Tag Archives: microfiber cleaning cloth

Cleaning Cloths 101

This is a follow up to our post titled Everything you always wanted to know about microfiber cleaning cloths. As we discussed, microfiber cleaning cloths are especially great for cleaning sensitive items prone to scratching such as stereo equipment and computer screens. However, this brings up another question. What do you use for more general cleaning tasks? Many people use cut up t-shirts and bath towels as rags in their homes. What do cleaning professionals recommend?

At Maid in Chicago we always pack plenty of surgical towels for our heavy duty cleaning jobs requiring supplies and equipment. Rugged and durable, these all-purpose cleaning cloths have a rough surface that powers through grimy bathrooms and dirty kitchen appliances. By using surgical towels, it helps us be a greener cleaning company too, because they can be laundered over and over again.

huck towel

(Picture above: surgical towels by ACS)

Flour sack towels are another tried and true option. According to Ted Parish, whose company ACS specializes in making them, they have a long and interesting history. “During the horse and buggy days, homemakers purchased their flour in 100 lb. cotton sacks. Once the sacks were emptied, washed, and bleached, they had a variety of different uses such as kitchen towels, cleaning and polishing cloths, diapers, and even underwear! Those that could not afford regular bedding sewed them together to make sheets and pillowcases.”

flour sack towels

(picture above: flour sack towels by ACS)

While the days of purchasing 100 lb. bags of flour are long gone, uses for flour sacks have endured. Cleaning companies love that flour sack towels are soft, lint-free, and absorbent, so they make superb dusting cloths and are great on mirrors and windows.  Personally, I reserve them for kitchen use only. They are wonderful for drying dishes, especially wine glasses and other fine crystal. Home chefs like me also use them for wiping up kitchen counters and in food preparation.

In closing, we recommend that you have a few different types of cleaning cloths in your home to choose from. We prefer surgical towels for all-purpose use, but it is handy to have some flour sack towels and microfiber cleaning cloths as well.

If you are looking for a supplier of cleaning cloths for your home or business you can contact our vendor Ted Parish, at ACS tel: (888) 374-5250 x2, e-mail him at Americanchair@yahoo.com, or check out our their website at acshomeandwork.com.

To schedule a cleaning with Maid in Chicago or for a FREE quote, give us a call at (312) 829-9600. You can also visit our website maidinchicago.us and fill out our online form.

iSmudged. How to clean an iPad

iSmudged
1: how your iPad touch screen appears from oily fingerprints.

All of that intimate iPad touching leaves behind a lot of fingerprints and many owners wondering how to safely clean their new favorite companion. It turns out the screen has an “oleophobic” coating, which means it is resistant to oils. That’s good while the coating lasts, as it can simply be wiped clean with a dry cloth. We recommend using microfiber cleaning cloths, which leave behind no lint or dust.  You can also use a cloth slighty dampened with distilled water, but you must first turn off and unplug the device. Any cleaners other than distilled water may damage your iPad. When in doubt consult the manufacturer. See below!

There many brands of microfiber cleaning cloths such as 3M, Scotch-Brite, Zwipes, Peak, etc. which can be found at Walmart, Menards, Home Depot, Ace Hardware, office supply stores, electronics stores, and online.

Here are cleaning instructions direct from Apple’s 154 page iPad user guide:
“To clean iPad, unplug all cables and turn off iPad (press and hold the Sleep/ Wake button, and then slide the onscreen slider). Then use a soft, slightly damp, lint-free cloth. Avoid getting moisture in openings. Don’t use window cleaners, household cleaners, aerosol sprays, solvents, alcohol, ammonia, or abrasives to clean iPad. iPad has an oleophobic coating on the screen; simply wipe the iPad screen with a soft, lint-free cloth to remove oil left by your hands. The ability of this coating to repel oil will diminish over time with normal usage, and rubbing the screen with an abrasive material will further diminish its effect and may scratch your screen.”

To schedule a cleaning with Maid in Chicago or for a FREE quote, give us a call at (312) 829-9600. You can also visit our website maidinchicago.us and fill out our online form.