How to Wash Microfiber Cloths Without Ruining Them
By Mary G. P.
8/20/202611 min read
Microfiber cloths are supposed to make cleaning easier.
You wipe the counters, pick up dust, clean fingerprints from an appliance and toss the cloth into the laundry.
Simple enough, until the cloth comes out feeling strangely slick, covered in lint or no longer absorbing water the way it used to.
Usually, the problem is not that the microfiber suddenly became useless. How you wash and dry microfiber cloths can affect how well they continue to work.
Fortunately, caring for them does not require an expensive specialty routine.
For most household microfiber cloths, the basics are straightforward: separate them from lint-producing fabrics, use a suitable detergent without fabric softener, avoid unnecessarily high heat, rinse them well and let them dry completely before storage. Appliance manufacturers including Whirlpool and Maytag provide similar guidance, although the care label on your particular cloth should always come first.
Here's how to do it without making laundry more complicated than it needs to be.
Quick Answer: How Should You Wash Microfiber Cloths?
For ordinary reusable cleaning cloths:
Shake off loose dust and debris.
Separate microfiber from cotton towels and other lint-producing laundry.
Separate lightly soiled cloths from very greasy or dirty ones when practical.
Check the cloth's care label.
Wash with a small appropriate amount of detergent.
Skip fabric softener.
Use cool or warm water as allowed by the manufacturer and suited to the level of soil.
Rinse thoroughly.
Air-dry or tumble dry only if the care label permits it, generally using low heat.
Store only when completely dry.
Whirlpool recommends a gentle or delicate cycle and distinguishes between cooler water for lightly soiled microfiber and warmer water for heavier cleaning, while The Spruce similarly recommends separating microfiber from other fabrics and avoiding products that leave residue in the fibers.
Why Microfiber Cloths Need Different Laundry Care
Microfiber cleaning cloths are usually made from very fine synthetic fibers.
Their structure is part of what makes them useful for picking up dust, moisture and residue, but it also means the fabric can collect lint from other laundry.
This is why throwing microfiber cloths into a load of fluffy cotton bath towels is not always a good idea.
The cotton can shed lint, while the microfiber readily picks it up. Both The Spruce and Whirlpool recommend separating microfiber from lint-producing fabrics during washing.
Another issue is residue.
Products designed to coat or soften ordinary fabrics can interfere with the qualities you actually want from a cleaning cloth.
So microfiber care is not about adding more laundry products.
In many cases, it is about using fewer.
Step 1: Sort the Cloths Before Washing
You do not need an elaborate sorting system, but a little separation helps.
Start by keeping microfiber away from:
bath towels;
cotton cleaning rags;
fleece;
fluffy blankets;
other lint-producing fabrics.
If you have enough microfiber cloths for a small dedicated load, that is usually the easiest option.
If you only own a few cloths, you do not need to run a nearly empty washing machine every time. You can hand-wash lightly soiled cloths, which we will cover below.
Separate Very Dirty Cloths When Practical
Also think about what each cloth cleaned.
A microfiber cloth used only for light dusting does not necessarily need to be washed alongside one covered in cooking grease.
Likewise, I prefer keeping cloths used around toilets or other particularly dirty areas separate from kitchen cloths.
This is less about creating a complicated “cleaning system” and more about preventing one heavily soiled cloth from making an otherwise simple load harder to clean.
Step 2: Shake Off Loose Dirt First
Before putting microfiber into the washer, shake loose dust, crumbs, hair and other removable debris into the trash or outdoors where appropriate.
This takes only a few seconds.
Removing loose material before washing can reduce the amount of debris going into the machine and makes it easier for the wash cycle to deal with the soil that is actually embedded in the cloth.
For heavily soiled items, check whether the cloth manufacturer recommends pretreating or soaking before washing.
Step 3: Choose a Simple Detergent
You generally do not need a special microfiber detergent for ordinary household cleaning cloths unless their manufacturer specifically recommends one.
A conventional laundry detergent appropriate for your washing machine and fabric can often handle the job.
The Spruce recommends a fragrance-free, additive-free detergent for microfiber, while commercial microfiber-care guidance similarly emphasizes detergents without additives that can remain on the fibers.
