What is Microfiber
Microfiber consists of very fine threads of polyester and polyamide (nylon) that combine to form a single thread. Microfibers are so thin (100 times thinner than a single strand of human hair) that when they are woven together they create a surface area 40 times more than that of a regular fiber – creating an expanded surface area with dramatically enhanced absorbing power due to the capillary action of the fine threads. Microfiber is traditionally defined as a fiber with a denier of less than one. Denier is a measure of thinness of fiber and is the weight in grams of a continuous fiber of 9,000 meters.
As each microfiber strand may be smaller than the bacteria it is attracting, it is able to penetrate microscopic particles of dirt and grease on a surface. Split microfiber possesses numerous wedges instead of the rounded surfaces on ordinary cloth, sweeping underneath the particles and trapping them inside. In addition, the rounded fibers on most cloths only push the dirt around, whereas the wedge-shaped microfibers grab the particles of dirt and pull the dirt into its dense internal structure. Furthermore, chemicals only become necessary as a disinfectant, as the bonding agent is no longer necessary to keep the dirt on the fiber.
Microfiber has two polymers. Polyester is lyophilic, or has an affinity to oil, so that oil and grease adhere directly to the fibers. Polyamide is hydrophilic, which means it has an affinity to water. As a result, any type of dirt is very quickly and completed removed with microfiber, leaving a sparkling clean, streak-free surface. Microfiber cleans without streaking, smearing, scratching or leaving lint. Microfiber is safe to use on all delicate surfaces. It will clean without scratching or harming the surface in any way.
Ordinary cleaning towels move or push dirt and dust from one place to another - microfiber actually lifts or scoops the dirt and stores the dirt particles in the towel, until it is washed. Microfiber can absorb up to seven times its weight in fluids. Microfiber cloths are also extremely durable. They can be washed up to 1000 times and still maintain their effectiveness. This makes it an extremely cost effective product. Machine wash or hand-wash microfiber with mild soapy water.
Microfiber towels from different sources can vary greatly in quality. It is unfortunate that people sometimes purchase a high performance cleaning product on the basis of price alone – what they sometimes get is a product that does not perform as expected. Typically this can be pinpointed to two reasons:
1. The grade of yarn used in the beginning of the process is B,C, or even D grade.
2. The factory may utilize a flawed process when dying/splitting the yarn.
The grade of yarn used is of paramount importance. A, AA, and AAA grade yarn is used in clothing and a select few cleaning product manufacturers that are willing to utilize it. Lower grade yarn is typically made with recycled plastics and polymers which do not have the same chemical structure as A grade yarn. This can reduce the ratio of split to un-split fibers, reduce the capillary effect and static charge, and ultimately lead to lint, streaking, and a dramatic decrease in the amount of dirt and bacteria that can be absorbed and trapped within the fibers. Due to the limited supply of A (or better) grade microfiber, a vast majority of the microfiber offered on the market is B and C grade. Often, factories will purchase what they believe to be a high grade but receive a lower quality. As the difference is in the structure of the fiber itself, even a trained professional may not be able to tell the difference without running tests. When their cloths do not perform as well as StarFiber Microfiber, they do not understand why. As one of the pioneers in a rapidly emerging industry, AquaStar recognized this as a major problem and began working with factories in Korea to manufacture our own yarn beginning with the melting of AA grade non-recycled plastics. Today all of our fabric is made by us, for us, and we can consistently guarantee the absolute best quality microfiber on the market as we have quality control at every step of the process right down to cutting and sewing.
Adding too much fabric softener to microfiber is another easy way to increase the soft feel of the fabric and appeal to the customer. Fabric softener however is essentially a wax-like coating that surrounds and closes off the gaps in microfiber where the dirt, water, etc would ordinarily be trapped. If too much is added, it all but eliminates the static charge that makes the fabric so proficient at trapping dust and liquid. The softener is added during the dying and splitting phase of production and it is essential that just the right amount and type of softener is used.
As you can see, microfiber production is a highly technical and detailed process. With the recent surge in demand, microfiber is available from many new and emerging factories where quality has been deemphasized in favor of quantity. At AquaStar we refuse to compromise the quality of our goods and are expanding to meet production needs. The opening of our newest facility in Qingdao, China is a testament to our commitment to growth and maintaining our position as one of the world’s largest manufacturers of premium microfiber goods. Where others may come and go, StarFiber has and will remain synonymous with the best quality microfiber available.
CLEAN WITH MICROFIBER
Cleaning can be both simple, environmentally friendly and get finished fast. We sometimes unfortunately use cleaning chemicals the wrong way or even un-necessarily. Here are some suggestions of how you can clean your home in a simple and environmentally friendly way.
CLEANING FLOORS WITH MICROFIBER PRODUCTS
In order to get a clean and shiny floor, you often do not need to use chemicals or a vacuum cleaner. It is enough to dust mop the floor with a dry Starfiber microfiber mop, especially during the summer season. You will save both time and electricity. You can also dust your walls and ceilings with the mop.
For dusting and sweeping, use the Microfiber Dust Pad – do not wet! Glide the mop over surface to pick up dust, dirt, pet hairs, etc. When the microfiber pad becomes filled with dust and particles, just peel the pad from the base, and then shake the pad out to remove loose dirt and particles. Re-attached the pad and continue dusting. The Microfiber Dust Pad does not need to be washed after every use – just wash the pad when it becomes very dirty.
If you need to deep clean your floor, damp the Starfiber Microfiber Mop Pad in warm water and squeeze out the water before you start moping the floor. The mop can be used on all floor surfaces since it leaves a minimum amount of water on the floor. Remember to even mop doorsteps and borders.
If the floor is very dirty or, if you would like to get rid of deep stains, you can use soft soap or AquaStar's Floor Cleaning system, which is a line of non-toxic cleaning products. Wet the stain with the Floor Cleaner and work with the mop until the stain disappears.