Microfibre towels vs cotton towels

As a dog owner, you know how important it is to keep your dog clean and comfortable after a bath, swim, or a muddy walk. That's where microfibre dog towels come in. These lightweight, super absorbent towels dry your dog quickly and efficiently – which is exactly why I built my range from this material.

You will get efficient and thoughtful service from Jiuyuan.

Whether it's after a bath, a swim at the beach, or a rainy day walk, microfibre towels are the best for the job. But with so many options on the market, how do these compare to other types of towels, like cotton? In this post, I’ll break down the benefits of microfibre towels and why they should be your go-to choice for your pup, hands (or paws) down.

Super Absorbent

Microfibre towels are packed with thousands of tiny fibres that can absorb up to seven times their weight in water. That means no more soggy dog dripping all over the house – a quick rubdown with one of these towels will do the trick!

Quick Drying

Not only do these towels soak up all that water, but they dry super fast too. That means no more musty, damp towel smell lurking in your car or house. Plus, if you’re out and about, you can pack them up and reuse them in no time – perfect for travelling or beach trips.

Soft and Gentle

Microfibre towels are incredibly soft and gentle on your dog's skin and fur. I’ve had many customers tell me their dogs typically don’t enjoy being dried, but love it with my towels. They’re ideal for dogs with sensitive skin, offering comfort without irritation or scratching.

Durable and Long-Lasting

If you’re like me, you want a towel that can go the distance. Microfibre towels can be washed and reused over and over without losing their absorbency or softness. Many happy dog owners have told me their towel is still going strong after two years of regular use. You won’t need to replace them any time soon!

Versatile

These towels aren’t just for post-bath drying. You can use them for wiping muddy paws, cleaning up messes, or even as a makeshift blanket if your dog needs a cosy spot to rest.

How Do They Compare to Cotton Towels?

Let’s face it – cotton towels just don’t absorb moisture like microfibre ones do. With a wet dog in your car, you’ll quickly realise why you made the right choice with microfibre. Cotton towels often require multiple rounds to fully dry a dog, while one microfibre dog towel can do the job in no time. Plus, cotton towels tend to stiffen and lose their absorbency after a few washes, unlike microfibre, which stays soft and effective. I find tumble drying my range of towels makes them extra fluffy and soft.

The Environmental Impact

Now, let’s talk about eco-friendliness. Microfibre towels are made from synthetic materials like polyester and nylon, which aren’t biodegradable. Eventually, they wear out and contribute to plastic waste. On the flip side, cotton towels are made from natural fibres and break down over time. However, cotton production is resource-intensive, requiring lots of water and pesticides, and the manufacturing process can pollute waterways.

So, both have their environmental costs. However, by using a microplastic-catching laundry bag (which I’ve designed as part of my commitment to sustainability), you can minimise plastic shedding from microfibre towels during washing. Ultimately, choosing high-quality towels and washing them responsibly can reduce your environmental footprint – regardless of whether you choose cotton or microfibre.

 Pros and Cons: Microfibre vs. Cotton Towels

Microfibre Towels:

Pros:

Super absorbent – holds up to seven times its weight in water.

Dries quickly – no damp, musty smell.

Soft and gentle on your dog’s skin.

Long-lasting and durable.

Versatile – for drying, cleaning, and more.

Cons:

Slightly more expensive than cotton.

Not as widely available in stores.

Need to wash them in eco-friendly ways.

Cotton Towels:

Pros:

 Readily available and affordable.

Comes in a variety of colours and designs.

Cons:

Not as absorbent as microfibre.

Takes longer to dry, leading to that musty smell.

May lose softness and effectiveness after a few washes.

Less durable over time.

Conclusion

Okay, I admit – I’m a bit biased since I chose microfibre for my range, but the benefits really do speak for themselves. Microfibre towels are super absorbent, quick-drying, and soft, making them perfect for drying your dog after a bath, swim, or muddy adventure. Sure, cotton towels might be cheaper, but in the long run, microfibre is more effective and durable.

