Microfiber Cloths vs. Paper Towels: Which One Should You Use?

Microfiber cloths are fantastic for cleaning various surfaces around your home, offering superior absorbency and versatility. However, they’re not a one-size-fits-all solution. Paper towels still have an important role to play in the home, and many people often ask when to use microfiber cloths versus paper towels. In this post, we’ll clear up this common confusion and provide definitive answers, so you’ll know exactly when to reach for a microfiber cloth and when to grab a paper towel.

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The Pros and Cons of Paper Towels

Paper towels are incredibly convenient. They’re readily accessible, disposable, and perfect for quick cleanup tasks. The major advantage of paper towels is that once you use them, they’re gone. No need to worry about washing or reusing them—just toss them in the trash, and they’re out of sight, out of mind.

However, there are some downsides to using paper towels regularly. The cost can add up over time, and there’s a significant environmental impact from constantly using disposable paper products. Additionally, relying on paper towels can foster a habit of grabbing them for every small mess, which isn’t always the most efficient or eco-friendly choice.

The Benefits of Microfiber Cloths

Microfiber cloths, on the other hand, offer many benefits. The biggest advantage is that they are reusable. A single high-quality microfiber cloth (not the dollar store variety) can be washed and reused up to 500 times, making them an excellent long-term investment. Microfiber is also highly absorbent, and the cloths come in various weaves, textures, and colors, allowing you to color-code them for specific cleaning tasks. This makes them incredibly versatile, whether you're wiping counters, cleaning mirrors, or dusting surfaces.

That said, there are a couple of barriers to consider with microfiber cloths. First, there’s the upfront cost of purchasing good-quality cloths. High-quality microfiber can be pricey initially, but they pay off in the long run due to their durability. Second, microfiber requires special care when laundering. If not washed properly, the cloths can lose their effectiveness or even get damaged. To ensure your microfiber cloths last, it’s essential to follow proper care and washing instructions.

When to Use Paper Towels vs. Microfiber Cloths

To help you make the right choice, let’s explore some common cleaning scenarios and which option is best for each.

Grease and Oil

One of the most common questions we get is whether to use microfiber or paper towels for cleaning up grease and oil. For tasks like wiping down a greasy frying pan, such as after cooking bacon, it’s best to use paper towels. They are more effective at absorbing grease and are easy to dispose of after the task. If you're wiping up some bcaon splatter or salad dressing drips and drops, a microfiber cloth is a perfect choice.

If you do need to clean oil from a microfiber cloth, be sure to rinse it in hot, soapy water immediately after use and allow it to dry thoroughly. This will help remove the grease and keep the cloth functioning well.

General Stains and Spills

For everyday spills and stains around the house, an all-purpose microfiber cloth is usually your best option. It can easily tackle general messes on bathroom and kitchen counters, and it works well on a variety of surfaces. However, there are some exceptions. If you’re cleaning up something that could potentially stain the cloth—like a curry containing turmeric, hair dye, bleach, etc.—it’s best to use paper towels to avoid staining the microfiber cloth.

This is more of an aesthetic issue, but it’s still worth considering, as certain stains can be difficult to remove from microfiber.

Food Prep

Microfiber cloths are particularly useful in the kitchen, especially when it comes to food prep. For example, you can use a waffle weave cloth to wash and dry fruits and vegetables or even to press tofu. The unique texture of the waffle weave helps absorb moisture quickly without damaging the produce.

However, when it comes to patting down meat, poultry, or seafood, you should avoid using microfiber cloths. Instead, reach for a paper towel to handle these tasks.

Cleaning Products: Microfiber or Paper Towels?

When it comes to using cleaning products, the type of product you’re using will dictate whether you should use microfiber or paper towels. For cleaning products that contain bleach, wax, or oils, paper towels are the safer option. These products can damage microfiber or reduce its effectiveness.

On the other hand, if you’re using a general-purpose cleaner or a homemade DIY cleaner with ingredients like baking soda or essential oils, microfiber cloths work perfectly. They’re effective at lifting dirt and grime without leaving behind any residue, making them ideal for these kinds of cleaning tasks.

If you want to learn more, please visit our website Microfiber Cleaning Towel.

Now that you have a better understanding of when to use microfiber cloths and when to reach for paper towels, you’ll be able to make smarter decisions in your cleaning routine. The key is to choose the right tool for the job—microfiber cloths for most surfaces and general messes, and paper towels for greasy, oily, or stain-prone tasks.

Don’t forget—proper care of your microfiber cloths is essential for long-lasting performance. 

Thanks for reading, and happy cleaning!

