How to Care for Microfiber

[Updated 7/21/2018]

In order for high quality microfiber like Norwex to keep it's cleaning edge (literally, the fibers have edges, which is part of why it scrapes the surfaces so clean), and to unclog any buildup from the surface or from within the microscopic spaces between and within fibers, special care must be taken to get it thoroughly clean without damaging it.

Suzanne Holt, who has been doing Norwex much longer than my 8 years has written her own recommendations, which I mostly agree with.  My kitchen cloths don't start to stink as quickly as hers - but I usually wipe up the first round of any mess with the dish cloth. It rinses very clean and is nearly impossible to get stinky. I use my microfiber for getting things truly clean, de-germed, etc.

Here's how I do it.

Day to Day
I rinse & hang cloths between uses sometimes with a little Norwex or other dish soap. I let my dirty microfiber build up and throw dry dirty ones into a pile and launder them in a microfiber only load (or with sheets or jeans - no cotton towels/ no linty items!!) about every 10 days in my front loader. I use Norwex detergent and do the sanitizing wash on my machine every other load of microfiber (about once a month) & I do a deep soak on occasion (about once every 3-6 months). 

Detergent
Never use bleach with any microfiber.  It destroys the tiniest, most powerfully cleaning fibers. 

Do not use fabric softener, it coats the fiber in a thick oil which causes it to repel instead of absorb water and reduces the grip of the fiber on a surface reducing it's superiority as a cleaning fiber.  This usually can be reversed through one deep soak or several launderings depending on how much fabric softener build up there is.

Use Norwex detergent ideally.  If not, then use a detergent that is free of the above (bleach and softeners) as well as free of fillers and dyes.  For your health you should avoid fragrances, but I also find that when I've used fragrances the cloths start to smell bad more quickly.

Deep Soak
Even though you may launder your microfiber often, you need to do a deep soak. Clean looking & clear rinsing microfiber will still get microscopic build up that can only be released by heat. To do a deek soak, boili a large pot of water, then place microfiber in, turn it off, add 1 tsp - 1 TB detergent, let sit for at least 10 minutes & swish around with tongs). Then I rinse each cloth out (carefully! they'll retain that very hot water) until the water runs clear.  Usually 4 or 5 times ringing out, then hang dry.

Drying
I dry Norwex microfiber in the dryer - usually on hot (do not do this with any other microfiber). No dryer sheets, ever.. it's fabric softener.  I sometimes take out the dryer balls b/c I want static build up (attracts more dust). I do not put my bathroom scrub mitt in the dryer or anything else with that plastic scrubby side b/c I've had one shrink on me in the past. 

It does seem for those that hang dry their cloths, they retain their color a little better, but it's a purely aesthetic thing.

For cheaper microfiber, drying is not recommend by manufacturer, however I have found that it turns out better if dried on low/no heat... it's the static build up thing again.