Ultimately, it comes down to personal choice. But if you want the best towel for your dog, I’d recommend giving microfibre a try. Check out my range of dog towels – designed to make your life easier and your dog’s drying experience better!

Microfiber Towels: 35+ Answers to Your Questions

We combed through the web archives to deliver the freshest answers to your most popular questions about Microfiber towels.

John Ross is the president and CEO of Mission Linen Supply, a single-source provider of rental and direct-sale uniforms, linens, and other essentials for industrial businesses, laboratories, health care and hospitality organizations, and beyond. With more than 20 years of experience in uniform program implementation and workplace health and safety, John’s expertise and leadership help ensure the success of each uniform program Mission develops.

To make things more interesting, while doing some exploration through search archives we found that there weren’t many search results that encompassed a variety of answers to a lot of questions surrounding the topic of microfiber towels.

With the vastness of search, and the attention spans of today’s information consumers we know that our customers have no time to read through post after post just to find 1 answer. They are busy with their business’s. This presented a challenge to us that we are more than familiar with resolving, matter of fact we are experts at it! Can you guess what it is? Hint: It’s what Mission Linen is known for, we talk about how we are the only ones that do this in our industry. That is! Giving our customers more of what they’re looking for, in one place… or being a ONE-STOP solution!!

So it true Mission Linen fashion we compiled and built The best source of Microfiber Towels questions and answers for our customers! More than 35+ of the best and most popular questions from around the web about microfiber towels all in one place.

If you have a question chances are your get your answer here but if you don’t see your question here, please let us know, we would love to hear what it is and get you the answer you’re looking for… and possibly add your question to our post.

 Ok time to dive in and become microfiber savvy!

The History of MicrofiberMicrofiber — is a textile crafted from ultra-fine artificial yarns, namely polyester and nylon. It's very, very thin fibers are half the diameter of a fine silk fiber, one-third the diameter of cotton, one-quarter the diameter of fine wool, and one hundred times finer than human hair. In order to be classified as a microfiber, the fiber must be less than 1 dtex in width. ➝ learn more about microfiberA Japanese scientist at Toray Industries, Dr. Miyoshi Okamoto and Dr. Toyohiko Hikota’s discovery of 40yrs. ago are the first real accounts of documented microfiber prototypes, their experiments resulted in many industrial applications, but the first successful fabricated microfiber to hit the market was in the ’s; ultrasuede. ➝ learn more about the making of microfiber

Funny story… microfiber was actually invented originally to be a fabric suitable for women’s swimwear 40yrs ago. It proved to be not ideal because the microfiber absorbed so much water that it made swimwear sag… and no one wants to wear a soggy, saggy, swimsuit.

A mixture of two plastics (typically polyesters and polyamides: aka nylon) are forced through a tiny pipe, and heated in order to get them to weave together. These fused fibers are then split apart into microfibers 10–20 times smaller. 

Microfiber - Design QualitiesMicrofiber of good quality is exceptionally soft due to the finely woven materials that make up the composition of the fabric. Microfiber fabrics are generally lightweight, resist wrinkling, have a luxurious drape on the body, retain shape, and resist pilling. They are also relatively strong and durable in relation to other fabrics of similar weight, and they are more breathable and more comfortable to wear.No, generally speaking, there are two techniques to produce microfibers:

• direct spinning (conventional POY spinning), a lower quality microfiber material.
• bi-component process (segment and island-in-sea type).

The bi-component process of split type is of high quality and more effective in cleaning bacterial surfaces. This is the preferred type of microfiber used in medical settings.

Microfiber towels can absorb 9 times their weight and cover 4 times the surface area that it’s adversary; cotton.

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

Microfiber is mainly used in athletic apparel because of its moisturizing wicking abilities and its elasticity makes it a choice material for undergarments. But it is also used in many other applications such as furniture, bed sheets and linens, mats and upholstery, industrial filters, and cleaning products.Benefits + Economics of Microfiber

Due to the special and more advanced features that microfiber has such as the high dimensional stability, less pilling, excellent softness, and drape provide essential advantages that make them durable. Their structure makes them long lasting, and if well cared for can maintain its integrity over 30 washes before the need to replace. When compared to other toweling materials, they are the more economical towel. 

