Day 276 Microfibre cloths

As promised last week in one of my comment replies I am writing about microfibre cloths today. Now I am not intending to do any investigating of this but just write about how and what I use them for and why I think they are so great.

One of the main reasons I use microfibre is to cut down on the amount of chemicals while keeping a clean home. I am of the understanding that microfibre can remove up to 99% of germs off any surface using just water so that eliminates the need for disinfectants just for starters.

What I use my microfibre clothes for

Washing the Car -  I use and Microfibre Outdoor mitt, a bucket, hose and water.

• Rinse the car off with the hose to remove excess dirt and to soften bug crud and the like.
• I fill the bucket with water to dip the mitt into.
• Once the mitt is wet I commence washing the car using the usual plan of top to bottom ,  starting on the roof, then the glass, then one panel at a time rinsing with the hose as I go the remove the loosened grime.
• I will use a large absorbent MF cloth to wipe the car dry when I am done.
• No Shampoo required.

Glass Inside– I use a spray bottle of water and a glass mitt or any MF cloth will do.

• Spray the glass with very little water.
• I usually fold my cloth if not using the mitt
• I wipe the glass clean with one side of the cloth/mitt and polish is dry with the other side.
• No glass cleaner required.

Glass outside – Use outdoor mitt and car washing method

• You can also buy microfibre glass cleaners with rubber blades which I believe are really good for this job. I have not used them though.

Bench Tops, Sinks and basins – 2 microfibre clothes and a little water.

• Spray area with a little water to soften any grime.
• Use one cloth to do the initial clean
• Then the other to wipe dry if necessary

*I can sometime get a little pedantic with these areas and weaken to use a little all-purpose disinfecting spray cleaner but I believe it is really not necessary.

Bath & Shower – Bathroom mitt, MC cloth for drying, water spray bottle and a little all-purpose spray cleaner.

• Once again the spray really isn’t necessary but it does make it easier to remove soap scum
• I just use the cloth and a little water to clean the not so soap scummy areas like around the edge of the bath and outside the shower screen. Much the same method as glass cleaning.
• For the soap scummy areas I spray with the all-purpose cleaner first and then use a damp cloth or the mitt to give a good scrub down then a once over with the cloth to polish off. Remember no to scrub hard as you flatten the fibres and render them less effective.
• I do however use a little mould spray every now again if mould or mildew occur but the best way to avoid having to do this is to have a microfibre glass cleaner with the rubber blade and wipe the shower down every time you use it. Maybe it is time I gave that a try.

Dusting -A MC dust mitt or MC cloth and a spray bottle of water

• All surfaces whether horizontal of vertical get dusty. I dust everything from my skirting boards to the pictures on the walls with microfibre
• Usually I will spray the mitt/cloth with a very light mist of water to help the dust stick.
• Then just wipe over the surface like any normal dusting job.
• You can also buy dusters with extendable handles for hard to get at places including ceiling fans
• I use the same method the clean all the stained wooden surfaces in my home such as the dining table but I will polish them dry because wood and water are not a good mix.. (I also polish these with Cedar oil occasionally).

Carpet spot cleaning– MC cloth and water spray bottle.

• Spray the stain with a little water and wipe stain gently from every direction.
• Wiping from every direction wipes the carpet fibres on all sides
• Switch the cloth around so that you are using clean areas of the cloth as you proceed.
• Use a dry cloth or a dry clean area of the cloth you used to clean with to dry up the area.

*If the stain is stubborn use a oxygen activated carpet spot cleaner. I actually cleaned nail polish off the carpet in my daughter’s bedroom once using this method and even I couldn’t believe the results. I did use nail polish remover to clean off the worst of the spill but I might mention that I found the stain several days after it had happened.

Clothing – I use MF clothes to wipe dust, deodorant and light stains of my clothes in order to get a second use out of them. Especially my work outfits.

• Use a dry cloth to wipe dust off working in one direction only.
• Use a slightly damp cloth for deodorant and stains.
• This doesn’t work on all stains but is good if the clothes are dark in colour.

This post is becoming very long so I will finish here today and do a part II tomorrow or during the week sometime. In the meantime check out the Enjo Website . Don’t get me wrong though this is not an endorsement for Enjo simply because I think their products are far too pricey even if they are good quality but I will talk about that in Part II.

ITEM 276 OF 365 LESS THINGS

The pot holders mentioned on day 273

5 things I am grateful for today

1. Tea – I love a good cup of tea.
2. Other bloggers – Some soothe me with their sensitivity others inspire me with their words of wisdom while Bobbi @ Finding me in France gave me such a good belly laugh on Friday from a post she had written in August about not being well endowed that I almost rolled on to the floor.
3. Affordable domestic flights – Once upon a time we could only afford to drive everywhere and that could take days.
4. Plants – they bring such beauty to the world.
5. Microwave ovens – they make leftover meals to easy to prepare.