Microfiber - What is it?
Microfiber is a revolutionary man made fiber that can be
processed, woven and finished in a variety of different ways to achieve a
specific result. Unprocessed (fibers not split) Microfiber, woven in a flat
weave, has very poor water absorption characteristics. In fact, it is used to
manufacture water resistant clothing. The same Microfiber thread, processed by
splitting the individual threads and weaving in a loop or waffle pattern, is now
super absorbent. It will absorb over seven times its weight in fluids!
Microfiber is a man-made
product that combines two basic fibers, Polyester and Polyamide (a nylon
by-product). These fibers are usually “split” and formed into a woven fabric
of 80% Polyester (the scrubbing and cleaning fiber), and 20% Polyamide (the
absorbing and quick drying fiber).
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. Microfiber 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 Microfiber cloth attracts dust, grime, oily
films and salt residues like a magnet.
The unique surface structure of split Microfiber cloth
contain hundreds of thousands of micro fiber “hooks” per square inch!
These micro-hooks grab, lift, and hold dust and grime without the need for
cleaning solutions. Microfiber cloth can be used damp or dry. Used dry, Microfiber
cloth works like a chamois. The super absorbent weaves holds up to seven times
its weight in fluid and will not scratch paint, glass, acrylics or plastic
window tint films.
What's the difference between a
$2.00 Microfiber towel and a $15 or $20 Microfiber towel?
With demand for Microfiber products increasing monthly,
factories in Korea and China are now flooding the American market with very
cheap "Microfiber" products. There is a huge difference between inexpensive
and quality Microfiber:
1. The strands are
not split. 70 to 75% of inexpensive Microfiber now coming out of Korea and
China is unprocessed, non-split Microfiber. Unless you want a water-resistant
material, unprocessed, non-split Microfiber is worthless! Many of you
have seen packages showing a drawing of a snowflake-looking fiber with wedges
around the perimeter scooping up dust particles. While this looks great it is a
picture of non-split, unprocessed Microfiber! Processed, split Microfiber looks
like a tangle of spaghetti ends. The reason for the abundance of this fabric is
simple. Machines that produce the raw Microfiber thread can be purchased for
under $100.000. The machines that do the splitting and processing of the thread
into the Microfiber "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 Microfiber
threads are larger. The industry standard for Microfiber is a denier
of 0.02 or smaller. We have found some "Microfiber" cloths coming out
of China with a denier of 0.5. This is fine but 50 times larger
than the best Microfiber thread. Chinese and inexpensive Korean Microfiber
products have very poor absorption and scrubbing qualities.
There are also differences
between quality, processed and split Microfiber products:
1. The ratio of the blend.
While 80% Polyester and 20% Polyamide is typical, a 70/30 blend that contains
more Polyamide fibers can be more expensive.
2. The density of the fibers per square inch. At 221,000
fibers per square inch, our Magic Towel contains the maximum density
commercially available with today’s technology. This density translates into
greater cleaning power. A cloth with 50,000 fibers 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 fiber 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 Microfiber cloth. The largest Microfiber producers
do the final splitting and finishing in clean-room-like environments. These are
the finest, lint-free towels.
Why do some Microfiber towels
leave a trail of fine, lint-like fibers?
The best Microfiber towels are
split to produce millions and millions of tiny fiber "hooks" on the
surface of the towel. If the weave is too broad or the pile is too high, some of
these fibers 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 Microfiber in the towel. Unfortunately it is
a common practice among mills to try and increase their profits by
skimping on the amount of Microfiber 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, like our Viper
Detailing Cloths, the weave and pile that works best for polishing and buffing
has a tendency to shed some fibers. We keep this to a minimum by increasing the
density of the weave which adds to the cost of the towel. The few fibers 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 Microfiber towels do not leave a fiber trail because the
fibers 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 Microfiber 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 MICROFIBER CLOTH BEST FOR ME?
We have evaluated dozens and dozens of Microfiber cloths
and selected three that fill specific detailing requirements:
The Microfiber Magic Towel. This is the highest
quality, plushest, Microfiber towel we could find. It is a 70% blend of
Polyester and a 30% blend of Polyamide. The Magic Towel absorbs over seven (7)
times it’s weight in water yet dries in 1/3 the time of ordinary cleaning
towels. With 221,000 fibers per square inch, The Magic Towel will clean
virtually any stain from any surface. It wipes most glass streak-free with just
water, quickly removes polish residues and buffs wax to a brilliant shine. If
you want one Microfiber towel for a variety of tasks, this is the one to choose.
The Viper Microfiber Glass Cleaning Cloth. This
is a high grade, 80/20 blend of Polyester and Polyamide specially designed to
clean glass. Standard Microfiber cloths use fibers that are “hooked” on the
ends. These hooks actually “scrape” across the surface grabbing and holding
dirt particles and surface films. The Viper Glass Cleaning Cloth’s fibers are
“feathered” on the end, not “hooked”. This produces a cloth with
substantially greater absorption. Grime and oily films are vacuumed off the
surface by capillary action.
The Viper Glass Cleaning Cloth cleans glass and plastic
surfaces better than any other Microfiber product except the Magic Towel and
leaves less droplet residues. The cloth can be used wet, with just water, or dry
with your favorite glass cleaning solution. This cloth should not be used for
general detailing or removing wax or polish residues. This would clog the fiber
ends and damage the cloth’s effectiveness.
Viper Microfiber Detailing Cloths. This
is the best $5.00 Microfiber towel you can buy with over 190,000 micro fibers per square inch. These are separate
strands, 100 times finer than a human hair, not just the split-end count other
manufacturers advertise! Our Viper Microfiber 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 fiber trail if used on glass.
HOW DO I USE MICROFIBER 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 favorite glass cleaner and
wiping the glass with a dry Microfiber 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 fibers. This will clog
up the micro fibers and render the towel ineffective.
For best results always wash Microfiber 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 Microfiber cloths in any dryer, just be
sure that the dryer does not dry at temperatures above 235 degrees F., as Microfiber
will melt if heated too high.