Microfibre - what is it?

Microfibre is a revolutionary man-made fibre that can be processed, woven and finished in a variety of different ways to achieve a specific result. Unprocessed (fibres not split) Microfibre, woven in a flat weave, has very poor water absorption characteristics. In fact, it is used to manufacture water resistant clothing. The same Microfibre thread, when processed by splitting the individual threads and weaving in a loop or waffle pattern, is super absorbent. It will  absorb over seven times its weight in fluids!

Microfibre is a man-made product that combines two basic fibres, Polyester and Polyamide (a nylon by-product). These fibres are usually 'split' and formed into a woven fabric of 80% Polyester (the scrubbing and cleaning fibre), and 20% Polyamide (the absorbing and quick drying fibre). These threads are very small in diameter making them super soft. Rated in denier, the unit for measuring fineness of fabric, a strand of cotton has a rating of 200. A human hair has a denier of 20 and a strand of silk has a denier of 8. Microfibre has a denier of 0.01 to 0.02! At minimum, 100 times finer than a human hair. Softer than silk, yet bull-dog tough, split Microfibre cloth attracts dust, grime, oily films and salt residues like a magnet.

The unique surface structure of split Microfibre cloth contain hundreds of thousands of micro fibre 'hooks' per square inch! These micro-hooks grab, lift, and hold dust and grime without the need for cleaning solutions. Microfibre cloth can be used damp or dry. Used dry, Microfibre cloth works like a chamois. The super absorbent weave holds up to seven times its weight in fluid and will not scratch paint, glass, acrylics or plastic window tint films.

WAHT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A £2.00 MICROFIBRE TOWEL AND A £15 MICROFIBRE TOWEL?
With demand for Microfibre products increasing monthly, factories in Korea and China are now flooding the American market with very cheap 'Microfibre' products. There is a huge difference between inexpensive and quality Microfibre:

1. The strands are not split. 70 to 75% of inexpensive Microfibre now coming out of Korea and China is unprocessed, non-split Microfibre. Unless you want a water-resistant material, unprocessed, non-split Microfibre is worthless! Many of you have seen packages showing a drawing of a snowflake-looking fibre with wedges around the perimeter scooping up dust particles. While this looks great it is a picture of non-split, unprocessed Microfibre! Processed, split Microfibre looks like a tangle of spaghetti ends. The reason for the abundance of this fabric is simple. Machines that produce the raw Microfibre thread can be purchased for under $100,000. The machines that do the splitting and processing of the thread into the Microfibre 'hooks' cost over $1,000,000. Only the largest fabric producers in Korea can afford these machines and according to industry insiders, few of these machines exist in China.

2. The Microfibre threads are larger. The industry standard for Microfibre is a denier of 0.02 or smaller. We have found some "Microfibre" cloths coming out of China with a denier of 0.5. This is fine but 50 times larger than the best Microfibre thread. Chinese and inexpensive Korean Microfibre products have very poor absorption and scrubbing qualities. 

There are also differences between quality, processed and split Microfibre products: 

1. The ratio of the blend. While 80% Polyester and 20% Polyamide is typical, a 70/30 blend that contains more Polyamide fibres can be more expensive.

2. The density of the fibres. At 221,000 fibres per square inch this is the maximum density commercially available with today’s technology. This density translates into greater cleaning power. A cloth with 50,000 fibres per square inch can cost less but will not clean as well.

3. The thickness or 'plushness' of the towel. The thicker the towel the more it will grab, lift and hold grime and residues.

4. The finish on the cloth. Depending on the specific task the cloth is designed to perform, the fibre ends can be tightly 'hooked' (better for grabbing and holding grime and residues), feathered (best for general glass cleaning), or finely polished, like suede (best for cleaning eye glasses and optical glass). Newer weaves include a waffle weave, cross hatch and zigzag weave which are relatively obscure.

5. Quality of construction. Like anything else, it costs more to make a quality Microfibre cloth. The largest Microfibre producers do the final splitting and finishing in clean-room-like environments. These are the finest, lint-free towels.

