Two types of microfiber cloth - How to find the right one?

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Microfiber varies in terms of quality, manufacturer as well as design. There are hundreds of uses, and hundreds of applications. Some microfiber is designed for cleaning, some for absorbency, etc. So, don't assume all microfiber is the same. Microfiber is a mix of polyamide and polyester, and you will see ratios listed: 70/30 or 80/20 polyester/polyamide. Often, towels made of 70/30 feel 'softer' but this is not always the case. The other factors include density i.e. how many fibers per square inch, as well as how it is finished. You will also see reference to Korean vs Chinese, with Korean generally being higher quality, but again, not always.

You want to purchase 'lint free' microfiber. However, often you will experience lint from 'lint free' microfiber. This is most often because you did not wash it first, and the lint is left over from the manufaturing process. Be sure to wash, separately, all microfiber before use, and you will not find much or any lint, even from cheap towels.

I find that microfiber towels that feel 'rough' or 'grabby' are awful for lenses, but pretty good for general cleaning. For glass you generally want dense, smooth microfiber.

The best for lenses I find are dense, smooth cloths, made for lens cleaning. They are usually smooth, almost shiny, because they are dense. This keeps them from getting embedded with dirt. The other type is sueded, that feels like, well, sueded leather. These are somewhat more effective, but I feel they need cleaning more often. Your local optician offers/sells these, and you can also find them online through reputable dealers. Cheap promotional items I find can be less dense and hold dirt, risking scratches.

It is also important to wash microfiber, especially for lenses. You must wash them separately, otherwise, they will grab all the fibers and lint from other items in the wash. For this reason, its good to have many microfiber towels and cloths around (I use them for car drying, waxing/polishing and window washing).

I recommend purchasing lens cloths from a microfiber vendors that are trusted sources. I have no relationship with these other than a customer: The Rag Company offers hundreds of microfiber towels, with full details of their application and quality. Their Knit Lens cloth is what you would call 'smooth' and is my daily cloth for eyeglasses and camera lenses. They also offer a 'suede' version, that while not rough, does offer a bit more texture that is great for especially greasy eye glasses (and mobile phone displays): Sueded lens cloth. At the time of this writing, these are both less than $1USD.

Microfiber Tech is another trusted vendor, with similar products and prices.