The high surface area that microfibers provide makes them very suitable for filtration and liquid absorption applications.

The high dirt retention capacity, small controlled pore size and the superior uniformity microfibers provide including high strength, shrink resistance etc. makes them very useful.

Due to the unique properties microfibers possess, like high absorbency, moisture wicking, light weight, comfortability and softness, and all around superior durability, it dominates cotton in many ways. Cotton is an organic material and this has its own common drawbacks which include harboring odors, bacterial growth, etc. The fineness and high surface area of microfiber makes its features exceptional.

Yes, Microfiber is a green cleaning tool. The benefits of microfiber include its incredible durability, versatility, and efficiency cleaning without the use of chemical cleaners.

The environmental benefits of microfiber include:

• There are pesticides or synthetic fertilizers used in manufacturing
• Less water is consumed to produce microfiber
• Trees are saved
• No Cleaning Chemical are necessary
• More durability and reusability
• They are Recyclable

How to Use Microfiber Towels

Microfiber cloths and textiles can absorb and retain fine particles, very fine lint (broken fibers), and very small dust particles faster and more efficiently than that of other textile materials (as the dimensions tally). This makes them useful in many applications of cleaning such as glassware and windows, tv screens and tableware, car detailing and floor cleaning. Proper and often cleaning is required but it will not damage the textile due to the high dimensional stability.

Yes, because the diameter of the fibers are in the micro level, the dimensions of the fiber and the dimensions of the tiny dust particles tally with each other. That makes the retention and absorption of microscopic level dust particles more efficient. So, microfiber cloths are very good for dusting.

By making the microfiber cloth wet, it can increase the weight of the fabric as the absorption rate of microfiber fabrics are very high which will make it difficult to handle. But, wetting the cloth or mop can also help to remove dimensionally large dust particles due to capillary forces. If using a wet cloth only a small amount of liquid is necessary to dampen the fabric. They can clean up tough or set in messes better when wet.

Yes, Microfiber materials have a very high absorption rate. They can absorb seven times the weight of them with water, which makes it a very high absorbent material when compared to cotton. They are super absorbent making them great for use in cleaning.

Yes, Microfibers are basically polymer materials like polyester or polyamide which are chemically inactive making them compatible with nearly anything. Washing them with a little detergent is great for reducing the smell that some chemicals or vinegar can cause. But generally chemicals do not affect microfibers.

For cleaning with microfiber towels, no chemicals are required. You can clean with a microfiber cloth using just a little water, and it will be an effectively good cleaner. However detergents can be used if a stronger cleaner is necessary for things like cutting through grease. *Do not use fabric softeners. 

Yes, microfiber towels have the ability to remove dirt, dust mites and dust without chemicals.

They can even be used when removing grease, tar like heavy substrates. Microfiber mops are also less work-intensive than conventional mops, virtually eliminate cross-contamination during janitorial tasks, and drastically reduce chemical and water use while cleaning more effectively. As a matter of fact  when used properly, microfiber systems are 45 percent more effective at cleaning than traditional string mops, and consume 90 percent less water and chemicals. ➝ learn more about microfiber mop efficiencies

How to wash and care for Microfiber Towels

Microfiber cloths can either be washed or dry cleaned. For the cleaning purposes, no chemicals are required. If necessary, users can use detergents but that is also not essential. The drying is also very efficient and takes only one third of time used by conventional cloths.

This depends on the application that the microfiber cloth is used in. There are fashion clothing, high performance filters, weather protections, cleaning, medical etc. The durability of cleaning cloths are lesser than that of other above mentioned microfiber material applications but are greatly higher than that of conventional material.

Microfiber materials are basically polymeric materials like polyester or polyamide, which are polymers that have the capability to retain heat. So, using the dryer and also dry cleaning is possible.

