Microfibre cleans through mechanical scraping, static electricity, and capillary action — often with water alone, no chemicals. The three moisture states (dry, damp, wet) determine what the cloth can do; but it is the system around the cloth — pre-wetting, one cloth per surface, clean-to-dirty direction, and correct washing — that prevents moving dirt and bacteria around.
Introduction
Microfibre cleans through a combination of mechanical scrubbing, static electricity and capillary suction. This means that for many tasks it can clean with plain water — without chemicals. Grease and soil stick in the fibres' cavities and are released only by washing at high temperature.
Why microfibre works — the fibre structure
A microfibre is far thinner than a human hair or cotton fibre — typically less than about 1 dtex. It is often made as a two-component fibre of polyester and polyamide, which is 'split' (split-fibre), so each thread becomes many wedge-shaped fibres with sharp edges and small channels between them. The sharp edges scrape dirt loose mechanically, and the channels suck up liquid and particles through capillary action — the same principle as when a sponge draws water. The enormous total surface area is why a damp microfibre cloth can pick up dirt that a cotton cloth just pushes around.
The three moisture states
| Condition | Used for |
|---|---|
| Dry | Hair, dust and loose particles. Traps dust electrostatically without stirring it up (dry mop/dry cloth). |
| Damp | The standard method for daily surface cleaning. The cloth must not drip, but must not have dry patches either. |
| Wet | More stubborn dirt and coarser tasks. |
Pre-wetting and mopping systems
In professional cleaning, a pre-dampening or opening system is typically used today: cloths and mops are dampened ("charged") with the correct amount of working solution beforehand — in a box, a bucket or a washing machine with dosed uptake — instead of dipping the same cloth in a bucket again and again. The advantages are that moisture content becomes uniform, chemistry is dosed precisely, and you avoid the classic re-soiling from a bucket that becomes dirtier and dirtier as the day goes on. Single-use mops (replaced after one room/surface and sent for washing) are standard precisely for that reason.
One cloth/mop per surface — and clean before dirty
Two basic rules determine whether cleaning removes dirt or just moves it:
- 01One cloth or mop per surface/room — when the cloth has become soiled, it is changed; it is not dipped back into a common bucket. This prevents bacteria from one place spreading to the next.
- 02Clean before dirty — work from the cleanest surfaces towards the most soiled, and from patient-adjacent/contact surfaces towards toilet/floor last. Never the other way.
- 03Systematic direction — clean in overlapping strokes (e.g. S-pattern), so the entire surface is covered without driving over what has just been cleaned.
Choose method according to the task
| Assignment | Tool | Humidity level |
|---|---|---|
| Dust on free surfaces, screens, shelves | Dry microfibre cloth | Dry |
| Daily wiping of tables and contact surfaces | Microfibre cloth | Damp |
| Daily floor cleaning | Waterlogged disposable mop | Damp |
| Stuck dirt, spillage | Mikrofiberklud/moppe | Wet |
| Patient-proximal surfaces (healthcare sector) | Clean cloth/mop per unit — possibly followed by disinfection where indicated | Moist, after NIR |
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