For a Harmony Home Lab-style routine, the goal is not to chase the most specialized product.
Choose something simple and use the correct amount.
More Detergent Is Not Better
Pouring extra detergent into a dirty load can feel logical.
It is not necessarily helpful.
Excess detergent may be difficult to rinse completely from fabrics and can leave your cleaning routine feeling more complicated than necessary.
Follow the detergent label and your washer manufacturer's instructions.
If cloths come out feeling coated or are not rinsing cleanly, more detergent is probably not the first solution to try.
Step 4: Skip Fabric Softener
This is probably the most important microfiber-laundry mistake to avoid.
Do not automatically add liquid fabric softener when washing microfiber cleaning cloths.
Fabric softener is designed to leave substances on fibers to change how fabrics feel. That can work against the absorbency and cleaning performance you want from microfiber.
Recent microfiber-care guidance from The Spruce and Southern Living specifically warns against fabric softener for this reason.
If your microfiber cloth feels rough, the answer is therefore not necessarily to soften it with a conventional softening product.
First check for:
too much detergent;
residue;
lint contamination;
excessive dryer heat;
age and wear.
Step 5: What Water Temperature Should You Use?
There is no single temperature that should override the care label.
A practical approach is:
Light everyday soil: cool water may be enough when permitted.
Greasy or more heavily soiled cleaning cloths: warm water may be appropriate when the care instructions allow it.
Whirlpool's current microfiber-care guidance similarly differentiates between cool water for lighter soil and warmer water for heavily used cloths.
Avoid assuming that extremely hot water is automatically more hygienic or more effective.
Microfiber is synthetic, and excessive heat can damage some products. The safest rule is to follow the actual manufacturer's temperature limit rather than a viral laundry trick.
Step 6: Choose the Washing Machine Cycle
For most ordinary household microfiber cloths, a gentle or delicate cycle is a reasonable starting point when it matches the care label.
Whirlpool specifically recommends a gentle or delicate cycle for microfiber towels and cloths.
But again, your cloth wins over a general internet rule.
Some heavier-duty microfiber products may tolerate different cycles.
If the label provides specific washing instructions, use them.
Can You Wash Microfiber Cloths by Hand?
Absolutely.
Hand washing is particularly convenient when you have only one or two lightly soiled cleaning cloths.
You do not need to run an entire washer load just because you wiped down a table.
Simple Hand-Washing Method
Shake loose dirt from the cloth.
Fill a basin or sink with cool or warm water according to the care instructions.
Add a small amount of suitable detergent.
Place the microfiber cloth in the water.
Gently work the cloth through the water.
Rub particularly dirty sections together gently if needed.
Rinse thoroughly with clean water.
Gently squeeze out excess water.
Hang or lay flat to dry according to the care label.
Maytag and The Spruce both describe hand washing as a practical microfiber-care method.
This is one of my favorite approaches for a lower-waste home because it avoids running a nearly empty appliance simply to clean a few cloths.
Can Microfiber Cloths Go in the Dryer?
Many can, but not all, and high heat is generally something to avoid.
Start with the manufacturer's label.
If machine drying is allowed, a low-heat setting is commonly recommended. Whirlpool and other microfiber-care sources recommend low heat or air drying rather than exposing the synthetic fibers to unnecessarily high temperatures.
Air Drying Is the Simplest Option
Air drying works well for many household microfiber cloths.
Hang them individually on:
a drying rack;
laundry line;
hanger;
clean rail.
Do not fold damp cloths into a basket or cabinet.
Let them dry completely first.
That small habit also helps prevent the musty smell that appears when reusable cleaning cloths remain damp.
Skip Dryer Sheets
If you use the dryer, leave dryer sheets out of the microfiber load.
Like liquid fabric softener, dryer-sheet ingredients are intended to change how fabric feels and can leave material behind on fibers.
Southern Living's July 2026 microfiber-care guide specifically recommends avoiding dryer sheets as well as liquid fabric softener.
Can You Wash Microfiber Cloths With Regular Towels?
It's better not to wash them with fluffy cotton towels when you can avoid it.
