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Microfiber (US) or microfibre (UK) is synthetic fiber finer than one denier or decitex/thread, having a diameter of less than ten micrometre.
The most common types of microfiber are made variously of ; (e.g., nylon, Kevlar, Nomex); and combinations of polyester, polyamide, and polypropylene. Microfiber is used to make mats, knits, and weaves, for apparel, upholstery, industrial filters, and cleaning products. The shape, size, and combinations of synthetic fibers are chosen for specific characteristics, including softness, toughness, absorption, water repellence, electrostatics, and filtering ability.
They are commonly used for cleaning scratch-prone surfaces such as Display device, glass, and . Microfiber cloth makes use of van der Waals force to remove dirt without scratches.
Splitting bicomponent fibers is accomplished by making filaments out of incompatible polymers (e.g. polyester and nylon) and then separating them using physical or chemical treatments. The cross section of the materials in the filament before separating may look like the cross section of an orange, lending them the name, "orangle bico fibers." Another bicomponent continuous filament microfiber production method, called island-in-sea, involves extruding "islands" of thin polymers fibers (often polyester, nylon, or both) in a sacrificial "sea" matrix which is later dissolved away using a solvent, leaving only the thin "island" strands behind.
Microfiber can be used to make tough, very soft fabric for clothing, often used in skirts, jackets, bathrobes, and swimwear. Microfiber can be made into Ultrasuede, a synthetic imitation of suede leather, which is cheaper and easier to clean and sew than natural suede leather.
Another advantage of microfiber fabric (compared to leather) is that it can be coated with various finishes and can be treated with antibacterial chemicals. Fabric can also be printed with various designs, embroidered with colored thread, and heat-embossed.
For microfiber to be most effective as a cleaning product, especially for water-soluble soils and waxes, it should be a split microfiber. Non-split microfiber is little more than a very soft cloth. The main exception is for cloths used for facial cleansing and for the removal of skin oils (sebum), sunscreens, and mosquito repellents from optical surfaces such as cameras, phones and eyeglasses wherein higher-end proprietary woven, 100% polyester cloths using 2 μm filaments, will absorb these types of oils without smearing.
Microfiber used in non-sports-related clothing, furniture, and other applications is not split because it is not designed to be absorbent, just soft. When buying, microfiber may not be labeled to designate whether it is split. One method to determine the type of microfiber is to run the cloth over the palm of the hand. A split microfiber will cling to imperfections of the skin and can be either heard or felt as it does. Alternatively, a small amount of water can be poured onto a hard, flat surface and pushed with the microfiber. If the water is pushed rather than absorbed, it is not split microfiber.
Microfiber can be electrostatically charged for special purposes like filtration."SYNTHETIC SPLIT MICROFIBER TECHNOLOGY FOR FILTRATION " by Jeff Dugan, Vice President Research and Development Fiber Innovation Technologies and Ed Homonoff President Edward C. Homonoff & Associates, LLC
Microfiber is widely used by auto detailing to handle tasks such as removing wax from paintwork, quick detailing, interior cleaning, glass cleaning, and drying. Because of their fine fibers which leave no lint or dust, microfiber towels are used by car detailers and enthusiasts in a similar manner to a chamois leather.
Microfiber is used in many professional cleaning applications, for example in and cleaning cloths. Although microfiber mops cost more than non-microfiber mops, they may be more economical because they last longer and require less effort to use.UC Davis Health System: Newroom. UC Davis Pioneers Use of Microfiber Mops in Hospitals: Mops reduce injuries, kill more germs and reduce costs. June 23, 2006.Sustainable Hospitals Project, University of Massachusetts Lowell. 10 Reasons to Use Microfiber Mopping.
Microfiber textiles designed for cleaning clean on a microscopic scale. According to tests, using microfiber materials to clean a surface reduces bacteria by 99%, whereas a conventional cleaning material reduces bacteria by only 33%. UC Davis Health System: Newroom UC Davis Pioneers Use Of Microfiber Mops In Hospitals. Ucdmc.ucdavis.edu. Retrieved on 2010-12-01. Microfiber cleaning tools also absorb fat and grease and their electrostatic properties allow them to attract dust strongly.
