How to Clean Microfiber Cleaning Cloths

I love cleaning with microfiber – it’s versatile, economical, and eco-friendly. My favorite benefit? How well it cleans. No lint, no spreading dirt and germs around, and you only need to wipe once and your surface is clean. I get quite a few questions surrounding how I clean my microfiber cleaning cloths (I have a whole collection of my favorite cloths + towels here!) – so if you’ve ever wondered this, today’s post is for you.

A common misconception with any cleaning cloth that you wash and reuse is that it might not be clean or that you might spread germs around from the cloth as you clean. The thing with microfiber is that its ‘micro’ fibers actually the dirt and germs and holds on to them in lieu of spreading them around. I think that’s what holds people back from switching from cleaning wipes and paper towels – maybe you can relate? Let’s bust open those misconceptions today and talk about HOW to make sure your cleaning cloths are actually clean before you use them.

Please note: Check the care label on your microfiber first, these are my personal recommendations and how I care for my microfiber cloths.

Here are a couple basic ‘rules’ for washing microfiber:

• Microfiber can be rinsed and wrung out as your using it – don’t just wipe once (unless it’s toilets or something germs/dirty). Rinse, wring and continue using.
• Wash only with other microfiber cloths. If you put other laundry items in the washing machine with your microfiber it turns into a static magnet – just avoid that altogether by washing microfiber all by itself.
• Find a place to hold the microfiber while it’s drying and before you have a load to wash. I keep a bucket on the back of our washing machine and toss dirty microfiber cloths in there. If a cloth is wet I drape it over the side of the bucket until it’s dry and then I place it in the bucket. Dusting cloths don’t get mixed into this bucket, this bucket is for bathroom cleaning cloths so there isn’t cross-contamination.
• Wash on HOT or sanitize – most germs and microorganisms are killed at 140 degrees Fahrenheit. I wash my microfiber that needs to be sanitized on HOT or sanitize. You can look up your particular washing machine or brand and see what temperature the hot and sanitize cycles get to and decide what’s best for you. (As a general rule, washing on warm and drying on low to medium will kill the germs in your cleaning cloths, but if you need to sanitize, it will need to be warmer.)
• I wash the microfiber cloths in this bucket weekly and then run a sanitize/clean cycle on the washing machine. Bonus: clean cloths + a clean washing machine. Not sure how to clean your washing machine? You should be doing it monthly at the least to avoid spreading germs in your clothes, bedding, cleaning cloths, etc. Here’s how with a free printable!
• Launder with detergent – use less (I use half the amount that I usually use) so it fully rinses out.
• Do not use fabric softener – it coats the fibers and ruins its effectiveness, but it’s safe to add a 1/4 cup of white vinegar if you’d like.
• Dry in the dryer on low to medium. Drying the microfiber in the dryer will kill any germs that might remain after washing them.

Cleaning with microfiber is easy and with a couple simple steps you’ll find that it’s simple to care for and keep clean.