Hello and welcome back to Emily’s Maids of Dallas! This time, we’re going to talk about a big cleaning feud: Microfiber vs Cotton: Which one is the best cleaning material?
Both microfiber and cotton have their own advantages and disadvantages when it comes to cleaning. In fact, they’re two of the most frequent materials used for cleaning.
In this article, we will compare microfiber vs cotton and let you know which one might be the best for your cleaning needs.
Before we start, remember to check Emily’s Maids of Dallas! With our professional house cleaning service you can forget about having to clean your home for hours on end.
However, we know many of our readers are fellow housekeepers and cleaning aficionados. In that case, enjoy our article!
Microfiber vs Cotton: The Benefits of Using Microfiber
Microfiber is a synthetic material that is made up of extremely fine fibers. These fibers are woven together to create a durable and absorbent material. As you can imagine, this makes it perfect for cleaning!
A good cleaning material needs to be durable because you will be scrubbing and moving your cloth or sponge everywhere, and it will be in contact with cleaning products as well.
Besides, it needs to be absorbent to trap dirt and grease particles between fibers, and to absorb your cleaning agents after cleaning. Microfiber has fantastic absorbency power. Microfiber cloths are created out of hundreds of ultrafine fibers.
These fibers have a positive charge that attracts negatively charged particles like dirt and dust.
This is one of the reasons why microfiber is the most prominent material used in cloths and towels at the moment.
Microfiber is gentle on pretty much every type of surface as well, which makes them extremely versatile. Besides, they have different densities which are measured in GSM (grams per square meter).
This makes them even more adaptable to different areas. If you need more absorbing power, for example, you should use a microfiber towel or cloth with a higher GSM count.
Cotton may need to be washed more often than microfiber towels or rags.
Related: Home Cleaning Tips for Busy People
Microfiber vs Cotton: The Benefits of Using Cotton
O the other hand, there are some situations where cotton may be a better choice than microfiber.
Here are some examples:
Clean rough surfaces such as concrete can tear up microfiber pads. In this case, a good cotton towel or cloth might be more resistant, because it can handle abrasive materials better.
Cotton usually has longer fibers that can hold more liquid and debris. When you need to mop large amounts of liquid, cotton can be more efficient than microfiber. This is why you still see cotton pads and microfiber pads.
If environmental impact is an important factor for you, then sadly both cotton and microfiber are contaminating. Cotton comes from plants, but it requires large amounts of water and pesticides.
Microfiber is made from synthetic materials, but it is not biodegradable and increases ocean microplastic pollution. However, when comparing both of them, cotton is the most eco-friendly option.
If you have sensitive skin, cotton is certainly more gentle and breathable. Microfiber can be rough or irritating, especially if it has a lower GSM count.
Also, if your microfiber towels are dragging dirt or debris, there is a higher chance of them scratching delicate surfaces.
Related: PAWW Method – How to Clean Ovens Like a Pro
Conclusion
As a cleaning service, we use professional-grade microfiber cloths and surgical huck rags. Thanks to its design, it avoids streaks and absorbs dirt and dust wonderfully. As you can see, we use both microfiber and cotton.
They both work well and we encourage you to try both types and see what works better for you.
Remember to bookmark our blog and stay tuned for more cleaning tips!
