Pick the cloth by the surface. For kitchen counters, tile and appliances, the e-cloth General Purpose Cloth is made to use with water alone and can be machine washed hot. For glass and mirrors, The Rag Company’s Premium Glass & Window Towel has a textured side for grime and a smooth side for finishing. For dusting, e-cloth’s High Performance Dusting Cloth is designed to be used dry. The five picks below use each maker’s own published size, fiber blend and care instructions.

The Picks in Brief

Cloth Best for Size (inches) Material Maker’s wash rule
e-cloth General Purpose Cloth Kitchen counters, tile, appliances 12.5 x 12.5 80% polyester, 20% polyamide Up to 90°C (hot); tumble or hang dry
The Rag Company Premium Glass & Window Towel Glass, mirrors, chrome 16 x 16 (5-pack) or 16 x 24 (3-pack) 70% polyester, 30% polyamide; 350 GSM Machine washable
e-cloth High Performance Dusting Cloth Dry dusting 12.5 x 12.5 80% polyester, 20% polyamide Up to 30°C (cold); hang dry
e-cloth Stainless Steel Cloth Stainless steel appliances 12.5 x 12.5 75% polyester, 15% polyamide, 10% polypropylene Up to 90°C (hot); hang dry
The Rag Company Rip N’ Rag roll Tear-off cloths on a paper towel holder 12 x 12, 80 per roll 70% polyester, 30% polyamide Washable; edges may fray slightly

Each pick is one exact product whose size, fiber content or care rules the maker publishes. Where the maker and the Amazon listing give different numbers, the number is left out. Makers’ germ-removal claims are not repeated here.

1. e-cloth General Purpose Cloth - Best for Kitchen Counters

e-cloth’s instructions are short: “Use it on countertops, tile, appliances, even glass. Just dampen and wipe.” The cloth is 12.5 x 12.5 inches, in an 80% polyester, 20% polyamide blend.

Its care schedule is the most detailed of the group. e-cloth says to rinse and wring out the cloth after use, then weekly “machine wash up to 90°C (hot) with a small amount of detergent. No bleach, fabric softener or dryer sheets. Tumble or hang dry.” To clean and degrease it, e-cloth says to boil it in plain water. The cloth carries e-cloth’s “1-year or 100-wash promise (when used and cared for as recommended).”

The Amazon link below is the single Alaskan Blue cloth (e-cloth item 10602AB) sold by Amazon.com.

2. The Rag Company Premium Glass & Window Towel - Best for Glass and Mirrors

This towel is two-sided: “one side grips dirt with a textured corduroy weave, while the other side smooths everything out to a crystal-clear finish.” The Rag Company says, “For best results, use dry or lightly dampened with water or your favorite glass cleaner,” and lists windows, screens, chrome and mirrors among its uses.

It is a 70% polyester, 30% polyamide blend at 350 GSM, with an “overlocked stitched edge” that the maker says prevents fraying. It comes in two sizes: 16 x 16 inches in a 5-pack, or 16 x 24 inches in a 3-pack. The Rag Company calls it machine washable. The Amazon link is the 16 x 16, light blue 5-pack sold by The Rag Company.

3. e-cloth High Performance Dusting Cloth - Best for Dusting

e-cloth says, “Used dry, the cloth’s extralong, extra-fine fibers attract and trap dust, pollen, pet hair, and more from wood, glass, granite, and leather.” Dampened with water, it “removes grease and grime from hard surfaces.” e-cloth suggests folding it to use as a multi-surfaced pad. It is the same 12.5-inch square and 80/20 blend as the General Purpose Cloth.

The care rules differ, though. e-cloth says to wash this one “up to 30°C (cold)” and hang it dry, still with no bleach, fabric softener or dryer sheets. It also warns: “Color may run. Wash new cloths separately.” It carries the same 1-year or 100-wash promise.

4. e-cloth Stainless Steel Cloth - Best for Stainless Appliances

Stainless finishes differ, and this cloth has a side for each: “Choose the textured, striped side for brushed stainless steel, and the softer, solid side for polished stainless steel.” As with the General Purpose Cloth, e-cloth says to dampen it with water and wipe.

It is 12.5 x 12.5 inches in a 75% polyester, 15% polyamide, 10% polypropylene blend. e-cloth’s care is a hot machine wash up to 90°C and hang dry, with no bleach, fabric softener or dryer sheets. The 1-year or 100-wash promise applies here too.

5. The Rag Company Rip N’ Rag Roll - Best Paper Towel Swap

Rip N’ Rags are 12 x 12-inch microfiber towels on an 80-count roll that, The Rag Company says, will “fit perfectly on a standard paper towel holder.” They are a 70/30 polyester and polyamide blend with an edgeless design, and the maker says they are “built to be reused hundreds of times.” A 30-count roll is also sold.

The edgeless design has one tradeoff the maker spells out: “some minor fraying is possible from washing. Simply snip any loose fabric with scissors.” The Rag Company’s page and the Amazon listing give different fabric weights, so neither is listed here.

Washing kitchen cloths

FDA’s food-safety guidance suggests considering paper towels for kitchen cleanup, and says, “If you use cloth towels, launder them often, using hot water.” It also says not to dry your hands with a towel previously used to clean up raw meat, poultry or seafood juices.

If hot washing matters to you, check the rating before you buy. e-cloth rates its General Purpose and Stainless Steel cloths for machine washing up to 90°C (hot), while its Dusting Cloth is rated only up to 30°C (cold). The Rag Company’s product pages here don’t list a wash temperature.

How to choose

  1. Match the cloth to the surface. A two-sided glass towel handles grime and finishing in one pass. A dusting cloth is meant to be used dry. For stainless steel, e-cloth separates brushed and polished finishes by side.
  2. Check the wash temperature for kitchen use. The e-cloth General Purpose and Stainless Steel cloths are rated up to 90°C (hot); the Dusting Cloth is not.
  3. Skip fabric softener and dryer sheets. e-cloth rules them out for all three of its cloths here. If you use softener by accident, e-cloth says to rewash with a little detergent, on the highest temperature setting for the General Purpose and Stainless Steel cloths.
  4. Pick a size and count. The e-cloth cloths are 12.5 inches square, The Rag Company’s glass towels are 16 x 16 or 16 x 24, and Rip N’ Rags are 12 x 12 on a roll of 80.
  5. Look at the edges. The Rag Company’s glass towel has a stitched edge that it says prevents fraying. Its edgeless Rip N’ Rags may fray slightly in the wash.

Cloths compared

FAQ

Can you use fabric softener on microfiber cleaning cloths?

e-cloth says not to use bleach, fabric softener or dryer sheets on its General Purpose, Dusting and Stainless Steel cloths. If softener is used by accident, it says to rewash with a little detergent, on the highest temperature setting for the General Purpose and Stainless Steel cloths.

Do microfiber cloths need a cleaning spray?

Not always. e-cloth says to dampen its General Purpose and Stainless Steel cloths with water and wipe. The Rag Company says its glass towel works dry or lightly dampened with water or a glass cleaner.

How long do microfiber cleaning cloths last?

e-cloth backs each of its three cloths here with a 1-year or 100-wash promise when used and cared for as recommended. The Rag Company says Rip N’ Rags are built to be reused hundreds of times and that its glass towel holds up through hundreds of uses.

How often should kitchen cleaning cloths be washed?

FDA says that if you use cloth towels in the kitchen, launder them often, using hot water. e-cloth’s routine for its General Purpose Cloth is to rinse and wring it out after each use and machine wash it weekly, up to 90°C (hot).

Sources