have to not be bothered by that bright orange color and you'll save a few dollars.
@NightSteel: Microfiber cleaning cloths are available at any mass retailer. You may be able to find them in a reasonably priced bundle of 10 or so, for less than a dollar each. They look sorta like terrycloth, but with a finer weave, and a distinct rubbery, "grabby" texture when you touch them. They are made of 100% poly. You see them in lurid shades of lime green and periwinkle.
If you can't find them with the domestics, look for them in auto accessories.
@AndyRogers: Agreed, they are made of plastic and I don't trust them anymore on my car's paint or my TV, but for everything else they are great.
on a different note, even if you don't use these things, what happened to using vinegar, rubbing alcohol, baking soda and lemon juice? if you're so concerned about the big bad germs and don't trust using nothing but a cloth, use natural stuff. it works just as well.
@Rey: They work similarly, but Magic Erasers are melamine sponges. And though I don't know anything about their environmental impact, it's probably higher than microfiber, since bits of the melamine flake off and get washed into the drain when you use them. But no, the magic is also microscopic abrasion, and I imagine that over time, it can wear the finish off of a fiberglass tub, but chemicals do that anyhow.
I hate how its basically impossible to by non-antibacterial soap. With all this antibacterial nonsense we are just making stronger germs. We'll pay for it in the end.
Hmmm, I just got a brand new computer chair that is upholstered in Microfibre. Does this count? prolly not... I wonder what cleans microfibre, cuz this chair is a cat hair magnet and it's not helping matters that I keep getting cigarette ashes all over it. Don't worry folks, it's not tobacco.
@foxbat2500:
I've taken to using cheap shampoo as hand soap. Think VO5, White Rain, Suave, that sort of thing. It smells great and feels just like hand soap but without the (completely unnecessary) antibacterial ingredients.
And a 99 cent bottle will last quite a long time.
The problem is marketing.
Unless you're one of the majors, you don't have a lot of budget for a blast-it marketing campaign. First, you need to dump the name: microfiber is a description, not a product name.
Then, you need to pitch it correctly. "Clean without chemicals" or something like that.
When reporters and spokespeople say things like "U.S. companies are responding to the desires of their market, and the U.S. market remains a place where chemicals and no-work convenience win out over a re-usable cloth" it's a nice turn of phrase and trite, easy-to-digest psychobabble. But it's probably wrong.
Every consumer products company makes oodles of money off of cleaning solutions. Why would they try to sell a product that obviates that revenue stream?
Same thing included with expensive sunglasses and prescription eyeglasses. I've seen them used for expensive wristwatches and jewelry. So while they don't seem to be in every household by the dozen, I wouldn't say they are so uncommon as to be noteworthy. Maybe Americans just have less reason to pay a lot more for small pieces of fabric than paper towels/rags and our plethora of cleaning sprays and fluids.
my mom has one of these, they stick to her hands, cause she has really dry chapped hands. they stick like velcro, and she hates the feeling of it so she doesnt use them.
i wish she could convince my grandmother of the cleaning power of the microfiber though, grandma loves lysol. shes gone so far as to spray lysol on my 6 month old babies toys, thankfully he didnt put it in his mouth before i realized this.
@Scubastevie00: I may have been under a rock, but at least I wasn't getting pwnz0rd by a manufacturer of ugly, expensive sunglasses. Because, under a rock, it's dark.
They also work great for polishing or cleaning gold and silver. My jeweler's given them to me when I've asked about proper cleaning.
If Billy Mays don't tell me, than I don't believe it!
@friendlynerd: Non-Antibacterial handsoaps are easily available at Target. They have at least a half-dozen varieties in the same place with the antibacterial soaps, refill jugs too and Target branded versions too. A normal counter-sized pump container of the Target version of one of the brand names there is about a buck.
@alexander: If only there were some way to oxygenate these microfiber cloths, we could get the estimable Mr. Mays on board.
so i could use old micro-fiber clothing (for a while there micro-fiber was the new "wow-material" for clothes) to clean my shower?
First I've heard of these for cleaning cloths.
Hey everyone, the author of the article says the word "microfiber" isn't regulated and is liberally applied to all sorts of items, so you might have to do a little research before buying a true microfiber cloth or product. I found some this morning that were sold by Rubbermaid, but only through their professional division.
Wikipedia says no fabric softener, no bleach, and no ironing--all will damage the strands or clog them up so that they don't capture debris properly.
I have them for my eyeglasses and it's true DO NOT use anything, do not even breath on them, or so the instructions say.
It probably doesn't help that you only hear about them in bad late night television Infomercials.