Microfiber can attract lint released by cotton and other natural fabrics during washing.
That lint may remain trapped in the cloth and reduce the clean, lint-free finish you were expecting.
This separation advice appears consistently across guidance from The Spruce, Whirlpool and microfiber-care specialists.
You do not have to become obsessive about laundry sorting.
Just avoid combining microfiber with obvious lint producers when practical.
What About Microfiber Cloths Used for Grease?
Kitchen grease deserves a little extra attention.
Do not leave an oily cloth balled up under the sink for several days.
If you cannot wash it immediately:
remove excess food or debris;
rinse or pretreat it if the manufacturer allows;
let it dry in a ventilated place rather than leaving it wet in a pile;
wash it separately from lightly soiled cloths when practical.
Recent household coverage continues highlighting lingering oils and odors as a common challenge with reusable kitchen linens.
If grease repeatedly remains after laundering, check the detergent dosage and wash temperature permitted by the cloth rather than automatically mixing several DIY ingredients into the load.
Should Kitchen and Bathroom Microfiber Cloths Be Washed Together?
They can technically share a wash in some household routines, but I prefer a simple separation system.
For example:
Kitchen: one cloth color.
Bathroom: another.
General dusting: another.
Color-coding makes it harder to accidentally wipe the kitchen counter with the cloth you normally use around the toilet.
You do not need a different product for every surface.
Just enough organization to make reuse practical.
Do You Need Bleach to Clean Microfiber Cloths?
Do not automatically add chlorine bleach.
Some microfiber manufacturers specifically advise against bleach because it can affect the fibers or finishes, while particular commercial products may have their own care instructions.
The correct approach is simple:
Check the label.
If a cloth has been used with something requiring a particular sanitizing or decontamination procedure, follow appropriate product and public-health guidance rather than improvising a homemade mixture.
And never mix bleach with vinegar, ammonia or unrelated household cleaners.
Why Did My Microfiber Cloth Stop Absorbing?
This is one of the most frustrating microfiber problems.
You wet the cloth, and instead of soaking up water, it seems to push the liquid around.
Possible reasons include:
fabric-softener residue;
dryer-sheet residue;
too much detergent buildup;
oils trapped in the fibers;
excessive heat damage;
heavy lint contamination;
simple wear from long-term use.
Start by checking the manufacturer's cleaning instructions and rewashing the cloth correctly without fabric softener.
If it remains noticeably less absorbent after proper washing, it may simply be reaching the end of its useful cleaning life.
How Often Should You Wash Microfiber Cloths?
There is no need to make this complicated.
Wash a cloth when it is visibly dirty, has been used for a messy or higher-soil job, smells unpleasant or needs to be clean before moving to another area.
Some current cleaning guidance recommends washing heavily used cleaning cloths after each use, especially when they are collecting significant dirt and residue.
A lightly used dusting cloth may be a different situation from a cloth used to clean raw food residue or a bathroom fixture.
Use the task to decide, not an arbitrary calendar.
When Should You Replace a Microfiber Cloth?
Reusable does not mean permanent.
Consider replacing a microfiber cloth when:
it remains smelly after proper washing;
absorbency has noticeably declined;
the fabric is badly frayed;
it has become permanently stiff or coated;
embedded debris makes it unsuitable for delicate surfaces;
the cloth simply no longer performs its cleaning job well.
The best approach is to get as much responsible use as you reasonably can rather than discarding cloths on a fixed schedule.
What If You Are Trying to Reduce Microfiber Use?
This is worth discussing because microfiber is generally synthetic.
If you already own microfiber cloths, throwing perfectly usable ones away simply to buy a supposedly greener replacement does not necessarily create a more practical low-waste routine.
Use what you already have.
Wash it properly.
Keep it working for as long as it remains useful.
Then, when replacement time actually comes, you can decide whether you want microfiber again or another reusable material.
Harmony Home Lab's Microfiber Cloth Alternatives guide compares options such as cotton cleaning cloths, old cotton T-shirts, flour sack towels and Swedish dishcloths.
For kitchen wiping in particular, you can also explore our Swedish Dishcloths Guide. These cellulose-and-cotton cloths work differently from microfiber and can be useful for spills and routine counter cleaning.
