We love using microfiber cloths. They not only are a great cleaning tool, but also help us reduce the use of paper towels which means less waste in landfills.

What is a microfiber cloth? According to Wikipedia: Microfiber is synthetic fiber which can be smaller than the diameter of a strand of silk, which is itself about 1/5 the diameter of a human hair. 

Wow, that's tiny! Yes, a microfiber cloth is made by hundreds of thousands of tiny fibers in a small piece of fabric. But how to choose a good one?

Here are 5 tips on what to look for when searching for a microfiber cloth and how to use them!

1- Look out for quality. 

How do you know which microfiber cloths are best? Check how thick they are. You can put it against the light to compare the thickness. The thicker, the better and you will be able to get much use from them. A thin, not-so-good cloth will last around 50 washes. Now a good quality cloth should last around 500 washes!

2- There are different kinds of textures.

There are the regular cloths, the ones that look and feel like a thin soft towel, which are great for most surfaces, but there are also other ones designed for specific surfaces. 

• Flat weave: ideal for mirrors and windows

• Thick and soft weave: ideal for dusting

• Soft (no weave):  Ideal for computer screen, phone screens, TV and electronics in general.

3- They are great for mopping!

We only use microfiber cloths to mop for various reasons. Regular old fashion mops are hard to squeeze, leaving floors more wet than they need to. Excess water might damage hardwood floors! A microfiber cloth is easier to squeeze eliminating unnecessary extra water.

Another pro is the that you can keep washing the cloth as you mop so you have a fresh mop all the time, avoiding bringing dirt from one place to another.

4- Fold them and then clean.

We recommend to fold them in quarters. You can use one side, then you turn it around to use the other side and go on so you always have a fresh side.

5- Color-code them.

Yes, you can color-code them to avoid cross contamination. How do we do it? We use traffic lights as our guide:

🔴 Red - STOP: Red cloths are for most contaminated spaces, the bathroom.

🟡 Yellow - CAUTION: Yellow cloths are for the second most contaminated spaces, the kitchen.

🟢 Green - GO: Green cloths are good to go in the rest of the house, like living room, home offices, etc.