Are Microfiber Rags Really the Best Way to Clean Windows?

Microfibers- The Cure-all End-all in Cleaning?

Since microfiber technology for cleaning became all the rage maybe 20 years ago, Mystic Maid, and other brands have made a real splash with consumers. I was introduced to Mystic Maid by one of my window cleaning customers. She told me it was a modern miracle! I bought one rag for around $10. Amazon sells a large version of the original right now for $31.99. I can’t say it was great as a window cleaning tool, nor was it particularly bad. Certainly, for me as someone whose company cleans thousands of windows a week, microfibers would need to be both cost-effective and as good or better than what we would normally use to clean windows.

That was not the case at all. Of course, we clean windows larger and higher than your average homeowner, for sure! I must say that we do use microfiber rags EXTENSIVELY for surface cleaning and sopping up dirty window sills and so forth. They have wonderful absorption and scrubbing abilities by their design and have been a boon to our efficiency and effectiveness.

What About For the Professional Window Cleaner?

I would venture to say it is likely that most professional window cleaners use microfibers for one reason or another. When I’m on forums and FB groups, I don’t see too many say they are using them as the best detailing method and none at all say they use them for a complete large clean. Some do use them for small panes, but that is a different scenario for sure. When one is required to choose between using a ladder or a pole to reach absolutely every bit of glass beyond standing reach, time and expenditure of energy surely come into play. A professional can do a stellar job cleaning glass by other means such as the old ‘stand-by’- a scrubber and a squeegee. I find that for mass usage, huck towels, also known as surgical towels, are among the best detailers I’ve found. They last a very long time when properly cared for and are cost-effective. In my experience, huck towels are far less likely to leave lint on glass than all but an elite few brands of microfiber rags.

Here’s an example of a ‘run of the mill’ microfiber rag and one of my well-used huck towels. You can buy both items here  Only under the most extreme conditions such as very hot glass will surgical towels leave any lint. When I first started, the only thing I knew to use was paper towels. Back in the late 80’s and some of the 90’s I found Scott Towels was the best for me. I was told to try newspaper. I did and it really made the glass shine! But after a few windows my hands were black with ink and the paper was getting pulpy and useless. Surgical towels are hearty and can be laundered many times. If want to try them, don’t launder them with bleach or fabric softener. They can be put in a drier or air-dried. Either way is fine. As time has gone by, of course, many professional window cleaners have other tools in their box that are just as viable for doing great work with a reasonable amount of speed. Well, that’s my take on this part of window cleaning!