Using an iron on microfiber towels is possible but useless. The microfiber cloths have a very high drape which makes them wrinkle deterrent and less likely to shrink. If ironing is necessary low temperatures are suggested.Personal Health and HygieneIn independent studies such as those published by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)1 and by Dr. William Rutala, 2 extremely fine (.37 micrometer diameter) microfiber was both laboratory and clinically tested and proven to remove up to 98 percent of bacteria and 93 percent of viruses from a surface using only water (no chemicals). In comparison, traditional cotton fibers have been shown to only remove 30 percent of the bacteria and 23 percent of the viruses from a contaminated environmental surface. ➝ microfibers case for infection prevention

No, not all microfiber cloths are able to remove bacterias from surfaces. Optimal bacterial, virus and spore removal is achieved through a type of  “split microfiber” material.

In independent studies such as those published by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)1 and by Dr. William Rutala, 2 extremely fine (.37 micrometer diameter) microfiber was both laboratory and clinically tested and proven to remove up to 98 percent of bacteria and 93 percent of viruses from a surface using only water (no chemicals). In comparison, traditional cotton fibers have been shown to only remove 30 percent of the bacteria and 23 percent of the viruses from a contaminated environmental surface. ➝ learn more about the studies

Linting can be due to the strength of the selected microfiber material and the applications in which they are being used in. Some are lower in strength and break down into very little particles causing linting. Also microfibers can get lint attached to them when they are washed with other textiles that pill such as cotton. Their positive change makes them natural attractors of lint, it’s suggested to wash them separate from other fabrics that pill.

Microfiber fabrics are hypoallergenic. Due to that, it can be used on anyone even someone with allergies. Plus they are chemical resistant due to the type of polymeric material they are manufactured.

Due to the safe nature of the materials that are used in manufacturing the microfibers, they are safe to use on the face and hair. Due to the high moisture absorbent properties, it can dry hair more efficiently plus the softness they possess make them comfortable to use.

Microfiber is manufactured by using polymeric materials like polyester or polyamide, which are chemically inactive. For an allergic reaction to take place, chemical reactions on the surface are essential so microfibers are hypoallergenic.

Industrial Applications

Medical textiles are one of the most important applications that microfibers provide. Microfibers are compatible with the human body and organs, making the towels and wipes very popular in medical facilities.

In the automotive industry, microfiber is widely used in air and oil filtration applications and wipes.In the automotive industry, microfiber is widely used in air and oil filtration applications and wipes.

Microfiber towels are very effective under dry or wet conditions and they are durable. They can be effectively used in cleaning the windows removing all the moisture and without scratch marks which is a very important factor.

Microfiber towels are widely used in cleaning computer monitors, TV screens etc. the reason for that is that they have the capability to change the static charge on that of their surface which makes them durable and effective at removing dust particles and oils.

Microfiber towels remove stains, dust, dirt, dust mites effectively and efficiently without leaving scratches, and do not require the use of chemicals to perform. This makes them a choice product used in restaurants.

The Takeaway

Microfiber versatility and design make it one of our favorite cleaning tools and a popular textile for many everyday products. Look around you, can you spot an item that’s made out of microfiber? You probably don’t even realize it but it’s the bed linens we sleep on, in the clothing that we wear, it’s very popular in products we use to clean our homes and workplaces. Even in the items we choose to keep us safe from harm… there’s microfiber.

It stands out as both an economical and a safer choice when deciding what type of cleaning towel to use for your establishment. Granted it isn’t perfect, like anything there are pros and cons, but we’re hoping that by providing you a source of answer to some of your questions you’ll better understand why we love these fuzzy cleaning cloths so much, and be able to make an informed decision when choosing the best option for you.

To conclude, we have answered many of your questions about the history, design, use, and value of Microfiber towels… we can say that the comfort, quality, durability, and health qualities it offer the reason that our more than 40,000 partners in the hospitality, food service, automotive, and healthcare industries rely on to keep their facilities looking their best, and their employees and customers safe.

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The G.L.E.A.M Team

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