A Simple Microfiber Care Routine
If all the advice feels like too much, remember this version:
After cleaning: let wet cloths breathe instead of leaving them crumpled.
Before washing: shake out loose debris.
In the washer: separate from lint-heavy fabrics, use an appropriate amount of detergent and skip fabric softener.
After washing: air dry or follow the label's low-heat drying instructions.
Before storage: make sure the cloth is completely dry.
That's enough.
You do not need multiple laundry additives or a complicated microfiber “detox.”
This simpler philosophy fits the approach in our Safer Cleaning Routines guide: start with fewer products, use them correctly and only add something stronger or more specialized when the cleaning problem actually calls for it.
Helpful Tools for Microfiber Care
You probably already own most of what you need.
If you are building a reusable cleaning setup, practical options include:
Helpful note: To check current prices or explore product options on Amazon, simply click on the tool names below. Some links may be affiliate links, which means Harmony Home Lab may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. This helps support the website and allows us to keep creating helpful home guides for readers.
These are optional conveniences.
You do not need to buy a special microfiber-care collection just to wash reusable cleaning cloths correctly.
Common Microfiber Washing Mistakes
Washing Them With Fluffy Towels
This can transfer lint into the microfiber.
Using Fabric Softener
Fabric softener can leave a coating that interferes with the performance you want from a cleaning cloth.
Using High Heat Automatically
Microfiber is synthetic, so follow the manufacturer's temperature limits rather than assuming hotter is always better.
Adding Too Much Detergent
Extra soap is not automatically extra cleaning.
Storing Cloths While Damp
Dry them completely before putting them into a drawer, bin or cleaning caddy.
Treating Every Cloth the Same
A dusting cloth and a grease-covered kitchen cloth do not necessarily need identical handling.
Final Thoughts
Learning how to wash microfiber cloths is mostly about not overcomplicating the process.
Separate them from lint-producing fabrics when practical. Use the correct amount of suitable detergent. Skip fabric softener. Follow the cloth's temperature instructions. Avoid unnecessary high heat. And let every cloth dry completely before putting it away. Current guidance from multiple appliance and household-care sources consistently emphasizes those same fundamentals.
Proper care also supports a more realistic low-waste cleaning routine.
If a reusable cloth is still working, take care of it and keep using it.
When it eventually wears out, then decide whether another microfiber cloth or a different reusable option that makes the most sense for your home.
FAQ: How to Wash Microfiber Cloths
Can you wash microfiber cloths in the washing machine?
Yes, many microfiber cleaning cloths are machine washable. Check the individual care label first, separate them from lint-producing fabrics and follow the recommended cycle and temperature.
Can microfiber cloths be washed with regular towels?
It is generally better to wash microfiber separately from cotton towels and other lint-producing fabrics because microfiber can collect lint during washing.
What detergent should you use for microfiber cloths?
A simple detergent suitable for your machine and permitted by the cloth manufacturer is usually enough. Several microfiber-care guides recommend fragrance-free or additive-free detergent to reduce residue.
Can you use fabric softener on microfiber cloths?
Generally, no. Fabric softener can coat the fibers and reduce the performance and absorbency expected from microfiber cleaning cloths.
Can microfiber cloths go in the dryer?
Many can be tumble dried if the label permits it, usually with low heat. Air drying is also a simple option. Avoid automatically using high heat or dryer sheets.
Can microfiber cloths be washed by hand?
Yes. Hand washing is useful when you only have a few cloths. A sink or basin, appropriate detergent, thorough rinsing and complete drying are usually sufficient when consistent with the care label.
Why are my microfiber cloths no longer absorbent?
Possible causes include fabric-softener or dryer-sheet residue, trapped oils, excessive detergent, high-heat damage, lint accumulation or normal wear. Rewash according to the manufacturer's instructions and replace the cloth if its performance does not recover.
How often should you wash microfiber cloths?
Wash according to how the cloth was used. Heavily soiled kitchen or bathroom cloths generally warrant prompt washing, while lightly used dusting cloths may not require the same schedule. Always clean a cloth before using it for a task where residual dirt could be transferred elsewhere.
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