Microfiber is more absorbent than cotton for many reasons. With that being said not all microfiber towels are created equal! Higher quality towels should dry and clean up spills both better and faster than lower quality ones. So do the water test to see if your microfiber towel is absorbent.

1. 1. 1. 1. 1. Pour water on a flat, smooth surface
            2. Place your microfiber cleaning towel on the surface and slowly slide it toward the puddle of water
            3. Observe how the towel interacts with the water. Does it: Suck it up like a vacuum, push the water away, or somewhere in between?
            4. Does it wick through the towel quickly?

If your towel pushes the water away then it’s not very absorbent. You want a towel that acts like a vacuum, sucking the water up, wicking it through the towel. These are signs of highly absorbent microfiber towels. Make sure your microfiber towel is an 80/20 or 70/30 polyester to polyamide ratio. There is much debate on which of these blends is better. Some say one is better for cleaning and the other for drying, others say there is no difference at all. Of course there are other factors that contribute to quality, as you'll soon find out. Wherever you stand on the argument, everyone agrees that your microfiber towel needs to be somewhere between these ratios. Make sure to avoid 100% polyester microfiber towels.

You want to make sure your microfiber towels have a "grippy" feel. The more "grippy" feel of the towel, the more dirt, dust, water, and even bacteria it will pick up! Don't worry, the grippy feel does not take away from the softness of the cloth, so you won't have to be concerned with scratching anything delicate. So here's how to do the Touch Test:

1. 1. 1. 1. 1. Run your hand over the towel and ask yourself the following questions.
            2. Is the cloth soft?
            3. Would you use it on the finish of your car?
            4. Does the material grab the imperfections in your skin, getting caught on your hand?

If your towel catches on your hand, it is made with split microfiber. High quality cloths have gone through a splitting process, leaving the fibers to look like an asterisk in cross section. The spaces left by the process is what gives your cloth the ability to pick up dirt and absorb liquid.

If your cloth isn’t split, it won’t be any more effective in cleaning than a cotton towel. Another factor that contributes to how well your towel will clean is the size of each fiber. The smaller the fiber, the more it can pick up.

Microfibers are measured in denier, which is the diameter of each fiber. By definition microfiber must be lower than one denier, which is equal to 10 micrometers. Good quality microfiber towels for cleaning usually have below 0.5 denier. This makes it small enough to pick up a variety of germs, bacteria, and microbes!

For example, our Buff™ Pro and Microfiber Glass Cloths both have extremely low deniers of 0.1 to 0.2. If you are looking for the best quality cleaning cloths, make sure you check the denier (if available).

When taken care of properly good microfiber towels should be able to lasts hundreds of washings! There are 2 ways to test the thickness of your microfiber towels. The Weight Test

1. 1. 1. 1. 1. Weigh the towel (if you have a GSM scale)
            2. Is it at least a 250 GSM Microfiber Towel (GSM=grams per square meter)?

The more a microfiber towel weighs, the more microfiber it has. There are a variety of different GSM of Microfiber Towels, and this is because there are a variety of tasks they can be used for. But as a rule of thumb, a good quality towel has at least 250 GSM or more. If you don't have a scale, just check the website. Usually all microfiber products list their products GSM because they understand how important this is to customers. If they don't list it, that might be a red flag! Sunlight and Stretch Test:

1. 1. 1. 1. 1. Take the towel outside in the sun
            2. Stretch the towel while holding it up to the sun
            3. Does it stretch easily?
            4. Can you see the sun through it like cheesecloth?

If you can see a lot of sunlight or the towel stretches easily, then you don’t have a quality towel. It is also important to look at the binding of the towel. Make sure the edges are nicely sewn, this prevents any fraying.

You should never test just one of these areas and rely on the results. You can get microfiber towels at a chain warehouse store that weigh more than 300 GSM, passes the sunlight test and doesn’t stretch very well. However, they aren’t absorbent and they don’t pick up dust very well. It would pass test 3 but not 1 and 2. If possible, a final check for high quality microfiber towels is to find out where they are made. We make sure to source our microfiber towels & cloths responsibly, so you can rest assured you are getting only the best. See where our microfiber towels are made. So in addition to testing, here are some things to look for when buying microfiber towels.

1. 1. 1. 1. 1. Split Microfibers
            2. 250+ GSM
            3. 80/20 or 70/30 Polyester to Polyamide ratio
            4. 0.5 Denier Or Less

For a towel that will pass all 4 tests above check out our Buff™ Pro Multi surface Microfiber Towels! We tested their absorbency, durability, and softness against other top brands this video! At Microfiber Wholesale we want to provide professional cleaners with the best microfiber towels for their cleaning business.

Check out some of our wholesale professional cleaning products today!

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