Short answer
An ordinary cloth pushes the dirt along in front of it. Microfibre pulls it inside and holds on to it until you rinse the cloth out.
That one difference explains everything that follows: why water is enough, why glass dries clear, and why a single cloth replaces a cupboard full of bottles. Here is how it works.
Why does an ordinary cloth leave streaks?
Because it moves the dirty water about instead of taking it up.
A cotton cloth or a sponge slides across the surface and shoves the dirt along in front of it. What you wipe away, you are really just spreading around again. A thin film of moisture stays behind with dissolved dirt and soap residue in it, and the moment that dries you see it again as smears.
The same thing happens with cheap microfibre off the shelf. If the weave is too open, the cloth pushes the water forward instead of drawing it up. You polish, you walk away, and as it dries the streaks are back.
What exactly is different about the fibre?
It is split. Between those split threads a pulling action builds up.
The fibres in an iZi-Clean Wonder Cloth are up to 200 times finer than a human hair. But fineness on its own is not the point. The fibre is split, and that gives you an enormous density of threads per square centimetre.
The surface of those threads carries millions of microscopic hooks and loops. They grip dust, grease and moisture and only let go once you rinse or wash the cloth. Three things follow from that:
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1
Capillary action. The combination of polyester and polyamide creates a pulling force between the split threads. Water and dirt are drawn deep into the core of the cloth.
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2
Water does most of the work. The fibres are fine enough to reach into the microscopic pores of a surface. The dirt is lifted out physically instead of being dissolved chemically.
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3
It cleans itself out. For all that holding on, the cloth lets the dirt go again easily when you rinse it, so nothing settles in.
So why is water enough?
Because the dirt comes off mechanically. There is nothing left to dissolve.
A cleaning product has one job: loosening dirt so you can wipe it away. If the cloth does that loosening itself, the product has nothing left to do. With water alone you remove 99.9% of bacteria.
That helps you on more than one front. No sprays in the cupboard, no fumes to breathe in while you work, which is welcome if someone at home reacts to scent. And what you do not use does not go down the drain either.
For baked-on grease in the kitchen, do add a little washing-up liquid, all-purpose cleaner or vinegar. Beyond that you will not need it. The approach for each surface is set out on the page about cleaning without streaks.
Why do glass, mirrors and stainless steel dry clear?
Because nothing is left behind that can dry in.
Streaks appear when moisture sits unevenly on a surface. The fibres spread that moisture into microscopic channels and take it up straight away, so the cloth is effectively drying the surface while it cleans. No wet edges, no film of dust, so nothing to dry patchy either.
On glass, mirrors, chrome, natural stone and an induction hob you see it immediately. Those are the surfaces where every last trace shows, and that is exactly why they are the best test there is. For mirrors, the method is written out on the page about cleaning mirrors without streaks.
Modern interiors ask for it: glass shower screens, big windows, stainless steel appliances and lacquered furniture all look wonderful, but they show everything. Keep them clear and the light falls more evenly, so the room feels calmer, without you having bought a thing for it.
How much moisture does a cloth like this actually hold?
The Wonder Cloth up to 7 times its own weight. The Drying Towel M up to 800 ml.
That difference is no accident, because the two do different work. The Wonder Cloth is built to clean: to loosen dirt, take it up and hold on to it. The iZi-Dry Towel M, the 60 x 40 cm Drying Towel, is built to dry off afterwards, which is why it takes on that much more water.
Together they let you finish your round in one pass: clean with the one, dry off with the other, and you never have to go back over anything. That is also why this way of working has you finished up to 50% sooner.
Why is softer not automatically better?
Fibres that are too soft glide without cleaning. Fibres that are too coarse leave marks.
In the shop everyone has a feel of the cloths, and the softest one seems the best. It does not work like that. A fibre that is too smooth slides over the dirt. A fibre that is too coarse leaves visible marks on lacquer and glass.
The balance between the two gives you a cloth that is supple and still has enough grip to lift grease and fingerprints, with no pressure and no product. That is what we look at when we design a cloth: the thickness of the fibre and the structure of the weave, not how soft it feels on the shelf.
Because our cloths are woven and lint-free, you can safely use them on glass, mirrors, plastic, screens, spectacles and polished metal.
What do customers notice themselves?
More than 15,000 reviews tell much the same story.
Marion writes: "I could not believe it at first, but now my husband just picks up a bucket of water and does a window, and it really does come up streak-free." She uses the cloths all over the house: "The extractor hood, the kitchen doors, the American fridge, but the best of the lot is my steam shower. The glass doors were always a nightmare, and now they are finally clear."