Microfiber cloths are also used to clean photographic lenses as they absorb oily matter without being abrasive or leaving a residue, and are sold by major manufacturers such as Sinar, ZEISS, Nikon and Canon. Small microfiber cleaning cloths are commonly sold for cleaning computer screens, cameras, phones and eyeglasses.
Microfiber is unsuitable for some cleaning applications as it accumulates dust, debris, and particles. Sensitive surfaces (such as all high-tech coated surfaces e.g. cathode-ray tube, LCD and plasma display screens) can easily be damaged by a microfiber cloth if it has picked up grit or other abrasive particles during use. One way to minimize the risk of damage to flat surfaces is to use a flat, non-rugged microfiber cloth, as these tend to be less prone to retaining grit.
Rags made of microfiber must only be washed with regular laundry detergent, not oily, self-softening, soap-based . Fabric softener must not be used; the oils and cationic surfactants in the softener and self-softening detergents will clog up the fibers and make them less absorbent until the oils are washed out. Hot temperatures may also cause microfiber cloth to melt or become wrinkled.
Microfibers are used in towels especially those to be used at swimming pools as even a small towel dries the body quickly. They dry quickly and are less prone than cotton towels to become stale if not dried immediately. Microfiber towels need to be soaked in water and pressed before use, as they would otherwise repel water as microfiber tablecloths do.
Microfiber is also used for other applications such as making menstrual pads, cloth diaper inserts, body scrubbers, face mitts, whiteboard cleaners, and various goods that need to absorb water and/or attract small particles.
In the medical world, the properties of microfibers are used in the coating of certain fabric sheets used to strengthen the original material.
For most cleaning applications they are designed for repeated use rather than being discarded after use.Barbara Flanagan, The Case of the Missing Microfiber. I.D., April 22, 2008. An exception to this is the precise cleaning of optical components where a wet cloth is drawn once across the object and must not be used again as the debris collected are now embedded in the cloth and may scratch the optical surface.
Microfiber products also enter the oceanic water supply and food chain similarly to other microplastics. Synthetic clothing made of microfibers that are washed release materials and travel to local wastewater treatment plants, contributing to plastic pollution in water. A study by the clothing brand Patagonia and University of California, Santa Barbara, found that when synthetic jackets made of microfibers are washed, on average of microfibers are released from the washing machine. These microfibers then travel to local wastewater treatment plants, where up to 40% of them enter into rivers, lakes, and where they contribute to the overall plastic pollution. Microfibers account for 85% of man-made debris found on shorelines worldwide. Fibers retained in wastewater treatment sludge (biosolids) that are land-applied can persist in soils.
In 2018, the New York State Assembly passed a bill that would require clothing made with 50%+ polyester and other synthetic fibers to be issued a warning label that they contain microfibers.
In 2018, the Connecticut General Assembly passed 2 bills that would educate consumers on the dangers of microfibers through awareness camps and programs.
There are currently no substantial nationwide regulations for microfiber pollution from laundry.However, in recent years, there have been more serious efforts done to regulate microfiber pollution nationwide, especially as household laundry has become an ever more known source of the issue. In 2020, then President Donald Trump signed into law the Save Our Seas 2.0 act, and in it the Interagency Marine Debris Coordinating Committee (IMDCC) to release a report on microfiber pollution and how the government could take measures to reduce the issue. There has also been legislation introduced to take a harder approach against microfiber pollution, with congressman Mike Levin introducing the "Fighting Fibers Act of 2025" in July 2025, which if passed would require all washing machines nationwide to have microfiber filtration systems installed by 2030.
In 2023, the U.S. Environmental Protection agency had proposed multiple solutions to the issue of microfibers including reducing laundry emissions, creating non degradable textiles, and containing microfibers in areas that prevent them from escaping into the environment.
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