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Q: Microfiber ( Answered 5 out of 5 stars,   2 Comments )
Question  
Subject: Microfiber
Category: Miscellaneous
Asked by: glefs-ga
List Price: $4.50
Posted: 24 Mar 2005 11:18 PST
Expires: 23 Apr 2005 12:18 PDT
Question ID: 499845
What is the type/composition of microfiber material most commonly used
for cleaning eyeglass lenses?
Answer  
Subject: Re: Microfiber
Answered By: crabcakes-ga on 25 Mar 2005 17:50 PST
Rated:5 out of 5 stars
 
Hi glefs,

  It appears that most, if not all, manufacturers use a form of nylon,
a blend of polyester and polyamide. The secret to microfiber cloth?s
effectiveness is the fineness and number of fibers per square inch. As
a wearer of glasses myself, I'm mighty glad microfiber cloth was
invented! The third link in my answer has an illustration of how the
fibers work so well.


?These premium quality Ultrafine Micro Fiber Cloths are made from a
plush blend of 70% Polyester and 30% Polyamide. Non-abrasive and
non-linting. A single strand of split ultrafine micro fiber is
approximately 1/20th the diameter of a strand of silk or 200 times
finer than a human hair. There are over 200,000 micro fibers per
square inch of cloth. Our most popular Micro Fiber Terry cloth
measures 40cm x 40cm (16" x 16"). That's a density of 45 million
fibers in 1 cloth. These tiny micro fibers disperse oil, grease, dirt,
grime, film, dust, and collect it deep in the cloth to be washed away
down the drain. Re-used over and over, ultrafine micro fiber cloths
usually last for years of use. Tough on dirt and gentle on surfaces.?
http://www.neatitems.com/micro.htm

?The Simple Clean Microfibre Cleaning Cloth is a revolutionary Grade
A, 15" by 15" cleaning cloth.

1.What makes it clean so well? The cloth is woven from revolutionary
fibers developed for use in space program "clean rooms". Yarn fibers
are about 1/100 the diameter of a human hair. A microfiber cloth has
more fibers and more surface area than cotton cloths. Thus there is a
greater electrical charge to attract dirt. When damp, tiny micro fiber
ends get into tiny places to wisk away dirt. The increased surface
area means the cloth can absorb about 7 times its weight in liquid.
Cleans up spills fast.
2.What is the fabric? The fabric is woven from a unique composition of
micro-fiber yarn whose principal detergent agent is static energy and
absorbent power.
3.How long will the cloth last? Each cloth lasts approximately 600
washings (or more than two years under normal use) The static charge
and absorbency are not washed away.
4.Can I use it dry or wet? Wring it almost dry to clean anything that
is usually cleaned with cleaning agents. Use it dry for dusting and
buffing. Use it with a water "spritzer" to clean windows and glass.
5.My Simple Clean seems to leave some lint on my mirrors. What can I
do to reduce lint accumulation? These are lint free cloths. But if you
launder these cloths with traditional fibers, some fibers may be
attracted to the Simple Clean cloth. It is best to wash microfiber
cloths with non-linting items. Dry in a medium dryer to increase
static charge. Or line dry.
6.Is a Simple Clean safe for sensitive skin? Yes. There are no added
chemicals, detergents, or cleaning agents. Great for washing baby.
7.Are Simple Clean's color coded for specific jobs? No. We buy Simple
Clean cloths in pastel colors, usually blue and yellow. Please enter
color preference in the comments section. We cannot guarantee colors.
8.Caring for your Simple Clean cloths: Never use bleach, fabric
softener, or softener sheets. Machine wash or hand wash with
detergent. Line or machine dry warm. Avoid washing or drying with
towels or other lint producing fabrics.?
http://www.safehomeproducts.com/SHP/ES/Simple_Clean.asp

?The Tergo Ultra Microfiber cloths, an alternative way to clean, were
developed in 1990 for the cleaning industry by Olsson Cleaning
Technology. Having manufactured cleaning products for 26 years, they
developed the technology and a special process to manufacture a fabric
with a very thin weave called Ultra Microfiber. Consisting of a nylon
blend of polyester and polyamide, the products have optimal cleaning
capacity. The Ultra Microfiber is so small that one square centimetre
contains over 30km of microfiber. It?s these thousands of individual
micro strands in the fabric that does the cleaning, trapping and
removing grease, dust and dirt particles from the surface.?

?During cleaning, the wiping motion enables the fiber edges to break
down and remove dirt and grease particles, removing them without
damaging the surface. Particles are trapped and absorbed in the fine
strands of microfiber. The capillary force activates, thereby locking
the dirt into the weave of the cloth. There are over a million fine
tubes that absorb the dirt when the cloth is wet - a force so great
that dirt cannot escape.  This cloth has incredible absorbency,
holding up to 4 times its weight in dirt, grime and liquid.
The dirt remains locked deep inside the cloth, enabling you to
continuously clean, without releasing dirt back on to the cleaning
surface. The dirt is retained in the material until it is washed,
reducing the need for frequent rinsing. The cleaning surface will
become so clean that new dirt and dust will not be attracted as
easily.?
http://www.ultramicrofibers.com/ultra_microfiber.html


?Polyesters, e.g., Dacron, produced by the polymerization of the
product of an alcohol and organic-acid reaction, are strong and
wrinkle-resistant. Microfiber, which was introduced in 1986, is a
variety of polyester that has extremely thin filaments. One cannot
overstate the importance of Microfiber to our civilization.  As a
synthetic it provides humans with control over its supply. It is
tough, resilient, and can be manufactured to extremely fine
tolerances, many times thinner than other synthetics. It is this
strength, precision and absolute sheerness as well as its phenomenal
absorbency that give rise to so many applications, including an
amazing ability to clean and dry surfaces. Now microfiber
(specifically polyester) as the sole constituent of a cloth will wear
and shed fiber with use, so it is best utilized (as it is in
Googalies) in combination with Nylon.  Nylon, a synthetic
thermoplastic material introduced in 1938, is strong, elastic,
resistant to abrasion and chemicals, and low in moisture absorbency.?
http://www.googalies.com/microfsa.html

Hope this answers your question! If not, please request an Answer
Clarification, before rating, and I will be happy to respond.

Regards, Crabcakes

Search Terms
Microfiber composition
Lens cleaning + microfiber cloth
glefs-ga rated this answer:5 out of 5 stars and gave an additional tip of: $2.00
Surpassed my expectations.

Comments  
Subject: Re: Microfiber
From: crabcakes-ga on 27 Mar 2005 20:29 PST
 
Thank you for the satrs and tip, glefs. Both are appreciated! 
Regards, Crabcakes
Subject: Re: Microfiber
From: crabcakes-ga on 27 Mar 2005 20:30 PST
 
There go my fumble-fingers again! I obviously meant "STARS" in the comment above.
~Crabcakes

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