Claudine recognises that: "I used to hate doing the windows. Now I rather enjoy going over them." And Martine has only one regret: "I should have ordered 12 straight away."
reviews via Trustpilot, Judge.me and WebwinkelKeur
average score, 98% of our customers are happy
households clean this way
What strikes us most is how often people pass it on. Cindy has used them for years and talked round family and friends: "I just give them away as a little present, so people can try it for themselves. And guess what? Every one of them orders a set of their own straight after." Sandra did the same: "I had ordered a pack of four. I gave two of them away, and now they are fans too."
What does it save you over a year?
Fewer bottles, fewer disposable wipes, less time.
A cloth you keep washing is a cloth you do not keep buying. Ours last dozens of washes without you noticing any change, as long as you wash them at 40 degrees and leave the fabric softener out.
That takes the place of a stack of kitchen roll and disposable wipes, and you stop buying the sprays you would normally replace every few months. It adds up to a saving of more than 100 euros a year on cleaning products, plus the time you get back because you are finished up to 50% sooner.
Why is this better for the environment as well?
For three reasons at once, and they reinforce each other.
Less product. Water does for most jobs, so less chemistry goes down the drain and fewer bottles pile up in the cupboard.
Less waste. One cloth lasts dozens of washes and replaces a tall stack of disposable wipes along the way.
Less water. Traditional cleaning calls for buckets. Because the fibre takes the dirt up itself, you get the same result with less.
On top of that, the cloths carry off not only dirt and grease but bacteria and allergens too. Welcome if someone at home is sensitive to them.
Where most people start
Try it out yourself first, then move on to the value pack.
- Dark Pack, 4 cloths · 60 x 40 cm, to put it to the test yourself
- iZi-Clean Wonder Cloth, 12 pack · three packs of four, for a colour per room
- iZi-Dry Towel M · the 60 x 40 cm Drying Towel, for drying off
- All Wonder Cloths · the full range at a glance
Frequently asked questions about microfibre
Why does a microfibre cloth work better than an ordinary cloth?
An ordinary cloth shunts dirt back and forth and leaves streaks as it dries. The split fibres of a Wonder Cloth catch dust, grease and moisture and hold on to them until you rinse or wash the cloth. That keeps the surface clear, even once it dries.
Are microfibre cloths better than cotton?
For cleaning, yes. Cotton mostly pushes water and dirt ahead of it, while microfibre keeps them in the fibre. That is why microfibre gets you a streak-free result with water alone, where cotton needs a product, and the product is precisely what leaves the streaks.
How fine are the fibres exactly?
They are up to 200 times finer than a human hair. That fineness lets them reach into the microscopic pores of a surface, and into corners and crevices a sponge simply glides over.
Do I really not need a cleaning product?
For most jobs, no. The fibres lift the dirt off physically instead of dissolving it chemically, and water alone removes 99.9% of bacteria. For stubborn grease, add a little washing-up liquid, all-purpose cleaner or vinegar.
How much moisture does a cloth take up?
The iZi-Clean Wonder Cloth holds up to 7 times its own weight in moisture. The Drying Towel M soaks up to 800 ml, because it is made specifically for drying off.
Why does my cloth still leave streaks?
Usually because it is too wet, because it is saturated, or because fabric softener has been involved. All three mean the moisture gets moved about rather than taken up. The washing advice is in How do you use and wash your iZi-Clean cloths?
Can I use them on delicate surfaces?
Yes. The fibres are softer than cotton and lint-free, so you can use them on screens, spectacles, glass, mirrors, plastic, lacquered wood and polished metal. Do avoid sharp edges, because a woven cloth can snag on them.
Do they really work out cheaper than disposable wipes?
Yes. One cloth lasts dozens of washes and takes the place of a tall stack of kitchen roll and disposable wipes along the way. On top of that you stop buying the sprays, which adds up to more than 100 euros a year.
Why are microfibre cloths kinder to the environment?
You use hardly any cleaning product, the cloths last dozens of washes instead of going in the bin, and you need less water for the same result.
Do they help with allergies?
The cloths carry off not only dirt and grease but bacteria and allergens as well. That makes for a healthier home, certainly if someone in the house is sensitive to dust or scent.
Join the iZi-Clean community
Streak-free with nothing but water, just like more than 300,000 households. Start with a pack of four, that is absolutely fine by us.
Try a pack of 430 days to change your mind. Questions? You can simply reach us.
iZi-Clean is a registered trade mark. How to use and wash the cloths is explained in How do you use and wash your iZi-Clean cloths? Which cloth belongs in which room is set out in Using microfibre cloths: which cloth for which room?