WHY DO SOME MICROFIBRE TOWELS LEAVE A TRAIL OF FINE, LINT-LIKE FIBRES?
The best Microfibre towels are split to produce millions and millions of tiny fibre 'hooks' on the surface of the towel. If the weave is too broad or the pile is too high, some of these fibres break off when the towel is used. This can be excessive if the manufacturer is trying to produce an inexpensive, split towel and is using a wide weave to reduce the amount of Microfibre in the towel. Unfortunately it is a common practice among mills to try and increase their profits by skimping on the amount of Microfibre used in the weave. We have rejected thousands and thousands of towels when we find our towels have an excessive lint problem. Our suppliers now know that we are very picky so they rarely try to get something past us.

In some cases the weave and pile that works best for polishing and buffing has a tendency to shed some fibres. We keep this to a minimum by increasing the density of the weave which adds to the cost of the towel. The few fibres that come off are not a problem when the towel is used for general detailing and we do not recommend these towels be used to clean glass. Ironically, the least expensive, un-split Microfibre towels do not leave a fibre trail because the fibres are not split! Just because a towel is lint free does not mean it is a quality towel!

Lastly, some lint can be picked up in the manufacturing process because the air at the factory is saturated with fine Microfibre particles. This can be completely eliminated by doing the splitting and finishing in a special clean room but this also adds to the cost of the finished product.

HOW DO I CHOOSE THE MICROFIBRE CLOTH BEST FOR ME?
We have evaluated many types of of Microfibre cloths and selected our Aquatouch range to meet the requirements of the car detailer and enthusiast

The Microfibre Chamois. All the advantages of a traditional Chamois leather plus some more. Doesn't dry hard so can be used from dry. machine washable and doesn’t rot.

The Green Giant Drying Towel. This absorbs over seven (7) times it’s weight in water yet dries in 1/3 the time of ordinary cleaning towels. With over 200,000 fibres per square inch, The Green Giant wipes streak-free, quickly removes polish residues and buffs wax to a brilliant shine. If you want one Microfibre towel for a variety of tasks, this is the one to choose.

Gold & Purple Microfibre Detailing Cloths. This is the best Microfibre towel you can buy with over 190,000 micro fibres per square inch. These are separate strands, 100 times finer than a human hair, not just the split-end count other manufacturers advertise! Our Microfibre Cloths are an 80/20 blend of Polyester and Polyamide with 'hooked' ends for grabbing and holding residues and grime. These are great towels for applying polish and one step cleaner/protectants (like Klasse) and for removing wax and polish residues. They leave a polished, streak-free surface with a mirror-bright shine. Use our Viper Cloths with spray-and-wipe 'quick detail' products. Even black cars will come out haze and steak free! Used dry, they will wipe the dash, instrument panel, console, seats and interior panels clean and lint free. These are not the best towels to use on glass and clear plastic. We chose a weave and finish best suited for polishing and removing residues. These towels may leave a slight fibre trail if used on glass.

HOW DO I USE MICROFIBRE CLEANING CLOTHS?
Simply wet the cloth with clean water and wring as dry as possible. If the cloth is too wet it will leave streaks. Wipe the cloth over any glass or plastic surface and walk away. Remaining swirl lines and water beads will disappear in seconds! Cleaning solutions are usually not required! Use a dry cloth for dusting, touch-ups or removing oily films. On especially difficult inside windshield films, try using your favourite glass cleaner and wiping the glass with a dry Microfibre cloth. Use a dry cloth to remove polish and wax residues, as a final wipe towel after detailing, or with any spray-and-wipe, quick detail spray.
REMEMBER: WET - WRING - WIPE!

PROPER CARE:
If the towel becomes too dirty, it will begin to “streak”. It is then time to wash the towel. This is easily done by just throwing the cloth into any washing machine and washing with any soap or detergent. The only restriction is to NEVER USE any type of FABRIC SOFTENER or BLEACH. The towel will treat the fabric softener as if it was dirt. It will try to store the tiny particles of the softener in the towel fibres. This will clog up the micro fibres and render the towel ineffective.

For best results always wash Microfibre products separate from other towels. They will attract lint in the wash water which can leave lint residues when next used. You may also dry Microfibre cloths in any dryer, just be sure that the dryer does not dry at temperatures above 235ºF, as Microfibre will melt if heated too high.