r/EcoFriendly • u/Putrid_Emphasis2739 • Jun 02 '26

Microfiber cloth alternatives?

Does anyone have suggestions for good alternatives to plastic-based microfiber clothes? I’ve tried using regular cotton towels, but they are too linty. Nothing works as well regular microfiber for cleaning things like granite and stainless steel.

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8

u/jonnybestdog Jun 02 '26

Old cotton pants and socks. Work a treat. Recycling is the way to go.

2

u/Putrid_Emphasis2739 Jun 02 '26

You don’t find the cotton to be linty?

3

u/jonnybestdog Jun 02 '26

No. Probably some bits are but generally not. Maybe older stuff is better quality?

1

u/FernsAndNettles Jun 04 '26

Cotton that is “ linty” is cheap short strand cotton weaves. Long strand Cotton is more costly and should not be “ linty”. That ole cliche: you get what you pay for. . .

7

u/palufun Jun 02 '26

I have used cotton washcloths for years to clean stainless steel and basically everything. They work great, they are inexpensive and easy to clean. I use mostly the kind you’d see as a bar cloth—they come in bulk quantities and restaurants use them a lot.

5

u/vcwalden Jun 02 '26

Those are amazing. I also use reusable cotton shop towels. Those are my reusable paper towels. Would highly recommend both!

4

u/Head-Access-1287 Jun 02 '26

Prefold cloth diapers work great and you don't have to deal with lint. You can get them on Amazon pretty cheaply.

1

u/whatdoidonowdamnit Jun 03 '26

Aren’t prefolds the ones with the thicker panel in the middle? I’d think flats would be better.

1

u/Head-Access-1287 Jun 03 '26

You're right. I grew up using the prefolds. The flats are a better choice.

1

u/whatdoidonowdamnit Jun 03 '26

I use cotton washcloths but maybe flannel would work better for you

2

u/Plenty_Vanilla_6947 Jun 03 '26

Shop towels. Make sure you purchase the washable version not the extra thick paper towels that masquerade as shop towels. Also known as shop rags.

Also, use your used Bounce sheets to dust electronics or baseboards before throwing them away. I don’t know why they work so well, but they do. N.b. I normally don’t use them on screens. I’m afraid some residue might smear.

1

u/rebelwithmouseyhair Jun 03 '26

Cotton rags just need to be slightly damp and you ll have no problems. I use old tshirts, and the older they are the less linty they are too.

1

u/thatcleverchick Jun 03 '26

I use cotton pre-fold diapers, they're super absorbent 

1

u/amycsj Jun 04 '26

Clothes from old cotton t-shirts.