do they work? method's microfiber cloths
I’ve been reading a lot about Method’s new microfiber cloths, so I thought I’d test them out for myself. The idea is that they you use these cloths instead of rolls of paper towels, thus saving money and doing your part to not make so much waste. Method offers up four different kinds of cloths; I bought two, one for wood and one for stainless steel (they also have glass and granite versions). Of course, Method is recommending you pair them each with one of their specially designed cleansers. It sounded a little gimmicky to me, but I did a little squirting (with Method’s stainless steel polish that I already had) and wiping with over my stainless counters and I have to say they really shined afterwards. The wood cloth feels silkier and smoother than the steel one and picked up dust easily. I’ll definitely keep using them instead of Swiffers (sorry Megan!) or paper towels. At only $5 a pop, they seem like a pretty good buy. What do you think? Have you tried them yet? — Angela M.
Casabella makes these too, and I’ve used them for years. They’re really great. They have a duster variation made with microfiber that sucks up dust like no other.
They also have Swiffer-like mops with reusable microfiber pads. They are so much better than the Swiffer at picking up dust and also so much better for the environment and the pocketbook.
i love method products! havent used those cloths but i like how they’re colour coordinated for their specific tasks. cute photo montage :) what are the differences between them, just the texture / weave / thickness? same material?
Not new at all (except from Method), but yeah, microfiber cloths are great!
I like them with a tightish weave… I’ve had microfiber cloths with loose fibers (hard to explain, but they feel much like the fluffy parts of the Swiffer Duster if you run them against dry skin… very grabby) that came in a big box of like 6 large cloths for under $20. I’ve had similarly-priced, small, nubbly cloths made with a more tightly twisted fiber, by 3M, sold in packages of 1, which feel almost sueded and which I prefer.
It looks to me like the Method wood ones have a little more of a nap, to help pick up more dust/stuff and leave behind a soft sheen. Since the stainless steel ones are going to be more for getting rid of smudges and fingerprints, they need to be more textural: a bit of scrub without abrasion.
In general, it seems like most people might need 1 or none of one kind of cloth, and 4 of another, depending what their house is like.
Remember: if you have these, never use fabric softener on them!
The one thing that I have found to be a slight annoyance is that you have to wash them seperately than regular laundry.
Otherwise they don’t get clean, or stick to your clothes, or leave the residue from your cleaner on your clothes.
And under no circumstance can you use fabric softener or bleach on them.
Paper towels might be less friendly to the environment, but I think I will stick to a few dishtowels to do the trick.
One note: when microfiber cleaning cloths first came out, one of the big deal things about them was that you supposedly didn’t really need cleaners (anyway, I mostly use them for dusting and cleaning mirrors).
As such, I’m totally able to wash them with my clothes, though they ARE prone to terrible static cling. I usually wash them with towels, though, which are another thing that are not fabric-softener friendly (towels will become less absorbent over time if you use fabric softener on them).
I think most people now use them with cleaners, and that’s definitely what Method wants people to do, but ppl might want to try the cloths without cleaners and see how they do. (I haven’t tried the wood cleaner, but isn’t it oily? That makes me wonder how the cloths function, since it would impede absorbence just like fabric softener would.)
We got some of these type of cloths in bulk from a local auto parts supplier (I think they are used in place of chamois for drying). We have enough to wash them as a separate load with towels. They work great with just water, or some of the biodegradable cleaners like Simple Green. I have also used them with success for dusting with pledge and similar wood cleaners. Microfiber cloths have reduced our paper towel usage tremendously.
I got some of the Method stainless cleaner when it first came out. Used it twice, it streaked like crazy and it stunk to high heaven! I even wrote to Method to complain, it was so bad. They sent me a $2 coupon that I threw away. Anyhoo, my current stainless care routine is really simple. Slightly dampen one end of a microfiber cloth. Wipe your whole appliance, scrubbing at handprints or schmutz till it disappears. Buff away any remaining streaks with the dry end of the microfiber cloth. Works like a charm every time!
A quick tip: you can purchase these for much cheaper in the auto parts section of your store. We just purchased 12 for $8, instead of the exorbidant amount Method is charging. I have found that you don’t really need different towel naps for different surfaces.
And what Miranda says above is true: you can clean 90% of surfaces with a microfiber cloth and water alone. Save the cleaner for those tougher stains and save a bundle of money!